Now & Next: a picture schedule app for autistic and ADHD kids
A picture schedule, now and next, first and then, a visual timer, a star chart and calm-down tools for autistic and ADHD children, on any phone, tablet or computer. Free to start, with no sign-up, and nothing leaves your device.
To keep it, on iPhone or iPad open it in Safari, tap Share, then “Add to Home Screen”. On Android, open it in Chrome, tap the menu, then “Add to home screen” (on Samsung phones, use Chrome: Google Play Protect blocks apps installed from Samsung Internet). It then opens like any app and works without the internet.
On Android? Help us get onto Google Play. Google needs 12 testers for two weeks before it will list the app. Join the testers group, then become a tester and install it from Google Play. Thank you.
Seven tools in one app
- TodayThe day’s steps as big numbered picture cards. Tap a step when it’s done; ticks clear overnight.
- Now and NextTwo big cards: what’s happening now, and what comes next.
- First and ThenThe hard thing first, then the good thing, with any two pictures.
- TimerA disc that shrinks as time runs out, the picture in the middle and a soft chime at the end.
- StarsA 3, 5 or 10-star token board under “I’m working for”.
- StoriesType your child’s name once: picture stories about them for the big days (the dentist, a haircut, the toilet, the doctor, first day of school and Bonfire Night free; all 20, including a first flight, the farm and Christmas, with the Family plan) and every routine as a story.
- CalmA breathing bubble (in for 4, out for 6), “How do I feel?” with ideas, and 23 calm choices.
27 ready-made routines
Add any of them in one tap, then change a step, rename it, or build your own from 227 pictures. UK, US or Australian words, and the whole app in 16 languages.
- Every day: Morning, After school, Bedtime, Weekend day, Mealtime
- Self-care steps: Toilet steps, Washing hands, Brushing teeth, Getting dressed, Bath time
- School: School day, Getting ready for school, Homework time
- Jobs at home: Tidy-up time, Helping at home
- Out and about: Dentist visit, Haircut, Doctor visit, Swimming, Shopping trip, Day out
- Special days: Halloween, Bonfire Night, Christmas Day, Birthday party
- Calm: Calm-down steps, When I feel worried
Made for children, built for privacy
- No account, no ads and no tracking. Your lists stay on your device.
- Lists only change after a grown-up holds “Hold to edit” for a second, which keeps little fingers out.
- Soft colours, no flashing, and calmer night colours for bedtime.
Prefer paper?
Every picture in the app is in our printable kits, sized to cut out, laminate and use on a board. See the kits.
The Family plan opens Monday 2 November
Start free with one child and the everyday tools. The Family plan is for families who want more:
- Up to 3 children, each with their own name, lists and stars
- A new picture routine every Monday
- All 20 picture stories for the big days
- Your own picture stories about anything coming up
- Read-aloud on every story
- The same children on two grown-ups’ phones
7 days free. Families who join in November keep £2.99 a month for life (£3.99 after that). Leave your email and we’ll tell you the moment it opens, plus one free picture routine a week.
Or get one free picture routine a week by email:
One email a week about routines and the app, and news of the Family plan. Unsubscribe any time. Read the privacy notice.
Weighing up apps? See Now & Next, Choiceworks, Goally and Tiimo side by side.
Questions
Is it free?
You can start free, with no sign-up and no ads: one child, every everyday tool, the ready-made routines and 6 starter stories. The Family plan (7 days free, then £3.99 a month; families who join in November 2026 pay £2.99 a month for life) adds up to 3 children, all 20 stories, read-aloud, your own stories, a new routine every Monday and the same children on two grown-ups’ phones.
How does it compare with other visual schedule apps?
See our side-by-side page: Now & Next, Choiceworks, Goally and Tiimo compared on devices, cost, accounts and two-parent sharing, at littleregulatedlife.com/now-and-next/compare/.
Does it work without the internet?
Yes, once you’ve opened it once. Add it to your home screen and it opens like any other app.
Does it work on iPhone and Android?
Yes, and on tablets and computers too. It runs in the web browser, so there’s nothing to download from an app store.
Do you collect my child’s information?
No. There’s no account, and your lists stay on your device. You can save a backup file in Settings.
Can I print a list?
Yes. Hold “Hold to edit” for a second, then tap “Print this list”. Our printable kits have every picture as a card too.
Does the timer ring when the phone is locked?
Not when it’s locked. While a timer runs, the app keeps the screen on, so it counts down and chimes as normal.
An everyday visual aid, not a therapy or medical product.