The short version: no list to build before you start, no streak you have to protect, and a timer that tells you when you are allowed to stop. Free on Android, with an optional Pro upgrade.
Built for the two moments that actually stop you
"I can't clean" is usually one of two specific problems. Tidy Buddy is built for both.
- Not knowing where to begin. A room resolves into forty tasks at once and you do none of them. Tidy Buddy replaces that with one action you can do right now, chosen for you.
- Not knowing when to stop. You start, everything ends up in piles, the room looks worse, and you walk away feeling like it failed. A defined stopping point turns that into a finished session.
How it works
- Check your energy. Low, medium, or high — whatever is honestly true right now, not what you wish were true.
- Pick a mode. Clean, sprint, co-work, follow a checklist, or run a routine. You do not have to plan anything first.
- Do one step. Sized to the energy you reported, with a timer running.
- Stop, and keep the progress. Completed steps earn XP and count toward rewards. Perfection is not the bar.
What's in it
- Energy-aware tasks. The next step matches the capacity you have today rather than an ideal version of today.
- Calm timers and co-working. Short sprints or supportive check-ins to help you stay with a task — including Quiet Room, a session with no host and no chat, just you and the timer.
- Voice guidance. Spoken task prompts for when reading another list is more than you can face.
- Routines and rewards. Repeatable plans, with every completed step recognised.
- Progress that survives bad weeks. Miss a day and the streak resets — your progress never does.
- Photos that stay yours. Before-and-after photos never leave your phone. They are not uploaded.
Who it suits — and who it doesn't
Tidy Buddy is designed around how ADHD and autistic brains tend to work: task paralysis, all-or-nothing thinking, and sensory overwhelm are the experiences it is shaped around. You do not need a diagnosis to use it, and anyone who wants gentler, more flexible cleaning support is welcome.
It is a weaker fit if what you actually need is a maintenance engine that tracks how long since you last cleaned each specific thing. That is a different category of app, and our guide to choosing an ADHD cleaning app says so plainly, including where we are not the right answer.
Price and platform
Free to download and use, supported by ads. Pro unlocks routines and extra voices and removes ads. The app is on Android via Google Play; iOS is coming soon. This site explains the app and links to the store — it is not a browser version of Tidy Buddy.
An account is required so your progress and settings can load securely and sync across devices. You can sign in with email and password or with Google, and you can delete your account at any time.
Questions
Do I have to build a task list first?
No. Choose an energy level and you get a task. Custom tasks and routines exist if you want them later, but nothing needs setting up before your first session.
What happens if I miss a day?
The streak resets; the progress does not. Everything you have already completed stays.
Do my photos get uploaded?
No. Before-and-after photos stay on the device. Progress, routines, custom tasks, and settings sync through Firebase; photos do not.
Is this medical support?
No. Tidy Buddy offers cleaning prompts, timers, routines, and encouragement. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or crisis support.
Prefer to try the approach before installing anything? Start with the ADHD cleaning schedule or print the one-page checklist — both are free and require no account.