Many have been waiting for this day to arrive: AndroidFocus is an OmniFocus client app for Android developed by Steven Van Bael from Belgium. It uses the OmniSync Server to access and sync your data in background and provides basic functionality for 6.99 US$.

Area Rugs

While I initially thought it is blatant copycat job, I need to revise my view after the OmniGroup confirmed in a support post yesterday that AndroidFocus is using a generally legit approach when syncing your OmniFocus data to Android:

We believe that you should have control of your own data, and OmniFocus therefore uses an open file format just like the rest of our applications.

However, you need to be aware that AndroidFocus in not an official app and hence not supported by OmniGroup. Owning your data also means you are responsible what you do with it.

Customers need to be aware, however, that reverse-engineering sync in the way that AndroidFocus appears to have done can make for unpredictable results. That means it’s theoretically possible that using AndroidFocus will cause data loss…

AndroidFocus’ UI is also a little too close to the original OmniFocus 2, at least for my taste. All that aside it is definitely good that

  • OmniGroup takes an open and accessible approach to customer owned data
  • Clients on other platforms start to emerge as a consequence

Once OmniFocus 2 for Mac is out of the door and the iPad version got it’s (visual) overhaul, maybe the good folks at OmniGroup find some time to develop an open, documented and supported API to your OmniFocus data on the OmniSync Server.