TGC Review: Recall for iPhone

Recall is new app for iPhone that promises to help you never to forget a recommendation again. It allows you to add movies, music, apps, books, TV shows, and more to your list. It will also remind you when the item you added is released (if it's not out already).

If you've been using a simple notes or text file to keep track of all the movies, apps, TV shows, or books that you'd like to purchase you might want to consider switching and using Recall to do this. I know that I am. It's really fast to add new items — just a search and tap on an "Add" or "Remind Me" button. It breaks up your various entries into separate lists for each category. And there's almost a sort of satisfaction in adding things to your list — regardless of whether or not you have actually seen, read, or downloaded it yet. It pulls data from everywhere you would expect, and so will have anything that you search for. It would be pretty uncommon to search for media and not find it listed — although if you do, the app allows you to add your own, custom entry. Indeed, the app has a list designated specifically to these "Other" recommendations. Recall shows pictures, ratings, reviews, and more making the app far more useful than a text note. Plus, instead of removing an item from your list when you're done with it, you can archive it to a separate section of the app designated to showing all your archived items. It's nice to have a list of things you've already gotten to without having them crowd the list of things you haven't yet.

Beyond iPhone

The premise of the app is so good, in fact, that you'll find yourself wanting an iPad and Mac counterpart — two things I really hope the developers are working on. If this really is going to be the single place where you're going to keep track of all of the various things recommended to you, it really has to be something you're sure will always be around and accessible which is why a Mac and iPad app need to happen.

Of course, Recall also tells a larger story of individual apps cropping up to fill a very specific need. If you would've asked me 24 hours ago if I was perfectly content keeping a text list of the movies that I wanted to see, I would've told you that I was. Now, with Recall, I would say you're probably better off using that. Just goes to show you how quickly even the most basic things can change. For instance, I keep a list of movies that I have already seen along with the grade and usually a few lines of my review of the movie. I'm curious if this is the sort of thing that Recall can expand into, or if an entirely separate app will pop up one day and if it will actually be better just the text file I am using now. Then again, movie reviews and lists of movies you've enjoyed is something that might be better in a plain-text file — something you know will be around for ever, as opposed to a single, most likely proprietary, app.

Grievances

There are some minor grievances I have with the app. For one, not everything always comes up in the search results. Often times, search terms you're sure will show you want you want return nothing instead. You also cannot search by director for movies, for instance. It would also be great if you could search your own lists. Strange as it is, you cannot actually see the prices of items within the app — it merely links you out to the App Store, or whatnot, to purchase the item.

Wrap-up

That all being said though, the app is fast, clean, easy to use, looks great, and is incredibly good at what it does.

Recall is currently $0.99 in the App Store as an introductory price. It had TGC's stamp of approval. Grab it before the price goes up.