2021 · trial
A text program helped young adults
2,588 people, aged 18 to 24. 24.1% vs 18.6% vape-free at 7 months. {aJAMA}
Do quit vaping apps work? The short answer
Digital quit support can help a little, and one tested text program raised seven-month quit rates from about 19% to about 24%, but most vaping apps have never been tested.
That is the honest state of things in November 2026. The best trial we found tested This is Quitting, a free text-message program, in 2,588 people aged 18 to 24 ({aJAMA}). At seven months, 24.1% of those who got the messages reported 30 days without vaping, against 18.6% in the comparison group. Non-responders were counted as still vaping, which keeps the numbers conservative.
About five extra quitters in every hundred is real, and it is also not magic.
How we built this roundup, in 3 steps
- Trials first. We looked for randomized trials of digital tools for quitting vaping and read the published abstracts, not press releases.
- Then app reviews. We read a peer-reviewed review that downloaded vaping cessation apps and scored them against a cessation guideline.
- Then public health guidance. We checked what the {aCDC} and smokefree.gov recommend today, and dated every source.
We make CraveBreaker, so we have a stake here. That is why the app comes last on this page, and why the rule was: no claim without a link.
What the studies found, side by side
2022 · app review
Apps looked fine, said little
8 free apps scored 3.66 out of 5 for quality on average, but only 2.8 for information. Only one was linked to an efficacy trial. {aJMIR}
2022 · app review
Key features were rare
Forming a quit plan, exploring doubts and referring to a quitline each appeared in just one of the eight apps. {aJMIR}
2024 · guidance
Counseling plus medication
Combine counseling and medication for the best chance; 1-800-QUIT-NOW is free. Scientists are still studying the best ways to quit vaping. {aCDC}
The tested tool was simple text messages; the untested apps were prettier.
A Tuesday at 3 p.m.
Day four. The craving arrives on the walk back from the coffee machine, which is exactly where it arrived for two years. The app on the phone has a streak counter and a sign-up screen; the craving lasts longer than the sign-up. Next week, a different setup: a quit plan written on Sunday that names the coffee walk, a free text line saved in contacts, and an app that opens straight to "I have a craving." Still hard. Shorter.
An invented example.
The tool that wins is the one already open when the craving arrives.
Honest limits of this evidence
- The trial tested a text program in young adults in the U.S. It does not prove that any app, or this app, works for you.
- Quit status in the trial was self-reported, as is common in these studies.
- The app review is from 2022 and covered free English-language apps; apps change.
- CraveBreaker itself has not been tested in a trial. Its guides are based on Smokefree.gov and Health Canada guidance.
Who should pick something else: if you want a human coach, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or use the text programs on smokefree.gov. If you are under 18, look for the teen programs there. If withdrawal is rough, ask a clinician about medication.
This is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your clinician.
Check any quit vaping app in 30 seconds
Built from the features the 2022 review found missing most often, plus two of our own. Tick what your current app does.
0 / 5 Tick what applies.
For the record, CraveBreaker ticks all five: a two-minute quit plan, U.S. and Canada quitline info, a record that keeps your quit date and vape-free days after a slip, every craving tool free, and sourced guides.
Free covers every craving tool, the plan, the log, the journal and the first 7 missions. Premium is optional and adds all 30 missions, the 66-day path and deeper trigger insights.
Questions about quit vaping apps
Do quit vaping apps actually work?
The strongest evidence so far is for a digital text-message program, not a typical app: in a trial of 2,588 young adults, 24.1% of those who got the texts were vape-free at seven months versus 18.6% of the comparison group (Graham et al., JAMA Internal Medicine (2021)). Most vaping apps have not been tested in a trial.
What is the best free app to quit vaping?
There is no trial-tested winner. A 2022 review of eight free apps found only one linked to an efficacy trial (Sanchez et al., JMIR mHealth and uHealth (2022)). Pick one that has a quit plan, points you to a quitline and lets you keep going after a slip, and pair it with free support from smokefree.gov.
Is a quitline better than an app?
They do different jobs, and you can use both. The CDC (2024) lists 1-800-QUIT-NOW for free, confidential coaching, and suggests combining counseling with medication for the best chance of quitting.
Can nicotine medicine help me quit vaping?
The CDC (2024) says providers may suggest medications to help with withdrawal and cravings, and that FDA-approved quit medications can double the chance of quitting smoking for good. Studies on vaping specifically are still under way. Ask a doctor or pharmacist.
How long do vape cravings last?
Smokefree.gov describes cravings to vape as common but temporary, fading the longer you stay quit. No reliable source gives a fixed number of minutes.
Is CraveBreaker tested in a clinical trial?
No. CraveBreaker has not been studied in a trial. Its guides are based on Smokefree.gov and Health Canada guidance, and it is a self-help tool, not treatment.
Try it tonight
Build the plan before the next craving, not during it. Try it tonight: CraveBreaker on the App Store.
Related
- CraveBreaker: the quit vaping app for the next cravingA quit vaping app for the moment a craving hits: a 90-second reset, a craving timer and your own reasons. Every craving tool is free on iPhone.
- Free help to quit vaping: find your route in 30 secondsFree quitlines, text programs and chat coaches for quitting vaping in the US and Canada, sorted by how you like to get help. Sourced, no sign-up.
- Free quit vaping app without a subscription: 5 listings checkedIs there a free quit vaping app without a subscription? Five App Store listings checked in November 2026: what's free, what's paid, what's collected.
- How to quit vaping in college: an 8-point semester checklistAn 8-point checklist for quitting vaping in college: pick the right week, handle roommates and parties, and know your free text and quitline options.