ADHD September 2026

5 apps for the day the to-do list overflows

Some days the list is not long, it is everywhere — in your head, on three apps and a receipt. These five take it in stages: get all of it out, pick the three that matter, fit what is left into the hours you actually have, and then do one thing with someone keeping you company.

The apps for the day the to-do list overflows are Twos, 3Things Pal, Ellie, Sorted³ and Focus Friend. I built 3Things Pal; the other 4 are other developers’ apps.

MiaAppLog— an iOS developer who reviews other people’s apps
Published September 2026 · apps and prices last checked 13 October 2026

Four stars is my score for how well an app answers this moment. An app I built gets four and a half — that is a rule, not a comparison. The App Store’s own average is on each card beside it.

1. 

   Twos

   ★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · Free · Productivity · App Store 4.7 (336)

   Twos is for writing every thing down — ideas, tasks, events — in one place and letting the app work out what each one is. Addresses get directions, films get streaming info. Built for busy lives and, it says, ADHD minds.

   Skip it if you live in Apple Reminders: there is no integration with it, and reviewers find the way a quick entry turns into a sub-list unintuitive.

   Official site ↗More lists with Twos

   
2. 

   3Things Pal Editor’s pick

   ★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · Free · Productivity · App Store 4.9 (9)

   3Things Pal asks one question every morning: what are the three most important things today? Not ten, not a brain dump. Three, so finishing is the normal outcome.

   App Store ↗More lists with 3Things Pal

   
3. 

   Ellie

   ★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · Free · Productivity · App Store 4.6 (61)

   Ellie gives you a Brain Dump column to empty your head into, then lets you drag what fits onto a time-blocked day beside your calendar. Unlimited tasks free; labels, subtasks and recurring tasks are Pro.

   Skip it if you need it stable: it is a small app with a small user base, and the reviews mention tasks going missing when scheduled from the brain dump and repeat options that are too limited.

   Official site ↗More lists with Ellie

   
4. 

   Sorted³

   ★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · Free · Productivity · App Store 4.7 (4,058)

   Sorted³ puts tasks and calendar events on one timeline, with Auto Schedule to fit the tasks into the hours you actually have. Free, with Pro as a one-off purchase rather than a subscription.

   Skip it if you want an app that is still being developed: recent reviews say updates and support have stopped, iCloud sync is unreliable, and importing from Reminders removes the items from Reminders.

   Official site ↗More lists with Sorted³

   
5. 

   Focus Friend

   ★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · Free · Productivity · App Store 4.8 (8,308)

   Focus Friend is a timer with a Bean who gets really sad if you stop early. Finish the session and it pays out decorations for the Bean's room; Deep Focus mode locks the distracting apps while it runs.

   Skip it if you want a timer that notices when you leave: the Bean carries on regardless, the rooms run out fast without the subscription, and the upsell notifications are the biggest complaint.

   Official site ↗More lists with Focus Friend

   

3Things Pal is one of mine — everything else on this list is someone else’s app. How that works.