There is no shortage of productivity tools. However, finding a tool that aligns with your workflow, requirements, and preferences can feel like a challenging task. I have always been on the lookout for an app that could consolidate my thoughts and boost productivity.
I recently stumbled upon Tana, an all-in-one productivity tool for Android, and it redefined what I thought was possible on a mobile screen.
A Material You UI that’s a pleasure to use
Let’s first go over the actual feel of using Tana on Android. This is where it scores high and leaves competition like Notion, Obsidian, and Evernote in the dust. I’ve spent countless hours with Tana’s rivals on Android, and they often felt like I was navigating a web wrapper or an afterthought solution.
It’s an entirely different story with Tana. From the moment I launched it, the Tana Android app felt like it was native. It doesn’t have that slightly clunky “this was built for iOS first” vibe. The animations are smooth, and transitions are fluid.
Tana also supports Material You, adding a level of personalization and polish that I haven’t seen from its rivals.
Use Supertags to turn notes into actionable items
One standout feature of Tana is the concept of Supertags. Unlike Evernote, Apple Notes, and other note-taking apps, this isn’t only about adding a simple hashtag to categorize something. It transforms the nature of your note and fills it with dynamic properties and fields.
For me, it’s like having an intelligent assistant that knows what kind of information I need for a specific context. Here’s how it works.
I often capture fleeting ideas on the go. Let’s say I’m in the middle of a walk and a new product concept pops into my head. If I write that in a standard note app, it’s just text.
In Tana, I type that out and then add #project. The moment I do that, Tana instantly turns that simple note into a fully functional project node. Suddenly, it presents me with predefined fields: Status, Duration, Phase, and more.
That’s only one example of how you can use Supertags in Tana. You can create several of them, like #Idea, #Brainstorm, #Question, #blog, and more. The possibilities are endless.
Quick capture option
Most all-in-one productivity apps like Notion and Obsidian leave a lot to be desired when it comes to capturing quick notes on a phone. You typically need to open an app, navigate to a workspace or vault, and create a new note. That’s time-consuming.
Tana offers a dedicated Capture menu that’s divided into five sections: Write, Files, Video, Camera, and Voice. The camera integration is top-notch, and I never had difficulty capturing quick photos and videos for my workspace.
Then there are voice notes, which are a game-changer for me. Tana’s ability to record a voice memo and then, with its integrated AI, transcribe and process it into structured text is amazing. There is also a home screen widget, although I would like to see more options in the future.
Tana tackles the major cons of Notion and Obsidian on mobile and offers ample options for taking quick notes on the go.
Solid core features for knowledge management
Aside from a slick Android app and quick capture, Tana offers solid knowledge management features out of the box. You don’t need to rely on third-party plugins or extensions (looking at you, Obsidian) to unlock its capabilities.
Unlike traditional note-taking apps, in Tana, every piece of information is a node. These nodes are linked to each other through a knowledge graph. This means I can reference a task in a meeting note or link a person to a project.
I can add an emoji as well as a banner to any page, check out my calendar and board, and list views for my projects. I can also use its native apps on all the platforms.
An AI-powered workflow that makes sense
Tana’s AI features are thoughtfully implemented. For example, I can create a new page and use a text prompt to generate and insert a relevant banner. It’s also neatly integrated into voice memos.
Tana also works brilliantly in databases. It can read your entries in a specific column and fill in the details in another one. For example, if I add movie names in one column, it can fill in the director name for all of them in another column.
I can also chat with Tana notes, generate new content, and create databases using AI.
Unlock peak productivity
After spending significant time with Tana on my Google Pixel phone, it’s clear that this isn’t just another productivity app with a block editor and AI add-on. It’s a paradigm shift. Although Tana began as an experiment, it has quickly evolved into a crucial part of my daily routine.
Like any Android app, Tana is far from perfect. I would love to see a better mobile-optimized text editor, more widgets, and a better free plan in future updates. The current free plan is too limited, and you must upgrade to the Plus plan ($8 per month) to get the best out of it.
Check out our dedicated guide if you’re looking for more such productivity tools for your Android device.
