AnyList app – Review

AnyList
Developer: Purple  Cover, Inc.
Price: Free (iOS App Store)
AnyList

AnyList is an iPhone app that lets you make as many grocery or shopping lists as you want or need. And it’s free. It contains an auto-complete dictionary so when you start typing Broc…, it fills in Broccoli. This makes creating a shopping list very fast without a lot of typing.

Each item can be categorized so that all Bakery items are together, all Produce items are together, all Frozen Food items are together, etc. The app alphabetizes your lists within the categories (or not, or manually, your choice). Tapping an item draws a red line through it, crossing it off your list. Tap again and the line disappears.

There is a two-position switch at the top of each list—”Remaining” and “All.” As you add items to a list at home, you set the switch to All. When you go shopping, you switch the list from All to Remaining and the only items visible are the ones you need to shop for. As you go through the store, you tap the items as you put them in your cart and they disappear from the list. I’d prefer to use check boxes instead of the red strikeout lines, but that’s a minor complaint and the developer is considering an alternative.

I previously used the Zenbe Lists app that is no longer supported. After using AnyList for a few weeks, I find this app to be better. I have a Supermarket list, a Trader Joe’s list, a Costco list, and others. I’m a list guy and couldn’t live without this app. You don’t need to use this just for groceries, AnyList means it’s for ANY list. I have an Ikea list, for instance.

You can share your lists with others. Your partner can add items while you are on your way to the market. Built into the app are a selection of recipes. Click on one and the app will fill in your shopping list with the required ingredients. I’m not sure how practical this feature is.

The app has some useful features. One of the handiest: You can set AnyList so that your phone stays on while AnyList is open. That way, your iPhone doesn’t keep cycling off while you’re shopping. Crazy-good app.

MyMac Review rating is 9 out of 10.