TaskPulse
A calm to-do list with real-time reminders, tactile categories and an honest monthly check-in.
Free, with no account, no subscription and no server. Download it, install it, and everything stays on your own device.
What it is for
Most to-do apps either look like a spreadsheet or interrupt you with alerts you stop reading. TaskPulse is built around the two moments that matter: deciding what to do next, and being reminded at the right time. Tasks, reminder leads, categories and a live countdown sit on one soft surface, and everything stays on the device with no account, no sync and no subscription.
Who it is for
People who want a quiet, tactile daily planner and dependable in-app reminders without handing their task list to a cloud service.
How to use it
- 1
Add a task, choose a date and time, then set how early you want the first nudge. The small AM/PM buttons make the time unambiguous.
- 2
Pick a category. Built-ins cover work, personal, friends, family, shopping, food, party, task, money, health, design and study.
- 3
Need your own? Tap Custom, choose a name, icon and tone. Double-tap that category within two seconds to edit it later.
- 4
Keep TaskPulse open around a reminder: it counts down, nudges you, and can snooze or stack the next alert.
- 5
Open Settings for the update check and feedback. A feedback prompt appears at most once every 30 days, and a new version shows its release notes when the studio publishes one.
Why not something else
Each row names the thing you would otherwise install, because “better” is meaningless without saying better than what.
| If you would otherwise use | What changes with TaskPulse |
|---|---|
| Minimal to-do lists | A checklist records what you meant to do. TaskPulse also owns the reminder: a chosen lead time, a live countdown, a system notification and a snooze that keeps the next nudge coming. |
| Subscription reminder apps | No account, no trial, no monthly fee. The whole app is one signed APK, and the data never leaves the phone. |
| Cloud task managers | There is no server to sign into and no sync that can merge two devices into a mess. The trade-off is stated plainly: a second phone starts empty, so export a backup. |
| Paper and notes apps | Categories, reminder leads, completion history and a daily progress view are maintained for you instead of being rewritten every morning. |
What's inside
Live countdowns and stacked nudges
The next alert is always visible, with the time remaining counting down. Snoozing keeps the task in play instead of silently dropping it.
System and in-app alerts
Reminders arrive as an in-app card and, with permission, an Android notification, with sound, haptics and snooze controls.
Custom categories
Create a category with a name, icon and tone. Double-tap it within two seconds later to rename it or change its look without moving the tasks already filed under it.
AM/PM time controls
Every time is shown with its meridiem, and small AM/PM buttons sit beside the picker so a 9 o'clock reminder cannot become the wrong 9 o'clock.
Today, upcoming, completed and reminders
A focused set of views with search, so the list stays short enough to act on rather than becoming an archive.
History and completion analytics
See what was finished, what slipped and how the current day is progressing, grouped by category.
Tactile themes, local-first
Soft Porcelain and Velvet Slate surfaces with Teko type, a profile editor, and a single JSON export for a backup you actually own.
Feedback and update notices
A monthly prompt collects a rating and suggestions through your email app. The app also checks the studio feed and shows release notes when a newer version is published.
What it doesn't do
Stated here rather than left to be discovered after installing.
- Reminders are delivered while TaskPulse is open. The APK has no background alarm service yet, so closing the app stops future nudges until it is reopened.
- Data lives on this device only. There is no cloud sync, so a second phone starts from scratch and uninstalling clears everything - export a backup.
- Updates are sideloaded. The app links to the studio page and shows what changed, but Android still asks you to install the new APK.
- The feedback prompt opens your email app; nothing is sent until you press send.
What's changed
- v1.1.3
Early installs that still show the untouched demo slate now clear it automatically, and Android backup is disabled so old sample data cannot be restored later. Fresh installs still open to an empty workspace.
- v1.1.2
New installs start with an empty slate instead of demo tasks and a placeholder name. The feedback prompt now waits until you have used the app for about four minutes, and Settings can clear every task without touching your preferences.
- v1.1.1
Fixed a Windows packaging issue that stored the bundled interface under backslash paths, so the installed app opened to a Not found page. Asset paths are normalized now, with a fallback for older installs.
- v1.1.0
A monthly feedback prompt, update notices from SmallTown Studio, double-tap editing for custom categories, small AM/PM time controls, and the finished TaskPulse launcher icon.
- v1.0.0
First release: tasks, reminders, categories, analytics, themes and local-first storage.
Get TaskPulse
Version 1.1.3 · Android 6.0+ · free forever, no account needed
Need one built for you?
TaskPulse is one of a small number of products built at SmallTown Studio. If you have a specific problem that an off-the-shelf app does not solve, describe it and you will get an honest answer on whether it is worth building.