# Assocy - The Smart Notebook — Thinking tools, brain training

> Smart notebook for speed learning, critical thinking, and creative development. (iPhone/iPad app by PRATER SOFTWARE EOOD.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/assocy-the-smart-notebook/id1464579365 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [PRATER SOFTWARE EOOD](https://appshunter.io/developer/1464579364)
- Category: Productivity, Education
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 3.75/5 from 4 App Store ratings · 8 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.0 · 9 MB
- Languages: English, German
- Released: 2020-04-10
- Data updated: 2026-06-01
- Monetization: freemium
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/assocy-the-smart-notebook/id1464579365/reviews.md

## What is Assocy?

This app shows different strategies to think and learn new topics. The tools are essentially speed-learning hacks. You can learn anything with this app. We show you how to become more creative. Learn what is essential and be able to think critically. We believe that learning is about understanding and not learning things by heart like brain zombies. We want you to become brain users who consciously choose how they think and learn.

Why Assocy?
We chose the name to make a connection to associate thinking. This is your brain's preferred working mode. There is no isolated information. If I ask you to not think of a pink elephant. Please do not think of a pink elephant! Did you do it? Of course not. The moment the words ‘ pink elephant’ entered your mind, all related topics become active. The task I ask you for is impossible to accomplish. These associations are part of our thinking process. But instead of fighting your brain, you could choose to use associated thinking to your advantage. To learn more effectively and enjoy it.

Part one of our toolkit
The strategy we propose is very efficient. It seems too easy to work.  But it has been successfully tested in German schools for 20 years. You can try it if you want. All you need is 20 minutes per day for 1 month. Chose a topic you want to improve on. Then write a list of all the things you know about that topic. The more lists you write the easier it gets to access this part of your knowledge. After a month the topic will be active in your mind. We keep track of your progress so you can see your success. We also included training for learning what is essential. 

Part two - the fun games can begin
Writing lists is by itself useful, but you can play with them too. Since we keep them organized for you, you can easily reuse them. 

Categories games
The goal: gain a deeper understanding, structure your thoughts, and get an overview.
You might have the feeling new information our overwhelming and they are flying around in your mind like a stock of bees. This means your mind is trying to find a context for the new information. This is a bit like looking for a drawer, where the information belongs, and you can later find it again. We can help this understanding process by asking the right questions. You use your list and try to categorize them. Find the right categories that fit all the items on your list. You can repeat the game and see how your perspective of the topic can change.

Mind-maps and infographics
The goal: visualize a topic, structure, organize material
If you are a visual learner or like to move when learning this one might be perfect for you. 
We provide a canvas on which you can draw with your finger or an Apple pencil. You can also scroll through your lists and drag and drop items on the canvas. You can move the items around and connect them by drawing on the canvas. 
Since you wrote the lists once, you can reuse the items as often as you want. 

Creative Thinking and Leonardo da Vinci
The goal: think outside the box, and generate ideas.
Leonardo da Vinci is known as a great thinker with an extraordinary ability to look at the world from an unusual perspective. This did not appear out of thin air. He developed strategies to think more creatively.
If he had a subject or problem to study, he would try to make connections to seemingly unconnected things. 
He found that the human mind will always find a connection between two objects, no matter how remote they are from each other.
These connections can be extremely interesting, give new insight or offer a creative solution. The method of LULL also helps to connect the unconnected.  By combining lists from different topics, we have a lot of possible connections. Not every connection is good, but if you try enough you will eventually find great ones.

## Key features

- Speed-learning strategies
- Creative thinking tools
- Critical thinking development
- Categorization games
- Mind-map creation
- Infographic generation

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All Access | $1.99 | per month |
| All Access | $9.99 | per year |

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Pro | $24.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (8 of 8)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/assocy-the-smart-notebook/id1464579365/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Nice idea - would be nice to have

*2021-12-17, version 3.1*

Tried to test the app but keep going to making me pay for a “trial” since I don’t even know how it works it is hard to pay for it before I can see if it suits me. Uninstalled it unfortunately. If I’m doing something wrong and missing a test session let me know so I can try it again.

### 5/5 — Excellent Brainstorming

*2021-07-07, version 2.2.3*

This tool is like none other.  It is entirely random, but really allows the user to think deeply on a given topic.   Very creative, and helpful for creating new things.     Technical need: found that it "lagged" when trying to hand write a lot of words.   After 15 words it seemed like it slowed down.    Will use this often.  Those who criticize, likely don't understand the purpose of the app.

Note: about 35 years ago a similar concept software (for windows) sold for about $300 called, "Idea Fisher".  It was made by the man who started Century 21 Reality -- he was convinced the collision of words created new ideas.

### 2/5 — So wanted this to work, but missing basic features

*2021-02-06*

I’ve been looking for an app to improve productivity and have mind mapping features. This ticked all the boxes for me and downloaded the free version to try.
Starting up is great to produce lists and categories of lists.
So far so good. I then tried to combine these in a free form view and started sketching. The problem is you cannot edit lists you have created or even edit your free form work to remove words or add in words you didn’t initially want. 

So it appears you have to add everything in or start again. 
Just not up to it yet I’m afraid.

### 1/5 — Cant utilize the other forms of learning

*2020-12-24, version 2.1*

Only the abc list works, not the others.

### 4/5 — Interesting Concept!

*2020-12-07, version 2.1*

Very interesting concept, with reference to some great thinkers (DaVinci, Raymond Lull) - onboarding is a little rough, and you have to click around a bit to find the various functions (not entirely intuitive, at first) — but once you get past that, the learning concepts (and explanations in the about pages) are very interesting, pushing you to build lists, categorize items, and associate various (seemingly unrelated) topics, a la Ramon/Ramondi Lull (circa 1308, Ars generalis ultima). 

It’s a bit barebones / rough in its current iteration, but a cool concept and interesting application.

### 1/5 — Stupid

*2020-09-20, version 1.3*

You will not let me do freedraw in your game so I am really mad and you also spelled cancel wrong

### 5/5 — very handy app for review

*2020-08-03, version 1.3*

I am a phd student using this on ipad to review reading notes to prepare for reading responses and my qualifying exams. I wasn’t sure the most useful method of testing my recall, but this app not only helps me review, it also helps me generate ideas to write about. I haven’t been using this app for too long, so I don’t have a ton of feedback. One thing I would like to be able to do more easily is to sort different parts (categories and lists etc.) into folders and subfolders. Another thing would be to easily delete original topics (I originally added “biology” when doing the intro prompt, and I don’t need that empty category).

### 4/5 — I absolutely love it but...

*2020-05-03, version 1.13*

The concept is absolutely fantastic. There are tips I already know and use but some are just « wow, how come I never thought about doing that ».
Here are the main problems 
1) The app often glitches. It shuts down when I try a new feature. Or click on anything I haven’t clicked on before basically.
I hope something can be done about that, since
2) There’s no way to save stuff in progress (or at least I don’t know how). So for exemple, I was doing the ABC List, but but it shut down when I tried to see what the tipping button did.
3) I can’t erase. If I realize I made a spelling mistake or something like that, I can only get off the exercise and start everything again, or undo everything ‘till I’m where I want to erase.
4) There is an undo button but no re-do. So if I un-did something I didn’t want to undo, it’s too late.
5) The undo button should have a better memory. As in, when I write a few words and want to edit the word I just wrote, the whole word is delete (instead of just making the word big again and deleting one letter at a time.

I know those sound like a lot of complains, but there just ways the app could be improved. And there are so many good things about the app, like the dark shift, the Apple Pencil and half screen being supported, etc.
This will definitely become a top rated app very soon.

## Frequently asked questions about Assocy

### What is Assocy?

Assocy is a smart notebook designed to help users learn new topics efficiently, enhance creativity, and develop critical thinking skills through various 'speed-learning hacks' and structured exercises.

### How does Assocy help with learning?

Assocy uses strategies like list-making and categorization games to promote understanding over rote memorization. It aims to make learning more engaging and effective by leveraging associative thinking.

### Can I create mind maps with Assocy?

Yes, Assocy provides a canvas for creating mind maps and infographics. You can use your finger or an Apple Pencil to draw and connect items from your lists, visualizing topics effectively.

### What are the subscription options for Assocy?

Assocy offers an 'All Access' subscription at $1.99 per month with a 7-day free trial, or $9.99 per year with a 1-month free trial, providing full access to all features.

### What devices does Assocy support?

Assocy is available on Mac, iPhone, and iPad, allowing users to access their learning tools across multiple Apple devices.

### How often is Assocy updated?

The app was last updated on September 7, 2024, with the latest version being 3.5, indicating regular maintenance and feature additions.

### What is the age rating for Assocy?

Assocy has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for a wide range of users, including younger learners and adults.

### Does Assocy have ads?

No, Assocy does not contain advertisements, allowing for an uninterrupted learning experience.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 3.5 — 2024-09-07

We added lifetime access. Purchase now and never worry about paying for an upgrade or renewal again. Enjoy all current and future features and updates. Don't miss out on this limited-time opportunity to secure lifetime access to our top-rated app.

### 3.4 — 2023-01-21

Freeform: You can now resize all elements and draw lines. Select the lasso tool and use the expander button. You can also resize multiple elements at the same time.

Fixed a bug with ABC List writing where the list stopped working after several entries. It works now great for large lists too.

### 3.3 — 2022-10-21

The freeform editor did get a major update.
This allows you to customise the look of the entries with different colors and font styles.  You can apply the same style to multiple entries, which can help organise your diagrams significantly.
The other benefit of this change is the better support for macOS which now got a full native app.

### 3.2 — 2022-08-16

New in this version is the possibility to draw shapes like rectangles, circles and straight lines in the freeform note. This is especially useful when running Assocy on a mac silicon.

### 3.1 — 2021-10-10

A Problem with iCloud has occurred. Temporary fix is to disable iCloud sync.

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-01.*