You can create a reminder and task management system for yourself, and use a service that suits your team. But it may not be easy to convince your family members or friends to use the same task management app. iOS App Caro (which means “do it” in Hindi) aims to solve the problem even if the other person doesn’t use the app.
This is not Mustafa YoussefThe company’s first task management product. The India-based developer has also developed another task app called TasksTo manage more complex tasks. Youssef told TechCrunch that he developed Karo because other apps didn’t give him the flexibility to assign tasks to people in your address book.
“No app has ever allowed me to delegate and track tasks to people in my contacts. For example, my accountant, my sister, a plumber, an electrician. I just want to send them a task, have them receive it on the apps they already use (WhatsApp/Messages), and get a notification when they act on it. If they don’t, instead of annoying them, I’d rather the app send automatic reminders,” he said.
Yousef said that before the app was created, he had to manually remind them via WhatsApp or other chat apps to complete a task. Additionally, since there was no tracking system, he also forgot tasks.
Application and features
Karo lets you easily enter tasks in a conversation-like interface in a messaging app. You can use natural language to add tasks, and the app recognizes identifiers like “tomorrow” and “10am.” It then automatically creates a task with a due date if you provide a specific time and date. Additionally, you can @mention a specific person to assign them a task. Alternatively, there are buttons to add a date, time, and contact to the task as well.
Users can attach a photo, video, PDF, or voice note to a task. And because it’s 2024, there’s also an AI angle. Users can call on Karo AI to break larger tasks down into smaller ones. They can also ask AI to help plan a trip and make a to-do list.
Once a task is assigned to someone, they receive a notification on Karo if they have the app. Otherwise, the app first sends them a WhatsApp conversation, and if that fails, it sends them a reminder via text message. For scheduled tasks, the person gets a reminder when the task is due, as well as two and four days after the due date. For unscheduled tasks, the app sends a reminder two, four and six days after the task is created.
On the main screen, tasks are sorted by contact. If you tap on someone’s name, a chat interface will open with them where you can see past tasks and add more tasks. The app also has an Activities tab where you can see updates on all the tasks you’re involved in.
While small teams and organizations may use dedicated task management solutions, many businesses in a country like India don’t have a proper task management system in place. They prefer to handle tasks directly in WhatsApp groups. Youssef believes that Karo’s integration with the platform and its ability to create groups within the app will appeal to WhatsApp users.
Some companies are already using the app in their work, he said. For example, a dry fruit distributor in Mumbai uses Karo to assign packing and delivery tasks to its team. Team members assign tasks via WhatsApp. Yousuf added that this could be useful for study groups or book clubs.
Karo is free, but you’ll have to pay if you want to use features like groups, themes, and attachments. The app is originally priced at $4.99 per month, $39.99 per year, and $99.99 to unlock it for life with introductory launch offers for all plans.
Youssef plans to make an Android version of the app available soon. But he believes that even if people don’t use the app, the ability to send reminders to your contacts without having to use the app is a key feature.