This story has been updated. It was originally published on November 17, 2017.
That special someone has just stomped on your heart and left it palpitating miserably on the floor. How can you help it recover? Apps may not heal heartache, but they can ease you through the process of a breakup and make that pain a little easier to bear. Because no two relationships are alike, we’ll cover a range of emotional scenarios in this list. Even if one or two apps don’t fit your current mood, hopefully, you’ll find at least one that repairs your injured feelings.
Rx Breakup
Designed specifically to guide you through the end of a relationship, Rx Breakup provides 30 days of activities to keep you busy, focus your thoughts, and raise your spirits. Think of it like a pocket life coach combined with a personal journal. In addition to distracting you during a trying time, the app can gently take you through exercises to examine what went wrong with your relationship and explore future methods of finding happiness.
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Although the app may bring up uncomfortable feelings, it maintains a supportive tone. By the time your 30 days wind to a close, you should be in a better emotional place than you were when you first started.
Meetup
When their heart shatters, humans like to hide away alone, skulking in their burrow and eating ice cream while it watches weepy movies. This is a terrible way to actually get over its breakup. Overcome that lonely instinct with Meetup, which can force you out the door to meet new people. The localized app asks you about your interests—outdoor exploration, technology, learning new things, music, and many more—and then shows you relevant clubs in your area, along with descriptions of any events they’re organizing. Through the app, you can RSVP to activities, and connect to other members.
Don’t expect to meet a new life partner through Meetup. Instead, use the app to stay busy and interact with new faces. And if you’re still too vulnerable to put yourself out there alone, get a friend to sign up with you.
Kayak
Getting away from it all can be a good tonic for a heavy heart. While you can download a variety of travel apps (check out a few of our favorites), Kayak includes just about everything you need in one place. Its modern, intuitive interface makes it easy to compare flight, hotel, and car rental costs all at once. It can even scour other price comparison sites to broaden your range of options. When you do hit the road, it provides offline itinerary access, along with airport maps and information on travel disruption.
If you’re yearning for an escape from the everyday right now, you can enter a budget and immediately see how far it will take you at today’s rates. Take that spontaneous voyage and leave your messy relationship behind.
Mend
Mend is a self-care platform specialized in helping you overcome heartbreak and burnout, with courses, meditations, and exercises. Each course comprises a list of audio guidance snippets, which you can start and finish whenever you want—do one a day or take a break if you need to. Each session provides questions that will attempt to make you reflect, take stock, and put your past relationship in perspective.
Mend has two downsides—first, is only available for iOS, and second, even though you can buy courses separately, they can be a bit pricey. The cheapest one is $30, while an all-access subscription will set you back $199.
Mend is available for iOS and courses start at $30.
Headspace
In the days and weeks immediately after a relationship ends, you go through a riot of feelings. The meditation app Headspace can ease this emotional turmoil, encouraging you to look after your own wellbeing. It guides you through a series of mindfulness exercises, each with a different purpose. You can choose to reduce stress and anxiety, improve sleep quality and confidence, or become the best version of yourself. And the app encourages you to meditate every day: It requires nothing but your phone, the shortest exercises only take a few minutes to complete, and you can even receive daily reminders to practice.
If you want to try Headspace’s meditations, the platform provides a 14-day free trial if you sign up for a year ($70) or a 7-day trial if you sign up for a monthly subscription of $13.
Headspace is available for Android and iOS, and subscriptions start at $5.83 a month when you sign up for a year.
Breakup Boss
Another app specifically targeted at those going through a breakup, Breakup Boss incorporates guidance from relationship advice columnist Zoë Foster Blake. The goal: Take charge of your breakup instead of letting it control you. For example, it pushes you to do constructive activities, like going out and socializing, learning a new skill, or even venting your rage with a text to your ex (that never actually gets sent). You can also receive daily pep talks on your screen, as well as more detailed advice customized to your mood.
Unfortunately, that advice doesn’t come free. You can’t test out a trial version either, although you can check out the Breakup Boss website to see if it might suit your needs. However, if you think of the app as a self-help book, then its $6 to $7 price tag starts to seem like better value. Another downside is that Breakup Boss hasn’t been updated since 2017, and at least on Apple’s App Store it hasn’t disclosed its privacy policy.
Breakup Boss is available for $7.49 on Android, and $5.99 on iOS.
Tinder
Okay, okay—immediately after a breakup, not everyone will be emotionally ready to jump right back into the dating game. However, if you want to wipe out the memory of your ex with a new boo or two, download dating app Tinder. Within the simple interface, you swipe through a series of profile photos and mark the ones you’re interested in. If a person likes you back, you can message each other. Fast and fun, Tinder can set up a quick hookup or spark a long-term relationship. Between the bio pages, chatting, and Spotify integration, you can quickly get to know someone beyond their smile.
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You can swipe and message for free, or spend $8 or more to access bonus features, like Super Swipes. You can also subscribe to Tinder Plus, Gold, or Platinum, to get special features like searching through profiles not located in your current area, undoing your mistaken swipes, promoting your own profile, and other perks.
Tinder is free for Android and iOS. Extra features start at $8, and Tinder’s paid tier plans start at $9.99.