Are you always on the lookout for the latest, greatest ADHD time management apps like I am? Smartphone apps have made living with adult ADHD dramatically easier. And lucky for us there are some fantastic smartphone apps out there for managing time and tasks.
I’ve written about smartphone apps before, (Apps for Staying Organized with ADHD, Using the iPhone to Manage ADHD) but in the past month I’ve come across two new apps that I find are particularly useful when it comes to ADHD time management.
Killer, New ADHD Time Management Apps
30/30 – A Task Timer
One of my newest ADHD coaching clients, Peter, told me about one of his favorite ADHD time management apps. It’s called 30/30. You can get it for the iPhone from the Apple App Store, and I believe, Android phones, too.
30/30 lets you set sequential, count down timers to walk you through your day’s tasks. I’ve been using 30/30 for a few weeks now and find it very helpful. Taking just a few minutes each morning to set up my day in 30/30 takes the guess work out of what I need to do next.
30/30 has also made me keenly aware of how I, probably just like you, underestimate how long I think it will take me to do things.
It takes some honest awareness to adjust my time estimates to improve my ADHD time management skills. Doing so is a good thing. Living with ADHD is much easier when I’m realistic about how much I can truly accomplish in a day.
TeuxDeux – A Task Manager
Pronounced ‘to do’, which frankly I find a bit teux cute, this app has quickly risen to the top of my list of favorite ADHD time management apps.
TeuxDeux is a clear and simple task manager. It reminds me of my adored, old week at a glance calendar that I left behind years ago. With a view of five days at a time, you assign tasks to a date plus there’s room at the bottom of the screen to list tasks by project. The latest version allows for repeating tasks.
Here’s what I like best about TeuxDeux. You can access it through your web browser and it syncs to an iPhone app. Got an Android? They suggest you open TeuxDeux on your browser on your phone and bookmark the page.
Why am I so crazy about the web browser feature? Frankly, much as I love my iPhone, I find the daily managing of my to do list tasks on the phone very tedious. I prefer the big, clear screen of my laptop. Yet the updated tasks are there on my phone for those times I break away from my desk.
The wizards at TeuxDeux are now charging a small, monthly subscription fee to support their work. They currently offer a three-month free trial to give you time to throughly test it out before you buy.
There you have it, two new killer ADHD time management apps to try out. Let me know what you think.
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Dana, a substitute for teaux deaux would be Out of Milk App. More than a shopping list, it also has to do lists and DOES sync perfectly with the Android. No monthly fee and no browsing on the Android, which is tedious. Thanks for all of your help! David Bookhardt
Thanks for the suggestion, David. I’m not familiar with Out of Milk. Does anyone know if it’s related to Remember the Milk?
For android I like to use Google calendars. Amazing and free! You have the option to make multiple calendars and share calendars too, great for syncing with family. The website is amazing and easy to use with an insane amount of options and there’s also a widget for phone- I set this as a full page when I swipe left from my phones home screen. It’s easy to get to and you can interact with it without opening an app. May even be available for Apple but I’m not sure.
Hope this helps someone!
Thank you for listing this. I don’t have an iphone or android, but I like the idea of TeuxDeux for my laptop.
I was diagnosed with ADD about 5 years ago. I’m in my early 50’s so I have a lot to learn. I was diagnosed as a child too, but I didn’t know about it until I was in my late 40’s. I have to say it sure explained a lot. But now I have to learn all the structure and management stuff on my own. I was one of the ones who didn’t find a nitch that could hold my attention, little did I know why. Now I’m trying to gain control of my really out of control life habits, one of which is a lack of organization.
Time management plays in to it on many levels, because I could spend hours on just a few items. Then I get anxious, and quit putting everything back to do another time.
Sorry I know this isn’t a forum, my point is I may be able to use that TeuxDeux thing to help me when I’m working on my blog.
I kind of can’t live without Due App. I’d link to it but it might go into your spam folder. It’s duapp dot com (no spaces, obviously). I have to check my calendar before bed and again in the morning, so I have an alarm for each. It continues to ding until I manually turn it off. I am horrible about estimating time, so I know that if I have to leave at 1:30 I need at least 15 minutes to actually get out of the house. I will set it for 1:15 as a reminder to leave. I have a standing appointment at the same time each week but on occasion the appointment gets moved an hour later. Before Due I actually showed up an hour too early. So now I set my alarm for the time I would normally leave, but I set it to say “Don’t leave, your appointment time was moved!” Then set another alarm for the actual leaving time. Only drawback is that it’s for iPhone/iPad, I believe.
Thanks Edee. The Due app saves my bacon every single day, too. Those nagging little reminders keep me organized and on track.
Thanks for the app suggestions. I’ve been diagnosed for over a year and doing great in many ways but time was not my friend. I recently came across the Pomodoro Technique and found that I am seriously impaired in my time management aka underestimated by hours. As an owner of a company I am drowning in work, normally a good thing but not when you discover there literally aren’t enough hours in a day to reach deadlines. The technique makes the “right now” happen and focuses my attention. I feel I will have a life because of this discovery. Forced short- breaks have made my house shine in ways it never has too. 🙂
Hi Jo – Glad you discovered the Pomodoro Technique. It can be really helpful for ADHD time management. I so understand the challenges of not enough hours in the day! As a business owner, managing your ADHD so you can manage your time is essential. One trick in time estimating is to at least double the amount of time you think it will take you to do something. Be well, Dana
My son wants to find a reminder app for his Android phone that will allow him to use different sounds for different types of reminders. Any ideas?
Hi Laureen, I only review and recommend tools and strategies I personally have used and know will be successful. Since I use an iPhone I don’t recommend Android apps.
If I may suggest an Android app, I recommend The Fabulous. I have been using it daily for 6 months to sustain healthy habits. It’s actually the same idea as 30/30 applied for daily and healthy rituals. Here’s the link : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.thefabulous.app&hl=en
Thank you Sami! Since I live in iPhone World, I’m always on the look out for good Android apps to help my community.