How to Unify Tasks from Multiple Apps in One Place Without Migrating Data: A Practical Guide with Foco Plus

Juggling multiple projects—whether as a freelancer, solopreneur, or small team member—often means switching between tools like Notion, Linear, Asana, GitHub, and Jira. Each has its own workflow, notifications, and format, fragmenting your focus and forcing you to remember where each task lives. The solution isn’t migrating everything to one app (you’d lose integrations, historical data, and each team’s flexibility) but unifying tasks from multiple apps in one place without migrating data. This way, you keep your original tools while centralizing execution in a single dashboard. In this guide, we’ll show you how to achieve this with Foco Plus Connections, step by step and with concrete examples.

Why Unifying Tasks Without Migrating Is the Solution for Multiple Jobs

The typical alternative—using a generic notes app, spreadsheet, or task manager—fails when managing multiple jobs at once. These systems aren’t designed to separate contexts (e.g., one client from another, or a personal project from a work one) or sync with specialized tools like GitHub or Jira. The result? Duplicated tasks, missed deadlines, or checking five different apps just to know what to do today.

Foco solves this with two key principles:

• Work containers: Each client, project, or area (e.g., "Client X," "Web Development," "Home") is an independent container with its own name and color. Tasks display the color of their work, letting you instantly identify their context, even in Panorama mode (where you see all tasks together).
• Bidirectional Connections: Foco Plus Connections automatically pull tasks assigned to you in Notion, Linear, Asana, GitHub, or Jira without manual copying. Plus, if you enable "complete also in the source," marking a task as done in Foco will close or comment on it in the original app. This avoids duplicate work and keeps both systems in sync.

Unifying tasks without migrating isn’t just about saving time: it’s about regaining control over your attention, especially when each job has its own tool and workflow.

Step-by-Step: How to Set Up Foco Plus Connections

1. Prepare Your Work Containers in Foco

Before connecting apps, create containers in Foco to represent each of your jobs. For example:

• Development: for GitHub issues and Jira tickets.
• Design: for Asana or Linear tasks.
• Documentation: for Notion pages where you’re mentioned.
• Freelance - Client A: for specific projects.

Assign a color to each work (e.g., blue for Development, green for Design) so tasks display that color in all views. This helps you distinguish them quickly in Panorama mode, where you see all tasks together.

2. Connect Each Tool to Its Destination Work

Go to Settings > Connections and select the app you want to connect (Notion, Linear, Asana, GitHub, or Jira). Foco will prompt you to log in with your account (using OAuth, without sharing passwords). Then, choose the destination work for tasks from that app. You have two options:

• Automatic: Foco analyzes the task content and assigns it to the most relevant work based on context. Ideal if tasks from one app may belong to multiple jobs (e.g., GitHub issues affecting different projects).
• Fixed: All tasks from that app will always go to the same work. Useful if, for example, all your Asana tasks are for one client.

Practical example: If you connect GitHub and choose the "Development" work as a fixed destination, all issues and pull requests assigned to you will appear in that container, with its assigned color (blue, in this case).

3. Set Up Bidirectional Sync

Enable the "complete also in the source" option for each connection. This way, when you mark a task as done in Foco, it updates automatically in the original app. For example:

• In GitHub, the issue will close.
• In Jira, the ticket will move to "Done."
• In Asana, the task will be marked as completed.
• In Notion, a comment will be added indicating it’s done.

This feature is key to unifying tasks from multiple apps in one place without migrating: you work in Foco, but the original tools stay updated.

4. Review and Organize Imported Tasks

Imported tasks will arrive with the fields Foco can extract automatically:

• Title: the task or issue name.
• Due date: the deadline (if it has one).
• Priority: Foco assigns "important" or "urgent" based on the original app’s settings (e.g., GitHub labels or Asana custom fields).
• Assignees: if the task is assigned to you and others, they’ll appear as assignees in Foco.
• Attached notes: Foco includes a link to the original task and, in some cases, relevant content (e.g., a GitHub issue description).

Now, use Foco’s views to organize them:

• List view: groups tasks by due date ("Today," "This Week," "Later") or by deadline. Ideal for prioritizing.
• Kanban view: organizes tasks in customizable columns (e.g., "To Do," "Doing," "Done"). On desktop, drag and drop; on mobile, use tabs.
• Calendar view: see tasks alongside your Google Calendar or Outlook events. Useful for planning time blocks with the time-blocking technique for unpredictable schedules.

Real Example: Unifying GitHub, Jira, and Asana Tasks in One Workflow

Imagine you’re working on three fronts:

• Development: GitHub issues and Jira tickets.
• Design: Asana tasks for a client.
• Documentation: Notion pages where you’re mentioned.

With Foco Plus, here’s your workflow:

• 1. Connections: GitHub and Jira connected to the "Development" work (blue); Asana to the "Design" work (green); Notion to the "Documentation" work (purple).
• 2. Panorama mode: see all tasks together, each with its color. GitHub issues appear in blue, Asana tasks in green, etc.
• 3. Focus mode: enter the "Development" work to see only GitHub and Jira issues. Filter by priority or due date to decide what to do today.
• 4. Sync: closing an issue in Foco closes it automatically in GitHub. The same applies to Asana or Jira tasks.

This way, you avoid checking three different apps and reduce the risk of forgetting something.

Comparison: Foco Plus vs. Asana for Unifying Tasks from Multiple Apps

If you’re evaluating options to unify tasks from multiple apps in one place without migrating, it’s helpful to compare Foco Plus with Asana, a popular project management tool. Here are the key points:

1. Focus on Multiple Jobs vs. Single Projects

Asana is designed to manage projects within a single team or company. Its structure (teams, projects, tasks) works well if all your jobs share the same context, but it gets complicated when you handle multiple clients or independent areas. For example, if you work with three different clients in Asana, you’d need to create three separate teams, which can lead to confusion and crossed notifications.

Foco, on the other hand, is built to separate contexts from the start. Each job (client, project, personal area) is an independent container with its own color and tasks. This is especially useful for freelancers or solopreneurs who need to isolate client information without mixing it up.

2. Connections with Specialized Tools

Asana allows integrations with GitHub, Jira, and other tools, but these are often unidirectional (e.g., you can see Jira issues in Asana, but you can’t close them from Asana). Additionally, many advanced features require paid plans with a minimum of 2 users (see prices below).

Foco Plus offers bidirectional connections with Notion, Linear, Asana, GitHub, and Jira. This means you don’t just import tasks—you can also update them in the original app from Foco. For example, close a GitHub issue or mark an Asana task as completed without leaving Foco.

3. Pricing and Scalability

Asana’s prices (as of July 2026) are as follows:

• Personal Plan: free, but limited to 2 users. Doesn’t include Timeline view, custom fields, or automations.
• Starter Plan: $10.99/user/month (billed annually) or $13.49/user/month (billed monthly). Minimum 2 seats, so the minimum cost is $21.98/month (annual) or $26.98/month (monthly). Includes Timeline, custom fields, and basic automations.
• Advanced Plan: $24.99/user/month (annual) or $30.49/user/month (monthly). Minimum 2 seats.
• Enterprise Plan: custom pricing.

The minimum of 2 seats in Asana’s paid plans can be a hurdle if you work alone or collaborate with clients occasionally. For example, if you’re a freelancer and only need to manage your own tasks, paying for 2 seats may not be cost-effective.

Foco, in contrast, has per-user pricing with no minimums:

• Free: unlimited works and tasks, list and Kanban views, text and voice capture, tags.
• Foco (€4/month): adds calendar view, Google Calendar/Outlook sync, collaboration, and task assignment.
• Plus (€20/month): includes everything above plus Connections (Notion, Linear, Asana, GitHub, Jira), email capture, unlimited Ráfaga, and daily briefing.

For someone who needs to unify tasks from multiple apps in one place without migrating, Foco Plus can be more affordable and flexible, especially if you work alone or with occasional collaborators.

4. When to Choose Asana

Asana is a good option if:

• You work in a fixed team with multiple members and need advanced project management features (e.g., dependencies, portfolios, workload management).
• All your projects share the same context (e.g., a single client or company) and you don’t need to separate information by areas.
• You prefer a tool with more customization options in views like Timeline or Gantt.

Foco wins when:

• You handle multiple jobs or clients at once and need to isolate their tasks to avoid confusion.
• You want to unify tasks from multiple apps in one place without migrating data, keeping the original tools updated.
• You work alone or with occasional collaborators and want a more affordable solution without user minimums.

Tips to Get the Most Out of Foco Connections

1. Use Tags to Cross Contexts

Even though each task belongs to a work, you can add tags to group them by cross-cutting themes. For example:

• Tag #urgent for tasks requiring immediate attention, regardless of which work they come from.
• Tag #meeting for tasks related to meetings, even if they belong to different clients.

Then, filter by tags in Panorama mode to see all urgent tasks or all meetings for the day.

2. Leverage Voice Capture for Quick Tasks

If you receive a task via message or call, use Foco’s voice capture to create it instantly. Say something like: "Review the GitHub pull request for Client X, urgent, due tomorrow at 10 AM." Foco will transcribe the audio, detect the date, time, priority, and recurrence (if any), and create the task with the audio attached. With the Plus plan, you can use Ráfaga to dictate multiple tasks in a row and review them before saving.

3. Combine with the Daily Briefing

The daily briefing in Foco Plus (part of the Copilot) summarizes each morning what tasks are due today, what’s new in your connections, and what events you have in your calendar. Set it up to receive it via email or check it in the app. This way, you start the day with a clear overview of what needs your attention, without checking each tool separately.

Conclusion: Unify Without Migrating and Regain Control

Unifying tasks from multiple apps in one place without migrating data isn’t just about convenience—it’s the most effective way to reduce fragmentation when working on multiple fronts. Foco Plus Connections let you centralize execution without losing the integrations, historical data, or workflows of each tool. This way, you can plan your day in a single dashboard, prioritize what matters, and keep everything synced without duplicating effort.

If you juggle multiple jobs or clients, try creating your work containers in Foco, connect your tools, and experiment with the views. You’ll see how, in just a few days, you spend less time switching between apps and regain the clarity you need to move forward.

FAQ

Can I unify tasks from Trello or ClickUp with Foco?

Currently, Foco Plus only supports connections with Notion, Linear, Asana, GitHub, and Jira, plus MCP servers. Trello and ClickUp aren’t in the Connections catalog, but you can use email capture (u-xxxx@in.heyfoco.com) to forward tasks from those apps and convert them into Foco tasks.

What happens if I delete a task in Foco that came from a connection?

If you delete a task in Foco that was imported from a connection (e.g., GitHub or Asana), it won’t be deleted in the original app. Foco only syncs the "done" status when you enable "complete also in the source." To delete a task in both apps, you must delete it first in the original tool.

Can I assign imported tasks to other team members in Foco?

Yes, but only if those members are invited and have accepted collaboration in the corresponding work. You can assign them tasks imported from connections like Asana or GitHub, but you can’t assign tasks in the original app from Foco.

Do Foco Connections consume a lot of data or slow down the app?

Foco Connections are optimized to sync in the background without affecting performance. They only update when you open the app or at set intervals (depending on your device settings). They don’t consume excessive data, as they only pull essential task information.

Can I use Foco to unify personal and work tasks in one place?

Yes. Foco is designed to manage multiple jobs or contexts, including personal tasks. You can create a work called "Home" or "Personal" and use Connections to import work tasks while manually adding personal ones. This way, you see everything in one dashboard without mixing contexts.