Next year May I will be 20 years sober, quit drinking and smoking cold turkey.
All I can remember was that smoking was the most difficult habit to quit because I was a chain smoker and the withdrawals are no joke. So yeah if you want to start on this sober journey, just be ready.
That’s amazing — 20 years sober is truly inspiring! I quit smoking 281 days ago and drinking 240 days ago, and your story really motivates me to keep going. Thanks for sharing and for checking out the app!
Really neat! I appreciate the out of the way, ad-free nature of the app.
After looking at it, a few pieces of feedback and a request:
-on the Health tab it cuts the title off (iPhone 15PM here) to say “how your health improv..”
-I would really like to be able to label my own custom tracker. Right now I have two that both say “habit free” which means nothing once you have multiple.
-Perhaps the above custom label request solves this one, but I think it’s too limiting a list to choose from. Smoking, for example- there are a loooot of ways to consume nicotine.
-I’d really love to be able to reset the counter when I stumble, but have a log in the counter of prior streaks to be proud of.
-I’m not exactly sure how this would look, but I’d absolutely use a feature that allowed you to count how many times you use nicotine in a day, for example, to aim for a lower number of uses the following day or week.
I love this idea, take or leave the feedback as you will; nice work!!
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this — really appreciate your thoughtful feedback and kind words! I'm glad you’re enjoying the ad‑free experience.
The cut‑off title is definitely a bug (thanks for catching that); I’ll make sure it’s fixed in the next update. Custom tracker labels are already on my to‑do list, and your note about the limited options — especially for things like nicotine — makes perfect sense. I also really like your idea of saving past streaks after a reset and counting daily uses to track progress over time. Those features fit beautifully with where I want to take the app.
Thanks again for the encouraging feedback — it genuinely helps shape the roadmap!
This is an area in which I have some experience (45 years clean). I've written a bunch of Recovery-assistive stuff, in my time, and continue to do so.
In my experience, if you are a true addict (as opposed to someone that has developed bad habits, but doesn't have the obsessive/compulsive disorder), then no app will work. It's a fart against a tornado. Those folks are a minority, though. I think most people could use this app.
But I feel as if everyone can benefit from self-discipline, and apps like this, work like fitness trackers. That can make major differences for many folks.
However, there's no "silver bullet." Self-Discipline is hard work. A lot of people want "easy solutions," and they don't really exist (except in fiction). Apps like this, simply help to focus and optimize that hard work.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and your incredible perspective — 45 years clean is truly inspiring, and I really appreciate you taking the time to give this feedback. I completely understand and agree with your point: for true addiction, there’s no one‑size‑fits‑all solution, and an app alone can’t replace the deep personal work and support that’s often needed.
My goal with this app has always been to be a tool — not a “silver bullet” — that can help people build self‑discipline, track progress, and stay mindful of their goals, much like fitness trackers do. I’m happy to hear you think it could be useful for the majority of people dealing with habits, and I really value the reminder that it’s about supporting hard work, not replacing it.
Thanks again for your encouragement — it means a lot coming from someone with your experience.
For alcohol, there are modern alternatives to quitting cold turkey that use science instead of willpower. Look into the Sinclair Method and Naltrexone if you're interested in such things.
Not sure if i should post this here, but an ex-housemate of mine started a company focused on Naltrexone called Oar Health. I feel really proud to not only see how much it has helped him quit alcohol, but how he seems to be helping so many others.
Clean idea and thoughtful execution. The no-ads, no-signup approach is refreshing—most sobriety apps feel bloated or pushy. Minimal streak tracking is exactly what many people want. Android version would be great to see.
I think the ideal business case for an app like this is "no ads, no signups, costs a couple of bucks". Not everything has to be free, I prefer to pay with money then with any other method
I Am Sober is the most popular but it tries to upsell you so much. Weird when it does literally nothing except show your streak... glad to see some competition. I would use it but I'm on Android.
Thanks a lot! I really want to release the Android version too — if you drop me a message at hello@sobernotsorry.app, I’ll let you know as soon as it’s out
That’s a really good point — I agree the preset list feels too limited once you start customizing. Custom habit names and the option to remove irrelevant ones are both on my roadmap. I want the app to adapt to personal goals, not force everyone into the same categories. Thanks for the suggestion!
If you break your streak, the counter just starts again from day zero — no guilt trips, no judgment. The idea is to focus on progress, not perfection. You can reset your counter anytime from the counters edit screen.
You get to choose whether you’re complacent and complicit, however. Russia could not have invaded Ukraine without a supportive populace. So no, sorry; no Russian citizen gets a "I don’t care about politics" free pass, just as the Germans didn’t get one after WW2.
You're going to be really upset when you find out that you're posting this comment on a website created in the country that, since WW2, has invaded or militarily attacked the Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Somalia, Serbia, Haiti, and Afghanistan.
So 10 mil Ukrainians were forced out of the country but russians can't leave on their own?
Yeah they can.
They chose to stay and pay for the war with their taxes.
but they have families etc etc
everyone does, and they still were forced to leave and manage to build a life or rebuild from scratch. So yeah you can leave with your family.
And yeah you are complicit if you don't do anything against. There is also a way even donating to Ukraine from inside russia.
Stop defending the complicit ones, the math is very simple.
which country do you propose Russians ought to move to such that they are no longer complicit with some other government's malfeasance? Russia is not the only country that under your logic you might say this about it's residents.
By your standard, those Ukrainians are complicit in the crimes of neo-Nazi groups inspired by Bandera who engaged in ethnic cleansing over the past decade.
I don’t personally view things
that way — but I think it’s very interesting in how you selectively apply guilt by association.
The fact is if you give that app attention and users it will be montetized at some point, capital from around the world will flow, and taxes will be paid on it in russia, and more missiles will be built.
Thanks for the note! The app is made with care for people everywhere, regardless of where it’s built.
And yes — there are other apps out there, but I wanted to create something simple, ad-free, and focused purely on supporting your journey.
Appreciate your point but I am sure you can relate to my concern that there is a good chance you will monetize it, and pay taxes that will be used to build missiles.
If you can track "anything else", I guess you can track your drinking streak, your days without exercising, how long you spent without calling your mom, or whatever "good habit" you want to quit.
I don't think that's what most people are looking for though.
There are definitely apps to track your drinking, although mainly with the intent of encouraging moderation. Not everyone wants to stop drinking entirely, just drink a bit less.
This comment isn’t even technically correct — OP frames it as quitting bad habits and then suggests common problems people have, eg people who want to quit drinking or smoking habits that negatively impact their lives. You then parsed that uncharitably (by ignoring context) to make a snarky remark.
Next year May I will be 20 years sober, quit drinking and smoking cold turkey.
All I can remember was that smoking was the most difficult habit to quit because I was a chain smoker and the withdrawals are no joke. So yeah if you want to start on this sober journey, just be ready.
This is a cool app, will download.
That’s amazing — 20 years sober is truly inspiring! I quit smoking 281 days ago and drinking 240 days ago, and your story really motivates me to keep going. Thanks for sharing and for checking out the app!
That’s awesome progress! Keep going, you might lose some friends or people along the way but health is more important when you get older.
I’ve read that lungs will heal back to its non-smoker state slowly but surely.
Really neat! I appreciate the out of the way, ad-free nature of the app.
After looking at it, a few pieces of feedback and a request:
-on the Health tab it cuts the title off (iPhone 15PM here) to say “how your health improv..”
-I would really like to be able to label my own custom tracker. Right now I have two that both say “habit free” which means nothing once you have multiple.
-Perhaps the above custom label request solves this one, but I think it’s too limiting a list to choose from. Smoking, for example- there are a loooot of ways to consume nicotine.
-I’d really love to be able to reset the counter when I stumble, but have a log in the counter of prior streaks to be proud of.
-I’m not exactly sure how this would look, but I’d absolutely use a feature that allowed you to count how many times you use nicotine in a day, for example, to aim for a lower number of uses the following day or week.
I love this idea, take or leave the feedback as you will; nice work!!
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this — really appreciate your thoughtful feedback and kind words! I'm glad you’re enjoying the ad‑free experience. The cut‑off title is definitely a bug (thanks for catching that); I’ll make sure it’s fixed in the next update. Custom tracker labels are already on my to‑do list, and your note about the limited options — especially for things like nicotine — makes perfect sense. I also really like your idea of saving past streaks after a reset and counting daily uses to track progress over time. Those features fit beautifully with where I want to take the app.
Thanks again for the encouraging feedback — it genuinely helps shape the roadmap!
Please be careful with alcohol withdrawal. Always talk to your doctor about it.
Your body sends out signals all the time, and those get numbed by the alcohol. So your body compensates with sending out stronger / more signals.
If you stop cold turkey stuff that compensation mechanism doesn't just stop and can lead to Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome [0].
[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_withdrawal_syndrome
I wish you luck. Looks like a well-written app.
This is an area in which I have some experience (45 years clean). I've written a bunch of Recovery-assistive stuff, in my time, and continue to do so.
In my experience, if you are a true addict (as opposed to someone that has developed bad habits, but doesn't have the obsessive/compulsive disorder), then no app will work. It's a fart against a tornado. Those folks are a minority, though. I think most people could use this app.
But I feel as if everyone can benefit from self-discipline, and apps like this, work like fitness trackers. That can make major differences for many folks.
However, there's no "silver bullet." Self-Discipline is hard work. A lot of people want "easy solutions," and they don't really exist (except in fiction). Apps like this, simply help to focus and optimize that hard work.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and your incredible perspective — 45 years clean is truly inspiring, and I really appreciate you taking the time to give this feedback. I completely understand and agree with your point: for true addiction, there’s no one‑size‑fits‑all solution, and an app alone can’t replace the deep personal work and support that’s often needed.
My goal with this app has always been to be a tool — not a “silver bullet” — that can help people build self‑discipline, track progress, and stay mindful of their goals, much like fitness trackers do. I’m happy to hear you think it could be useful for the majority of people dealing with habits, and I really value the reminder that it’s about supporting hard work, not replacing it.
Thanks again for your encouragement — it means a lot coming from someone with your experience.
From my iPhone, opened the App store, typed Sober not Sorry and it was the 26th or 27th entry in the list. Why apple, why?
Good stuff. I don't IOS much, but I've had a "days since <date>" shortcut on my phone homepage for some time. Today shows 411 days.
For alcohol, there are modern alternatives to quitting cold turkey that use science instead of willpower. Look into the Sinclair Method and Naltrexone if you're interested in such things.
Not sure if i should post this here, but an ex-housemate of mine started a company focused on Naltrexone called Oar Health. I feel really proud to not only see how much it has helped him quit alcohol, but how he seems to be helping so many others.
www.oarhealth.com
Clean idea and thoughtful execution. The no-ads, no-signup approach is refreshing—most sobriety apps feel bloated or pushy. Minimal streak tracking is exactly what many people want. Android version would be great to see.
Is this AI?
Yeah but would be nice if he gets paid somehow
I think the ideal business case for an app like this is "no ads, no signups, costs a couple of bucks". Not everything has to be free, I prefer to pay with money then with any other method
I Am Sober is the most popular but it tries to upsell you so much. Weird when it does literally nothing except show your streak... glad to see some competition. I would use it but I'm on Android.
Thanks! I really appreciate it — and yes, I’m planning to release the Android version next year.
Is there any way to get notified if/when an Android app becomes available?
Great work, app looks great!
Thanks a lot! I really want to release the Android version too — if you drop me a message at hello@sobernotsorry.app, I’ll let you know as soon as it’s out
Instead of “other” , there should be a way to let users add their own habit and remove irrelevant ones from the list
That’s a really good point — I agree the preset list feels too limited once you start customizing. Custom habit names and the option to remove irrelevant ones are both on my roadmap. I want the app to adapt to personal goals, not force everyone into the same categories. Thanks for the suggestion!
I gave up on finding a pregnancy tracker with no sign in, let alone no ads, so I guess this is what I'm using now!
Out of interest, what features were you looking for?
Question from somebody who is interested but who doesn't have a HN account: "How does it react if you break your streak?"
If you break your streak, the counter just starts again from day zero — no guilt trips, no judgment. The idea is to focus on progress, not perfection. You can reset your counter anytime from the counters edit screen.
Just fyi - this app is from russia.
And there are other free apps that do the same.
Guilt by association is a pretty weak argument, you don't get to choose where you are born.
Nothing wrong with feeling a bit guilty about it though. As I understand, most of you don't.
You get to choose whether you’re complacent and complicit, however. Russia could not have invaded Ukraine without a supportive populace. So no, sorry; no Russian citizen gets a "I don’t care about politics" free pass, just as the Germans didn’t get one after WW2.
You're going to be really upset when you find out that you're posting this comment on a website created in the country that, since WW2, has invaded or militarily attacked the Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Grenada, Panama, Iraq, Somalia, Serbia, Haiti, and Afghanistan.
Well, that is your opinion.
So 10 mil Ukrainians were forced out of the country but russians can't leave on their own?
Yeah they can.
They chose to stay and pay for the war with their taxes.
but they have families etc etc everyone does, and they still were forced to leave and manage to build a life or rebuild from scratch. So yeah you can leave with your family.
And yeah you are complicit if you don't do anything against. There is also a way even donating to Ukraine from inside russia.
Stop defending the complicit ones, the math is very simple.
which country do you propose Russians ought to move to such that they are no longer complicit with some other government's malfeasance? Russia is not the only country that under your logic you might say this about it's residents.
Doesn’t matter. Obviously you can always find some ties etc but reasonably just leaving russia and condemning their actions would be good enough.
But you can’t put zero effort in and claim Oh i am a victim here.
By your standard, those Ukrainians are complicit in the crimes of neo-Nazi groups inspired by Bandera who engaged in ethnic cleansing over the past decade.
I don’t personally view things that way — but I think it’s very interesting in how you selectively apply guilt by association.
Russians ALL contribute by taxes so in this case all of them are complicit.
In your fictional example very few are.
And here was no "ethnic cleansing" in any way, not sure what propaganda you are into. Sounds russian.
It’s not guilt by association, it’s jurisdiction. Nobody cares if an ethnic Russian emigrant to France makes an app.
Nothing to do with guilt.
The fact is if you give that app attention and users it will be montetized at some point, capital from around the world will flow, and taxes will be paid on it in russia, and more missiles will be built.
More opposition sent to Siberian gulags to “disappear”
Thanks for the note! The app is made with care for people everywhere, regardless of where it’s built. And yes — there are other apps out there, but I wanted to create something simple, ad-free, and focused purely on supporting your journey.
Appreciate your point but I am sure you can relate to my concern that there is a good chance you will monetize it, and pay taxes that will be used to build missiles.
Seriously, for your own mental well being, drop this crusade on the thread and go touch some grass.
Where is the app to start e.g. drinking, it is morally relativistic to say these are 'bad habits'
If you can track "anything else", I guess you can track your drinking streak, your days without exercising, how long you spent without calling your mom, or whatever "good habit" you want to quit.
I don't think that's what most people are looking for though.
There are definitely apps to track your drinking, although mainly with the intent of encouraging moderation. Not everyone wants to stop drinking entirely, just drink a bit less.
Someone watched to much Rick and Morty.
Self destructing behaviour and hurting everyone you love are imo not a thing to be snarky about.
Those are your morals, not everyone’s morals. That’s GP’s point.
That’s a pretty extreme position. Not everyone having a drink is engaging in those things.
The app is clearly focused on breaking an addiction.
Perhaps reflect on how lucky you are that you don't have any understanding or empathy for why some people might really need an app like this
This comment isn’t even technically correct — OP frames it as quitting bad habits and then suggests common problems people have, eg people who want to quit drinking or smoking habits that negatively impact their lives. You then parsed that uncharitably (by ignoring context) to make a snarky remark.
Edgy midwit nihilism is so blasé.
When someone is reaching for an app like this it's a bad habit.