According to a recent study published in The Lancet, the top 10% of smartphone apps for quitting smoking are better than nicotine patches at helping users quit. This is largely due to the fact that smartphones are always on hand and can be used in moments of cravings and habit-forming situations.
The apps also help users track their progress, which is also key in successfully quitting smoking.
Quitting smoking is a difficult process, and smartphones can be an effective tool for making this process easier. Users should still consult with a doctor before beginning any sort of treatment plan or quitting smoking.
Best Apps For Quitting Smoking
Smoking addiction is a serious problem that requires a dedicated plan to overcome. If you are trying to give up cigarettes, an app to help you quit smoking might be just what you need to help you drop the bad habit.
With the variety of apps available it can be challenging to figure out which ones are the best. When making a decision, be sure to take into account your own personality and what motivates you the most. (Some people will need community support, while others may benefit from charting their progression.)
To help you make the right choice, we’ve rounded up the best apps to help you quit smoking for gopd.
The Best Apps to Help You Quit Smoking
Best Overall: EasyQuit
Best Budget: Get Rich or Die Smoking
Best for CBT: Quit Genius
Best for Encouragement: Kwit
Best Tracking: Quit Tracker
Best Evidence-Based: Smoke Free
Best Apps to Help You Quit Smoking
EasyQuit
Get Rich Or Die Smoking
Quit Genius
Kwit
Quit Tracker
Smoke Free
FAQs
Methodology
BEST OVERALL
EasyQuit
Easy Quit App
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Why We Chose It: EasyQuit was chosen because of its high ratings by both Apple and Android users, the inclusion of a slow mode for gradual quitting, and multiple tools for tracking.
WHAT WE LIKE
Includes a memory game to resist cravings
Option to use slow mode to quit gradually
Motivational badges to encourage you to quit
WHAT WE DON’T LIKE
Some users have reported excessive pop-up ads
Requires the user to maintain motivation to use the app
Tracks days and hours, but not minutes and seconds
EasyQuit provides smokers with tracking information to motivate them to quit, such as days and hours without a cigarette, the amount of money saved, and how their health is improving. It is designed to provide motivation, tracking, and encouragement for those who want to quit on their own.
EasyQuit includes a memory game to fight urges, a journaling tool, and a log to keep track of triggers. Since some users may find it easier to quit gradually, the app includes an alternative strategy for those who need a slower approach to curbing their habit. Finally, there are motivational badges to encourage users to keep going, although there is no community discussion for support.
Reviews indicate that users feel motivated by seeing how their health is improving due to not smoking. However, some of them reported a lot of pop-up ads and glitches that took away from the user experience.
The app is free, but if you’re looking for additional features, the Pro version is about $5 and may be a solution for any tech issues.
BEST BUDGET
Get Rich or Die Smoking
Get Rich or Die Smoking app logo
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Why We Chose It: Get Rich or Die Smoking is a standout app because it emphasizes how quitting smoking will save you money.
WHAT WE LIKE
Real-time chat available
Quantifies the real-world impact of not smoking (in terms of saving money)
Includes goal list of things to buy with the money that you save
WHAT WE DON’T LIKE
Graphic design could use improvement
Lacks a place to take notes or reminders
Risk of dealing with negativity inside the chat forum
If you are on a strict budget, the Get Rich or Die Smoking app will provide you with even more of an incentive to quit, since it’s focused on how it will help you to save money. The free app shows you how many dollars you have saved using a meter that you can also convert into other currencies. Plus, it also includes trackers for your health.
Get Rich or Die Smoking also includes a community forum, so that you can connect with others trying to quit and compare how you will spend the money that you have saved. This is important as research has shown that motivation to continue using a quit smoking app is critical for quitting.1 Another perk? The app also includes regular activities to keep your habits on track.
Some users reported glitches uploading photos inside the chat forum. However, most found the app motivational and unique in its purpose. At the end of the day, if you’re motivated by money or material items, this app might be your saving grace.
BEST FOR CBT
Quit Genius
Quit Genius
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Why We Chose It: Quit Genius utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) principles to guide the quitting process, making it ideal for those interested in the additional help of therapy techniques.
WHAT WE LIKE
Encouraging for those who have tried other apps and failed
Addresses the psychological aspects of quitting smoking
Includes quizzes to test your knowledge about quitting
WHAT WE DON’T LIKE
Users must upgrade to the premium version to unlock the best features
Glitches pop up when trying to set the time zone correctly
Users must subscribe with payment information in order to use the free trial
Quit Genius lets you set your own goals for quitting and uses CBT to help you do it. The app also helps to motivate you with trackers for money saved and the years of life you’ve gained from curbing your smoking habit.
Choose a quit date, and then the app provides tips and tools to motivate you once your quit date arrives. Cravings are managed using audio tracks and breathing exercises. When you pay for a premium version, the app unlocks special features, including the ability to chat with a personal quit coach. If you’ve tried to quit on your own without success, having the support of a coach could be helpful.
For those who enjoy knowledge quizzes, the app also offers the opportunity to test your knowledge about the stop smoking process and what you have learned, a unique feature not found in other apps on this list.
Quit Genius costs about $4 per month.
BEST FOR ENCOURAGEMENT
Kwit
Kwit
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Why We Chose It: We chose Kwit as one of our top picks because it includes accessible motivation cards for cravings and urges.
WHAT WE LIKE
Extra encouragement when needed through instant motivation cards
Can be used for cutting down or eliminating vaping and nicotine sources other than cigarettes
WHAT WE DON’T LIKE
No community forum
Premium version may be too expensive
Kwit is also inspired by CBT but offers many other features, including a personalized dashboard to keep track of your progress and a diary to manage cravings. You will also have access to something a little bit different: motivation cards. If you are experiencing a craving, Kwit will produce a motivation card if you shake your phone to help you stay on your quitting journey.
Kwit is free to download and can be used for quitting smoking, reducing the use of nicotine substitutes, and stopping vaping. It offers encouragement with milestones during your journey to quit smoking by tracking how much money you have saved and how long it’s been since you smoked.
Kwit also offers a place to make note of cravings, so that you can keep track of triggers. If you have the right mindset to quit, this app will provide you with the tools you need to make it happen.
BEST TRACKING
Quit Tracker
Quit Tracker
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Why We Chose It: Quit Tracker made our list because of its focus on tracking progress while you try to quit smoking.
WHAT WE LIKE
Can reset progress as needed
Ability to personalize your own reasons and goals for quitting
Offers a distraction game to get your mind off of urges
WHAT WE DON’T LIKE
Not set up for quitting nicotine replacement therapy
Can’t change the price of cigarettes
Can’t pause if you have a single cigarette
Quit Tracker is a motivational app that helps you to track the money you will save and the improvements in your health you’ll experience while you quit smoking.
This app is best for someone who likes to understand the benefits of quitting smoking from a statistical point of view. Quit Tracker also lets you reset the day and time you last smoked. Plus, when those cravings hit, there’s a distraction tab to help you make it through.
Quit Tracker will be helpful if you want validation for quitting and need a tangible way to measure your progress. It prioritizes tracking tools over other features and will be best if you don’t need a peer forum or another social support from an app.
Quit Tracker is free but offers in-app purchases.
BEST EVIDENCE-BASED
Smoke Free
Smoke Free
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Why We Chose It: Smoke Free stood out because of its use of evidence-based strategies to help people stop smoking.
WHAT WE LIKE
One-on-one advice to help you quit and a Facebook community for support
Research-based techniques and strategies
Social support through coaches
WHAT WE DON’T LIKE
May be better for maintaining your quit status rather than actually quitting
Some users report losing their progress
Smoke Free uses evidence-based behavior change techniques to help you quit smoking.2 The app features graphs to plot your progression, tips to beat cravings, and the ability to participate in research to help others quit smoking. Plus, it includes more than 30 proven techniques and methods to increase your chances of quitting successfully.
Smoke Free includes access to stop smoking coaches, a quit smoking tracker, achievement badges, a quit smoking log, the financial benefits of smoking, and health improvements charts. You can also share success with friends and record triggers in a diary.
The best part? The app is free, and it stands out for its community support. Just repeat Smoke Free’s mantra “not one more puff” to help you along the way.
The Bottom Line
Overall, the key differences between the apps that were identified revolved around community support, features, and ease of use. While an app like Get Rich or Die Smoking is excellent for those motivated by money, it will be less effective for those who want extensive tracking features or evidence-based coaching support.
Ultimately, EasyQuit offers the best variety of features, along with a strong user base and positive reviews. Given that app features are most important for keeping you engaged with the quitting process, EasyQuit delivers the best overall user experience.
FAQs
Are Apps to Quit Smoking Really Effective?
Some research suggests that smoking cessation apps may help some people quit smoking, but there is significant inconsistency in the studies evaluating these tools.3
Your adherence to using the app may be what makes the most difference. If you feel as though you will not follow through, it’s best to choose an app that includes a motivational component, community forum, or coaching aspect.
If you want to quit smoking, it is important to use evidence-based approaches and follow your doctor’s recommendations. Smoking cessation apps may be best used as a tool to complement other evidence-based treatments.
How Long Should I Use the App?
It can take months or years to fully overcome a smoking addiction. For this reason, it’s a good idea to commit to using an app over a long period of time. However, you may find that in the initial days or weeks, you will be using the app more consistently, as you may be dealing with withdrawal symptoms.
Do I Need to Start Over if I Relapse?
If you relapse while using a stop smoking app, it’s best to use the app features designed for this situation. Some apps may require you to restart your “quit date,” while others may allow you to enter your “slip-up.” If you feel as though starting over will undermine your motivation, try to choose an app that allows for mistakes without having to reset your progress.
How We Chose the Best Apps to Quit Smoking
We reviewed 25 apps and considered user reviews and ratings, the usability of the interface, design, frequency of updates, effectiveness, features, and evidence-based strategies. These factors ensured that the top apps were current, research-backed, and popular with users.
best quit smoking app iphone
Phone apps for quitting smoking are plentiful these days. They are a fun way to keep track of your progress with smoking cessation. They can provide helpful insights into what to expect during nicotine withdrawal, help you count the number of days you’ve gone without cigarettes, and give you the motivation to keep going.
Each of the apps below offers something unique to iOS users. Read through the descriptions and see what appeals to you as you move toward a smoke-free lifestyle.
1
Smoke Free
Smoke Free app icon
Smoke Free
The Smoke-Free app by David Crane is loaded with features that help with tracking your progress when you quit smoking. It provides a quit meter that displays up-to-the-second time you’ve been smoke-free, the number of cigarettes you haven’t smoked, along with a calculation of the time and money you’ve saved by not smoking.
Start on a Mission
Every morning, the app gives users a mission to focus on for the day. The missions help change unhealthy attitudes about smoking, manage cravings through education, and improve self-esteem.
For example, one mission asks you to think about when you typically smoke. Is it first thing in the morning, after meals, or during breaks at work? You’re then encouraged to come up with a plan for managing those events (triggers) without lighting up. This is a useful exercise in thinking ahead and staying in control.
You learn to identify and avoid potential pitfalls that can lead to relapse, make meaningful lists, and create notes that provide tangible proof of the progress you’ve made. Milestones are celebrated with badges.
Keep a Diary
The diary feature allows you to track and analyze triggers to smoke, with reminders to make a daily entry about how you felt and managed that day smoke-free. The diary is a particularly helpful feature because the logs can be reviewed whenever you are struggling.
You can take a look at how far you’ve come to gain extra motivation to keep going.
Participate in Data Tracking
The developers of Smoke Free collect user data to further understand smoking behavior and create improvements to the app. You can take part in this project or opt out.
2
Quit It Lite
Quit It Lite app icon
Quit It Lite
Once you plug your quit date and time into Quit It Lite, it prominently displays the time that is elapsing, down to the very second, since you quit smoking. From there, you can see how long until you accomplish your health goals related to quitting and earn rewards.
Track the Benefits of Quitting
The “Health” section of the Quit It Lite app lists the many amazing health benefits of quitting smoking. From your blood pressure and pulse rate returning to normal to smoking breath disappearing, you can watch Quit It Lite count down the seconds, in real-time, until you’ve reached 100% on each goal.
Set Goals
In the “Goals” tab, Quit It Lite lets you personalize the items you want to treat yourself to with all the money you save when you no longer buy cigarettes. The app gives you some starter ideas—from a cappuccino for $3.50 to a musical ticket for $90.
Research shows that saving money can be a factor that significantly motivates some people to quit smoking.1 This app can help you keep your financial savings (and health goals) front and center so you remember why you quit and stick to your new, nicotine-free lifestyle.
How to Establish Healthy Habits
3
QuitGuide
Quit Guide app icon
Quit Guide
QuitGuide by ICF International was created by the Tobacco Control Research Branch at the National Cancer Institute. The app creators also consulted with tobacco control professionals and real people who’ve successfully quit smoking.
Once you’ve downloaded the app, it prompts you to select a quit date and gives you the option to share this with friends on social media. Next, you’ll answer some questions about how often you smoke, when you usually crave cigarettes, and how much you pay per pack.
Track Your Cravings
If you use the “Help at a Specific Time” feature, the app will prompt you to record what time of day you want help dealing with cravings. It then sends you a tip at that exact time. You can write your own tip or have the app send you one of its own. You can do the same thing with specific locations.
If you enable location services on the app, it’ll provide you with a smoke-free tip when you’re at a specific place where you’re usually triggered.
Get Back on Track
The app lets you record times you may have slipped up and smoked a cigarette. It has you specify the emotional trigger such as “feeling stressed” or “finishing a meal.”
Then, it gives some encouragement that you can use to move past the setback. You can pick a new quit date or continue with your current quit journey.
Be Inspired
The QuitGuide app also allows you to upload photos for inspiration, record tips that are helpful to you, and log personal challenges in your “Quit Kit.”
Games on the app are there to provide a distraction. So the next time you are craving a cigarette, you may just find the perfect distraction on the QuitGuide app to move past your urge to smoke.
4
quitSTART
quitSTART app icon
quitSTART
quitSTART also by ICF International begins by asking you some questions about your smoking habits, what is motivating you to quit, and how you’ll celebrate when you have successfully quit smoking. At the top of the app, a timer tracks the time since you’ve joined the app.
Get Emotional Support
The main page of the app has an “I’m feeling down” button that brings you to a resource page. There are healthy lifestyle tips and motivational quotes. If you choose to go find your own motivational quotes, you’ll be rewarded with a “Challenge Accepted Badge.”
Read FYIs and Tips
In the “Explore” section of the app, you’re presented with “FYIs.” Some of them give healthy diet tips so you can snack and feel satisfied, which can help keep away cigarette cravings.2
Under “Tips,” you’ll find information that can help you feel less alone in your quitting journey.
One tip prompts you to talk to a friend or family member you can trust when you’re feeling down. Another tip encourages you to do some laundry and get the smell of smoke out of your clothes to start fresh on your quit day.
5
Quit Vaping
Quit Vaping app icon
Quit Vaping
There are many different methods of using nicotine. One that has gained popularity in recent years is smoking e-cigarettes, or vaping. Quit Vaping by Jonathan Kopp is an app that is designed to help.
Vaping is harmful and is linked to many of the same risks as smoking cigarettes, including nicotine addiction, damage to the heart and to the lungs, and health risks during pregnancy.
Kids and teens are especially at risk of the harms of vaping due to their developing brains. The toxins in vapes may be more harmful to young people due to their smaller body size as well. Kids who vape may be more likely to go on to smoke cigarettes as adults.3
Remember Your Reason for Quitting
The Quit Vaping app starts off by asking you your reason for quitting. Once you get through the initial questionnaire, the reason you gave is displayed in the middle of the homepage under the heading, “Remember why you quit.”
One study found that participants who had strong intentions for quitting smoking tended to quit for longer durations.4 So, being reminded of the reason why you quit can help keep you motivated to follow through.
Join the Community
Quit Vaping has a “Community” section of the app where people can post their own entries. Everyone has a different story. Some people post celebrations when they’ve been able to abstain from vaping. Others may have relapsed and are looking for motivation to get back on track.
Whatever your story is, you can find solidarity by posting, reading others’ entries, and commenting with encouraging words.
Buddy System
Quit Vaping also has a unique feature called the “Buddy System.” If you and a friend are on a quit journey together, you can add each other as buddies on the app. This allows you to track each other’s progress and support one another as you both take steps to live vape-free.
A Word From Verywell
A healthy quit program should include education, positive support, feedback, and smoke-free rewards from time to time. While quit apps for your phone can’t do the work of smoking cessation for you, they do hit the mark as a positive support tool. Download one or two to have at your fingertips when you need a boost on your quit journey.
If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.
Conclusion
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