A new app named Lately recently made its debut on the App Store with the goal of helping individuals, particularly those with ADHD, manage their departure times and arrive promptly at their destinations. Created by indie developer Erik MacInnis, the innovative platform combines gamification elements with practical travel reminders, giving users incentives for punctuality and improved time awareness.
Lately addresses common ADHD-related challenges, such as difficulties estimating how long tasks or travel might take—often called “time blindness.” To alleviate this problem, the app sends timely notifications before departures: alerts arrive at 30 minutes, 10 minutes, and finally 5 minutes prior to when the user needs to leave. Integrated features include the iPhone and Apple Watch’s Live Activities, providing users with an ever-present countdown to departure.
Beyond simple reminder tools, the app engages its users through a rewarding game structure that hooks into users’ motivation. Choosing from four distinct difficulty levels—ranging from gentle beginners’ mode (“Goldfish”) to advanced, less forgiving challenges (“Yoda”)—users earn or lose points based on punctuality. At the easiest level, arriving early earns three points, being right on time grants two, and lateness nets no points. In contrast, more difficult settings penalize tardiness, even subtracting points in the toughest mode.
As participants gather points, they level up and gain access to virtual character badges within the app, making the achievement of punctuality visually satisfying and compelling. Though simple, these rewards provide users with a tangible sense of accomplishment and progress, reinforcing positive habits.
MacInnis developed Lately based on personal experience. He candidly acknowledged his longstanding struggle with punctuality, explaining that the app significantly helped him overcome his challenges by prompting constant awareness of departure times through gamification. While other solutions exist—such as Android’s “Time to Leave” app or traditional task management apps like Structured or TickTick—MacInnis argues these generally lack specific tools for addressing time blindness specifically tied to commuting and leaving on time.
In early use, Lately shows great promise with one minor shortfall—its available transport options currently include just walking and driving. Those reliant upon public transit or cycling in busy metropolitan areas may find a lack of tailored transit timing tools. Nevertheless, Lately provides significant value, particularly for its intended demographic, whose struggles with motivation and punctuality can benefit notably from external reward-based systems.
Professionals frequently emphasize the usefulness of behavioral reinforcement and reward mechanisms to boost motivation and adherence to habits among individuals with ADHD. Popular apps like Finch, which encourages users with rewards for completing daily tasks by customizing virtual pets, have demonstrated the effectiveness of such gamified approaches. This backdrop underlines the market opportunity for Lately’s specialized functionality.
Looking ahead, MacInnis plans to broaden the app’s functionality by incorporating social features that will automatically inform contacts when a user is leaving, nearing a destination, or has arrived. There are also intentions to eventually release Lately on Android devices.
Lately currently operates as a freemium service, offering a basic no-cost version with an optional premium subscription priced at $3 per month or $10 annually. Premium subscribers can access additional customization options, such as personalized difficulty levels and scheduling recurring trips.
