How to use TimeNinja

5 min read · Everything you need for your first week

TimeNinja is built around a single 4-step loop: Capture → Plan → Execute → Learn. You don't have to learn the app — just follow these flows when you need them.

This page covers the mechanics. Once you've got the basics, read how to use TimeNinja effectively for the daily habits that make the app genuinely accurate for your brain.

1. Your first 60 seconds

1. Open the app → tap Get Started.
2. Pick Self Mode (or Family Mode if setting up routines for a child).
3. Type your name → continue → start your 7-day free trial.
4. You land on Today. That's home base.

No account. No password. Your data stays on your device.

2. Edit, mark done, or delete from Today

Today is meant to stay clean — there are no visible edit or delete buttons. Use a long-press instead.

• Long-press any task → Edit, Break it Down, or Delete.
• Long-press any routine → Mark done today, Mark not done, or Edit Routine.
• To permanently delete a routine, go to Me → Manage Routines and swipe left on the row.

Why hidden? Visible destructive buttons add cognitive load every time you look at Today. Long-press keeps the screen calm but the actions one gesture away. A one-time tip card appears in the app the first time you open Today.

3. Add a quick task

Use this when you have one thing to do, ASAP.

1. On Today, tap + Quick Task.
2. Type the task ("Email Mark", "Take meds").
3. Pick a duration chip — start with 5 or 15 min.
4. Pick a block (Morning / Afternoon / Evening). Defaults to current.
5. Tap Add Task.

The task appears under its block. Tap the play button to start a timer.

4. Plan backwards from a deadline

Use this when something has a hard end time: a flight, school drop-off, a meeting. You say when it must be done, add the steps, and the app tells you when to start.

Where to find it: tap the + in the middle of the bottom bar, then the small gray Plan backwards link (with a curved arrow) at the bottom of the sheet. It is easy to miss.

1. Type what needs to happen, for example "Catch the flight", and tap Plan it backwards →.
2. Choose when it must be done, for example 9:00.
3. Add the steps in the order you will do them, each with its minutes: find passport 5, pack the bag 30, book the cab 5, ride to the airport 45, boarding 60. The app suggests your usual time for steps you have timed before.
4. Tap See My Schedule →. You see "Start at …" and the start time of every step. Turn on Remind me before start time if you want a nudge.
5. Tap Save to Plan. The plan goes onto Today, where the next step shows with its time. When it is time, tap Start First Step.

Shortcut: when you add a task in + with At a time… and 30 minutes or more, a line appears: "Work backwards from 9:00?" Tap it and the name and deadline are filled in for you.

Why backwards? See why backward planning works for ADHD brains.

5. Run a focus timer

The shrinking ring is the most important UI in the app — it makes time tangible.

• Lock the screen any time — the timer keeps running. A Live Activity stays on your Lock Screen so you can glance at it.
• Pause / Resume for genuine breaks.
• Off Track? Tap the orange button → pick a reason → "Jump Back In" or abandon. No shame loop.
• At zero you get a choice: I need more time (the ring flips orange and counts the overtime) or Done. Either way the real time is logged — nothing is ever marked "on time" for you automatically.

6. Build a routine

For repeating sequences — morning, after-school, bedtime.

1. Me tab → tap the routines row at top.
2. Tap + → name it ("Morning Routine"), pick its block.
3. Add steps with durations: "Shower 10 min", "Get dressed 5 min"...
4. Save. It appears on Today every day in that block.
5. Tap play → the app guides you step-by-step, one timer at a time.

When a step's time runs out, the routine waits a few seconds before moving on — long enough to tap Not done yet if you need more time on that step (it switches to an overtime count), but it auto-advances on its own to keep the rhythm if you do nothing. Every step records how long it actually took, so a shower that always runs long shows up in your data instead of silently throwing off the rest of the routine.

Why routines work: the externalization principle means the app — not your brain — decides what's next.

7. Break a big task into small steps (AI)

Stuck on something vague like "Kitchen cleanup" or "Write report"?

1. Today → Break It Down.
2. Type the task → tap the scissors button.
3. 3–6 concrete steps appear. Edit them if you want.
4. Tap Save to Today's plan.

The AI runs entirely on your device (Apple Intelligence on iOS 26+). Nothing leaves your phone.

8. Read your Real Time Library

After a few sessions, your Library tab fills with personal timing data.

• Every task you time logs automatically.
• After ~5 sessions per activity, you'll see a 25–75% variability range — your true performance band.
• Trust this number over your gut estimate. Read why →

What to do in your first week

1. Day 1–2: Set up morning + bedtime routines. Run each at least once.
2. Day 3: Try one backward plan for something with a real deadline.
3. Day 4–5: Use Quick Task 2–3 times a day.
4. Day 7: Open the Library — your variability bands are starting to form.

By week two, the app's suggestions become noticeably more accurate because they're based on your data, not averages.

More step-by-step help

• How to use TimeNinja well: a power-user guide
• Add the TimeNinja widget to your iPhone Home Screen
• Add a task by voice
• The Real Time Library: why your range beats an average
• Capture, plan, do, learn: how the app fits together

Got questions? Read the FAQ

Download TimeNinja