ADHD apps tend to know a lot about you. When you take your medication. When you wake up and when you don't. Which days fall apart. What you're struggling with.

That's sensitive information. And for many apps, the first thing they ask for is an account, which means that information lives on someone else's servers.

That should be a choice you make on purpose, not a default. Here's how to check what an app collects, and what to look for if you want one that keeps everything on your phone.

Why privacy matters more for ADHD apps

A to-do app knows your groceries. An ADHD app can know:

  • That you have ADHD, or think you might
  • Your medication schedule
  • When you sleep and wake up
  • Your patterns of good days and bad days

Even if none of it is labeled "health data", together it paints a pretty personal picture. It's reasonable to want that to stay with you.

How to check any app in two minutes

1. Read the App Privacy section

Every app on the App Store has an App Privacy section on its listing, sometimes called its privacy "nutrition label". It's split into:

  • Data Used to Track You: shared with other companies for advertising or measurement
  • Data Linked to You: collected and connected to your identity
  • Data Not Linked to You: collected but not tied to you
  • Data Not Collected: the best possible answer

Scroll down on the App Store page before you hit Get.

On Android, the Google Play listing has a Data safety section instead. It shows what data the app collects and shares, and whether that data is encrypted in transit and can be deleted.

2. Check whether it needs an account

If the first screen asks for an email or a "Sign in with..." button, your data is almost certainly stored on the developer's servers. Ask yourself whether you need what the account gives you, such as sync, a web app or sharing.

3. Look for offline use

An app that works fully in airplane mode is usually storing your data on the device. Try it: turn on airplane mode and use the app for a minute.

4. Skim the privacy policy

You don't need to read every word. Search for "third parties", "analytics", "advertising" and "sell". Those sections tell you most of what matters.

What ADHD+ does

We built ADHD+ to be private by default (here's why):

  • No account. No email, no login, nothing to sign up for.
  • On-device storage. Your routines, alarms and progress are stored on your phone.
  • Works offline. Everything works in airplane mode.
  • No analytics. We don't track how you use the app.

Purchases go through Apple or Google, as with any App Store or Google Play app.

ADHD+ is a phone app for iPhone and Android, so your routines live on the phone that wakes you up, with nothing to sync and nothing on a server.

What it does: alarms that open your routine's checklist, short reusable routines for things like mornings, starting work and winding down, and a daily timeline of what's next. It's free to start with 3 routines of up to 3 steps each. Here's how to set up your first one.

Download ADHD+ on the App Store or get it on Google Play

The short version

  • ADHD apps can hold very personal information. Choose on purpose.
  • Check the App Privacy section, whether it needs an account, and whether it works offline.
  • ADHD+ needs no account, works offline and keeps everything on your phone.

Comparing options? See our roundup of the best ADHD routine apps for iPhone and Android.