Cognitive apps train you at the app. Dual-n-back, language streaks, chess puzzles, a Muse graph. You get better at the task. Transfer to “being smarter at work” is smaller than the store listing. Still useful if the alternative is scrolling.
What is worth the notification
A hard skill with spaced repetition (language, instrument, math) beats a brain-gym cartoon. Headband sessions belong on neurofeedback (Muse 2, FocusCalm, BrainTap). Meditation timers belong on meditation. Parent pillar: cognitive performance.
Ten minutes of one app, most days, then sleep on it. Switching apps every week is another form of novelty addiction. The Brain That Changes Itself is the plasticity tour without a subscription.
FAQ
Do these raise IQ?
They raise scores on similar tasks. Learning a real skill transfers more.
Which app should I pay for?
The one you will open. Free Anki plus a hard textbook has beaten a lot of $13/month subscriptions.
Phone before bed?
If the app is the last light in your face, you are paying in sleep. Charge the phone in another room.
Not a treatment for ADHD or dementia. Those are clinical conversations.