Shift

Pros

I'm the type of person who tends to have multiple browser windows open, and Shift helps me stay organized and keep the number of browser windows open under control. I use it daily to check my many email and social media accounts, to chat via multiple message apps, to keep track of my personal and professional calendars, and to attend to basic business and even personal tasks right there in the same browser, from Trello to my home budgeting software. It keeps everything all in one place and prevents me from losing my mind. When I see colleagues struggling to find the right tab in a sea of many browser windows, I always suggest Shift as a way to help them keep their browser windows under control as well!

Cons

I have noticed that at times the software can be a bit laggy. When I know I need to do intensive work, say in Google Docs or something, I will open the document in the default browser in order to prevent a delay. This is not usually a problem with basic email, messaging, or other simple tasks.

Pros

Ease of use, simple. I love having all my social media sites, emails, Cloud Locations in one place. The add-ons for all the tabs really helps. I like that I do not have to have all my browser windows open.

Cons

At the start before the update in July 2019, MS Teams worked really well. NOW, it does not work and locks up the application completely, to the point that I have no choice but to remove it from my shift. The lack of 64 Client is also an issue, I am sure with an i9 CPU processor the use of more than a 32-bit application has its limitations. But, I wish it would use more of the active CPU usage so that I can utilize this.

Pros

LOVE that it allows me to shift (get it?) between apps and accounts without changing windows. The integration with G-Suite is helpful since I manage multiple email accounts but generally use Drive with only one (this sort of arrangement frequently causes authentication issues when implemented in a browser)--so I am able to swap between email accounts while working on a spreadsheet in my "master" account.

Adore the integration with apps like WhatsApp, Slack and HootSuite--it's like having my very own personalized terminal with all of the solutions I need to get my work done efficiently. I also like that I can rearrange the stack of accounts and apps to suit my workflow.

Cons

This software is buggy as hell. I frequently have to re-authenticate my Gmail accounts as well as apps like HubSpot, HootSuite and WhatsApp (for some reason, Slack is pretty much the only app I have noticed that does not require me to regularly re-enter my credentials). I wouldn't mind this all that much, except for the fact that Slack does not seem to talk to Apple's Keychain, so I end up having to look up my (sometimes lengthy) passwords for each account. This will sometimes happen mid-session, with no explanation.

Another issue is that my Gmail accounts will routinely reload while I'm in the middle of composing a message. Again, no explanation provided, just a dialogue saying "changes you make might not be saved" and then adios!

The rate at which these issues occur is high enough that I have considered abandoning the product ("why am I paying to take twice as long to write an email?"), especially since, even though I am a paying subscriber, support for these issues has been fair to middling. The latest response I received was that authentication issues can happen when the same Shift account is installed on multiple devices--which seems ridiculous, by the way, for those of us neanderthals that still have multiple computers--and that uninstalling shift on my other computers *should* fix the problem. It didn't, but I have yet to find another product worth my taking the time and effort to rejig my workflow/learn a new interface.

Pros

I love how it cuts down on my CPU usage. Chrome takes lots of memory and Shift seems to do the job with 1/3 of the power. I love how I can have my Whatsup, text messages, and emails all in one spot. LOVE IT!

Cons

I would love if we can have the mute notification for longer than 24 hrs and also enable that on more than just the email.

Pros

I have four business accounts I can see at once, switch between calendars and files, and get notifications all in one place. I hated having multiple windows open in my browser and having to switch between tabs.

Cons

I am having to sign-in to my accounts and authorize shift to access my info too frequently. I don't have to do it this often online. Once approved, shouldn't Shift be recognized by Google?