10 Meditation Apps to Help You De-Stress on the Go

Whether you suffer from chronic anxiety or are just a little stressed these days, you can use your phone to help slow down your racing thoughts. Here are 10 meditation apps you can use to chill out during the day.

1. Headspace

One of the most prominent mobile meditation apps, Headspace offers meditation and mindfulness exercises that are between two minutes and an hour long. Available for iOS and Android devices, this app allows you to enroll in their free 10-day meditation boot camp or subscribe to access their larger content library.

Subscribe: Headspace

2. Noom

Daily stress can be hard to manage, especially if you're also trying to adopt new lifestyle habits. Noom is an app that supports users on iOS and Android devices who are exploring healthy living and dietary options, but it offers more than that, too. Through Noom Mood, you can explore new techniques for managing your emotional health, which makes this app one of the most versatile to try this year.

Subscribe: Noom

3. Talkspace

Looking for an app that'll not only help you unwind, but also connect you with professionals in the field? Talkspace could be the best choice for your lifestyle. The app gives you 24/7 access to helpful resources and allows you to work directly with a trained therapist, so no matter where you are in the world, you can get the support you need. Additionally, the app—available for iOS and Android devices—grants you access to chat rooms, live video sessions, and more.

Subscribe: Talkspace

4. Calm

The stress we carry throughout the day can impact our sleep habits; Calm is an app for iOS and Android devices that's designed to help with that. It offers guided meditation, a huge library you can cull through for different types of sessions, and ambient sounds, which can help you tune out the noise in the background and focus on finding your inner zen, or just getting a bit of shut-eye.

Subscribe: Calm

5. Buddhify

This is a great app for meditation beginners that doesn’t come with any hidden costs or subscriptions. It's compatible with iOS and Android devices and features 80 guided meditations (with very soothing British voices) designed for specific situations and feelings, such as meditations for waking up, going to sleep, dealing with stress, and more.

Subscribe: Buddhify

6. Pause

Inspired by the slow gestures of tai chi, Pause is like a gamified version of a lava lamp. You move your finger slowly around the screen, following any pattern you’d like. The slower and more deliberately you move, the bigger the splotch of color under your finger grows. Move too fast, and it shrinks again. Try it out now on your iOS or Android device.

Subscribe: Pause

7. Insight Timer

One of the advantages of using Insight Timer, the iOS- and Android-compatible app, is that it offers a timer function and allows you to adjust the duration of each meditation session. For folks who are experienced in meditation, this is a definite upside, as you can really guide it all on your own. The easy-to-use interface and free library make this app a great choice.

Subscribe: Insight Timer

8. MyLife

This iOS- and Android-compatible app will recommend specific mindfulness exercises for you based on how you're feeling today. With more than 400 to choose from, it can help you meditate, explore guided journaling, practice new breathing exercises, and more, so you feel more grounded.

Subscribe: MyLife

9. Oak

Although this app is only available for iOS, it's one of the most efficient you could try now. Simple to use and navigate, it offers a largely free library of content along with easy exercises that can help you relax, clear your mind, and feel grounded throughout the day.

Subscribe: Oak

10. Simple Habit

If quick meditation sessions are what you really want and need, Simple Habit's five-minute exercises could be just what you've been waiting for. This app, which was featured on Shark Tank in 2017, offers guided exercises similar to Calm, and is compatible with iOS and Android devices.

Subscribe: Simple Habit

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A version of this article originally ran in 2016; it has been updated for 2022.