# Choosing a reminder app for ADHD > Choose a reminder app around the tasks you find difficult: capturing a thought, getting started, switching activities, and reviewing your list. Try examples. When choosing a reminder app for ADHD, look for a quick way to save a task, a clear prompt at a useful time, and an easy way to change the plan. Try it with one ordinary task before moving your whole list. Notice whether it helps you return to the task and whether opening the app creates more distractions. We build Poko, a reminder service that works through WhatsApp. This guide explains where that setup may fit, how to try it, and when a phone alarm, visual planner, or note might suit you better. A reminder can bring a task back to your attention; completing it may need other support too. ## Choose for the part you find difficult ADHD can make planning, starting tasks, and managing time difficult. Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust suggests external cues such as alarms, calendars, and reminders, alongside smaller steps and routines. Which approach helps will depend on your situation. Use a trial to check these four things with a task from your own day. You can use the same checks with an app you already have. 1. **Saving the task** Can you add the task before moving on? Try saving a real thought while it is still fresh, and see how many choices the app asks you to make. 2. **Understanding the next action** When the alert arrives, can you tell what to do? A person, document, or place in the reminder can give you the context you need. 3. **Noticing it without getting sidetracked** Check whether you notice the alert. If opening a chat leads you into other conversations, try a phone alarm or visible note for that task. 4. **Changing the plan** Try moving a reminder and cancelling one. If rescheduling feels difficult, that is useful information about whether the tool suits your routine. - [NHS guidance: strategies for daily life with ADHD](https://www.leicspart.nhs.uk/while-you-wait/adhd/strategies-and-support/): Planning, smaller steps, and external cues for starting or switching tasks. ## Try one reminder before moving your whole list If you want to try Poko, the button below opens WhatsApp with a two-minute reminder already typed. Review it and press Send. Opening the button alone does not schedule it. Check the task and time in Poko's confirmation and the timezone in its welcome message. Keep your phone connected, WhatsApp notifications enabled, and the Poko chat unmuted if you want an alert. When it arrives, open your calendar. This checks the reminder flow before you decide to use it for something else. The first 7 days are free, with no card required. A paid subscription is needed afterwards to keep reminders running. Your phone's built-in reminders or calendar are options too. [Remind me in 2 minutes to check my calendar](https://wa.me/917722891195?text=Remind%20me%20in%202%20minutes%20to%20check%20my%20calendar) (opens WhatsApp; review and press Send) - [Check Poko's plans and trial details](https://www.pokobot.com/pricing.md): See the ongoing cost before setting up a regular routine. ## If you lose track of a task when something interrupts you Leave yourself a specific place to return to. For example, if you stop filling in a form to answer a call, save the name of the form and the next unfinished step. Change the example below to the detail you will need when you come back. You can use a note beside the task or a timed reminder for when you expect to be free. You do not need to copy private documents or sensitive information into the reminder. [Remind me in 30 minutes to finish the delivery address on the form](https://wa.me/917722891195?text=Remind%20me%20in%2030%20minutes%20to%20finish%20the%20delivery%20address%20on%20the%20form) (opens WhatsApp; review and press Send) ## If you remember the task but cannot get started Make the reminder about a small first action. “Open the form and fill in my name” gives you a starting point for a larger job. Choose a time when you will have the form and anything else you need. The NHS's general guidance on tackling a to-do list suggests trying an activity for five minutes to make starting feel more manageable. If you want to try that, use a timer once you begin. A reminder to start and a timer for the work session have different jobs. [Remind me tomorrow at 10am to open the form and fill in my name](https://wa.me/917722891195?text=Remind%20me%20tomorrow%20at%2010am%20to%20open%20the%20form%20and%20fill%20in%20my%20name) (opens WhatsApp; review and press Send) - [NHS: tackling your to-do list](https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/self-help-cbt-techniques/tackling-your-to-do-list/): General strategies for starting tasks, including a short first attempt. ## If you need help switching tasks or leaving on time Give the transition its own time. For an appointment, work back from the arrival time to allow for travel and getting ready. You might want a preparation prompt and a separate alert to leave, with each naming the action. East London NHS Foundation Trust includes getting-ready and leaving alarms among its ADHD organisation strategies. The 8:30am below is only an example: change it to your actual departure time before sending. Poko does not calculate travel time or detect whether you have left. [Remind me tomorrow at 8:30am to leave for my appointment](https://wa.me/917722891195?text=Remind%20me%20tomorrow%20at%208%3A30am%20to%20leave%20for%20my%20appointment) (opens WhatsApp; review and press Send) - [NHS support: routines and organisation with ADHD](https://www.elft.nhs.uk/adult-adhd-services/support-available): Practical ideas for preparing, keeping track of time, and using reminders. ## If you save tasks but forget to review them Choose one list and a short time to look through it. At the review, pick the next useful action and give anything with a deadline its own reminder. Leave room in the plan for the time and energy you have. Poko's review message is a prompt to open your list. It does not read a list stored in another app or automatically pick your priorities. If your main need is seeing a whole day laid out, try a visual planner or calendar alongside, or instead of, chat reminders. [Remind me every weekday at 6pm to review my task list](https://wa.me/917722891195?text=Remind%20me%20every%20weekday%20at%206pm%20to%20review%20my%20task%20list) (opens WhatsApp; review and press Send) ## If preparing the night before would make mornings easier Choose one preparation task, such as packing your bag. Put a short checklist with the bag if that helps you see what belongs in it. The reminder can then bring you back to that one place. Edit the days and time to fit your routine. A daily reminder repeats even when your plans change, while your trial or subscription is active, until you cancel it. Review repeats you no longer need. [Remind me daily at 9pm to pack my bag for tomorrow](https://wa.me/917722891195?text=Remind%20me%20daily%20at%209pm%20to%20pack%20my%20bag%20for%20tomorrow) (opens WhatsApp; review and press Send) ## If reminders become another thing to ignore Look at what happened with one recent alert. Did it arrive while you were busy? Was the task too vague? Did opening your phone pull you elsewhere? Try changing that part of the setup before adding more notifications. A quieter tool or a visible note may be a better fit. In Poko, send “list” to see pending reminders. Ask to move a pending reminder to a new time, or use “cancel N” with its number from the latest list. If a one-off reminder has already arrived, send a new request if you still want a prompt later. Poko cannot tell whether you completed a reminder's task. Repeats follow the schedule you set and continue until cancelled; they do not stop automatically when you finish. A WhatsApp reminder can still be missed or dismissed. - [Turn a daily habit into a check-in instead](https://www.pokobot.com/tools/habit-tracker.md): A check-in asks whether you did it, with Done and Skip, and shows the week as n/7. - [How to set, change, and cancel a WhatsApp reminder](https://www.pokobot.com/how-to-set-reminders-on-whatsapp.md): The full walkthrough, including checking the confirmed time and timezone. - [How Poko's recurring reminders work](https://www.pokobot.com/features/recurring-reminders.md): Choose a repeat and an active window, and stop a series when you no longer need it. ## Support beyond a reminder app A reminder service does not assess or treat ADHD. If symptoms affect your work, studies, or relationships, speak with a qualified healthcare professional about support. The NHS describes options including help with structuring tasks and adjustments at work or in education, alongside clinical care where appropriate. This guide was updated by the Pokobot team on 6 September 2026 using the linked NHS sources. It has not been medically reviewed. Those sources discuss practical strategies generally; they do not establish that Poko is effective for ADHD. - [NHS: ADHD in adults](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/adhd-adults/): Symptoms, assessment, and the support available for adults with ADHD. ## FAQ **What should I look for in a reminder app for ADHD?** Try saving one real task, receiving a clear alert, and moving or cancelling it. Look for a setup you can use at the moment you need it. Consider whether opening the app distracts you and whether a calendar, visual planner, or note would suit the task better. **Are WhatsApp reminders better for everyone with ADHD?** No. They may suit you if you already use WhatsApp comfortably and notice its messages. If chats pull you away from your task, another kind of reminder may fit better. Poko's effectiveness for ADHD has not been established by the guidance cited here. **What if I see the reminder but still cannot start?** Try naming a small first action and choosing a time when you have what you need. A prompt to open a form is more specific than a prompt to finish all your paperwork. A reminder brings the task back to your attention; you may also need help planning or doing it. **Can Poko remind me until I finish a task?** You can request a recurring reminder, but Poko cannot tell whether the task is finished. It follows the repeat schedule you set while your trial or subscription is active, until you cancel it. It does not detect an ignored message and automatically keep chasing you. **Does Poko diagnose or treat ADHD?** No. Poko is a general-purpose WhatsApp reminder service. It does not diagnose or treat ADHD and cannot replace an assessment or support from a qualified healthcare professional. **Is Poko free to try?** The first 7 days are free, with no card required. A paid subscription is needed afterwards to keep reminders running, including recurring reminders. Check the pricing page for current plans. ## Try one reminder for your own day. Open a two-minute calendar reminder. Review it, press Send, and check whether this setup works for you. ## Try it Open WhatsApp and [message Pokobot](https://wa.me/917722891195?text=Remind%20me%20in%202%20minutes%20to%20check%20my%20calendar). The first message can be a real reminder: - `Remind me in 2 minutes to check my calendar` First 7 days free. No app, no account, no card.