14 best mindfulness apps to help you keep calm during a crisis

Over the past couple of years mindfulness has exploded in popularity. TechCrunch reported that during the first UK lockdown mindfulness apps saw a huge surge in demand, with downloads up to 25 per cent higher in the early weeks. But it’s not just the pandemic that’s contributed to the popularity of mental health focussed apps.

In her book, The Age of Magical Overthinking, journalist and cultural critic Amanda Montell explains that over the past 30 years, our collective mental health has taken a nosedive and as a result, we’re all increasingly seeking ways to feel more grounded, grateful and positive about our lives. Mindfulness has naturally taken centre stage, providing a way – in its various forms – to stave off anxiety, improve wellbeing and support us all through the challenges we face daily.

According to the NHS website, paying more attention to the present moment, and to thoughts and feelings, helps to improve mental wellbeing and enables people to enjoy life and understand themselves better.

Mindfulness as we know it today is rooted in principles from ancient Buddhist and Eastern philosophy mixed with modern cognitive behavioural therapy and sometimes, meditation, breathwork and somatic exercises too. Depending on which mindfulness exercises or teachers you follow, you might focus on quieting racing thoughts and reducing stress, rewiring your thought patterns, practising positive self talk or manifesting positive outcomes for yourself in challenging situations.

Of course, you don’t have to be a monk or remotely spiritual to practice mindfulness, the idea of the practise is to simply be more self aware and to improve your mental health. The issue for many people is knowing where to start with this.

Luckily, as mindfulness has grown in popularity, new apps offering mindfulness exercises, meditations and more have made it easier to start a practice and stick with it.

The vast majority of mindfulness apps are free (at least at first) and are suitable for beginners and pros alike. Each approaches mental health and mindfulness from a slightly different perspective, so it’s worth taking advantage of the free trial period that many apps offer to see which is best suited to your lifestyle and the way you think.

Some apps offer nostalgia-inducing bedtime stories, some calming background noises and others, mantras and daily meditations to help you adjust your mindset. Most use a mix of audio and video but there are also added features like journals and daily questions, so consider when you’ll be using your choice of app and what you want to get out of it.

To help you find the right mindfulness app, we’ve tested the best – from the more well-known meditation hubs to new innovations developed by neuroscientists and mental health specialists. So whether you’re a total novice or a mindfulness expert, we can guarantee there’s an app on this list for you.

The best mindfulness apps 2024:

How we tested

Our testers tried every app and judged each on its in-app features, the type of content available, the quality of the content, personalisation, look and feel and how each app affected their mood. We also looked for extras like expert support within the apps, features like a mood journal and daily reminders and of course, the cost of each app and its value for money.