- Product Name: QuitGuide
- Price: Free
- Owner: National Cancer Institute
- Download: App Store or Google Play
- Overall Rank: 4.8 out of 5.0 Star
Introduction
QuitGuide is one of the free quit smoking products and one of the best quit smoking apps. The free quit smoking kit can help you quit smoking by tracking your cigarette cravings and moods, monitoring your progress toward stopping smoking free milestones, discovering your reasons for quitting smoking, identifying smoking triggers and developing strategies to deal with them, get expert guidance on how to quit smoking and address nicotine withdrawal, and access a variety of other strategies to help you successfully quit smoke free.
Setup
Initial setup only takes a minute or two. Upon opening the app, you can customizes the experience by entering a quit date, identifying a motivation for quitting, and uploading a motivational image (eg, a picture of a child or grandchild). You can enlist the help of friends and family by sharing their quit plan through social media platforms (eg, Facebook) with just a single click. The setup is quick and easy.
Main Screen
The main screen of QuitGuide displays the major activities associated with the quit smoking app and includes the followings:
- Home
- My Quit Plan
- My Locations
- My Times of Day
- My History
- My Journals
- How to Quit
- Settings
Home
Entering the Home screen of the QuitGuide app, users can track whether they were smoke free or slipped, as well as when they have a craving or particular moods that may drive them to smoke. This option is excellent, since the information you get from the trackers may help refining your quitting plan and make quit smoking successful.
Another neat feature is the personal message on why you want to quit smoking. You may add once you decide your quit start date. That message could be anything, from strong motivational manifesto to simple reminder that you can’t stand your yellow fingers and smelly breath. Whatever message you choose, it will welcome you each time you open the app. Of course, if you don’t like it, you can change it to something else anytime you want.
Beside the motivational message, you can load the picture as a visual reminder of why you want to quit smoking. It could be picture of your family, pet, serene landscape or a motivational poster. Just like the message, it’s completely personal and optional choice.
Another particularly nice feature is the personal message on why you want to quit smoking. That message, whether it’s to see a child graduate from high school or spend time with grandkids, is front and center every time the user opens the app going forward. They can also load a picture so that every time they open the QuitGuide app they also see a visual reminder, say of their families, of why they want to quit smoking.
Another thing is Quitism, a set of motivational quotes that greet you on a home screen. Each time you start the app, a different quote welcomes you. Positive thoughts and attitude are among the drive forces of smoke cessation process, so Quitism is a nice touch. This feature is particularly useful if you’re not good at motivating yourself or have trouble choosing your own motivational message and picture.
From a home screen, you’re also able to see and share your statistics by taping the graph icon on the upper right, and access several additional useful features, including:
- How many cigarettes don’t you smoke?
- How much money do you save?
- How much time do you save?
Navigating from the main screen, you can also manage your mood by selecting one of nine options ranging from happy to stressed. For more positive moods, you can write a journal entry or take a photo for later. For more negative moods, you are given options to see tips and distractions, view notes and photos from more pleasant moods, add a new entry in their journal, or a suggestion to call a friend.
A countdown until a quit date has been reached if it is in the future or days since quitting if it is in the past. You can either select a button that says “I was smoke free today” or “I slipped.” Selecting “I slipped” prompts you to identify the trigger like drinking coffee, taking a work break, finishing a meal, or driving etc.
Back on the main screen, there is a “Track My Craving” option which opens a screen where you can identify the strength of craving on a 10-point scale and a specific trigger, for which the app will offer simple strategies to minimize risk of relapse. For example, if you identify a craving level of between 1 and 5, and identify coffee drinking as the trigger, then the app will suggest trying teeth brushing immediately after finishing the cup.
My Quit Plan
On opening the QuitGuide app, users are prompted to enter some basic information about their quit plan such as your quit date and reasons to be smoke free. You also start to track and monitor progress, such as:
- How often do you smoke?
- When do you smoke, how many a day?
- When do you usually crave the most?
- How much do you pay per pack of cigarettes?
My Locations and My Times of Days
QuitGuide also gives you the ability to track cravings by location and time of day, so you can receive support where and when you need it. These can be set up to deliver motivational messages about smoking cessation at the times and places where you are most likely to smoke.
My History and My Journals
For more data-driven smokers, QuitGuide provides some clever visualizations of data entered. The history tab shows a calendar with days in red for slips and green for smoke free days. Users can examine a day-by-day listing of moods, cravings, and triggers. Users can further explore frequencies of logged moods and see a breakdown of events that were associated with lapses or cravings. The app gamifies data as well, giving trophies and presenting the estimated dollar savings from not buying cigarettes, and amount of time saved by not smoking.
How to Quit
QuitGuide app also offers some useful reference information on how to quit smoking, such as preparing steps, dealing with cravings and withdrawal, avoiding slips, and staying on course and remaining smoke free.
Support
Technical support is available to help you download and use the QuitGuide app. If you need help or have any questions, please contact smokefreeteam@icfi.com.
Benefit
The app is useful for everyone who is trying to quit smoking.
QuitGuide helps you:
- Identify your reasons for quitting
- Track craving and slips by times of day and location
- Track your mood and smoking triggers
- Create journal entries
- Stay motivated with inspirational messages
- Get tips and distractions for dealing with cravings and bad moods
- Monitor your progress toward achieving smoke free milestones
The Good and the Bad
The Good
- Ability to enter a reason for quitting with a picture that is front and center with ongoing app use.
- Ability to track smoking and cravings to help refine quit plans in follow up.
- Location and time based motivational messaging for delivery at key moments when users need support.
- Social media integration to help engage family and friends.
- Nice and clean design.
- Tracking progress, cravings and moods.
- The app is actively supported with frequent updates.
- The app doesn’t require any personal information without user consent or unless required by law.
The Bad
- Lack of interactive and more engaging reference information
Testimonials from QuitGuide Users
“As a former smoker and cessation pharmacist, I find this app to be useful on multiple levels. Because smokers are often reluctant to invest in an app, this easily opens the door to quitting. Lots of info, tools, and support.” – Tmack
“Right now I’m feeling determined to quit and stay quit smoking. This seems to be a useful tool to assist me on my journey. Quit Smoking for good!” – Cathy
“HIGHLY RECOMMEND Has a few bugs whenever it comes to the sharing option otherwise a great tool. After 15yrs, I am 13 days smoke free with the help of this app and the text messages. I have no desire to start back again because I quit the right way.” – Veronika
Conclusion
The QuitGuide app is a free smoking cessation app from a reputable organization, the National Cancer Institute, that employs a number of different strategies to deliver ongoing support for patients who are trying to quit smoking. It is an intuitive, adaptable, and educational app that is built on smoking cessation theory. We highly recommend this app to those who would like to quit smoking.
Seems like a very good app that can help anyone quit smoking. I wish I found this app when I was struggling for a few years to quit. I would have never thought that there is an app like this so I never searched. It’s great to see that there are apps which can help breaking such a bad habit like smoking. I especially like the feature where it shows how much money you are saving, because when you’re smoking, you can spend a lot of money on cigarettes without even realizing it! I know I spent way too much on this stuff and only realized it when I finally quit…
Dear Donny, It is one of the best quit smoking app and is free to download. Yes, the app can calculate how much money you will save if you quit. Besides it come with a lot of encouragement message. For example, I just open my app, the screen inform me “Do something on your to-do list while you are watching TV. There is no better way to pass the time when you have a craving than doing something on your to-do list. It will keep you smoke free and gent those annoying tasks off your back” …
Hey Anthony,
This is a great article you wrote on quitting smoking. I might recommend it to some of my friends who are smokers that have been wanting to quit. Thanks for this indepth review! 🙂
Hi Dael, Thanks for your comment. Please spread words and let people know there is free quit smoking app, QuitGuide.
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I love it. LOVE IT. Thanks for the information Anthony I really appreciate what you are doing with this post and your website. I hate cigarettes, they have no purpose and the only reason people do them is because of the addictiveness of the nicotine. Is so hard to see people that I love under this addiction and trying to quit without success. My grandmother being one of them. I told her how much I hate to see her smoking so every time I go to her house she drops the cigarette and spray Febreze on her surroundings but I know that she is not stopping and now that I can’t be there as often I know she can use this app and my picture as a motivation to stop. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Dear Hector, Thanks for your comment and encouragement. The mission of rebrandsmoking is to educate the publics that there are two classes of smoking: toxic and non-toxic. Although there is no safe smoking, it is possible to prevent the toxic brand, the traditional tobacco smoking. Nowadays, there are so many choices for smokers to enjoy the gift from the nature. You may download the free eBook on smoking and quit smoking and give it to your grandmother as a gift: https://rebrandsmoking.com/free-ebook-on-smoking-and-quit-smoking. It is a good reference for smoking and quit smoking.
Hey Anthony, I’m not a smoker but I believe this will be helpful for many smokers out there who want to quit smoking. Thanks for this awesome review. Keep up the good work!
Hi Jerry, Thanks for your comment. The app, QuitGudie, can be a good start for quit smoking plan.
Great website Anthony. Thanks for taking the time to research and to share such interesting information. There couldn’t be a better time for a resolution to quit smoking!
I am an ex very heavy smoker (50 cigs a day), I have given up years ago though and tried everything (chewing gums, patches, etc.), nothing really worked if I was not to apply willpower at the same time. Finally I decided that it was it and have given up smoking for good just with willpower. It was very, very hard.
When I came across your website, I immediately thought that the app you are describing must be excellent, I wish it existed in my smoking days, because as I can understand it, it helps the smoker to quit by making use of their willpower and will a lot of support. I will definitely keep your website bookmarked so that I can share it whenever I can, to help other people to get rid of this deadly habit.
I love visiting your website as I always find something new and useful.
I look forward to your next article.
Best wishes,
John ツ
Dear John, Thank you very much for spending time, carefully reviewing our website, and sharing your quit smoking experience. You are right that willpower is one of the most important factor in quit smoking.
The QuitGuide app is built on the basis of establishing the willpower of those who would like to quit smoking. In the app, it is full of encouragement quotes, the reason to quitting, mood management, and crave control etc.
In 2018, we focus on the theme of healthy choice for smokers, providing new and useful information on smoking and quit smoking.
Here is the advice from the app today: Have a piece of candy after dinner. Having a piece of candy in your mouth can help you beat your craving.
Message from app: starve the craving. Just one puff will feed the cravings and make them stronger. Remind yourself why you want to be smokefree. Review your reasons for wanting to be smokefree while you wait for your craving to pass.
Message form app: Eat a healthy snack. Keeping finger foods around instead of cigarettes will help you make it through a craving. Try carrots, pickles, sunflower seeds, apples, raisins, or sugar free gum.
Message for app: Stay away from things that you connect with smoking. You may be used to smoking while watching TV, sitting in your favorite chair, or having a drink before dinner. Avoid these routines. Do it today and for the next few weeks.
Message from app: Stay strong and continue to work hard. No matter what, don’t think, “Just one cigarette won’t hurt.” It will hurt. Every day is a gift. That’s why we call it the present! Give yourself the gift of good health and a longer life by putting down the cigarette, even if just for today.
Hello Anthony, wow, what will they think of next? This is truly amazing. I have a friend that just had a truly devastating heart attack. What really surprised me was that as soon as he was released from the hospital he bought cigarettes on his way home! That is how addictively laden these cigarettes are. So knowing there is an app like this that is so logical, thoughtful and helpful can truly change lives.
This was such a great review. I am going to forward this information to my friend. So many thanks. I truly hope it helps others and keeps them alive!
in peace and gratitude, ariel
Hi Ariel, Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances. Some people smoke one or two cigarettes and get addicted to it, which takes years to quit the habit. The app is a very useful tool for smokers to quit. It contains information on all steps on quitting smoking. Besides it is free and comes with supports. Please forward this to your friends who intend to quit smoking.
Message from app: Ask other smokers not to smoke in front of you. Be open and honest about you quitting and ask them to help.
Message from the app: Have some fruit. Eating something when you have a craving can help get you through it. Grab some sweet or tangy fruit. See if you notice a difference in the taste now that you’ve been Smokefree for a while.
Message from the app: Drink water. this not only gives you something to do, it changes the taste in your mouth and helps your body get healthy. If plain water is too boring for you, add a twist of lemon or lime.
Message for the app: have a piece of candy after dinner. Having a piece of candy in your mouth can help you beat your craving.
Message from app: Eat a healthy snack. Keeping finger foods around instead of cigarettes will help you make it through a craving. Try carrots, pickles, sunflower seeds, apples, celery, raisins, or sugar free gum.
Message from app: Cool off by doing things and going places where smoking is not allowed. Some good places are malls, libraries, museums, theaters, department stores, and places of worships.
Message from app: Breathe. Take 10 slow, deep breaths and hold the last one. Repeat until you feel relaxed.
Message for the app: Play your favorite song while you drive. A couple of songs last about the same amount of time as most cravings. Crank up your iPod and rock out to your favorite song. Singing will also help take your mind off your craving and get you through it.
Message from app: Starve the craving. Just one puff will feed the craving and make them stronger. Remind yourself why you want to be smokefree. Review your reasons for wanting to be smokefree while you wait for your craving to pass.
Message for the app: Starve the craving. Just one puff will feed the cravings and make them stronger. Remind yourself why you want to be smokefree. Review your reasons for wanting to be smokefree while you wait for your craving to pass.
Message for app: There is always a little pain in quitting something. Misery is optional! Make sure you are still making time to have fun when you quit smoking!
I wish they would have had something this when I tried to quit smoking. I’m a stats and visual sort of person and I would have been motivated with something like this. Today I wear a fitbit and have several apps on my phone which motivate me to get out and walk more. I love keeping track of miles walked, steps climbed and my heart rates during various phases of exercise. A quit smoking app would have really helped me.
Hi Craig,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your experiences on using apps for your exercises.
Smokers are fortunately have this free quit smoking app. It is a wonderful plan tool and smokers could monitor the quit process effectively. If having any problem, the app also provide free service and answer any question you have.
Message from app: Get physical after you eat. Refuse to give into cravings. Refuse to give into cravings by doing squats, lungs, and push-ups instead. Start small but try to build up to 10 squats, followed by 10 lungs and 10 push-ups. You’ll be looking good and be smokefree in no time.
Message from app: Brush your teeth after your next cup. It may sounds silly, but brushing your teeth when you have a craving can help you get through it.
Message from app: Try something – anything – just don’t give in! Remember: Trying something to beat the urge is always better than trying nothing.
Message from app: Walk it off. Need to calm your nerves or de-stress? Go for a fquick walk. Better yet, take a friend who supports the new, non-smoking you!
Dear Anthony,
Thanks for the review on Celebrate 2018 New Year with the Best Quit Smoking App. Really its a great app it seems. I am planning to install this apps in my friends mobiles. You provided detailed information. Thanks Again!
Your Friend,
Paul
HI Paul,
It is one the best quit smoking app and it is free to install. Thanks for your caring.
Message from app: Joke around instead of lighting up. Laughing can increase your mood, and it can also get you through a craving. So, go goof off with your friends.
Message for app: Move around. Where you are and what is going on can make you crave a cigarette. A change of scene can really help. Go outside, or go to a different room. You can also try changing what you are doing.
Message from app: Prepare yourself before you arrive at a location that is troublesome with a strategy of how you will handle any craving that might arise.
Message from app: An attitude of gratitude never hurts. Before bed tonight, write down the top 10 things you are grateful.
Message from app: Let it start with you. You’re in control of you. Make a move to be smokefree and the rest will fall into place.
Message from app: Sleep it off. Take a 15 to 20 minute “power nap” A quick nap will help you get through your craving and wake up feeling refreshed.
Message from app: Move around while you talk. A change of scene can really help. Go outside, or go to a different room.
Message from app: If you have to around other smokers hold onto something to keep your hands distracted. Try a pencil, a paper clip, a marble, or a water bottle.
Wow, these days it seems like there is an ‘app’ for just about anything you can think of!
How do you find the app Anthony? I need to ask my ‘smoker-friends’ to check it out. This could mean a ‘life-saving’ result for someone. Thanks for sharing.
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
The app is free. Use your smartphone, search for QuitGuide, and download into your smartphone. It is easy to use and if you have question, they also provide free support. Best wishes to your smoker friends.
I need to know how to daily get a inspirational message to my phone or email. On my phone . . .the QUITISM saying is covered/blocked by the ” craving” rectangle and again by the ” mood” rectangle. Can any one help me out on how to uncover this area so I can see the whole message or give me a app to SUBSCRIBE to in order to get this support and enjoyment. Any other suggestions for this idea? Im on day 22 now and feeling really content and happy. Life is truly soo much easier! Thank you. aileenstacy07@gmail.com
Message from app: Take public transit instead of driving if you can. If you always smoke while driving, try something new. Listen to a new radio station or your favorite music. Take a different route. Or take the train or bus for a while, if you can.
I need to know how to daily get a inspirational message to my phone or email. On my phone . . .the QUITISM saying is covered/blocked by the ” craving” rectangle and again by the ” mood” rectangle. Can any one help me out on how to uncover this area so I can see the whole message or give me a app to SUBSCRIBE to in order to get this support and enjoyment. Any other suggestions for this idea? Im on day 22 now and feeling really content and happy. Life is truly soo much easier! Thank you. aileenstacy07@gmail.com