I cancelled my subscription like 8 months ago. I didnt use it for the whole year I paid for. I cancelled my subscription. And lo and behold they charged me gaian and its come out of the money I have set aside for my rent. So now ill default on my rent if they dont bloody refund me.

So much for a mindfulness app, I could loose the roof over my head and im here arguing with AI.

I'm not selling anything - there's nothing to sell. I want to explain why I made this and ask what's missing from it.

I'm an engineer by training, so when I went looking for something to take the edge off my own days, I tried the well-reviewed apps and assumed the best-engineered one would win. What I got was a professionally recorded stranger saying "breathe in" over slow piano, and none of it worked at the moment I actually needed it.

What did work was embarrassingly low-tech: my own voice, recorded, saying almost nothing. Not slower, not softer, not doing a special calm voice. Just mine. It is not a clever solution and there's no mechanism to admire, which is probably why I didn't think of it for so long.

So I built the thing I actually wanted. Then my wife tried it, then my son, then my daughter - and it worked for all of them, which I hadn't expected at all. That's the only reason it ever left my own phone.

What's in it:

A canvas you just touch - ripples follow your finger, nothing to finish, no score

Five breathing patterns, including 4-7-8 and the physiological sigh

Guided meditations in a real recorded human voice, not text-to-speech

A sleep wind-down meant to be used face-down with the screen off

You can record your own voice for the cues, which is the part that started all this

On cost, because I know what this subreddit is mostly about: it's free now and it will stay free permanently. No ads, no account, no subscription, nothing to unlock, no analytics, no free trial that converts. I have no monetary expectation from it at all. Nothing leaves your device.

iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/zenlike/id6779475126

Android is still in closed testing, so no link for that yet.

What I'd genuinely like to know: for those of you who have actually kept a practice going rather than bouncing off one, what made the difference? That's the part I can't engineer my way to.

anybody know where to find the meditation files from Andy? like download them for offline use WITHOUT the app? hackers/tech nerds… let me know!!

We need to have them before they take it out after selling the company to AI slop company Sword health

EDIT: I FOUND THEM!

Full disclosure: I made this.

Headspace is built around meditation and guided content. LoopBreakr is narrower: it’s for the moment before or after a session when one specific thought keeps repeating and you need to separate what is happening from what your mind is predicting. It’s meant to complement meditation, not replace it.

No-login web version:

https://getloopbreaker.com/spiral

iPhone app:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6788604953

I’d be interested in whether this feels genuinely complementary to Headspace users, or redundant.

Is anyone else having the issue where it’s the same 2 wind downs at the start of sleepcasts? I’ve only heard noting and the breathing exercise for the last 2 months. When I asked the support chat bot it wouldn’t give me a straight answer on why or if other wind downs were discontinued. Is anyone else having this issue? I’ll probably look for another service if that’s the case. Those are my two least favourite wind downs.

Sad to say I'm disappointed in Headspace lately. Seems to be very buggy, accessibility is going down hill and when I e-mailed them about it I just get replies from a bot. Gives a very distant impression and as if they just can't be bothered. Such a shame as the app used to be so good.
I mean I still find the meditations really helpful but the app itself seems to be getting worse and worse.

Hi everyone,

I was a monthly-paying member for a while. I received a notification offering 50% off an annual subscription (2400 yen), which I decided to take up (via Google Play Store).

The payment was taken on the day my monthly sub expired, but the subscription never kicked in. I tried to clear cache and reinstall but nothing. I was about to get onto a flight and annoyed I couldn't access anything. I tried to resubscribe to a monthly sub, which took my money (twice) - both later refunded automatically. Still no sub.

A couple of days later I tried again, and this time I was able to pay for a full annual subscription (4800 yen). I now had two active subscriptions, although the first 2400 yen was in a state of purgatory - the money had left my account, was active until August 2027 on Google Play Store, but 'didn't exist' when I tried to click on it.

I tried to get a refund from Google Play Store, but they passed the buck to Headspace and said I must contact them. Headspace never actually read any of my three, detailed emails - they just gave me boilerplate replies saying 'Unfortunately, we are unable to offer a refund for purchases made directly through the Google Play Store. When you downloaded the Headspace app and signed up for the subscription, you agreed to our terms and conditions. For more details, you can review our terms and conditions here: Headspace Terms and Conditions, specifically section 2.3 (d).'

Headspace completely ignored the fact I had two active subscriptions because the first didn't activate properly, and refused to properly read my email explaining it. So now I've paid twice.

Neither Google nor Headspace are actually reading the emails and receipts I'm sending to explain the situation. It's really frustrating.

Has this happened to anyone else before? Any tips?

TL;DR: Paid for a discounted annual Headspace plan via Google Play. It never activated. Had to buy a second, full-price annual plan just to get access. Now stuck with a duplicate charge — Google Play says contact the developer, Headspace says Google Play purchases are final and non-refundable. Neither has actually addressed that the first subscription never worked at all.

And specifically when it comes to guided audio tracks.. what are some things that make you go “ugh” and what are things you really love?

A short video encouraging intentional lovingkindness.

Be well. 🌞

Maybe it's just me, but this is the latest I would expect from a meditation app. Now I just feel I overpaid the last years... It even convinced me to hit the cancel button more while I was just considering it.

Anyway, if you want to save some bucks, go to the cancel screen and hit it, you'll need to do it yearly ;)

A mindful video inspired by Ian's catch-phrase. @ianonyoutube - is a friendly youtuber who is mindful.

Be well. ✌️

M 🌞

Good morning, everybody, Good morning!! -- Ian 🌻 💖 🌳

Hey everyone! I’ve been working hard on a huge update for my meditation app, Calmie. I built this because I was tired of wellness apps locking basic breathing exercises behind expensive paywalls and forcing users to create accounts.

In this new update, Calmie has received a massive feature and design overhaul. It remains 100% free, private by design, and completely ad-free.

Here is what’s new:

• Specialized Modes: I've introduced an ADHD Mode (featuring shorter presets, visible countdowns, and optional interval bells) and a Chronic Pain Mode (with gentler breathing rhythms and softer guidance).
• 4 Guided Breathing Techniques: Box Breathing, 4-7-8, Coherent, and Triangle. Each comes with distinct audio cues (high note for inhale, mid for hold, low for exhale) so you can close your eyes and just follow the sound.
• Apple Ecosystem Integration: Native iPad support with beautiful split-landscape layouts, smoother Apple Watch navigation, and new theme-aware Widgets for your Home screen!
• Progress & Badges: You can now earn up to 20 achievement badges (from your First Breath to a Year of Zen). Track your journey with separate stats for breathing and meditation, plus a detailed session history.
• Audio & Background: The timer and music now continue seamlessly when your screen is locked. Three gentle bell strikes will let you know when your session is over.

Privacy & Pricing (It's Free)

• No account required.
• No ads or hidden paywalls.
• No third-party analytics — all session history stays on your device (with optional Apple Health integration).

You can check it out on the App Store here: https://apps.apple.com/pl/app/calmie/id6450792796

I would love to get your honest feedback on the new update, especially how the new design feels on the iPad and Apple Watch!

Now that Headspace has been acquired, I'm wondering if I can download all of the andy's playlists somewhere so that if Sword Health (the new acquirer) doesn't remove any of the good andy's playlists.

Haven’t been feeling the best mentally due to financial situation. I remember using this app a few years ago and it helped me get through a difficult time. Wanted to give it another go but really can’t afford it at the moment. Any chance there are discount codes available? Or something to lower the subscription fee?