Helpful Recovery and Sobriety Apps

When you’re focused on improving your health and other aspects of life, technology can be a real asset. Whether you’re recording nutrition to support a better recovery, tracking your daily steps, using a sleep program to avoid insomnia, or wanting to use a specific sobriety awareness approach, different apps and other tech tools can be beneficial, especially when you’d like to find new ways to maintain sobriety.  

Are You an App Fan?

Many people find lifestyle apps helpful due to their ability to streamline and simplify daily activities, reducing the cognitive load of remembering every detail. Here are some other potential benefits.

• Convenience. Apps provide easy access to various services and information right from our mobile devices, making it simple to accomplish tasks anywhere and anytime.
• Organization. Productivity and task management apps help us keep track of schedules, set reminders, and manage to-do lists, leading to more efficient time management and reduced stress.
• Personalization. You can customize the content and features of certain apps to your preferences and behaviors, which helps you stay focused on particular goals.
• Engagement and Motivation. Health, fitness, and educational apps use gamification, progress tracking, and personalized feedback to engage users and motivate them to achieve their goals. Some studies suggest that by analyzing user data, these apps can offer tailored advice and insights, motivating individuals to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The University of Arkansas Grantham points out that it’s fine to experiment with different apps to see what works best for you. But ask yourself: “Am I really benefiting from using this piece of technology? Am I using this tool mindfully and how it was intended, or has it taken on a life of its own? Am I getting more out of it than I’m spending—in time, money, or energy?” 

Why Recovery Apps May Be Helpful

While recovery tools shouldn’t replace a qualified therapist or be your only connection to others, they can certainly help you stay on your desired wellness path. Here are a few key advantages. 

1. Continuous support. Sobriety apps provide round-the-clock access to resources such as community forums, chat groups, and emergency contact features, helping you overcome loneliness, stay connected, and receive immediate assistance whenever needed.
2. Details your progress. Track your recovery journey by logging your moods, trigger responses, and wellness efforts; celebrating key milestones; and visualizing progress. These functions also help you identify patterns that might need attention.
3. Helpful information. Sobriety apps often include educational content, such as articles, videos, and podcasts, that expand what you know about addiction, recovery strategies, and coping mechanisms.
4. Goal setting and reminders. Add to your motivation by using apps that help you set goals, such as staying sober for a certain number of days or attending support meetings. Most apps are designed to issue reminders and notifications to keep you focused on your primary objectives and reinforce positive behaviors.
5. Privacy and anonymity. Many sobriety apps offer a safe and private environment where you can ask for help and share experiences without fear of judgment. But even in an app environment, be careful about what you share and with whom. 

5 Sobriety Apps to Try

Here are just a few programs you can experiment with to see what helps you build upon your current recovery success and why. 

AA Big Book Free: For Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)

• Compatibility: Android or iPhone
• Cost: Free
• Features:
  • Meeting finder
  • Sobriety tracker
  • Motivational content
  • Podcasts
  • Personal stories and testimonials
  • Free interactive access to The AA Big Book

I Am Sober

• Compatibility: Android or iPhone
• Cost: While the basic app is free, you’ll need to subscribe for enhanced content. 
• Features:
  • Community message board
  • Motivational content
  • Detailed recovery tracking 
  • Options to personalize and track other things, such as reasons why you chose sobriety, money saved during recovery, and more 

Loosid

• Compatibility: Android or iPhone
• Cost: The basic app is free, but additional features require fees.
• Features:
  • Direct connection to local recovery peers, although not anonymously
  • Educational/inspirational multimedia content
  • More social than other recovery apps

Quitzilla

• Compatibility: Android or iPhone
• Cost: Free
• Features:

• Tracking and goal-setting tools to build better habits
• Inspirational quotes and stories
• Enables you to establish your “why” and rewards for behavioral accomplishments 

SoberTool

• Compatibility: iPhone or Android
• Cost: The basic app is free, but additional features require fees.
• Features:
  • Created by a Harvard-educated addiction specialist
  • Good for recovery prevention because it helps you identify cravings as they happen and why
  • Daily inspirational and motivational messaging
  • Easy to personalize rewards for achieving recovery goals

Great Oaks Expands Your Human Connection

There’s no reason for our support to stop once you leave our campus. At Great Oaks Recovery Center outside of Houston, Texas, we provide all alumni with the CaredFor App: our secure, free, online platform that allows you to connect, engage, and support one another while staying in touch with us. Inside CaredFor, alumni use a personalized dashboard that tracks sobriety time, provides articles and resource material, and offers support from recovery experts. The CaredFor app is just one more way for us to commit to your long-term well-being. If you have more questions about what we can do for you, please contact our admissions office.