Few lifestyle changes require as much motivation and commitment as breaking out of a bad habit and that's why it's often such a difficult task. As it's such a big challenge to take on, it's a great idea to check out some of the ways that modern apps can help with kicking those bad habits.

Everyone's different though, which is why there's a huge variety of different habit-tracking apps that cater to different kinds of people as well as specific habits such as drinking and smoking. Whilst these apps can't make anyone quit a habit or stick to a new one, they can certainly go a long way to helping out.

Habit Tracker Provides Simple, Clean Habit Tracking

Available On IOS (Free Or $3.49/Month For Habit Pro.)

Screenshots of the Habit Tracker app on IOS

When it comes to monitoring habits, good and bad, there's no better way to get started than with a straightforward and intuitive habit tracker like this one for iOS. Habit Tracker makes setting and recording whether a habit has been kept up incredibly easy, as well as giving reminders to prompt the user to stay on top of them.

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On top of that, the monthly and yearly views along with detailed statistics about how well the user is doing give an extra reason to never fall back into old habits. Habit Tracker's one weakness is that it's much more focused on positive habits rather than negative ones.

Way Of Life Promises To Help Change Your Lifestyle

Available On Android And IOS (Free Or Premium From $3.99)

Screenshots of the Way of Life app on Iphone

Making a permanent lifestyle change is a difficult thing to do, and it's made even more difficult by being busy and having little time to waste grappling with difficult habit-tracking systems. Instead, Way of Life promises to aid the user change their lifestyle by helping them spot all kinds of positive and negative trends.

What sets it apart is that its incredibly simple design means it gets across all the important information at a single glance and it asks for only a minute of the user's time a day to keep it updated. Unfortunately, the ability to add an unlimited amount of habits is locked behind a subscription.

HabitShare Is Ideal For Socially-Motivated People

Available On Android And IOS (Free)

An advert for the HabitShare app for Android and Iphone

One of the best motivators to stick to a goal or quit a habit is social encouragement. Whether it's everyone sharing their achievements and celebrating together or friends pushing each other to stick to their new lifestyle changes or ambitious fitness goals, some people thrive from having a circle around them to help.

Since trying to make those changes alone can be much tougher, HabitShare is an app designed around the idea of that social encouragement. Making a commitment to other people means there's automatically more pressure to stick to it, meaning HabitShare can be a powerful tool for change.

The Streaks App Makes Good Habits Hard To Break

Available On IOS ($4.99)

Screenshots of the Streaks app on IOS

Everyone knows that one of the most powerful ways to help stay committed to a goal is to present it in the form of a streak that needs maintaining and the Streaks app is a habit tracker that takes advantage of this. The idea of Streaks is that, once the user builds up a decent run, they'll keep at it to avoid ever breaking the streak.

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It's also fantastic in terms of design, boasting a huge amount of themes and customizability as well as easy-to-read graphs to check progress. With negative tasks specifically for breaking bad habits and connectivity with the iPhone's inbuilt Health app for ease of use with fitness habits, the $4.99 single-payment price tag is one that few users have regretted.

Available On Android And IOS (Free)

Screenshots of the Sobriety Counter app on Iphone

For anyone wanting an app that can help them achieve sobriety, there is thankfully no shortage of apps claiming to do just that. One of the most widely recommended is Sobriety Counter, an app that comes with no shortage of amazing features to help the user quit at their own pace.

With health achievements that remind the user of the benefit of what they're doing and a "quit slowly" mode for those for whom quitting immediately is unrealistic, Sobriety Counter is an impressive effort given it's a free app. Though that does mean some adverts, it's a relatively small compromise.

Headspace Is A Meditation App That Encourages Change

Available On Android And IOS (Free Or $12.99/Month For Headspace Plus)

Headspace

Bad habits can be hard to break without establishing new, more positive ones. Headspace is one of the most popular as well as one of the best meditation apps out there and it makes use of a "streaks" model to help turn mindfulness into a positive habit.

The app promises to help with managing stress, anxiety, and more negative habits through guided meditations, courses, and exercises all focused on building a better mindset. Though it's primarily focused on building good habits regarding mindfulness and relaxation, apps like Headspace can be a great start to tackling bad habits.

Strides Is A Great Comprehensive Habit Tracker

Available On IOS ($4.99/Month Or $29.99/year)

Strides Goal tracker app screenshots

It might be one of the pricier subscription-model habit trackers but, for that price, Strides brings one of the most complete habit-tracking packages to help the user with whatever they need. With the ability to track good and bad habits, reminders to stay committed, and detailed charts to show the user's progress, Strides does pretty much everything a habit tracker needs to.

Strides also comes with cool features like the ability to set a Target goal for a specific date with milestones along the way, so it's easier to stay motivated. Add in an incredible amount of templates to customize the app to the user's liking as well as a ton of other bonus features, and it's easy to see why many choose Strides to help them kick bad habits.

Days Since Helps With All Of Your Bad Habits

Available On IOS (Free Or $2.99/Month For Club Membership)

Days Since screenshots habit tracker for quitting

With so many habit trackers focused on establishing and keeping up positive habits, it's easy to feel like there aren't that many catered to those for whom ingrained bad habits are a much bigger concern. Luckily, that's not the case and Days Since is one highly-rated example of a habit tracker that's all about quitting.

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For any negative habit that the user wishes to quit, Days Since provides a counter, reminders to help keep the user accountable, and monthly data and analysis that goes far beyond just the number that ticks up every day they stay committed. Privacy features like Face ID unlock are also an important touch.

Smoke Free Provides Support For Quitting Smoking

Available On Android And IOS (Free Or $23.99 For Complete Version)

Screenshots of various pages in the Smoke Free app

One of the toughest habits to quit and one that affects many people is smoking and that's why there are some apps tailored specifically to help with exactly that. What sets Smoke Free apart is that it boasts a basis in science and evidence-based techniques that includes rewards for no-smoking achievements.

For extra motivation, Smoke Free shows the user how much their health will have benefited from quitting and how much money they've saved by no longer having to spend on cigarettes regularly. Multiple different plans come with extras including tailored support and expert advice for an additional cost.

I Am Sober Promises To Help Kick Any Addiction

Available On Android And IOS (Free Or $9.99/Month For Sober Plus)

A screenshot from the I Am Sober app

There are many powerful and socially-driven health apps on the market but not as many are aimed at kicking negative habits to improve. I Am Sober is one example of an app that does, however, promise to connect the user to a network of other people with the same goal in mind.

That's not the app's only trick though, as it also boasts a huge amount of support for quitting any addiction including tracking sober days, milestone trackers, and data and analysis for an extra motivational boost. Perhaps its best motivational feature is one that allows the user to upload their reasons for quitting, so they can be reminded regularly.

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