If your life is basically just one giant apology for being late, listen up: there’s a brand-new app called Lately that just dropped on the App Store, and it’s here to save you from your “chronically five minutes away” reputation.
What’s the Deal?
Lately is designed especially for people who struggle with time management — cough ADHD squad, but honestly, anyone who’s ever said “I’ll leave in five minutes” and then spent 25 minutes arguing with their cat could benefit.
The app’s whole mission is simple: help you leave on time. It sends you super-friendly nudges 30 minutes, 10 minutes, and 5 minutes before you need to head out. Plus, it throws a live countdown right onto your iPhone or Apple Watch — so you literally have no excuse to still be brushing your teeth when you’re supposed to be halfway across town.
How Lately Makes Being On Time Feel Like Winning at Life
Here’s where it gets fun: Lately turns punctuality into a game. You earn points based on how good (or bad, no judgment) you are at leaving on time.
There are four difficulty levels:
– 🐠 Goldfish (for those who are just trying their best):
– 3 points for being early
– 2 points for being on time
– 0 points if you’re late (but hey, at least you tried)
– ☕ Coffee, 👔 Grown Up, and 👽 Yoda levels crank up the heat. At Yoda level, being late actually loses you points — because, well, Yoda does not mess around.
The more points you rack up, the more cool little virtual characters you unlock. Think of them like shiny digital trophies for finally being a functional human being.
Why It Exists (And Why It Actually Works)
Lately is the brainchild of indie app developer Erik MacInnis, who, according to him, was that friend who could never show up on time. Erik realized a lot of people (especially those with ADHD) struggle with “time blindness” — basically, your brain goes “5 minutes” but it actually means “an entire Netflix episode.”
So he built Lately to keep users super aware of the clock, and to give them that sweet, sweet dopamine hit when they do the right thing. Science agrees — reward systems can be super helpful for motivation, especially when executive functioning is a challenge.
But… Is It Perfect?
Okay, real talk: during some hands-on testing, Lately was super helpful, but it’s not totally flawless yet. If you’re a big-city dweller using the subway, bike lanes, or, idk, a pogo stick, it won’t calculate exact travel times for you. Right now it’s focused on driving and walking routes only. (Bikers, your time is coming. Hold the line.)
Where It’s Going
Erik’s not stopping here — he’s cooking up some pretty neat upgrades. Think automatic notifications to your friends like:
– “Leaving now!”
– “Five minutes away!”
– “Arrived, bring me snacks.”
Also, an Android version is on the way, so our green-bubble friends won’t be left out forever.
The Price? Practically Free
You can download Lately totally free. But if you want the deluxe package — like setting your own difficulty level or planning recurring trips — it’s just $3 a month, or $10 a year. (A literal steal compared to the price of your 47th “Sorry I’m late” coffee.)
Bottom Line:
If you’ve ever wished you could level up in real life just for being on time, Lately might just be your new favorite app. Plus, who doesn’t want to unlock a tiny Yoda for doing something as basic as leaving the house before noon?
Always Late? There’s an App for That — And It’s Actually Pretty Fun
