Apps

8 apps to use when working from home

Conquer your to-do list and maintain your productivity!

Published

March 13, 2020

Kenrick Buduan

The outbreak of COVID-19 shows no sign of stopping. With no end in sight for the deadly disease, companies are resorting to a remote working environment for their employees. After all, most employees use smartphones and laptops that makes work from home possible.

For employees working at home for the first time, it can be a difficult task on where to start. There are many apps out there that could potentially distract you from reaching your full productivity levels. That’s why we compiled apps which can help you on your daily grind at the comfort of your home.

Tide (meditation and timer app)

Working for hours can be draining. As such, you tend to lose focus and your productivity levels suffer as a result. This is where Tide comes in. The name itself invokes a familiar sight on a calm beach. For the app itself, the combination of meditation and productivity timer in one makes it a great tool for everyone working at home.

You can set different timers for focusing on your work. By default, the app uses the pomodoro technique where tasks are divided into 25-minute sessions with breaks in between. The app’s breathe mode allows you to meditate and focus on your breath. Meanwhile, the sleep and nap timer tracks and helps you achieve that elusive sleep after a long day of grinding at work.

Download on Google Play Store or Apple App Store

Slack (work collaboration app)

Slack is a household name for remote work collaboration. As a matter of fact, we use this app at GadgetMatch for updates and pitching in articles. The app is straightforward to use — it’s comparable to most chat apps on the market, but better. You can reply to someone’s message, which will become a thread in itself where you can also react and reply to keep the conversation going.

Slack shines the most when used as a collaboration tool for work teams. As such, the app may not be useful to you if your company doesn’t have its own Slack workspace. You’ll need an invite to join a workspace and a channel. Once you’re invited, you can say anything to the channel you’re allowed in. Plus, you can also message a fellow user directly and privately.

Download on Google Play Store or Apple App Store

Gmail (email app)

Who doesn’t use Gmail to handle their email inbox? Google’s mail service has been around for a long time, making it a popular tool for sending and receiving emails. To utilize Gmail for best productivity, you can create automatic filters and labels which does the job of sorting out important work emails from personal ones.

Gmail’s smart compose feature is also a plus when typing new emails to your colleagues and bosses. And with the intelligent features baked in, you will see important emails right in front of your inbox. That makes it perfect for dealing with tasks with tight deadlines.

Download on Google Play Store or Apple App Store

Microsoft To-Do (to-do list app)

A day’s work is more exciting if you have a to-do list to conquer. Microsoft To-Do is basically that: a to-do list app, but with added features so you can conquer the day with confidence. By default, the app takes you to the “My Day” tab, where you can add your own to-do for the day. You have the option to create a sub-task within a certain task too, making it a versatile companion for focusing on your daily hustle.

The app’s versatility doesn’t stop there. You can remind yourself of an upcoming to-do, and even set it to repeat daily, weekly, monthly or yearly. Plus, you can even set it to repeat at a custom time. The biggest advantage of this app, however, is the option to set a due date. Setting a deadline for a certain task is very useful especially when working at home where numerous distractions abound.

And unlike other to-do list app, you can add images, notes, and files directly to a certain task.

Download on Google Play Store or Apple App Store

Microsoft Office (document creation app)

If you ever need a mobile companion for editing documents on the go, Microsoft Office app will more than suit your needs. Almost everything that you would expect from the desktop app is on the mobile app too. In the past, Microsoft used to offer three different apps for editing document, spreadsheet, and presentation files just like in the desktop. However, the company recently released a brand-new app which bundles Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and even Lens in one.

From the app, you can open and edit any documents from the local file directory or your OneDrive account. Microsoft Office even supports opening and converting PDFs, so you can view and edit an important document from your email inbox.

Download on Google Play Store or Apple App Store

Google Keep (note-taking app)

Keeping tabs of notes while working on a certain task can be daunting. While some of us may opt for a physical sticky-notes to keep tabs of the important stuff, some prefer a digital solution. After all, it’s much easier to use a digital note-taking app that synchronizes your notes on all devices.

That is what Google Keep does for its users. It’s dead simple to use and you can jot your notes within the app in no time. Additionally, you can change the color and label of your own notes if you’re obsessed with organizing stuffs. The biggest advantage of this app yet over its traditional counterpart is the ability to store and sync your notes from the cloud. Worrying over a sticky-note that you were supposed to pin on a board is now a thing of the past with this app.

Download on Google Play Store or Apple App Store

Toggl (time tracking app)

It can be a struggle to keep track of the time you work on something while at home. Toggl is a timesheet app that simplifies time tracking for you. You can set the app to automatically track the time while you work on a certain task. The time tracked can be displayed on your calendar too.

At the end of the day, the app will nudge you with stats and reports so you can see how productive you are for the day. This is useful if you always struggle completing a task because you had numerous distractions at home.

Download on Google Play Store or Apple App Store

LinkedIn (work social networking app)

LinkedIn is a social networking site just like Facebook. However, it’s more focused on work-related stuff. Here, you can follow a company’s profile for any updates related to work and daily operations. Plus, you can also follow a colleague. Following a colleague allows you to message him/her at any time of the day too. This is useful for getting in touch with a workmate regarding any company announcement that you missed while at home.

You could also search for new jobs on LinkedIn. The job search feature allows you to search for a part-time freelancing gig. More importantly, you could build connections with other people who can vouch you for a job you’re applying. And since this is a social networking site for work, your own profile will serve as a resume where you can post your achievements and boast your real-life skills.

Download on Google Play Store or Apple App Store

Bonus: Forest (productivity gaming app)

Who says that work at home can’t be fun? This app literally gamifies your work session. It works by letting you grow a virtual tree within a 25-minute period. The tree slowly grows as time progresses. However, once you leave the app, the tree dies. You wouldn’t want a tree to die, so you’ll be left with no other choice but to stick to the app and let the timer finish.

As such, you will be forced to focus on your work while the tree grows. It’s relaxing and satisfying to watch your tree grow while you conquer your task within the given time. The app cultivates a habit of productivity too, since any tree you’ve successfully grown will earn you coins that you can use to purchase another tree species. And the best part about this is that you can donate that coin to tree planting and conservation efforts for our planet.

Download on Google Play Store or Apple App Store

As general rules, the CDC or The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listed these to help with preventing the spread of COVID-19:

Stay home when sick
Cover coughs and sneezes
Frequently wash hands with soap and water
Clean frequently touched surfaces

Apps

Smart launches LiveSmart App for exclusive deals

Exclusive deals, cashback, and bill payments in one app.

Published

September 18, 2026

GadgetMatch

Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) and TNT have launched the LiveSmart App, a new platform that combines loading, bill payments, exclusive offers, and other everyday transactions in one app.

The app is available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. It is open to Smart, TNT, and subscribers of other mobile networks.

The LiveSmart App gives users access to exclusive deals and savings. These include cashback offers, discounted Smart and TNT data packages, and limited-time access to AI.Smart.

“Filipinos are becoming more deliberate about where they spend and how they can get more value from every peso,” said Lloyd R. Manaloto, FVP and OIC for Smart. “The LiveSmart App is designed to help make those everyday decisions a little smarter, by giving users convenient ways to load, pay bills, and access exclusive savings and offers in one place.”

Exclusive deals and perks

Smart and TNT are rolling out several offers on the LiveSmart App starting September 18.

Smart and TNT subscribers can get 5% cashback when they purchase load or pay their Smart Postpaid bill through the app.

The app also offers data packages at exclusive prices. Smart Prepaid subscribers can get Power All 109 for PHP 105, while TNT subscribers can get Saya All 109 for PHP 105.

Users who download the LiveSmart App may also receive limited-time free access to AI.Smart.

AI.Smart combines multiple AI models, including AWS Nova, ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, and Thinking Machines, in one workspace. Users can use it to generate images, create presentations, draft documents and spreadsheets, and get help with schoolwork, content creation, and other projects.

To claim the free AI.Smart credits, users need to tap the AI.Smart banner in the LiveSmart App. They then need to create an AI.Smart account using their Smart or TNT number.

Smart says users can also expect more exclusive deals and perks from lifestyle partners as it expands the LiveSmart App.

Powered by Smart 5G

The LiveSmart App runs on Smart’s network. Smart 5G supports activities such as video streaming, gaming, and real-time social media sharing.

The company said Ookla recently recognized its network for the Best Mobile Video Experience in the Philippines for the first half of 2026. Smart recorded a Video Score of 72.82, which it said was the highest among mobile operators in the country.

The LiveSmart App is now available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Users can learn more about the app through Smart’s website.

Apps

Apple’s best feature to cure motion sickness is finally on Android

Google copies a good page from Apple’s playbook.

Published

September 15, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

As an Android user, I’ve been jealous of iPhone users for a while now, but it’s not for the reason you might think. See, I’m ridiculously prone to motion sickness when I’m not driving. So, when I discovered that Apple has a software-based cure called Vehicle Motion Cues, I wanted it immediately. Now, Android does have third-party apps that do the same thing, but they’re not as good as a fully native version. Well, those dark, nauseating days are about to come to an end. Android 17 is finally getting a similar tool called Motion assist.

Before that, let’s rewind for a bit. What do these features do? How can they cure motion sickness?

Whenever you open Vehicle Motion Cues or Motion assist, the interface spawns a series of dots on the screen. These dots respond to movement. For example, if the vehicle turns to the left, the dots also go to the left, mimicking the movement. Without cues like this, the stationary nature of the screen clashes with our brain’s perception of movement. The disparity creates that feeling of nausea. Basically, our eyes are desperately trying to focus on the static screen, but our brains are telling us that we should be seeing motion. Having moving dots reorients our brain and places the phone inside our perception of movement.

Now, you can enable the same feature on your Android 17 device through Settings > All services > Motion assist under Personal & device safety. You can also set it so that the feature turns on automatically when the phone detects that you’re in a moving vehicle. Finally, you can also tweak the shape, color, and opacity of these dots.

Android 17’s Motion assist is rolling out now to compatible devices.

Apps

Disney+ is moving to a global app experience

Disney+ is going global.

Published

September 4, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

Disney is rolling out its new Disney+ app to markets that have been using a separate, Hotstar-derived version of the service.

The change is already happening across several regions, with Southeast Asia among the markets affected. Disney+ subscribers in the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and other countries will transition to the newer app experience as Disney works toward a more unified global platform.

For Philippine subscribers, Disney+ has confirmed that the migration will happen on October 7, 2026.

The company notified subscribers this week that the existing app will eventually be replaced by a new Disney+ app. No action is required yet, and subscribers can continue using the current app until Disney provides further instructions.

The migration is part of a broader effort to bring Disney+ users onto the same core platform.

From Hotstar to a global Disney+ app

The distinction between the old and new experiences goes back to Disney’s international expansion.

Disney used a Hotstar-derived version of its streaming platform in several markets, including the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, South Africa, and markets across the Middle East and North Africa.

That version provided a localized Disney+ experience, but it operated separately from the main Disney+ platform used across many other international markets.

Disney began simplifying its streaming brands in 2025. In Southeast Asia, Disney+ Hotstar was rebranded simply as Disney+, while the Star general-entertainment brand was replaced by Hulu. At the time, Disney said the rebrand would bring a more consistent Disney+ experience, although the available content would remain tailored to each market.

The next step is now happening at the app level.

Egypt began moving to the new Disney+ app on September 2, followed by Indonesia on September 3. South Africa is scheduled for September 9, while Thailand is set to follow on September 16. Malaysia and the Philippines are scheduled for October 7.

This makes the Philippine migration part of a much larger transition rather than an isolated local update.

A more familiar Disney+ experience

The new app brings affected markets closer to the current Disney+ experience elsewhere.

Disney redesigned the global app earlier this year with a new For You homepage, improved personalization, redesigned navigation, more prominent profiles, and additional content hubs. Depending on the market and subscription, the interface can also surface Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN sections.

Disney has also been expanding the platform’s international language support. In July, the company added 17 languages, bringing Disney+ to 58 audio languages, with the user interface available in more than 30 languages and subtitles or closed captions available in as many as 42. The expansion included Thai, Indonesian, Malay, Arabic, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.

The company has described these updates as part of its effort to make Disney+ a more accessible and localized service for audiences around the world.

The migration also brings practical changes for subscribers.

In the Philippines, Disney says existing subscribers can continue using their current account and subscription. However, profiles, watchlists, and viewing history will not transfer to the new platform. Philippine subscribers will therefore need to set up their profiles and watchlists again after moving to the new app.

The subscription itself does not require an additional charge because of the migration. Existing billing cycles will also remain in place.

The catalog will still depend on where you are

Moving to the global Disney+ app does not mean every country will suddenly receive the same library.

Disney continues to operate its streaming service according to regional content rights. Its own Help Center notes that content availability can differ by country or region, and that some titles may not be available in a subscriber’s current location.

That means a subscriber in the Philippines, for example, will still see a catalog determined by the rights Disney has for the Philippine market. The same applies to subscribers in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, or any other market making the transition.

What is becoming more global is the platform itself.

That brings Disney+ closer to the model used by other major streaming services, where subscribers can use a common app experience across markets while the actual catalog changes depending on where they are.

The distinction is particularly relevant for people who travel. Disney’s global Help Center says subscribers abroad can stream content available in the country or region they are visiting, meaning the service’s location-based availability rules still apply even on the unified platform.

Disney has been signaling this direction for some time. In 2025, the company said its redesigns were leading toward a “fully integrated unified app experience” in 2026. The latest migrations appear to be the next major step toward that goal.

For subscribers in the remaining Hotstar-derived markets, then, the biggest change isn’t necessarily what’s available to watch.

It’s where and how they access Disney+.