Students That Freelance

Image credit: astanush on Flickr

Having only had my beloved Android phone for three months, I can see some great potential in how I can get the most out of my unlimited data plan and benefit my freelancing all at the same time. Some of the best features (so far) of my phone are the awesome app store, the HTML browser, the seven home screens, and the list goes on. The more I started realizing what great potential my phone has as a mobile office for my freelancing, the more I realized that other student freelancers, most of which probably have a phone running the Android OS, are probably wanting to use their phones more for their freelancing as well.

As I am sure this will turn into a series post because there are so many great apps out there, below are the four free apps that I have used consistently over the last three months that heavily involve my freelancing. And for you die hard iPhone fan boys, I am almost positive that these apps are also available on the iPhone OS, or something very similar.

Note: You can click the barcodes to be directed to the app store.

Gmail for Android

Did you really think I was going to start this post and NOT start it with a Google app for a Google OS? Gmail for Android was one of the very first apps that I started using on my phone. I have three Gmail/Google Apps email addresses that I wanted pushed email to my phone, just like my Blackberry did. This is the absolute perfect solution.

In Gmail for Android, you can keep all of your Gmail accounts separate, apply and see labels, view HTML emails with ease, and use most of the same features you would as if you were on your desktop. You can also archive and easily delete messages as well. This is great for when you need to keep your freelance email and other email separate, and see who and where the email is coming from.

Color Note Notepad Notes

A very recent addition to my phone, but a very much needed one (thanks @AngelaGiese)! One thing I missed from my Blackberry when I switched to Android was a nice notepad app. Sometimes when I am on the go, I just want to make a quick note of something. My phone didn’t have a default notepad app for me to do that.

Although I haven’t tested it much, it has some great potential! You can add a note or a checklist (like a shopping list), change the color of the note, type the note, save it, then even add reminder or lock the note. What a great way to keep track of client things that you need to do or need to remember for when you get home. Adding a reminder will help remind you of it later.

m:IQ from Best Buy Mobile

Another recent addition to my app list, this was sent to me from Best Buy Mobile, where I bought my phone (well, I ordered it and got it for free thanks to their promotions). Recently, I have been all about backing up my information anywhere and everywhere, and I had never thought about backing up my information from my phone, till I got their email advertising their service.

This is a wonderful backup service. It will back up everything from your contacts, phone call history, text messages, to your pictures and videos as well. Even though this isn’t really freelance specific, it would absolutely suck if you lost your phone that had possibly client text messages or call history from clients that you want to keep track of.

Astrid Tasks

I have long searched for a to-do list type app that lets me keep my personal, school, and freelance life separate, and that would allow me to get rid of a paper to-do list. This app may actually be the app to do that. I have tested many to-do list apps and this seems to be one of the best in my book. A great app to help you stay organized and never miss another client deadline.

Enter in a task you need to do, assign its importance, add tags to describe the task (i.e. school, freelance, etc), set a deadline, and add a note. Everything you would ever want in a to do list is right here. And as an added bonus, you can even set how long you think it will take you, how long you have already spent on the task, and sent an alarm too. What to do list that you know of will actually tell you when you should have done something?

Have a great app for your Android that you can’t live without when it comes to your freelancing? Please share it with us below!