Following the start of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, drug and alcohol addiction recovery were put to the test as support group meetings were halted during the quarantine. Although sober communities were already forming across the internet prior to country-wide lockdowns, a large majority of recovering people turned to online meetings for recovery maintenance and support in quarantine. In addition to these online internet groups, sobriety apps also became a staple in addiction recovery maintenance.
Best Sobriety Apps
Sobriety apps for addiction recovery gained popularity in recent years, guiding individual’s sobriety journey and promoting relapse prevention on a 24/7 basis. In addition, with smartphones at our disposal, it is only natural to continue our recovery from group meetings and treatment to our phones for easy access. While apps are not a replacement for addiction treatment or therapy, they provide an extra layer of security in our recovery maintenance routines. Now that sober communities are accessible on our phones and computers as sobriety apps, we have an amazing way to share success stories, inspiration, tips, and support for others in recovery as well as seek it out ourselves. Additionally, the FDA-approved “reSET” app is but one long-term relapse prevention apps available to people in recovery. In fact, sobriety apps are the best way to continue recovery routines when you’re on-the-go.
FDA Approved Sobriety App
Concerned with the legitimacy of sobriety apps? Look no further than Pear reSET.
Currently, the only sobriety app with the FDA’s stamp of approval is Pear Therapeutics’ Pear reSET. In other words, the reSET app is the first prescription digital therapeutic (PDT) approved by the FDA to treat substance use disorder (SUD). In short, the sobriety app utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), one of the common therapies used in addiction treatment centers, in conjunction with outpatient patient treatment. That being said, in order to use reSET, you need a prescription from your doctor during in-patient treatment.
Pear reSET — Digital Therapy App
Free
- 90-day program
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Weekly check-ins
- Recovery lessens
- Relapse prevention
- FDA approved
Community Apps
A missing component in many sober people’s lives during COVID-19, and often in general, are sober communities. However, your busy schedule (or lock-down) prevents you from meeting fellow recovering people or group meetings, sobriety apps are perfect. Additionally, many people move around for one reason or another and may be hesitant to immerse themselves into a new sober community. Likewise, sobriety apps enable you to meet recovering people from all over via the internet, cutting out all of the potentially awkward introductions of an in-person group meeting. Similarly, these online-communities travel with you in your pocket, so whether you’re making a permanent change in residence or just traveling, you can always access sober support.
Sober Grid — Sober Community App
Free
- Optional GPS for sober people near me
- Connect with others in recovery
- “Daily Quests” — self-care to increase positivity
- Daily inspiration
- Gratitude List
- Track personal recovery
- Journal
- Trigger monitor
rTribe — Sober Community and Tracker App
Free
- Anonymous profile option
- Connect with people in recovery
- Track recovery days and check-ins
- Share recovery progress
- Trigger support
- Tracks triggers and identifies times of vulnerability
- Relapse prevention plan recommendations
- Blogs and self-help videos
- Addiction education
Came To Believe in Sobriety — Sober Community App
$0.99
- Goal setting
- Record progress
- Celebrate milestones
- Emotion logs
- Daily writing exercises
- Gratitude Lists
- Reminders
- Big Book
- Email sharing
Tracking Your Progress
Many people struggle to maintain motivation during a long-term goal. For instance, healthy habits like healthy diets and fitness can be difficult to keep up for extended periods of time without clear-set goals and timelines. Similarly, your drive in addiction recovery can waver, especially considering triggers and cravings. Tracking your progress in recovery with a sobriety app can remind you of how far you’ve come and your many accomplishments.
Nomo — Sobriety Tracker
Free
- Sharable personal sobriety clock
- Message accountability partner when triggered
- “Distraction” feature — refocusing tool
SoberTool — Sobriety Tracker
Free
- Daily motivational messages
- Reward System — hitting milestones
- Calculates estimated money saved in recovery
- Relapse prevention tools
Recovery Reminder Apps
In life, reminders are always helpful. In the same vein as the iOS reminder app, sobriety apps provide reminders for sponsor calls, weekly group meetings, therapy appointments, and doctor visits can keep us up to date with our schedules. Additionally, many reminder apps include additional features that reinforce relapse prevention, sober support, and recovery meditation for continued sobriety.
WEconnect — Reminder App
Free
- Reminders for recovery
- Check-in option — join meetings, treatment, therapy, or church
- “Clarity routines” — mark off accomplishments
- “SOS” — extra sober support
24 Hours a Day — Recovery Reminder and Meditation App
$5.99
- Reminder function
- 366 daily meditations
- Sharable passages
- Keyword Search
- Thought of the Day
Based on a best-seller book by Richard Walker
Apps for AA and Group Meetings
For those of us who are in AA or recovery group meetings, it can be beneficial to have the big book and recovery reinforcements at our beck and call. In fact, many 12-step programs have apps either directly related to them or with their teachings incorporated into the app. Additionally, having 24/7 access to sober literature can strengthen our recovery, especially in moments of doubt. As well, there’s an added bonus of having your big book electronically instead of lugging it around.
AA Big Book — AA App
Free
- Big Book
- Meeting finder
- Podcasts
- Prayers
- Personal stories
- Bookmark passages
- Comment section
- Search Keywords
- Sobriety tracker
12 Steps AA Companion — AA Big Book App
$1.99 android, $2.99 iOS
- Big Book
- Highlight text option
- Prayers
- Promises
- Note-sharing
12 Step Meditation Daily Reflections — AA, NA, AI-Anon App
Free (plus monthly subscription options)
- Guide meditations
- Soothing music
- Prayers
- 12-step recovery audio
- Daily inspiration
- Personalized audio mixes and playlists
SMART Recovery Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) — SMART Recovery App
Free
- CBA tool
- Evaluate disadvantages of relapse
App for SMART Recovery groups
What are the Benefits of Sobriety Apps?
FDA-approved sobriety apps provide educational information and therapeutic techniques in tandem with inpatient addiction treatment. Above all, cognitive-behavioral therapy is utilized to heal the person of their addiction as they navigate through the sobriety app’s lesson plans.
Community apps for addiction recovery aim to change negative behavior and introduce positive habits and perspectives through human connection and empathetic environments that provide support and feedback. In addition, sobriety apps allow a space for fellow recoverers to vent, inquire, celebrate, and reflect on their sobriety and help others.
Sobriety tracker apps are designed to calculate an individual’s process within their recovery journey. These tracker apps monitor your progress while promoting recovery maintenance and relapse prevention.
Reminders apps are the recovery-sensitive way to manage your schedule and continue your journey in sobriety. These sobriety apps keep your maintenance routines in the forefront of your mind so that they won’t be forgotten or procrastinated.
AA and group meeting apps provide those in 12-step programs assess to sober literature and other recovery maintenance information. Additionally, sobriety apps that include 12-step programs often have GPS functions to find meetings in your area.
