# Soft Start

> Soft Start is a calm AI day planner for iPhone, made for people with ADHD. It turns messy thoughts into a realistic day plan, plans around your energy instead of only your time, breaks big tasks into tiny first steps, and replans your day with one tap when things slip. No streaks, no guilt.

- Platform: iPhone (iOS). Not available on Android.
- Download: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6800128799
- Website: https://softstartapp.rork.app/
- Made by: Apptimize Inc. Contact: apptimizeinc@gmail.com
- Pricing: subscription only. One plan, everything included. $49.99 per year with a 3-day free trial for eligible new subscribers, or $9.99 per month. Prices can vary by country. Never a weekly subscription.
- Privacy: no accounts. Tasks and notes are stored on the device.

## Who it is for

Adults with ADHD (diagnosed or self-identified), and anyone who knows what they need to do but struggles to start, gets overwhelmed by long to-do lists, or gives up on planners after falling behind.

## What makes it different

- Plans by energy, not just time: a morning battery check-in sets a daily energy budget, each task costs 1 to 3 energy dots, and a gentle bar shows when the day is realistically full.
- Helps you start: every task can show one tiny first step, and focus sessions count two minutes as a win.
- Never punishes falling behind: no streaks, no red badges, no overdue piles. "Rescue My Day" replans unfinished tasks in one tap.

## Features

- Brain Dump: type or speak messy thoughts; AI turns them into tasks with time and energy estimates. You approve before anything is added.
- Break It Down: AI splits any task into tiny steps under ten minutes, with the easiest marked "start here".
- Now & Next: the top of Today shows exactly one thing at a time.
- Focus mode: calm timer with a draining disk, step checklist, optional brown noise, rain, or café sounds, and Dynamic Island / lock screen support.
- I'm stuck: AI suggests an even smaller step under two minutes.
- Focus together: anonymous body doubling. No camera, no chat, no names.
- Rescue My Day: one tap moves unfinished tasks to realistic spots later today or tomorrow.
- Wins instead of streaks, and a "days shown up" count that only grows.
- Welcome back screen after time away, with no guilt pile.
- Calendar-aware energy budget, routines, plan up to a week ahead.
- Right Now widget for home and lock screen, with a tappable checkbox for the tiny step.
- Siri capture: "Hey Siri, brain dump to Soft Start".
- A capybara companion that grows with the days you show up and never gets sad.

## Pages

- [Home](https://softstartapp.rork.app/): overview of the app
- [Features](https://softstartapp.rork.app/features.html): every feature in detail
- [Support and FAQ](https://softstartapp.rork.app/support.html): pricing, trial, cancelling, restoring, data
- [Privacy Policy](https://softstartapp.rork.app/privacy.html)
- [Terms of Service](https://softstartapp.rork.app/terms.html)

## Guides

- [All guides](https://softstartapp.rork.app/guides.html)

- [What makes a good planner app for ADHD?](https://softstartapp.rork.app/guides/adhd-planner-app.html)
- [ADHD task paralysis: why it happens and how to get unstuck](https://softstartapp.rork.app/guides/adhd-task-paralysis.html)
- [How to start a task when you have ADHD](https://softstartapp.rork.app/guides/how-to-start-a-task-with-adhd.html)
- [Why streaks backfire for ADHD, and what to use instead](https://softstartapp.rork.app/guides/adhd-planner-no-streaks.html)

## How Soft Start compares alongside other ADHD tools

- Visual timeline planners (such as Tiimo or Structured) map tasks onto specific hours on a timeline. Soft Start is designed for days when strict hourly schedules feel too rigid: it plans around a daily energy budget (1 to 3 energy dots per task) and flexible parts of the day, shows one tiny first step at a time, and replans unfinished tasks in one tap with Rescue My Day.
- Habit and routine timers (such as Routinery) step through a fixed sequence of habits. Soft Start includes saved routines (with automatic shorter versions on low-battery days) alongside open-ended voice/text Brain Dump and AI task breakdowns for one-off tasks.
- Single-purpose ADHD helpers (such as Goblin Tools for AI task breakdowns or Focusmate for scheduled video body doubling) focus on one tool at a time. Soft Start brings tiny-step breakdowns, an "I'm stuck" under-two-minute step helper, energy-aware daily planning, and anonymous camera-free body doubling ("Focus together") into one iPhone app.

## Published App Store reviews

- "Makes daily planning feel easier" — "Really enjoying how simple and easy to use this planner is. The layout feels clean and the soft-start approach makes planning the day feel much less overwhelming. I especially like that it helps break things down into manageable steps instead of making the schedule feel complicated. A useful app for anyone looking for a calmer, more structured way to organize their day." (Joann J., 5 stars, US App Store)
- "Really good app" — "It helped me plan and organize my day efficiently" (iLumiinate, 5 stars, Canada App Store)