Many people can get by using the basic calendar and reminder functions built-in to iOS. But what if you have the need for various categories, a need for reminders, the ability to print out a report of upcoming appointments and tasks, and to view on the fly how you’re spending your busy day? Enter Schedule Planner Pro for iPhone.
Overview
Schedule Planner Pro allows you to enter appointments and reminders in various categories, divided into two types, “Planned”, and “Actual”. It took me awhile to understand the idea between these, but here’s how I interpreted it.
Planned events are what you would normally think of when you think of how to use a scheduling app. This is where you enter upcoming events and appointments that you have planned, such as that 9:00 AM meeting with the board, a dentist appointment, etc.
Actual events are where you enter events you actually did attend, or tasks you actually did accomplish, but were not on your original schedule. Such as an unexpected visit to the mechanic, or an impromptu meeting with the partners to discuss an issue that just came up.
Between these two type of entries, the idea is to be able to see how you actually spend your days, then you can use this information to better see what your priorities are, and what you’ve actually accomplished.
Reports can be created to show how you spent your time, and from there you can make decisions on how to better plan and use your time.
Calendars can be synced with your iCloud calendar (It’s referred to as ‘iCal” in the app), or your Google calendar. I synced mine with my iCloud calendar, and everything worked perfectly.
When creating an activity, you can place it in a color coded category, such as “Transportation,” “Health,” “Work,” “Meetings,” or one of the numerous other categories. If there isn’t a category that fits, you can create your own categories.
Reminders can be set when making an entry in your schedule, I did find the alarm settings too simplistic, with not enough options. I like to remind myself a day or two in advance for important appointments. The app only allowed a reminder for the day of the appointment.
The app has a handy backup feature that can backup your data to Dropbox or Google Drive.
Verdict
I found Schedule Planner Pro to be a bit more than I needed as a scheduling app. However, I can see it as a big help to a harried executive who is trying to fit everything into her/his busy day. If this describes you, I would recommend taking a look at Schedule Planner Pro. It just might be the tool you’re looking for. The price is a little dear for my tastes, and there may be other solutions that may be a better fit for you, but the app is worth a look.
Rating:4/5[rating:4.0]
Price:$6.99 – Available for the iPhone in the App Store. [DIRECT LINK]
Pros:
- Color coding of categories makes it easy to see how your day is laid out.
- I like the idea of adding “actual” events to better tell how your time is being used.
- The reports are a handy feature.
Cons:
- The alert/reminder function is a limited to the same day only for the initial alert. The ability to remind you a day or two ahead of time would be a welcome addition.
