5 Great Apps To Help You Quit Smoking

Quitting smoking can be, for some, one of the hardest things in the world to do. Nicotine patches, gum, or medications can help but so much of quitting is having the will power to do so; It’s setting a date and sticking to it, it’s fighting cravings and habit and staying strong when you find yourself in a situation where you are more likely to smoke. Having the right app to assist you as you make the steps to quit for good can be vital. Before discussing which apps I found to be most helpful in quitting, let me recommend that you begin cutting back or tapering down about a week before you plan to quit to make the transition easier and more achievable. Also have a plan that includes your quit date, identifies your triggers and addresses how you can avoid them. Planning around every imaginable scenario helps to prepare you for fighting the urge when the cravings arise, so if you’re more likely to smoke when you’re stressed, around other smokers, when you first wake up, or after a meal, factor that in and have a plan to keep you from smoking when you normally would and avoid the triggers you’re capable of avoiding. Include in your plan your motivation to quit and remind yourself of it often. After a week or so of preparing, you’re ready to start the quitting process! Below are some apps I recommend to aid in the process of quitting for good.

1. LIVESTRONG MyQuit Coach

This app is a great one because it allows you to set a date and tracks your progress in health and spending so that you can see the reward in your effort. It also allows you to choose your mantra or identify the reason your quitting so that you can be reminded every time you pull up the app exactly why it is you want to quit. It also has the “I’m craving” button which you can tap when you have a craving for a message reminding you the benefits of fighting your craving and refusing to smoke.

2. Smoke Free

Another app that offers a lot of the same qualities as the app previously mentioned is Smoke Free. What I love about this app is that it has missions and achievements in addition to the other features that most of the apps we’ll discuss have. There’s also an upgrade that unlocks even more features for about $5 so if you’re looking for a quit smoking app with in-app purchasing options, this one is great and the upgrade is worth the investment for your health.

3. Quit Smoking Now- Stop Forever

This app is great because it offers all the above mentioned features, plus helps you track your patterns and can even tell you where you smoke the most! It also has a journal which you can use to document how your feeling about quitting, your cravings and how you’re coping with them, and the health benefits you’re seeing as you quit. Like the other apps, this app also features a ticker showing you how long you’ve gone without smoking, offers information about the health benefits of quitting, and tracks how much money you’ll save by quitting. The only downside to this app that I found is that the upgrade is more expensive at $40 dollars for one year. Otherwise, this seems to be a great app that has been really helpful.

4. quitStart

This app is a bit tedious to set up, but that’s only because it’s extremely thorough. This app offers many of the typical quit smoking app features, plus it can provide you with distractions during cravings and can track times and places when you’ll be most tempted to smoke and offer help right when you need it. Like other apps, it also allows you to track your health and money saved and allows you to earn badges along the way as you quit smoking.

5. Quit Smoking - - ~

And finally, the last app I tried was Quit Smoking. It doesn’t offer most of the features of the other apps but it’s a piece of cake to use and still allows you to track the health benefits of quitting as you quit. If you’re looking for a simple app that will help you quit without a ton of bells and whistles, this app will be perfect for you.

This concludes my list of apps that assist in quitting smoking for good. Do you have any experience with these apps? Do you know of other apps that work better? Do you have great advice for smokers who are ready to quit? Comment below and let us know.