I don't download many new apps these days because the ones I currently use have turned out to be indispensable. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

My selection of the top six apps that help me organize my life is in part dominated by my iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPad Pro 2020, which I use daily. If instead I use one of the best Android phones and Android tablets, I will likely use a few different apps, but most are available for both mobile operating systems.

If you are looking for new ways to manage different parts of your life or simply want to try something new on your iPhone, here are my top 6 app recommendations.

This task management app is one of only two apps on this list that I would say is a "must have" app. All of my work and personal projects are managed in various lists and folders, each with due dates and tags to ensure that I get what I need to do each day TickTick also has the best iOS widget I've come across, which makes the home screen I can check the entire list or a week's worth of tasks with just a glance at the home screen.

I aim to be consistent in my organization, but I have yet to find the exact method that works for me. Fortunately, TickTick supports my chopping and changing tasks by allowing me to easily move back and forth between lists, calendars, and matrix views, and to swap tasks between different lists.

Download TickTick: App Store (opens in a new tab) / Google Play

Another app I rely on heavily every day, LastPass manages all my passwords and autofills them whenever I need them. It comes in handy when I need to keep track of a lot of unique passwords, as the best online security advice says.

You have to pay to use LastPass on multiple platforms (which I do), but if I had to choose one platform, I would definitely use my phone. Especially since I often set up new devices

There are other options for the best password manager, but I'll stick with LastPass for the time being.

Download LastPass: App Store (open in new tab) / Google Play

I share a house with three other people.

Whether it's between individuals or groups, Splitwise takes the hassle out of figuring out who pays what when someone pays the bill on everyone else's behalf. Especially after an exciting night out or a few days of vacation, it pulls everything together so that you know who needs to pay what and the total; you can see a detailed history of all transactions through Splitwise, which helps you decide who's turn it is to order takeout this week.

Download Splitwise: App Store (opens in new tab) / Google Play

While I would be happy to sort my mail in my default Apple Mail app or Gmail, Spark offers a more engaging and intelligent more attractive and intelligent way to check messages.

I especially like the Smart Inbox feature, which takes the time to learn which emails I read immediately upon receiving a notification and which I do not. This has drastically reduced the number of daily email interruptions and has allowed me to avoid distractions when I really should be focusing on other things.

Download Spark: App Store (open in new tab) / Google Play

This app is here because it is my primary note-taking app on my iPad. Having the freedom to take handwritten notes with the stylus is my preferred way to create quick reminders and such, but being able to quickly check those notes when away from the iPad and WiFi is invaluable.

Apple's default notes app can do this, of course, but I like Goodnotes' extensive templates and sticker system that makes it easy to save and reuse shapes and drawings for specific tasks. The hybrid of endless digital notebooks and the good parts of using real notebooks makes it the ideal notes app for me.

Download Goodnotes 5: App Store (opens in new tab)

To keep up with all the news happening in the world of technology, I use an RSS reader.

Once I have my news sources set up, I can scroll through and read and bookmark what interests me with amazing speed. I can quickly scan through hundreds or thousands of stories, or I can divide the stories into sections in the app's reading window and analyze them in detail over time. The free version is sufficient for my needs, but if you want to add a huge number of feeds and have them automatically sorted or read out loud with text-to-speech, Inoreader Pro is available.

Download Inoreader: App Store (open in new tab) / Google Play