Productivity Apps in Test: Pocket

Continuing from last year, our Productivity Ninjas will keep on testing Productivity Apps and let you know if they would recommend them or the apps aren’t the productivity boost we want them to be. This time, we’re looking at an organizational tool for your bookmarks. As we discuss in our Time Management Workshops, productivity tools are there to make your lives easier and less stressful, so let’s see if Pocket does exactly that….

Chosen App: Pocket
Available on: Android, iOS, Kindle Fire, Browser Extensions

Why did you pick this particular app?

I used to be a “serial book marker”, with lots of articles and useful websites saved into hundreds of folders in my bookmarks. I never got around to actually reading those articles because as soon as I opened my bookmarks, I already felt stressed since there was so much in there. All of this changed since I started using Pocket and I actually read all of the articles I save for later.

How does it work?

Essentially Pocket works very similar to your browser bookmarks. If you want to save a website, article, blog post for later, you simply put it in your pocket for review later on. You can then “tag” the website, so when you have a look at your Pocket it’s all divided up into different sections.

Personally, I divide my Pocket into topics, for example: Marketing, Email Marketing, Social Media, Productivity, Design, etc. That way when I’m reviewing articles, I know exactly where to go to find what.

How did you use the app? And what changed for you?

I use Pocket as a Google Chrome Extension, as well as on my Android phone. So, anytime I see something while on my laptop or phone, which I don’t want to read now, or want to save for someone else, I put it in my pocket.

I can tell I’m definitely reading more of the articles I put in my Pocket than I used to when they sat in my Bookmarks. I still use my Bookmarks bar for Websites I use frequently, especially the ones I use for work, but I don’t dread looking at my Bookmarks anymore and it definitely doesn’t stress me out.

What was your favorite feature?

I don’t think there’s only one feature I can keep this to, here are two of my many favorite features:

The tagging of saved links makes going back into my pocket days, or often weeks later, much easier. It makes finding articles so much easier and it also helps me remember I’ve put something in my pocket. I often work on something and then remember I put something related to this in my Pocket and I’m always only 2 clicks away from it.
Pocket also recommends websites and articles to you, based off your saved links. I love diving into the recommended section whenever I’ve finished going through my latest additions.

Nothing is perfect. What were the negatives of using the app?

There weren’t any big negatives for me. The design is nice, I never lost anything I’ve saved and tags were never duplicated. What might be a nice addition in the future would be if you could color coordinate the different tags – so they have different categories. But this is definitely not a must, just a personal preference.

Will you continue using it? Why/Why not?

I will definitely continue using it. It’s taken something I always stressed out about and made me enjoy looking through my “bookmarks”. It has made such a difference in my personal organization system.

Who would you recommend this app for?

I would recommend it to everyone, really, but particularly people who, like me, bookmark a LOT of websites and have no real system in how they save them. Pocket will be your answer and it’ll make your life so much easier!

By Hannah Urbanek