Just under a decade ago, while juggling university assignments, part-time jobs, and social obligations, I stumbled across a habit tracking app.
While I was keeping up with mandatory assignments, I was struggling to fit in the regular activities that had previously formed a significant part of my life.
From practicing my guitar to reading books and waking up on time, I had let these small but important habits slip. The app I discovered, Loop Habit Tracker, helped me get back on track with tasks.
After I graduated from university, I stopped using the app and forgot about it in the following years as I handled life-changing events like moving to a new country.
But after my life had calmed down, I began searching for a habit tracking app, but I was sorely disappointed by what I found.
Gamification had replaced useful features. Cluttered UIs obscured what was important. Subscriptions locked crucial features behind paywalls.
Thus, when I rediscovered Loop, I was delighted to see that it had kept the same brilliant design that had hooked me all those years ago.
I beat my ‘to-do list’ anxiety with this one simple productivity timer
The promise of a break is great motivation
Loops cuts out the nonsense and delivers you simple habit tracking features
No accounts. No subscriptions. No microtransactions
The first thing I was struck by when booting up Loop again was that after a brief landing page, I was taken straight to the app’s home screen.
I didn’t have to sit through a lengthy tutorial, but most importantly, I didn’t have to create an account.
This is what I love about Loop. You’re in complete control of your data from the start.
Tired of Loop? You can export all your data as a CSV file that can be opened by spreadsheet software like Excel or Google Sheets. Worried about losing your data? Export it as a backup file that you store and manage yourself.
It’s the same straightforward design that I loved back in 2018, but it feels especially powerful in an age where most habit tracking apps are packed with gamification features, subscriptions, and unnecessary junk.
An obvious example is Finch, a habit-tracking app that lets you take care of a small bird, Tamagotchi-style. But cute and well-received as it is, I find it too distracting.
Establishing good habits is its own reward. This isn’t to say gamification isn’t effective, as some of the best productivity apps turn your tasks into a game, but it’s not necessary. So how does Loop help you create and maintain habits?
Loop effortlessly covers all the habits you want to track
It’s deceptively simple
To demonstrate why Loop is so effective, I’ll create a new habit to track. I like to get out of bed before 8 am, as waking up later corresponds exponentially with a loss in productivity.
Loop categories habits into two categories: Yes and no, and Measurable. Getting out of bed before 8 am is the former, so I’ll select that.
Loop asks you how many times you want to do this task, what days of the week you want to achieve it on, and if you want a reminder.
After you’ve set the habit’s parameters, Loop adds it to your home screen. Achieved the task? Tap the date next to the app and select yes or no.
But the aspect of Loop I really love is creating measurable tasks. Creating a measurable task demonstrates just how versatile Loop is. There are no categories to choose from; you fill in all the parameters yourself.
Whether you’re tracking reading, running, or steps, Loop easily accommodates your needs.
After you’ve created your tasks, Loop displays them in rows divided by columns for the last five days. You can choose to automatically hide tasks when you’ve completed them, or keep them up for a positive reminder.
Tap a task, and you’ll be treated with a detailed analysis of your habits. There’s a lot here, but it’s all helpful.
Loop’s data-focused approach provides you with all the rewards you need
Do you really need a pet to build good habits?
As I mentioned earlier, building a habit should be its own reward. It’s why I’ve never gotten along with apps like Finch, as I felt compelled to cheat to earn rewards.
Cheating in Loop gives you nothing except for a false sense of success.
Loop shows the targets, percentage scores, history as a bar chart and calendar, streaks, and the frequency of your habits. It’s a great way to track how your habits change over time, but it’s more than just data.
The percentage score isn’t just a tracker showing the percentage of days you completed your task; it’s a calculation of how well you repeat the habit. This has a few advantages, but the most important one is that recent repetitions are more important than old ones.
So, if you have only completed a habit 50% of the time since you set it two months ago, but you managed a 100% streak over the last month, the score will be higher than 50% even though you only completed the habit half the time.
This method encourages you to restart lapse habits as you’ll notice the benefits quicker.
Loop is a refreshing break from overdesigned habit-tracking apps
Loop is the most effective habit tracker I’ve used, and I’m delighted to have rediscovered it relatively unchanged.
If you’re tired of the gamification of habit tracking apps and their microtransactions, I recommend Loop. It’s free, with no ads, and gives you all the information and features you need to stay on top of your habits, especially when paired with powerful journaling apps.
