简体中文
EnglishWhat Is AnyList and What Can You Use It For?
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AnyList is a grocery shopping list app for creating and sharing lists, and it also covers recipes, meal planning, and syncing lists across devices. It's available on the App Store and Google Play, with Mac and web apps for access from a computer. It's most useful for families and friends who want one shared, up-to-date list while shopping and cooking.
Core use: shared grocery lists
The main job of AnyList is to make a shopping list that several people can use at once.
- Fast list creation: As you type, AnyList suggests common items and automatically groups items by category, which is meant to save time in the store.
- Sharing and syncing: You share a list with family or friends, and any change shows up instantly for everyone sharing it. This is the feature that matters most for households where more than one person shops.
- Voice input: You can add items through Siri, so an item can be captured the moment you notice you need it.
For example, if one person adds "milk" while at work and another is already at the store, the second person sees it on the shared list without a text message or phone call.
Recipes and meal planning
Beyond lists, AnyList is built around cooking:
- Recipe storage: You can keep your personal recipes in one place and add recipes from other sources, such as email messages and popular websites and blogs.
- Adding ingredients to a list: Tapping ingredients in a recipe adds them to your shopping list, so you don't retype them.
- Meal planning calendar: You can plan meals for a week or a month on a calendar, then add the ingredients for upcoming recipes to your list.
This combination is what separates it from a plain checklist app: the list, the recipe, and the plan are connected.
AnyList Complete (premium) features
The site lists a premium tier, AnyList Complete, with additional features:
| Feature | What it does |
|---|---|
| Mac & PC access | Use Mac and web apps, with changes synced instantly to iPhone and iPad |
| Recipe web import | Save recipes from websites and blogs via your browser on iOS, Mac, or PC |
| Meal planning | Plan meals on a calendar and add ingredients to your list |
| Item photos | Attach photos to list items so everyone buys the right item |
| Themes | Customize lists with different fonts, colors, and textures |
| List folders | Group related lists into folders |
The site presents these as premium features and does not state prices on the page, so check the Compare Features & Pricing page in the app or on the site for current terms before deciding whether the upgrade is worth it for you.
Who it fits
AnyList fits you if:
- More than one person contributes to the household shopping, and you want changes to appear instantly for everyone.
- You cook from recipes and want ingredients to move from recipe to list without retyping.
- You plan meals ahead and want the plan and the shopping list in one place.
- You want to check or edit lists from a computer as well as a phone (Mac and web access are listed as premium features).
A single person who only needs a simple checklist may find a basic notes app sufficient; the sharing, recipe, and planning features are where AnyList's value concentrates.
Getting started
- Download AnyList from the App Store or Google Play.
- Create a list and start typing items; accept the suggested common items and let them group by category.
- Share the list with the people who shop with you, and confirm that a change made on one device appears on another.
- Optionally add a recipe, tap its ingredients into your list, and try the meal planning calendar to see whether the recipe-to-list workflow matches how you cook.
Common sticking points to check early: whether everyone you share with has installed the app, and which features require AnyList Complete, since Mac/web access, recipe web import, meal planning, item photos, themes, and list folders are all listed under the premium tier.