WaterDo: To Do List & Notes Reviews

I’ve tried a lot of productivity apps to keep me on task and this is definitely the most rewarding one. I’m a master procrastinator and WaterDo gives me the motivation I need to get things done. The only feedback is that I wish I could have multiple priority tasks. I also understand WaterDo is not a game but there is something missing from the island element. Maybe more interactivity? Being able to zoom into your island? I really like that you can make decisions that will change the look of your islands, so maybe more of that customization? I’m not sure, but some further development of future islands would take it to the next level.

The concept is great, but WaterDo as so many flaws. From most minor to the most app-breaking, I think WaterDo needs a specialized iPad version, more widgets, and dark mode. The current model is simply too inflexible. Next, WaterDo immediately crashes when I try to make a checklist with in a bubble. Also, the chests are a good rewarding factor, but they never generate the reward!! Each time it loads and just returns me back to the redeeming page without giving me anything. WaterDo is also extremely battery-hungry even when I don’t use it that often. One more thing, the bubbles return right back after I pop them. Not a syncing issue since I only use WaterDo on my phone, but rather a development issue. In the Daily Review, there is a button to push overdue items onto today. But it just won’t do anything!! I try manually dragging the task in today but it snaps right back to its position before. Also the fact that there is NO BACK BUTTON in the daily review is disappointing. I have to force quit WaterDo every time to troubleshoot. WaterDo is becoming so buggy and unstable that it is unusable. Please. FIX THE BUGS! A productivity app is useless if it is buggy to the point that it’s unreliable. I want my money back.

I am completely happy to pay a fee for using useful apps. However, you can’t even see how WaterDo works without purchasing a subscription. You can start a trial, but you must sign up for a subscription first which means you must remember to cancel your subscription before you are charged. I expected to be able to at least test out WaterDo before instantly being prompted with a subscription. In reality, to me, paying a subscription for something as simple as a to do list is beyond unreasonable. If WaterDo had more features, maybe, but from the limited features I saw, I cannot justify paying yet another subscription just to have a quirky to do list. I was happy that most of their other apps seem to be a one time purchase and really hope that this subscription-based play isn’t around to stay.

And to the developers, yes, I know I can find more information on WaterDo page below. And I agree, developers should be paid for their work. But it’s a seems a bit much to ask for a subscription for a to-do list app, especially when WaterDo is marked as free but makes you pay before accessing any of the features.

WaterDo has been working fine for about a year now and just recently it stopped letting me cash in my keys for treasure chests! It lets me get the the point where I can click “open” and it should open the chest but all it does it load for a while and then go back to the open page. I’ve tried this on multiple different WiFi’s and on data and nothing changes. I’ve also tried offloading WaterDo , reloading it, and powering off my phone for a minute or two. Nothing seems to help which is really frustrating cause otherwise WaterDo is really cool and has helped me to get more things done (which as a homeschooled high school student can be difficult).

Unfortunately upgrading my islands is a big part of why I love WaterDo so much, so I gave it 3 stars. It just isn’t the same anymore, and I haven’t been using it as much, which means my tasks aren’t getting done like they used to.

If you could please fix this that would be amazing, and I would be more than happy to update my review!

I’m not gonna lie; I’ve tried a fair share of todo apps with little to no success. Yet somehow, this app’s cheesy but cute metaphor of popping water ball tasks really just sparks joy in me. The creation of islands are definitely a lovely plus, but the popping of water balls was enough to sell me. I also appreciate the ease of reorganizing tasks each day with dragging. I don’t use WaterDo to make incredibly detailed lists of what to do everyday, but it does help me remember to do big things, and I look to it as much as I look at my calendar.

The one thing I’ve sorely needed is the ability to duplicate tasks (not just set them as recurring). And occasionally, tapping the correct date on the calendar widget is buggy. But other than that, it’s a smooth experience. Would recommend it to people who really like calming auditory experiences and need a way to keep track of todos.

Using this definitely makes me more inclined to actually do stuff lol. Not like it’s really PUSHING ME to change my life but that’s not exactly it’s job. So if that’s what you’re looking for that is probably not gonna be found here. Just a nice and really cute place to get your little life in order :)))
My only issue is that idk how to like set a task for like a limited amount of time (which is more than likely entirely my fault lol) like to have a project be active for like 3 days and then after the 3rd day is late.
But other than that I really like this lil app :)

Sometimes little tasks can add up and feel overwhelming, which results in me putting them off and getting more overwhelmed. this app helps incentivize me to complete those tasks through decorating my island. While I’ve only had WaterDo for a short while, I am already feeling more on top of my life, and the burden of the backed up to-dos is lifting. When I open WaterDo , instead of becoming overwhelmed, I’m greeted into a calming, minimalist space. I like that I can place tasks under ‘Unscheduled’ so I can free my mind of needing to remember every little thing. And it’s so easy to drag and drop the unscheduled tasks into the scheduled area.

I’ve been using this app for a long time now, and it remains one of my favorite apps. The current set up is the best for productivity: it allows me enough visible water balls to feel I can dive into my work without showing so many I get overwhelmed before I begin. I wish they’d bring back brighter colors because my vision has a hard time with the similarity in tone of the pastels. But otherwise, I love this app! It keeps me cheerful, motivated, and happy about being productive. And on days when I’m not able to be productive, it doesn’t bring me down, it just offers pleasant reminder water balls inviting me to get back up and going again.

Update: I hate the changes you've made, and now I don't use WaterDo anymore. The whole point was for things to be more tangibly and visibly satisfying, but now the water doesn't rise and I can't choose the size of my bubbles. And the tasks I enter don't even all show up! How can I visualize what I have to do when I can't see it? Who lost the vision here? You guys screwed up. I would never recommend this now. I got WaterDo to help activate my acenses when I have important things to do, which if IMPORTANT for people with ADHD. Now your app changed all the good things and it is BAD.

// The water level doesn't change anymore?!!! Why would you take that away?? That's the reason it feels like you're making progress. PLEASE FIX THIS!! And no response to movement! You might as well be any other app now. SO SAD!!!

I've used multiple kinds of apps that consist of keeping on track with tasks, but sometimes there were too much features in those apps that makes it hard for me to think, "where to begin?" So when I started using WaterDo, it has helped me keep on track in the most minimalistic and simple way. There isn't a lot of features, but there isn't too little of what to use to keep you on track. WaterDo is very much enjoyable and has made me motivated to add tasks and complete throughout the day!

I love WaterDo, and it has been working well for me for about a year. Unfortunately, I have not been able to open chests or start daily reviews lately. When I click “open” for chests, I get a loading screen that then takes me back to the “open” screen, no matter what WiFi network I connect to. Using data hasn’t helped either. Lately, the same thing is happening when I try to start my daily review. It won’t load. I like WaterDo, but it has become less enjoyable, as I cannot improve my islands or do daily reviews.

Edit: lowering score by one star because bug is still not fixed

I just downloaded WaterDo today as well as Forest and I have found both to be designed extremely well and relatively easy to use. Some things I would suggest to App Developers: Allow a repeat until ___ option so that tasks aren't endlessly repeating. Allow a repeat/remind until ___ every day/week/month/year/custom option so you don’t have to manually enter an extended task every time it occurs. Save bubbles for use again later in creating a new task. Allow for syncing forest to this app let users on forest select task names using bubbles on this app.

I really like WaterDo! I’ve tried many similar ones but they were overly complicated and I had trouble sticking with them. This one is easy to program, and has just the right about of options. I’ve been able to stick with it because it’s fun to pop the bubbles! The only problems are the daily review does not always work. Recently I haven’t seen able to open the chests either, but they aren’t really necessary so it isn’t a big deal. I use WaterDo on an iPad. Still a fantastic app!

Makes doing my homework more manageable and is a really cute app. Really good combined with Forest. I only wish there was a way to show tasks that are due tomorrow. If I can’t see them I’ll forget and moving forward the dates on everything can be confusing. I’d like it if there was a feature added to set how many days in advance it shows you the task, and it could say at the bottom “due in two days or something.” Anyways, really good overall!

this app has become such a great app with the new update. WaterDo helps me stay on task at all times. I love creating new task to do in real life and then popping the bubble it just brings me a sense of accomplishment. I also love getting rewards after finishing my tasks and evolving my island. And most of all my favorite feature is the alarm you can put in app to remind you to review all your task and see what you accomplished. In conclusion I will recommend to anyone trying to become more productive.

I only just started using WaterDo, but it’s quickly becoming my favorite to-do list maker. Yes, it’s fun to check items off & the design is really cute, but the task maker is what makes it my favorite. You have the option to create both scheduled & unscheduled tasks, and the options for recurring tasks are great. (There’s even a weekday only option!) I have a tendency to drop productivity apps like these after a while, but I have a feeling this will stick.

I like the new version. But there’s no widget available for WaterDo. I think it would be a useful feature.
Another thing I think might be interesting is about the task. For some long term goal that couldn’t be done in a couple of days, I think it would be interesting if WaterDo allows to create a long term task and finish a portion each day. I know this could sort of be achieved by “repeating task”, but I think it would be nice if it can somehow reflect the progress of the task.

I previously wrote a review about technical problems with WaterDo , but they have been fixed, and the team was very responsive to my concern! App works great and is very helpful.

I love the fun bubble design and the ease of scheduling tasks. Being able to add sub tasks and unscheduled tasks is great. I also find it easy to use, and as an overthinker, I don’t want too many options or complexity in a task organizer.

One suggestion might be to have a desktop version of WaterDo . :)

So when apple created the reminder and notes app I had trouble learning how to get it to notify my with the red notifications box for simple daily tasks. I needed an app to log my to do list with a user friendly layout and the red number indicating how many projects or thing I had left on my list, this app accomplishes each of these! As a forest user I knew I’d love it. Overall it’s been a great addition to my daily routine.

WaterDo allows me to take a more playful approach to my work. Ever since being very young, I have appreciated reward systems for work. I love work! Getting valuable tasks done is a great thing. I love to celebrate that work with the satisfying pop WaterDo offers for completion of a task. WaterDo keeps small rewards coming my way, and encourages me to be more organized, more effective, and to take a more playful and less anxious approach to big, hard, high-value tasks.

1. It charged me twice. 2. It lost my 1.0 tasks, and the solve doesn’t work. 3. The filter ability is missing 4. Prioritization sizes are missing 5. The desaturated colors are drab 6. The pops are less satisfying. 7. They took away the sense of progress with the water riding. 8. The background never changes like it did in 1.0 and the seal doesn’t add anything. :( Do NOT upgrade until they address these problems. New features are not satisfying enough to mitigate these negatives. These are particularly disappointing problems because it was working well for me and I was having fun in the v1.0 and now it’s a very frustrating experience that does not help me get things done. Will be looking for a new tool in the meantime. Hope they can fix these problems.

Very motivating, i love the gamification and working toward a goal. In general I think the concept is fabulous and popping the bubbles is so satisfying. Also love the mascot. In terms of improvements, i think their could be more of everything, more islands and rewards, more colorful/ animations, and more short term (daily) rewards. I don’t quite understand why there is a time limit on unlock the treasure boxes.

Definitely helps productivity and worth the cost (although, i did get the forest app discount).

First of all, the performance issues are awful, no idea what’s causing them, but any time I do anything the lag spikes. I also think that the subscription model is scummy and a cash grab, even if I’m not subject to it because I bought WaterDo beforehand. Also, the separation between the decorations and task screen really ruins the appeal of completing tasks for rewards. If I wanted the gameified aspect so far removed like that, I’d just go back to using paper to do lists.

You have to long press on a text field to get the virtual keyboard. Regular taps just grab focus and lose it immediately.

There is a discount available to Forest users, but currently only for the yearly subscription. I would be more interested if there was a discount available on the lifetime subscription/membership as well (which I assume is a one-time payment) for crossover users.

The to-do features themselves are great; the music and sounds are calming and there are plenty of options for every type of task.

You have to sign in and accept a third party privacy policy to keep using the gamification features (ie, accept rewards or change levels) beyond the tutorial. I think this is a poor choice; there should be an option to keep all of my data on my own device and not have to sign in just to continue using those features, as there is no clear need for doing so. This is why I am rating 4 stars instead of 5.

My only other comment on the gamification aspect is that there appears to be no difference between clearing an expired task versus clearing a task on time, which reduces the incentive to finish your list items by a specific date if you choose to set one. Some people may prefer this.

Dang, can’t even access WaterDo AT. ALL. without being forced to pay. Yes, I see there’s a “trial” period where most people will forget to cancel and then end up paying.

Y’all need a “lite” version and a “pro” version.

Hate the new update. I don’t want to pay just to try it.

It might just be that I’m so used to the old version that the new one throws off my routine but they made some changes I’m definitely not a fan of.

For things that I DO like about the update:

- Multiple pages for the water bubbles was absolutely necessary and a good feature to add. Before, if you had more than like 8 water bubbles, the bubble view mode was useless since bubbles would float offscreen and you wouldn’t be able to retrieve them.

- The minimalist art style is nice and I think the music is better. Everything looks and feels cleaner.

- I like how repeating water bubbles now disappear for the day after being completed, rather than just being immediately replaced with the one for the next date.

- Having unscheduled water bubbles is nice since there are plenty of things I want to remind myself to do that don’t necessarily have a due date.

Things I DON’T like about the update:

- The biggest one is the separation of the town from the water bubble planner. Now, you no longer can look forward to having a new backdrop for your bubble planner when you complete a town, you have to go to a completely different page to see your town.

- The water bubbles are no longer squishy and moveable and the splashing water level feature is gone. I feel like this, combined with the previous point, remove the whole child-like appeal to WaterDo in the first place.

- The unscheduled task feature is completely useless in reality since checking off unscheduled tasks does not fill up your water meter and they don’t appear as bubbles on the bubble screen. Why even have it if you can’t play into WaterDo ’s reward system, one of the main motivating features of WaterDo ? I still want to check off my unscheduled tasks even if they aren’t due at any specific time.

- There is no music for the bubble planner page???

- It takes way too long to load each water bubble page when you flip between them.

I’ll still use WaterDo since I appreciate it’s simplicity over other planning apps (so I’ll actually use it), but I’m kinda bummed out over this update. I understand that they want to make everything seem more clean and “professional” but to me, it feels like they lost the spirit of the original app.

It cost just to use WaterDo

As others have suggested, I’d use WaterDo more if you increased number of tasks you could be rewarded for (either with water level or just coins). Makes sense to have a limit, but I think 12 or even 18/tasks a day would be more reasonable. I removed things like morning stretches and exercise from my list because I want to save the incentives for my work day, but I want to have enough incentives to last throughout the whole day so I don’t have to do that. Even if you increased the prices of things proportionally at the same time, it’s nice to feel like you’re making progress in the game in some way. You wouldn’t even have to design more locations if you just switch to 12 tasks, 30 per chest and 600 coins an item. Everyone is asking for the same change in your reviews so I doubt anyone would mind the price inflation.

6 tasks a day is just too few! All the productivity experts say break your tasks into small easy chunks, but WaterDo encourages exactly the opposite!

Love it! Just a few more feature requests:

1. Love it that you can add checklist inside the water ball. I wonder if you could make the water ball reflect your progress in the checklist as well. For example, as you check more items in the checklist, you make the water ball more and more transparent (i.e. closer and closer to “bursting”). This encourages users to break a bigger task into smaller tasks and get rewarded along the way. This might also partly solve the complaint that one cannot fit too many water balls on the screen. I personally don’t have an issue with that as I think an overly long to-do list is counterproductive, but I would love to be able to break major tasks in a day into smaller steps.

2. I really love the music in WaterDo . Wondering if you can provide a few options of background music. (Or does music change according to location? Sorry if that’s the case since I haven’t unlocked new locations yet).

3. “Timely water ball”: a fun feature to encourage people to finish a task timely (if they choose so). It’s a water ball that will “evaporate” if you leave it there for longer than your set time. It’ll give higher rewards than normal water ball, but if you don’t finish in time, you get nothing. To make it a bit less intense, I guess you can also allow people to extend the time before it’s up.