Disclosure first, because it belongs there: this page is published by the makers of Heed, which is one of the apps listed below. The criteria come from Wells’ published protocol rather than from our feature list. The search and store listings were checked on 7 September 2026. This is a documented shortlist, not a guarantee that no other app exists.
The short version: this is a very small field. Searching for an attention training app returns mostly concentration games and meditation, which are different things from the twelve-minute auditory protocol Wells published[1].
What we judged against
| Criterion | What the protocol specifies |
|---|---|
| Three phases, in order | Selective attention, rapid switching, divided attention[1] |
| ~12 minutes, split 5–5–2 | Approximately five, five and two minutes[1] |
| 6–9 simultaneous sounds | Depending on the level of demand required[1] |
| Sounds at different distances | Three in the room, two nearby, two in the far distance[1] |
| A voice naming each sound | The script directs attention and instructs a refocus[1] |
| An accelerating switch | About every ten seconds, then every five[1] |
| A different layout each session | Varied to offset the effects of practice on difficulty[1] |
The full reasoning behind each is on what to look for in an ATT app.
The apps that set out to do ATT
Heed — iPhone and Android
Ours. The counted training phases total twelve minutes in a 5–5–2 shape. Sound Mix uses six simultaneous sounds, while some crafted scenes use five. Sounds are spatially placed, and a narrated script names them and cues each switch. Sound Mix redraws sounds and positions for each session; crafted scenes use their designed layouts. The app is free to download with sessions included; a subscription or one-time lifetime purchase opens the full scene library.
Protocol differences: Heed currently uses two distance bands rather than the manual’s room/near/far example, and its switching cues use a steady four-second interval rather than the manual’s progression from about ten seconds to five. It is therefore a protocol-shaped implementation, not an exact reproduction of every instruction in the chapter.
What it doesn’t do: the interface and the voice are English only. There is no therapist, and it is not a course of treatment.
ATT Attention Training Technique — Android
The other app found in our search that names Wells’ technique directly. It is free, and its Google Play listing shows it was last updated on 22 June 2021, so anyone choosing it should expect an app that has not been maintained in several years and is Android-only.
Apps that use the words but train something else
Not criticism — they are simply aimed elsewhere, and the overlap in vocabulary is what makes searching hard.
- Insight Timer carries an “attention training” topic page alongside its meditation library. Meditation and ATT differ in aim, method and origin — see ATT vs. meditation.
- Schulte-table and grid apps train visual search against a timer. Real attention tasks; not Wells’ auditory protocol.
- Cogo and similar game-based programmes target children’s attention.
- Brain-training suites (Lumosity and the like) score you and get harder as you improve — the opposite of a protocol specified to stay demanding rather than become easier[1].
If an app isn’t what you want
Full sessions are published free on YouTube, and the manual itself notes that recorded versions of sounds have been used to deliver the exercise[1]. Afternoon Break and MindCare Media both publish full sessions for free; the options found in our review are laid out on free ATT sessions and ATT on YouTube.
How to choose
If you want a protocol-shaped app with a varying Sound Mix on either phone platform, Heed is one option, with the differences above kept in mind. If you want free and don’t mind a fixed recording and no app maintenance since 2021, the Android app or a YouTube series will do it. If what you actually want is calm or a scored game, ATT is the wrong category entirely — it is specified as not being a relaxation, distraction or emotion-management method[1].
Questions and answers
- What is the best app for the Attention Training Technique?
- The field is small enough that the honest answer is a shortlist rather than a winner: Heed and the ATT Attention Training Technique app on Google Play are the two we could find that set out to deliver Wells' protocol, and the second was last updated in June 2021. Most other apps using the phrase train something else.
- Are there free options?
- Yes. Full ATT sessions are published free on YouTube, and Mind & Mood offers a free audio download in exchange for your name and email.
- How can I tell whether an app really does ATT?
- Check for the three phases in a 5–5–2 split over about twelve minutes, six to nine simultaneous sounds at different distances, a voice naming them, a switch that accelerates from about ten seconds to five, and varied arrangements between sessions. Apps may approximate rather than reproduce every detail, so look for disclosed differences.
References
- Wells, A. (2009). Metacognitive Therapy for Anxiety and Depression. Guilford Press. Chapter 4: Attention Training Techniques.
Heed is a self-practice tool inspired by ATT research — not therapy, and not a medical device.