As long as you are using OmniFocus 2 for Mac version 2.12.2 or later or OmniFocus 2 for iOS version 2.22.3 or later, content that relies on the new features of OmniFocus 3 is preserved when syncing with OmniFocus 2. A new feature here that's not yet on iOS is the ability to change the overarching rule, on iOS it defaults to "all of", and this can be changed to "any of" or "none of" in the new Mac version - though at the time of writing this doesn't yet sync to iOS. The latest versions of OmniFocus 2 for Mac and iOS work with both versions of OmniFocus 3, but some new features are hidden or handled differently. You can build these by nesting rules - if you've used Hazel or created smart folders in Finder then you'll be familiar with creating the rules (click the + to add a new one), and you can press ALT+ + to add a nested rule. These repeats have come in very handy for me - for example I submit my timesheet for last month on the first Monday of the next month.Īnother feature we're now seeing on the Mac is enhanced custom perspectives. The place where this really shows is in the monthly where you can specify that a task should repeat on day X of the month, or you can specify a repeat on the yth zday of each month (e.g. In OmniFocus 3 for iOS we got custom repeats, and these have been brought over to the Mac as well. Tags of course have changed too, so that you could see multiple tags which are assigned to the current item at the same time. For example the status of the selected item has changed from a dropdown to segmented controls - the iOS equivalent of radio buttons (you have probably seen these in the maps app, to say that you want to see a map, transit, or satellite view). One place where you can see some subtle, but effective changes to the design is in the inspector. The sidebar where the perspectives (and any starred custom perspectives) are listed, as well as the area where the project or tag list is shown have a dark background too, which I find helps me focus on the tasks area - the important things!
OmniFocus looks different now, for example the toolbar across the top is much slimmer and by default includes fewer actions - though as always you can customise it by right clicking on it to add more options. I find this view much more beneficial than the gantt style view in OmniFocus 2, just because it brings everything together. This is really handy for putting my day together and I'm a big fan of this on iOS. Interleaved tasks and calendar events have made their way to the Mac in the forecast view. This means if you launch the app via spotlight you get a helpful text hint about which version of the app you're launching too. Personally I put OmniFocus 2 in a folder in Applications called "OmniFocus 2" and the beta in a folder called "OmniFocus 3" (yes, I was feeling creative, however did you guess‽). We have the sketch icon again! It's cute, and helpful to distinguish between the two apps in your dock. However as the builds can literally be released every few hours (depending on what is being added or changed) this could change at the drop of a hat - so be warned □. This is a beta app so there's no guarantees, for me the app has been very stable - but I'm also running it on High Sierra.
It's a perfect snapshot of your day in one app.I am once again lucky enough to be in the early preview for OmniFocus 3 - this time on the Mac! What's important to keep in mind here is that this is a beta, and an early one at that - things can and likely will change between me writing this post and OmniFocus 3 for Mac being released - they may have already changed by the time you read this post! Stability Integrates your calendar for a holistic view: The iOS edition of OmniFocus automatically pulls in a Gantt-style calendar from your Calendar app, showing all of your open tasks for the day, organized by project, along with your calendar. Those with more experience or who want to optimize their experience can go much deeper to map out custom perspectives and task categories in the tool. Add items to the inbox, categorize by context or project, and display them in your calendar. Intuitive and accessible with depth: For those without experience using a task management tool with this much depth, OmniFocus 2 is accessible and quick to learn. Implementing key GTD tools in a native mobile platform with cloud syncing, custom perspectives, and a gantt-style calendar view, OmniFocus 2 is one of the better productivity tools on the App Store.
OmniFocus 2 for iPhone is the mobile version of a powerful desktop task management app designed to optimize productivity.