Meet First Step — One physical move. Ninety seconds

Productivity

First Step

One physical move. Ninety seconds.

What First Step does

First Step is the offline ADHD task-initiation app. It exists because the moment you most need help starting a task is also the moment your brain refuses — and the most-recommended tool on r/ADHD (Goblin Tools) requires a cloud LLM, breaks on planes, in airplane mode, and leaks your private task text to a server.

First Step doesn't use AI. It uses a curated on-device library of physical-first-action primitives. Type 'finish the dissertation chapter' and the app suggests not 'outline section 3' but 'sit at the desk and open the document.' That's the move that breaks the freeze.

What First Step does:

— On-device decomposer. Tap voice-to-text (Speech framework) or type a task. The app suggests one physically-smallest next action from a curated library tied to common ADHD-task patterns. — 90-second start timer. The only goal is to begin. Tap Start. When you've made the physical first move, tap Done. The timer ends. — Win log. Every Done tap is recorded in SwiftData. Scroll back through the week. Evidence the brain takes seriously. — Stuck-pattern surfacing. After 10 logged tasks, the app surfaces your common stuck-points and which physical first actions worked. — Zero cloud. Zero account. Zero AI subscription. Works in airplane mode, on a plane, on the subway.

For the 15.5 million US adults with diagnosed ADHD and the millions of self-identified procrastinators — the tool that doesn't break when your wifi does.

A look inside

Tap any screenshot to open the full-resolution version.

What's inside

• Task in — Voice (Speech framework) or text input of an ambiguous task
• Decomposer — On-device library suggests one physically-smallest first action
• 90-second start — Big countdown ring + audible chime; tap Done when moving
• Win log — SwiftData of every completed Done tap, scrollable timeline
• Stuck patterns — After 10 logged tasks, surface your common categories + what worked

Why we built it

ADHD adults can't initiate tasks because their brain registers the whole task as overwhelming; they need a decomposer that suggests one physically-smallest next action — but every existing tool requires a cloud LLM (Goblin Tools), breaks offline, and leaks task content to a server.

What makes it different

First Step is the only ADHD task-initiator that decomposes tasks 100% on-device using a curated library of physical-first-action primitives (no LLM, no network, no hallucinations) and pairs each suggestion with a 90-second start timer — Goblin Tools requires server-side LLM, Llama Life only times without decomposing,…

Who it's for

People who have tried every productivity app and bounced off the noise. If you want something calm, fast, and private, this is for you.

In one line: One physical move. Ninety seconds.

Try it

See the First Step app page for the full feature list, the info table, and support links.

Use First Step, found a bug, or have a feature request? Comments are open below — anonymous is fine.