My QuitBuddy app

The My QuitBuddy app is useful for anyone who wants support with quitting smoking or vaping, regardless of where you are on your journey – this app covers people who want to quit now, quit later, or those who have already quit.

• When you first open the app, you're asked to provide information regarding where you are on your smokefree journey. At this stage, you can choose between smoking or vaping (not both), and can choose whether you want to quit now, in the future, or if you've already quit.
• The app also asks for some information about yourself, including how much you normally smoke/vape, how long for, and how much it normally costs you each week. This information is used to help the app provide motivation and encouragement along your journey.
• The app tracks and displays how long you've been smoke-free, how many cigarettes/vapes you haven’t smoked since you quit, and how much money you've saved. If you have set a planned date to quit in the future, the app will show a countdown timer to your quit date, and an estimate of how much money you could save per year once you quit.
• Users are prompted to add a photo of something or someone you love, as well as your reason for quitting, so each time you open the app you are reminded of why your smoke free journey is important for you. You can add encouraging voice notes for yourself (or ask your whanau / loved ones to record a message for you).
• If you hare having cravings, there is a “Distract Me” section which provides prompts of activities you can do to distract yourself from smoking/vaping, and reminders of why you want to quit, and the benefits on your health. The app allows you to set “Danger Times” when you are more likely to experience cravings/be tempted to smoke or vape, and you will get a notification on your phone at this time with a reminder of why you shouldn’t smoke/vape.
• There is also a “Back Me Up” section if you need to talk to someone – you can add someone from your contacts as a “Buddy”, and from this section of the app you can call them if you need support. There's also an active online community where you can connect with others for advice or support.
• The “My Health” section provides information about the effects of smoking on the body, and the benefits to your health and body when you quit smoking (this information is tailored to where you are on your journey, eg, when you have just quit, it will provide information on the immediate benefits you will notice, and when you have quit for a longer period it will display long-term benefits of quitting).

For the complete app description, go to the app website(external link), Google Play(external link), App Store(external link) or, for a more detailed review, see reviews below.

Clinical review

Reviewer: Emma Riddell, Clinical Pharmacist, Te Whatu Ora
Date of review: May 2024
Platform: Android
Version: 4.0.6
Comments: I found this app really good if you are looking for support, motivation and encouragement along your journey to quitting smoking or vaping. The app provides multiple different types of encouragement, eg, smokefree counter, money saved, health benefits, reminders on your own personal reasons for quitting, and community support. The app community is quite active and is a good source of support from others who are trying to quit. The app doesn’t provide you with a Quit Plan, or advice about medicines available to help you quit. It also doesn’t help you to understand what triggers your cravings and how to avoid these triggers.
Safety concerns: None.
New Zealand relevance: Yes – however the Quit Smoking hotline that is linked in the app is Australia-based.
Concerns: None.