Do ADHD apps actually work?

What the research says

The largest overview so far looked at 26 systematic reviews covering more than 34,000 participants. The tools included video games, computerized brain training, virtual reality and apps, mostly tested in children and teenagers. The authors found reports of improvement in attention and executive function, and concluded that effectiveness "remains inconclusive" because the evidence was generally low quality. Eight of the reviews also reported unwanted effects, mainly from video games.¹

What does have solid evidence is the skills that good task tools support. Cognitive behavioral therapy for adult ADHD teaches organizing, planning, breaking tasks down and managing distraction. A randomized trial in JAMA found it improved symptoms in adults already taking medication, and a meta-analysis of 32 studies found medium to large improvements from before to after treatment, with smaller gains when compared against control groups.^{2 3}

That tells you something useful. The skills help. Whether a particular app helps you use those skills is a separate question, and for most apps nobody has tested it. That includes ours.

Why people give up on these apps

This is the part most "best apps" lists leave out. Many people with ADHD describe giving up on productivity apps, and the reasons tend to repeat:

• Setup is a project. If it needs an afternoon of configuration, the afternoon never comes.
• You have to remember to open it. A tool you must remember to check has the same problem as the tasks in it.
• It makes you feel bad. Red badges, overdue counts and broken streaks teach you to avoid the app.
• The novelty wears off. A new app is interesting for two weeks. Then it is one more thing.
• It shows you everything. A wall of tasks causes the freeze it was meant to prevent.

How to judge an app in one week

1. Can you add a task in under five seconds, from wherever you are?
2. Does it come to you, or do you have to go to it?
3. Does it show you one thing, or all the things?
4. How does it treat a missed day? Miss one on purpose and see.
5. Is it still useful when the novelty is gone? Day six tells you more than day one.
6. Where does your data go, and can you get it out?

Use a free trial for this, and be suspicious of any app that needs a year of payment before you can find out.

What apps cannot do

No app diagnoses ADHD, replaces medication or stands in for therapy. If ADHD is seriously affecting your work, money, health or relationships, the first step is a doctor or licensed therapist. A tool fits around that care.

Where NoRush fits

NoRush is a task manager, not a treatment, and it has not been tested in a clinical study. It was designed around the reasons people quit: it needs no setup, it appears on every new tab and every page without being opened, it shows one task, and it never uses red, "overdue" or lost streaks. You can try all of it free for 7 days and download your tasks at any time.

The research behind NoRush · Pricing and free trial