Recall pitches AI second brain as a tool for ADHD information overload

Recall says its app helps people with ADHD save, summarize and revisit articles, videos, podcasts and PDFs with less mental strain. The company cites survey results from customers who identified as ADHD or neurodivergent to show the product may help with forgetting, organizing and using saved information.

Why it matters: - ADHD apps often focus on time management, but Recall argues the bigger issue for many people is information overload. - The company says its AI second brain helps users keep useful information outside memory, retrieve it later and act on it without building a complex filing system. - Recall says the approach may reduce the mental load tied to saving, sorting and reusing content.

What happened: - Recall said it is an AI second brain used by more than 700,000 people. - The app lets users save, summarize, organize and chat with articles, YouTube videos, podcasts, PDFs and notes. - Recall published survey findings from customers who identified themselves as having ADHD or as neurodivergent. - In that customer survey, more than a third said getting distracted before finishing a task was the biggest drain on productive time.

The details: - Nearly two-thirds of respondents said their saved information used to end up in notes apps with no organization. - More than half said browser tabs were where information went to sit unopened. - Other respondents pointed to phone screenshots they never revisited and apps they had stopped opening. - Nearly half said they had never found a system that worked. - When asked about the hardest part of information overload, 61% chose “all three, in a cycle I couldn’t break,” referring to saving something, finding it again and actually doing something with it. - Among the remaining respondents, more people said using saved information was harder than finding it again. - Recall says the app summarizes saved content, connects related ideas automatically and lets users ask questions across what they have saved. - Ricardo, a Recall power user and content experience designer, said: “Recall absorbs the executive function load (organizing, remembering, connecting) so the ADHD brain can do what it’s actually good at: pattern-spotting, associative leaps, and hyperfocus on what’s interesting.” - Nearly two-thirds of respondents said Recall clicked immediately or became their go-to app within the first week. - In the survey, 77% said Recall reduced their anxiety around forgetting and getting things done. - More than four in five respondents said the app changed how they felt about their memory in a positive way when including those who said they felt more capable and confident. - Recall says those results are self-reported customer experiences and not evidence that the app treats ADHD or clinically reduces anxiety. - Nearly half of respondents said tech companies’ understanding of how people with ADHD manage information is improving, but slowly.

Between the lines: - The survey points to a gap in the ADHD software market: tools that help with scheduling do not necessarily solve the problem of managing saved information. - Recall is positioning itself as a personal knowledge base for people who need retrieval and synthesis, not just reminders. - The company’s framing suggests that the value of an AI assistant may be in reducing executive-function work rather than replacing it.

What’s next: - Recall says the app is free to start at www.recall.it. - The product is available on the web, iPhone, Android, Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari. - Recall was founded in 2022 and is headquartered in Amsterdam. - The company’s founders are Paul Richards, chief executive; Igor Gligorevic, chief technology officer; and Sankari Nair, chief operating officer. - Recall says the survey covered customers who represented 2% of its customer base. - The company says the findings are directional and should not be treated as representative of all users, everyone with ADHD or the wider neurodivergent population.

The bottom line: - Recall is betting that for many people with ADHD, the real pain point is not just staying on task, but keeping useful information usable.