Will Clear be our new favourite to-do list app?

We’ve seen features and reviews about a new to-do list app for the iPhone and iPad called Clear all over the web today, so decided to fill it full of our mundane morning tasks and find out what all the fuss is about…

What’s Clear?

Clear is essentially just a very simple to-do list application that works on the iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad. Of course it doesn’t have to be used to store task lists though, it can be a tool to keep track of films you want to see, shopping lists, guest lists, contacts, the list (sorry) could really go on and on…

Why is it different?

We’ve written a number of round-ups over the past year of our favourite productivity apps and there are certainly plenty of good to-do list tools already available to iPhone users, like Teux Deux, Wunderlist and Apple’s own Reminders.

However, Clear stands out from the rest because it’s just so simple and easy-to-use.

There are no standard navigation bars on the screen, there are just three key levels, the menu (where settings and tips live), the lists (where you can sort tasks into different sections) and then the tasks (the stuff you’ve got to get done).

Clear really utilises the iPhone and iPad’s multi-touch screen, as everything you do within the app is based on gestures, touching, tapping, dragging, pinching and holding. For instance, you tap and hold tasks to pick them up and move them around, pull down on the screen to make a new task pop up and pinch everything vertically to go back to lists, as well as much more.

There’s a neat little tutorial at the start, which teaches you what all the different gestures do and how to move your items and lists around with ease. Once you’ve practiced your swiping and pinching skills a few times it all feels very intuitive, meaning you can put it to good use straight away without making a lot of mistakes, having a tantrum and giving up.

Clear’s only weakness at the moment seems to be the fact it doesn’t have a web interface to sync up to, which for some will be a deal breaker and for others could be a welcome change.

Who needs Clear in their lives?

To-do list lovers who are looking for a simple, clean alternative to scrappy notebooks or confusing online task management tools.

Sure flashy apps with different fonts, features and fun additions often look great, but when it comes to tools that are designed to make us more productive, it’s much more about substance over style. Not that Clear doesn’t look good, there are even a number of different themes to choose from, like Heat Map, Pretty Princess and Graphite (as well as a few hidden extras, but shh).

We’re not sure Clear will be revolutionary, it’s a shame it doesn’t have a web interface and we’re reluctant to give up on our current favourite, Wunderlist, but if you’re a fan of writing and sticking to to-do lists, Clear could well be your new favourite app of 2012 so far.

Available from iTunes for 69p.