I’ve been using the Elevate brain training app for a few weeks and I’m not sure if it’s actually improving my focus, memory, or math skills, or if it’s just good at feeling rewarding. I’d really appreciate detailed feedback from people who’ve used it longer term—does Elevate work, is the paid version worth it, and how does it compare to other brain training apps for real cognitive benefits
Used Elevate for a little over 6 months. Short version: fun, decent for keeping your brain “warm,” limited for real-world gains.
Here is what I noticed:
- Focus
The attention games feel engaging, but my work focus did not change much. I tracked with a simple system:
• 25-minute work blocks per day
• Number of times I alt-tabbed or checked my phone
First 4 weeks on Elevate, my distraction count at work stayed about the same. What helped more was:
• Website blockers
• Phone in another room
• Clear daily plan
Elevate felt like a warmup, not a solution for focus.
- Memory
The name and word recall games are fun. I got better inside the app.
Outside the app, improvement was small. Remembering tasks and appointments improved more when I:
• Used one calendar
• Wrote short summaries after meetings
• Reviewed notes once a day
The app trains recognition and short working memory. Daily routines train recall where you need it.
- Math
This was the most “transferable” for me.
I was rusty on mental math. After 2 to 3 months:
• Faster tip calculation
• Quicker with ratios and percentages at work
• Less freezing when someone threw numbers at me in meetings
Here the practice matched real-life tasks, so it carried over better.
- Does it “work”
Research on brain training apps is mixed.
Two key points from what I have read:
• People improve a lot on the specific games
• Transfer to general intelligence or big life outcomes stays small
If your goal is: “feel sharper, do a 10 minute brain warmup, have some structure”, it helps.
If your goal is: “fix focus problems, major memory upgrade, big productivity change”, you will likely be disappointed.
-
What I would do if I were you
If you keep using it, pair it with other habits:
• For focus: Pomodoro timer, block distracting apps, fixed work hours
• For memory: spaced repetition (Anki, RemNote), consistent note system
• For math: apply it on receipts, budgeting, spreadsheets, mental estimations during the day -
How to test if it helps you
Run a simple 3 to 4 week experiment.
Before:
• Rate your daily focus 1 to 10 for a week
• Time how long a standard task takes you
• Test yourself on some mental math or quick recall tasks outside the app
Then use Elevate daily for a few weeks, but do not change anything else.
Repeat the same tests.
If scores and times do not move, then it is entertainment, not training, for you.
- Who I think it suits
Good for:
• People who like streaks and short sessions
• Keeping skills from getting too rusty
• Low-friction habit when you have 5 minutes to kill
Less useful for:
• Serious ADHD-level focus problems
• Studying for exams
• People who expect it to replace deep work, sleep, or exercise
So if you enjoy it and pay a small fee, keep it but treat it as a side tool.
If you feel hooked only because of streaks and points, and you do not see change in your real tasks, your time might go further with direct practice in the thing you want to improve.
Using Elevate on and off for ~1 year. I’m in a similar camp as @viaggiatoresolare but I’ll push a bit harder on where I think it actually does and does not help.
1. Focus
For pure concentration, Elevate was almost useless for me. The “focus” games are time-pressured and flashy, which is kind of the opposite of the calm, sustained attention you need for reading a boring report or studying. I actually noticed I got more impatient with slow tasks because my brain got used to fast feedback loops. So I’d say: it can sharpen quick reactions, but don’t expect it to fix scrolling habits or procrastination.
2. Memory
Where I disagree slightly with @viaggiatoresolare: I did get some transfer, but it was very narrow.
The word and listening games helped with:
- Remembering names in short meetings
- Catching details in phone calls
- Retaining short lists for a few minutes
But it did nothing for “I forgot what I planned this week” or “I can’t remember what I studied last month.” For that you need systems: spaced repetition, calendar, notes, etc. Elevate is like doing bicep curls and expecting your whole body to get fit.
3. Math
Here’s the one clear win. I went from fumbling with simple fractions to doing:
- Tips in my head without pulling out a calculator
- Quick back-of-the-envelope estimates at work
- Faster “sanity checks” on numbers in spreadsheets
This part translated well because the tasks in Elevate look like real-life mental math. If math is your priority, the subscription is way easier to justify.
4. The reward loop problem
You nailed it when you said “or if it’s just good at feeling rewarding.”
The streaks, levels, little fanfare screens are extremely good at making you feel productive. I caught myself doing my Elevate sessions instead of tackling the actual hard task I was avoiding. That is the dark side: it can become “productive procrastination” in a pretty wrapper.
Signal it might not be helping you:
- You are improving your scores fast,
- But your real-life work / study feels exactly the same,
- And you’re using Elevate to feel less bad about not doing the real work.
5. How I’d decide if it’s worth your time
Different angle than the very structured experiment @viaggiatoresolare suggested:
-
Ask: “If Elevate vanished tomorrow, what concrete thing in my day would get worse?”
- If the only answer is “my streak” or “I’d feel a bit less clever,” that’s telling.
- If you can say “mental math at restaurants” or “I feel sharper when I start work after playing,” then maybe it’s doing something useful for you.
-
Check your energy: Do you finish a session and actually move into a demanding task more easily, or do you just hop to another low-effort app? If it’s not acting like a ramp into real work, it’s more game than tool.
6. Who I think gets the most from it
- People who:
- Already have decent habits and want a light mental warmup
- Specifically want mental math or vocabulary practice
- People who probably won’t:
- Expect it to fix deep focus issues or ADHD-like problems
- Need serious study gains for exams
- Are prone to getting hooked on streaks and calling that “productivity”
Bottom line
If you enjoy it, treat it like a 10-minute puzzle game with minor side benefits, not a brain makeover. If you’re doubtful and not noticing clear changes outside the app, I’d cut it for a month and put that time into direct practice on what you actually care about: reading, math problems, focused work blocks, actual memory systems, etc.
If you try that break and nothing in your life gets worse, that pretty much answers your question about how much Elevate is really doing.
Elevate helped me a bit, but in a very “niche tool” way, not a life-changing brain upgrade.
Where I agree with @viaggiatoresolare & the other reply
- Transfer is narrow. Your Elevate scores go up faster than your real life skills.
- Math is the most obviously useful: tips, quick checks, mental arithmetic get smoother.
- It can easily become “productive procrastination” instead of doing the hard thing.
Where I disagree a bit
I actually found some modest focus benefits, but only when I used Elevate like a warmup, not a training program. If I did a 5 minute session then immediately started reading or writing, my brain felt “switched on” and I entered flow a bit quicker. If I treated it as a separate habit, it was just another app.
So I would not expect Elevate to build deep attention, but I would treat it like stretching before a workout: small, indirect help.
Pros of Elevate
- Polished experience, quick sessions, good for “mental warmup.”
- Mental math drills are close to real life use.
- Vocabulary and listening games can sharpen short term verbal memory.
- Very easy to stay consistent because of the rewards and streaks.
Cons of Elevate
- Limited transfer to long term memory, exam performance, or serious focus.
- Can feed the illusion of productivity: high scores, unchanged life.
- Time pressure and flashy design are not aligned with calm, sustained focus.
- Subscription cost is hard to justify if you are not using the math or language parts heavily.
How I’d personally use Elevate, if you keep it
- Use it as a 5–10 minute ramp into real work, not as your main “brain training.”
- Tie each session to a concrete follow up:
- Math game → then do actual budgeting, spreadsheet checks, or exam problems.
- Reading / vocabulary game → then read a chapter or article.
- If you ever catch yourself doing Elevate instead of the task you are nervous about, treat that as a red flag.
Simple gut test
Ask yourself: In the last 2 weeks, what changed outside the app?
Examples that count:
- “I split restaurant bills in my head without stress.”
- “I catch more details when someone talks quickly.”
- “Starting work feels easier after a quick session.”
If you cannot name at least one concrete change, pause Elevate for 2–3 weeks and put that time into directly practicing what you care about (real math problems, serious reading, spaced repetition for memory). If nothing in your life feels worse without it, you have your answer about how much the Elevate brain training app was really doing for you compared with what @viaggiatoresolare described.