Using mobile apps for addiction treatment is one of the simplest methods to track your recovery efforts in this digital age. Many applications have been developed with addiction recovery in mind, ranging from charting your progress and monitoring drug or alcohol triggers to searching for local support groups.
Recovery from addiction requires a long-term commitment. Although tangible addiction treatments and counseling are available via rehab and aftercare services, personal recovery must become part of life.
The use of apps for addiction recovery can never replace treatment from certified mental healthcare providers. Yet, these applications can assist you in managing your cravings and symptoms.
Many government authorities, such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), approve digital tools to augment substance abuse treatment.
Why Should You Use an Addiction Recovery App?
Substance abuse is far from uncommon in the United States, with an estimated 20.7 million people needing treatment. Unfortunately, almost 19 percent of individuals in need cannot get help because of their situation.
You may have to explore alternate solutions if your local community lacks resources or your financial condition prevents you from getting treatment. Below are reasons recovery applications are a great alternative in such scenarios.
- The help provided by a mobile app is instantaneous. You can just open your phone and find encouraging quotes or contact an advocate if you feel the need. You can get help whenever you need it, no matter where you are or what scenario you’re in, as long as you have your phone.
- A phone app, unlike a human, does not have its own life and problems to deal with. It is capable of being there for you anytime you need it. While a phone app will never be able to replace human interaction, it can help you when other choices are unavailable.
- One of the most important aspects of recovery is knowing that you are not alone. A community-based mobile app can help you connect with others. Knowing that other people are on the same journey as you can be a big motivational factor.
Best Smartphone Addiction Treatment Apps
We have compiled a comprehensive list of addiction recovery apps to assist you with your recovery. There is a mobile application for everything, from establishing objectives and managing your sober journey to marking milestones and offering motivation to resist cravings. Here are the top iOS and Android apps that can assist your recovery.
1. I Am Sober
- Platforms: iPhone/Android
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
I Am Sober is a sobriety monitoring app that helps you remain motivated by keeping track of when you’ve been sober. Many applications have a sobriety tracker, but I Am Sober offers the most effective and user-friendly one. The tracker also displays how much money you’ve saved during your sobriety.
I Am Sober includes tools for forming new habits and connecting with a big recovery community. It also has a withdrawal chart that outlines the withdrawal symptoms to expect at each step.
Also, the app offers journaling features that allow you to take images, track your progress, and check your triggers. You can keep your entries private, share them with others, or view other public accounts.
2. Sober Grid
- Platforms: iPhone/Android
- Price: Free
Sober Grid is a social networking application designed only for those in recovery. It claims to be “the largest recovery app in the world,” and thousands of people have already downloaded it.
On Sober Grid, you can discuss your recovery journey with other app users, and both provide and receive support through postings. The app offers unlimited chat messages and voice calls. But the best aspect is the live peer coaching available 24/7/365.
Certified peer coaches can assist you in setting objectives, tracking your progress, and sharing their personal recovery experiences with you. They can also help you find housing, jobs, health care, and other resources.
3. Nomo – Sobriety Clocks
- Platforms: iPhone/Android
- Price: Free
Nomo – Sobriety Clocks is the full package, catering particularly to the needs of recovering addicts. This is one of the most comprehensive applications, featuring an infinite number of sobriety clocks that measure your sober time. You can also check how much money you’ve saved by avoiding bad habits.
Nomo also provides services on social media. You can post your achievements or writings on Facebook and Twitter or send your accountability partners a private message when you need help. The app also has an encouragement wall with words of support from the community and diversion activities to help you regain focus amid extreme cravings.
4. Twenty-Four Hours a Day
- Platforms: iPhone/Android
- Price: Free
This app from Hazelden Publishing includes 366 daily meditations based on the best-selling book of the same name. 24 Hours a Day has a feature that reminds you to read your daily meditation. If you find a reflection that truly resonates with you, you can share it with your friends and family.
The app includes prayers and religious teachings that complement 12-step programs nicely complemented by meditations. You can shake your cellphone to bring up a random inspirational message, a supportive app feature, anytime you need it.
5. SoberTool
- Platforms: iOS/Android
- Price: Free
SoberTool provides you with the tools you need when a craving strikes. Simply open the app and choose the topic or issue you’re actively dealing with. What makes you want to use it once more? SoberTool will take that information and provide you with the tools you need to control your urges right away.
You can either use the app’s search feature or answer a few prompts to tell it how you feel. The sobriety counter and community forum allow you to discuss your recovery journey with your friends.
6.12 Steps AA Companion App
- Platforms: iPhone/Android
- rice: $2.99 (App Store); $1.99 (Google Play)
Many people choose 12-step support groups to help them get through the early stages of recovery. Thousands of people have been helped by 12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). Its sacred book, known as the Big Book, has been updated to help relieve a variety of addictions, ranging from gambling to overeating.
The 12 Steps AA Companion App is ideal for supporting your 12-step treatment program. This is the only app officially affiliated with Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). You can use it to check for local scheduled meetings, keep track of your sobriety, and read and take notes on the Big Book. You can even use an AA contact database to find people.
7. Joe & Charlie – AA Big Book
- Platforms: iPhone/Android
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
Joe & Charlie’s AA Big Book is the ideal introduction to the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). It can be difficult at times to keep up with all the reading. You can listen to the app’s audio recordings to become familiar with crucial facts for smart recovery and relapse prevention.
As former members of Alcoholics Anonymous, the app’s creators achieved recovery 20 years before its initial release in 1988. With over a thousand recordings and over 100 hours of audio, the app offers 17 out of 34 tracks for free, along with a wealth of information on the program, workshops, personal stories, daily readings and reflections, and more.
8. recoveryBox
- Platform: iPhone
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
recoveryBox has accountability in mind. It makes it simple to keep track of your daily activities by allowing you to categorize them as “lights.”
To break a habit, you must identify why and when you engage in negative behavior, and devise strategies to end them. This application gives the necessary tools to do this. It is effective for alcohol and drug addiction, pornography, gambling, etc. Additionally, you can tailor the recoveryBox application to your own needs.
9. Pear reSET
- Platforms: iOS/Android
- Price: Free
Pear reSET is the first mobile medical app to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to aid in treating drug use disorders. The digital therapy app contains a specific 12-week program plan with weekly check-ins. It is currently only accessible for download to people above 17 who have a clinician’s prescription.
This app takes users through a series of engaging courses that will help them get back on track. Users can finish the classes at their own pace and gain virtual rewards by taking a quiz after each session.
10. Recovery Today Magazine
- Platforms: iPhone/Android
- Price: Free
Recovery Today Magazine could be a helpful app if you’re interested in reading helpful motivational messages about drug and alcohol addiction and smart recovery. Recovery Today Magazine is one of the most prominent digital magazines for the addiction recovery community, and its app provides access to every issue.
The articles provide inspirational and courageous tales of addiction rehabilitation. Sometimes, all you need is to read about the triumphs of someone experiencing the same challenges as you. Reading the articles in this app could provide you with the motivation necessary to overcome obstacles in recovery.
11. I Am
- Platforms: iPhone/Android
- Price: Free
“I Am” uses the power of simplicity via daily affirmations that provide a positive drive. A significant part of the recovery process involves self-care and the courage to face life without substances. This app allows you to do exactly that.
Make the daily affirmations a part of your morning routine, or use them as a reminder throughout the day. If there are certain instances during the day when you often confront temptation, such as after a long day of work, try configuring the app to give you affirmations at that time.
12. SoberWorx
- Platform: Android
- Price: Free
SoberWorx is a directory app that helps individuals with substance use disorders locate local addiction treatment centers. You can search for healthcare providers in the United States and the United Kingdom. People can look on the application for:
- Substance abuse counselors
- Therapists
- Sober living homes
- Licensed rehab facilities
13. Sobriety Counter – EasyQuit
- Platform: Android
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
Sobriety Counter supports the recovery process through the use of entertaining gaming elements. If you feel overwhelmed by temptation, you can divert yourself with a memory game, which can help you control the urge to drink.
Some people may find it challenging to quit drinking cold turkey. Fortunately, Sobriety Counter offers a “quit slowly” mode that allows you to gradually create a personalized strategy to approach the recovery process. The app also provides essential information about your health, such as blood circulation and cell regeneration.
14.rTribe
- Platforms: iPhone/Android
- Price: Free
Using the rTribe app, you can create an anonymous profile, interact with others via individual or group messaging, track your recovery, discuss your progress, and reach out when you’re triggered. The app also keeps track of your sober days and check-ins.
One of the most useful features of rTribe is determining when you are most likely to consume drugs. This will assist you in developing a relapse prevention strategy and determining how to plan around these triggers. You can take a brief test to assess the seriousness of your habits, and the app will make recommendations.
15. Quitzilla
- Platforms: iPhone/Android
- Price: Free
Features of Quitzilla are like other applications, such as a sobriety tracker and a relapse prevention reminder. You can use the program to help with any bad habit, not only drug abuse.
The habit-forming feature of this app is very noteworthy. This app questions you about your addictions and bad behaviors and then helps you break them. It keeps you focused on your “why” for being sober and rewards you for making progress toward new habits.
16. My Sober Life
- Platforms: iPhone/Android
- Price: Free
My Sober Life is designed for adolescents and young adults between the ages of 12 and 25. It was developed using the 12 Step recovery principles and in partnership with young adults who have achieved recovery success.
This application has a sobriety calculator, daily motivating notifications, goal-setting, a meeting finder, and educational tools produced by industry professionals. This app has a personal “trend tracker” that allows users to track their obstacles on their phones and get virtual rewards when they overcome them.
The Haven Detox is Here to Help
These apps for addiction recovery and mental health are among the many powerful tools made accessible to us by technology.
Although the applications featured here can be a valuable resource for healing, no smartphone application can replace the value of in-person counseling or enrolling in a rehabilitation center that provides evidence-based treatment.
If you or your loved one is experiencing cravings and needs recovery support, contact The Haven Detox at our helpline (561) 328-8627.
