Best ADHD Apps of 2019

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a disorder that is commonly associated with children, but more than 9 million American adults also live with the condition. Adult ADHD can cause problems with executive function. This means people with the condition may have a hard time initiating tasks, following through, remembering things, or managing complexity.

Many people have found success in delegating important memory and productivity tasks to their mobile devices. Apps are available to help you organize, prioritize, and build structure into your life. We've rounded up the best apps for ADHD to help take the load off.

iPhone rating: 4.7 stars

Price: $4.99 with in-app purchases

Distractibility plays a big part in ADHD, but Due can set you back on track with reminders to do the important things. Increase your productivity by taking the variability out of the must-dos, like taking medication. Adding a reminder is easy, the app design is super clean and sleek, and the reminders are persistent. When a reminder goes off, it continues to ping you in set intervals (say, every 10 minutes) until you mark the task as done. A simple concept with a big payoff.

iPhone rating: 4.1 stars

Android rating: 4.5 stars

Price: Free with in-app purchases

Think of Evernote as your modern-day Trapper Keeper. Type in to-dos, add reminders, scan handwritten notes, take pictures of items you want to follow up on, and save websites and videos. A search function makes finding everything you've saved a breeze, so even if you're not the best with organizing your folders, Evernote can help you find what you need when you need it. Evernote is a great choice to jot down those stray thoughts to pursue later so you can stay on task now.

iPhone rating: 4.7 stars

Android rating: 4.4 stars

Price: Free with in-app purchases

Sometimes even the simple tasks have multiple steps. Increase your chances of getting them done, and increase that motivating feeling of accomplishment, by creating task lists with their own subtasks. Assign due dates to each and add notes that lend helpful information, like locations, passwords, details, messages, or addresses that you need handy to complete the tasks. The app can remind you of upcoming due dates with your choice of mobile notifications, emails, or texts. The app's map feature is a game changer for running errands, too — it plots your tasks so you can plan the most efficient route for checking items off your list.

iPhone rating: 4.6 stars

Android rating: 4.4 stars

Price: Free with in-app purchases

Keep all your photos, documents, and videos in one searchable spot with Dropbox. The in-app document scanner is a no-brainer for filing receipts, contracts, business cards, lecture notes, event fliers, and other important print materials. You'll never have to worry about losing them again, especially since Dropbox syncs across devices. As with an online word processor, you can leave comments to remember what was important about a file or document, and you can tag yourself in comments to trigger email notifications to follow up.

iPhone rating: 4.8 stars

Android rating: 4.3 stars

Price: Free

Asana is a free organization and collaboration tool. Use it to create to-do lists and add due dates and details. Asana is great for adding structure to your professional life, too, as it allows for team collaboration: assign tasks to others, view tasks in project boards, and keep tabs on what's been assigned to you and others. When you've assigned out a task, it remains visible, meaning you won't lose track of or duplicate tasks.

Android rating: 3.9 stars

Price: Free

Time spent on your phone is one of the ultimate productivity sinks. RescueTime is a productivity app that encourages positive changes based on insights into your behavior. The app automatically logs and categorizes the time you spend using your devices, including your phone and laptop or desktop computer. Mobile notifications alert you when you're approaching or have exceeded your designated limits, and the 'Productivity Pulse' is a daily score that makes it easy to compare and measure improvement in your productivity across time.

iPhone rating: 4.7 stars

Android rating: 4.6 stars

Price: Free

Wunderlist is a checklist and reminder app that's designed to look similar to your email inbox, so the learning curve is minimal. For each task, set a due date, a reminder time, and subtasks that need to be completed for you to get it done. The app includes a section for notes and attachments related to your tasks. Sort your lists into labeled folders while completed to-dos are automatically archived to maintain a clutter-free digital space. The app also has a widget that allows for swipe-down visibility of your lists from any screen or app. The simple, straightforward design of Wunderlist keeps your focus on your tasks and not on the app.

iPhone rating: 4.7 stars

Android rating: 4.5 stars

Price: Free with in-app purchases

Get things out of your head and onto a list that stays with you, pings you, and motivates you to be productive with Todoist. With the quick-add feature, you just type in a task, reminder time, and hashtagged list category, and the app takes care of all the organization. You can also set recurring reminders, so you can spend less time working in the app and more time getting stuff done. Track your productivity with Todoist's progress summary, which clearly displays how many tasks you've completed and how many are still waiting for your attention.

iPhone rating: 3.7 stars

Android rating: 4.6 stars

Price: Free

This time management app keeps you from using your phone as a distraction. Brain Focus blocks apps and quiets your notifications so phone distractions are not an option when you need to focus. The app uses the Pomodoro method of setting time on-task and time off-task, otherwise known as a break. Use it when you need to focus, and the app will count down your selected time while locking you out of the apps you've selected as distracting. Brain Focus also uses your countdowns to track how long you've spent working in self-selected categories, such as work, school, chores, reading, meditation… whatever suits your needs best.

If you want to nominate an app for this list, email us at nominations@healthline.com.

Amanda Doyle is a Boston-based healthcare editor, former dance fitness instructor, and previous neuroscience researcher. She's passionate about equity, kindness, conscious language, and destigmatizing the human experience.