20 Sober Apps to Help Maintain Recovery

Many people have made the resolution to quit drinking and drugs in 2023. You might have made a similar resolution, or maybe you’ve been sober for a while. Either way, you might have heard that there are now sober apps that can support you in your recovery. While they don’t take the place of rehab or recovery support groups, they can still be a great tool to get and stay motivated for sobriety. 

Staying Sober but Connected

Research shows that people who get clean and have support from a sober community tend to have an easier time staying sober and preventing relapse. This is one of the reasons that recovery groups are so popular because you’re surrounded by people who are going through the exact same thing you are. It’s a reminder that you’re not alone, and others in recovery share their stories about how they faced difficult decisions or situations, and how they made it through without the crutch of drugs and alcohol.

People in the modern world spend a lot of time online and on their smartphones, so sober apps make a lot of sense. They allow those in recovery to get an extra dose of motivation, and since everyone’s smartphone is almost always on, the sober app is available in case you get triggered. 

Not to mention that younger generations (such as Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z) don’t enjoy using the phone to call people. Traditionally, in-person recovery groups recommended that you call your sponsor, who’s basically a sober mentor, on the phone on a regular basis. A sober app can work in a pinch for those who don’t like to call. 

They can be a valuable addition to your sober toolkit. While you may not be able to go completely online to get and stay sober, you can definitely use technology to help support your offline recovery activities.

What Kinds of Sober Apps are Available?

There are a variety of different tools that sober apps can provide. Several of the apps are free, though you may need to pay a small amount for others. You’ll find simple timers that will tell you how long you’ve been drug and alcohol-free. Some offer inspirational quotes and stories that might help you avoid taking that next drink or drug when you’re tempted.

Other apps give you access to support groups and recovery communities that you can access any time you need to. These can be very helpful when you’re in a triggering situation. It’s likely that you’ll get feedback about avoiding the trigger right away before your craving can take over. 

If you’re looking for a bit more from your app, consider those that provide therapeutic support such as cognitive behavioral therapy. There’s even a category for dating so that you can match up with others in recovery. Since dating very often revolves around drinking, these sober apps can relieve a lot of the awkwardness around sober dating.

20 Sober Apps for People in Recovery

Here are some of the sober apps currently available, though almost certainly there will be more launching soon!

1. Say When

Interested in tracking both times and urges? You might want to download this app, which was created by the leading addiction and recovery hospital in Canada. 

2. Loosid

Have fun in sobriety? For people who are currently drinking, that might seem difficult, but in fact, that’s the point of recovery. The app includes not only a sobriety tracker but also connects you with other sober people. In addition, you’ll find sober dating options as well as sober events in local communities. 

3. I Am Sober

If you’re looking for an app that’s all about community, give this one a try. It counts your days, and you can also make daily pledges to help you reinforce why you want to get sober. It also offers a withdrawal timeline so if you’re new to sobriety you’ll know what to expect after your last drink or drug. 

4. Sobriety Counter

Designed for those who want to quit drinking, you can monitor your progress on this app. Not only do you count days, but aspects of health that improve when you stop drinking and using, as well as the moolah you’ve saved. You can set goals and play games to distract yourself from cravings.

5. Hinge

While not every user on the dating app is sober, you can filter out anyone who does drink in your settings. That way you won’t get matched with anyone who drinks.

6. EasyQuit

It’s great for those who are worried about quitting cold turkey because it will help you gradually quit. It also includes games to distract you and shows you how you’re improving your health.

7. 12 Step Match

One of the original dating apps for people in recovery, this app allows you not only to filter by age and gender but also by recovery programs, such as AA or NA. It’s free to find others but you’ll need to pay to message someone.

8. 12 Steps AA Companion

For those who got sober (or are getting sober) with the help of a 12-step recovery group, you’ll get a tracker in addition to the text of the “Big Book”. It includes prayers and contact numbers for a variety of AA districts across the nation.

9. Came to Believe in Sobriety

You can personalize your goals and earn stars when you complete your daily tasks. It includes chips for milestones and the text of the 2nd edition of the “Big Book”. You’ll also find morning and evening meditations, gratitude lists, and other features.

10. Try Dry

If you’re interested in just taking a month off, you might find this app useful. You get daily motivation as well as visuals regarding how much money you saved.

11. WEconnect

If you’re looking for daily reminders, this could be a good app for you. You can create healthy routines to be accountable for and earn gift cards from Amazon with your progress. The parent company gives you access to peer support as well as online meetings.

12. Clean and Sober Love

As you probably guessed, this one is a sober dating app. It’s designed to look like Tinder, so you can swipe right or left on potential mates.

13. Happify

This sober app allows you to manage stress, and deal with negative thoughts and challenges. It’s not specifically designed as a sober tool, but you can certainly use its science-based principles to stay in recovery.

14. Sober Tool

Answer a questionnaire about things that trigger you, and then you’ll get prompts in case you run into a triggering situation based on your answers. You can also search through emotions and words to figure out what you should do next (instead of picking up.)

15. Love in Recovery

This is a basic dating site for sober singles, and like many other (non-sober) dating apps you can look for free but you’ll have to pay to meet someone.

16. Sober Grid

Intended mostly for local communities, it focuses on peer-to-peer networking (like 12 step groups) and shared online spaces. You can join forums and go to events as well as potentially find a sober date.

17. Single and Sober

Another sober dating app, you’ll need to pay to send someone a message but you can browse for free. 

18. Nomo

This sober app is designed to be customized, so you can tailor your tracking to the things that are important to you. You can collect chips for the milestones that you reach. It also includes some mental health support.

19. Stop Drinking with Andrew Johnson

You’ll get more therapeutic tools with this app. You’ll be able to change how you think about drugs and alcohol with visualizations, meditations, breathing techniques, and sobriety-positive suggestions.

20. Sober Time

Great for those who just quit or are about to quit, you’ll get a sobriety counter that sends you daily notifications for suggestions, inspiration, and motivation. It shows you how much you’ve saved when you reach certain milestones. This app is meant solely for tracking sobriety.

Achieve Recovery and Live Your Best Life with Help from Resurgence

Resurgence is ready to help you recover with our calm, full-service healing environment.  We provide the full continuum of care from detox to inpatient facilities to outpatient programs. We’ll help you feel comfortable and safe with healthy meals, games, and exercise areas. You can even bring your beloved pet with you! Our goal is to help you learn the healthy habits and life skills that you need to be successful in recovery, especially as you transition out of treatment.

Don’t wait any longer to start living the healthy, joyful life that you want and deserve. Give us a call today at (855) 458-0050 to get started.

Josh Chandler
After growing up in Chicago and North Carolina, Josh chose to get help with substance use disorder and mental health in California because of the state's reputation for top-tier treatment. There, he found the treatment he needed to achieve more than five years of recovery. He's been in the drug and alcohol addiction rehab industry for four years and now serves as the Director of Admissions for Resurgence Behavioral Health. Josh remains passionate about the field because he understands that one phone call can alter the course of a person's life.

Research | Editorial