Escape emails and get work done with Slack [50 Essential iOS Apps #45]

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Slack iOS app on iPhone in front of computer
Slack helps you get work done by opening up direct lines of communication.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

50 Essential iOS Apps: Slack Email can be a total productivity bottleneck. Following conversations between multiple participants gets confusing. The unfortunate result of all this email chaos? Important tasks get lost in long email chains.

Luckily for collaborators everywhere, messaging app Slack replaces the need for internal email, allowing for real-time productivity and communication for teams. Instead of redundant threads and signatures, Slack strips away the cruft of the email inbox. It turns your communication into what it was meant to be — a conversation.

What is Slack?

Slack is a business- and work-focused messaging app, designed for teams and groups. Built as an alternative to email and paper memos, it allows co-workers to communicate as quickly as sending a text.

Why Slack messaging is great

Email is a pain to deal with. Multiple emails about a topic or project can become a mess of different threads, causing miscommunication or repetitive work. Slack keeps all of the conversation about a topic in a single place, with every message saved to its respective channel, keeping everyone on the same page and up-to-date.

Channels are another reason to love the service. Ideal for teams with many users, Slack lets you set up different channels based on department, project or internal group. You can moderate channel membership, too, deciding whether to make each one public or private.

Slack app screenshots channel list, group and private dm
Slack channels allow for topic- or group-specific conversation, and direct messaging keeps private conversations private. (Sort of.)
Screenshots: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

Another great feature is direct messaging. This allows users to communicate directly, without the overhead of email or in-person meetings. This makes communication more conversational and to the point, improving collaboration and efficiency.

The final great feature is support for uploading and attaching documents from your computer or iOS device (via the Files app). This allows you to send files saved in Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud and other document providers through the Slack app, making it great for collaboration when you’re on the go.

Who Slack is for

Slack is great for small teams, medium-size work groups, and can even be great for larger companies. If you’ve ever found the nightmare of email and the broad range of messaging apps to be a hurdle in the office, you need to try Slack.

Bottom line: Slack is the best messaging app for teams

Slack has become an invaluable tool for teams and small businesses around the world. If you’re sick of internal emails, inter-office memos, and useless meetings, it’s time you try Slack. It’s be best messaging app for teams, and can be a great productivity booster.

Price: Free

Download from: App Store

See more of our 50 Essential iOS Apps

Want more essential iOS app reviews? Check out our ongoing series, 50 Essential iOS Apps.

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