A comprehensive guide to using the Smoking Cessation App effectively.
Welcome to the Smoking Cessation App User Guide. This comprehensive guide will help you navigate and make the most of our app's features to support your journey to quit smoking. Our app is designed to provide personalized support through every stage of your quit journey, from preparation to long-term maintenance.
The Smoking Cessation App combines evidence-based approaches with cutting-edge technology to create a personalized experience that addresses your unique smoking patterns, triggers, and preferences. By following this guide, you'll learn how to use all the app's features effectively to maximize your chances of quitting successfully.
Note: This guide covers the Android version of the app. iOS and web versions will be available in the future with similar functionality.
To install the Smoking Cessation App on your Android device, follow these steps:
The app requires Android 8.0 (Oreo) or higher and approximately 50MB of storage space. For optimal performance, we recommend having at least 100MB of free space on your device.
When you first open the app, you'll be guided through the account creation process. This is essential for saving your personalized plan and tracking your progress. Here's how to create your account:
Your data is securely stored and used only to personalize your experience and improve the app. We never share your personal information with third parties without your explicit consent.
Tip: Use a personal email address that you check regularly, as we'll send important notifications and support materials to this address.
The Smoking Cessation App features an intuitive navigation system designed to provide easy access to all features. The main navigation elements include:
Bottom Navigation Bar: This provides access to the five main sections of the app:
Top App Bar: Contains the app title, notifications icon, and settings menu. Tap the settings icon (gear symbol) to access app settings, account information, and help resources.
Gesture Navigation: The app supports standard Android gestures, including swiping between related screens and pull-to-refresh for updating content.
After creating your account, you'll be guided through a comprehensive assessment designed to understand your unique smoking habits, triggers, and preferences. This assessment is the foundation for your personalized cessation plan.
The assessment is divided into six sections, each focusing on different aspects of your smoking behavior and quit journey:
Basic Smoking Habits: This section gathers information about your current smoking patterns, including how many cigarettes you smoke per day, how soon after waking you have your first cigarette, how many years you've been smoking, and what types of tobacco products you use. These questions help determine your level of nicotine dependence, which is a critical factor in developing your personalized plan.
Previous Quit Attempts: Here, you'll share information about your past experiences trying to quit smoking. Questions cover how many times you've tried to quit, what methods you've used (such as cold turkey, nicotine replacement therapy, or medications), how long your longest quit attempt lasted, and what factors led to relapse. Understanding your quit history helps identify strategies that might work best for you and potential challenges to address.
Social and Environmental Factors: This section explores the role of smoking in your social life and environment. Questions address whether there are other smokers in your household or workplace, where you most commonly smoke, what activities or emotions trigger your smoking, and any smoking restrictions you encounter daily. These insights help develop strategies for managing social and environmental triggers.
Motivation and Readiness: Here, you'll reflect on your reasons for wanting to quit, how important quitting is to you on a scale of 1-10, how confident you feel about quitting, your preferred timeline for quitting, and your preferred approach (cold turkey vs. gradual reduction). These questions help gauge your readiness to quit and align your plan with your motivation level.
Health and Lifestyle: This section gathers information about health conditions that might affect your quit journey, your typical stress levels, physical activity habits, sleep patterns, and alcohol consumption. These factors can significantly impact your quit success and help determine what additional support might be beneficial.
Support Preferences: Finally, you'll indicate your preferences for types of support (informational, emotional, practical), whether you're interested in using cessation aids like nicotine replacement therapy, how you prefer to learn new information, and how frequently you'd like to interact with the app. These preferences help tailor the delivery of your cessation support.
To get the most personalized and effective cessation plan, consider these tips when completing your assessment:
Be completely honest in your responses. The assessment isn't designed to judge you but to understand your unique situation and create the most effective plan for you. Underreporting your smoking or overestimating your confidence might result in a plan that doesn't adequately address your needs.
Take your time with each question. Reflect on your answers rather than rushing through. The more thoughtful your responses, the more tailored your plan will be. Most users complete the assessment in 5-10 minutes, but it's fine to take longer if needed.
Complete the assessment in a quiet environment where you can focus without distractions. This will help you provide more accurate and thoughtful responses.
If you're unsure about exact numbers (like cigarettes per day), provide your best estimate based on your typical patterns rather than leaving questions blank.
Note: You can update your assessment responses later if your situation changes or if you realize some of your initial answers weren't accurate. Go to Settings > Update Assessment to make changes.
After completing the assessment, the app will generate your personalized cessation plan. This plan is tailored to your specific needs, preferences, and circumstances based on your assessment responses and evidence-based approaches to smoking cessation.
Your personalized plan consists of several key components, each designed to support different aspects of your quit journey:
Quit Approach: Based on your nicotine dependence level, previous quit attempts, and preferences, the app will recommend one of three approaches: cold turkey (quitting completely on your quit date), gradual reduction (systematically reducing cigarettes before quitting), or scheduled smoking (restricting smoking to specific times before quitting). The recommended approach is selected based on what's most likely to be successful for your specific situation, but you can change it if you prefer a different method.
Preparation Phase: This phase includes activities and tasks designed to prepare you for quitting. Depending on your dependence level and selected approach, this phase might last from a few days to several weeks. Activities include identifying and planning for triggers, practicing coping strategies, gathering support resources, and modifying your environment to support quitting.
Quit Date: Your plan includes a recommended quit date based on your readiness and the length of your preparation phase. This date is significant as it marks the beginning of your smoke-free life. The app provides special support around this date to help you through the transition.
Daily Activities: Each day of your plan includes specific activities designed to support your quit journey. These might include educational content about withdrawal symptoms, exercises for managing cravings, stress reduction techniques, or reflection prompts. Activities are sequenced to provide the right support at the right time based on typical withdrawal and recovery patterns.
Coping Strategies: Your plan includes personalized coping strategies for managing triggers and cravings based on your specific trigger patterns identified in the assessment. These strategies are evidence-based techniques that have been shown to help people manage the urge to smoke.
Support Recommendations: Based on your preferences and needs, your plan may include recommendations for additional support, such as nicotine replacement therapy, specific types of physical activity, or ways to engage your social support network.
Your cessation plan is organized into distinct phases, each with specific goals and support strategies:
Preparation Phase (1-3 weeks): This phase focuses on building your readiness to quit and developing the skills you'll need for success. During this time, you'll learn about what to expect when you quit, identify your personal triggers, practice coping strategies, and prepare your environment and support system. The length of this phase is personalized based on your dependence level and readiness to quit.
Acute Withdrawal Phase (2 weeks): Beginning on your quit date, this phase provides intensive support during the period when physical withdrawal symptoms are typically most challenging. You'll receive frequent check-ins, encouragement, and specific strategies for managing withdrawal symptoms and intense cravings. The app will help you track your symptoms and provide relevant support based on what you're experiencing.
Early Recovery Phase (4 weeks): As physical symptoms begin to diminish, this phase focuses on the psychological aspects of quitting and establishing new habits to replace smoking. You'll work on breaking associations between daily activities and smoking, developing healthy coping mechanisms for stress and emotions, and building confidence in your smoke-free identity.
Sustained Recovery Phase (5+ months): This extended phase focuses on maintaining your quit over the long term. Support gradually decreases in frequency but remains available when needed. The focus shifts to preventing relapse in challenging situations, solidifying your smoke-free identity, and recognizing the growing benefits of being smoke-free.
Your cessation plan isn't static—it evolves based on your progress, challenges, and feedback:
The app regularly checks in to assess how you're doing and what challenges you're facing. Based on your responses, it may adjust your plan to provide more support in specific areas or modify strategies that aren't working well for you.
You can manually adjust aspects of your plan through the Plan section of the app. Tap the "Adjust Plan" button to access options for changing your quit date, switching your quit approach, or modifying the intensity of support.
If you experience a slip (smoking after your quit date), the app will help you adjust your plan to address what led to the slip and strengthen your strategies moving forward, rather than starting over completely.
Tip: Be open with the app about challenges you're facing. The more accurately it understands your experience, the better it can adjust your plan to support you effectively.
The AI Assistant, powered by Gemini 2.5 Pro, is a core feature of the Smoking Cessation App. It provides personalized, context-aware support throughout your quit journey, offering both emotional encouragement and practical advice exactly when you need it.
The AI Assistant is accessed through the Chat tab in the bottom navigation bar. The interface is designed to be intuitive and similar to messaging apps you're likely familiar with:
Your conversation history appears in the main area of the screen, with your messages on the right (in blue bubbles) and the assistant's responses on the left (in white bubbles).
At the bottom of the screen is a text input field where you can type your messages to the assistant. Tap the send button (paper airplane icon) to send your message.
The assistant typically responds within seconds. While waiting for a response, you'll see a typing indicator (three dots) to show that the assistant is preparing its reply.
You can scroll up to view your conversation history. The app saves your complete chat history so you can refer back to previous advice or conversations.
In the top right corner of the Chat screen, you'll find options to clear your chat history or access help about using the AI Assistant.
The AI Assistant is designed to provide comprehensive support throughout your quit journey. Here are some of the ways you can use it:
Craving Support: When you're experiencing a craving, message the assistant for immediate coping strategies. For example, you might say, "I'm having a strong craving right now after dinner" or "I'm at a party and everyone is smoking." The assistant will provide tailored strategies based on your specific situation and trigger patterns.
Emotional Support: The assistant can provide encouragement, validation, and perspective when you're feeling discouraged, frustrated, or anxious about quitting. Try messages like "I'm feeling really stressed about quitting" or "I'm proud I made it through a difficult situation without smoking."
Information and Education: Ask the assistant questions about withdrawal symptoms, the benefits of quitting, how nicotine affects the body, or other smoking cessation topics. For example: "Why am I having trouble sleeping since I quit?" or "How long will the cravings last?"
Plan Guidance: Get help understanding or navigating your cessation plan with questions like "What should I focus on this week?" or "Can you explain why my plan recommends nicotine replacement therapy?"
Progress Reflection: The assistant can help you reflect on your progress and recognize achievements. Try prompts like "What improvements might I be experiencing after two weeks?" or "Help me recognize the progress I've made so far."
Relapse Prevention and Recovery: If you're feeling at risk of relapse or have experienced a slip, the assistant can provide non-judgmental support and help you get back on track. For example: "I slipped and had a cigarette today. I'm feeling terrible about it" or "I'm going to a stressful family event and I'm worried I'll smoke."
To get the most helpful responses from the AI Assistant, consider these tips:
Be specific about what you're experiencing or what help you need. For example, instead of just saying "I'm struggling," try "I'm struggling with cravings when I drink coffee in the morning."
Feel free to express emotions honestly. The assistant is designed to respond with empathy and won't judge you for feeling frustrated, angry, or discouraged.
Ask follow-up questions if you need more information or clarification. The assistant can build on previous responses to provide more detailed or specific guidance.
If a suggestion doesn't seem right for you, let the assistant know. For example: "That breathing technique didn't help much with my cravings. Do you have other suggestions?"
Remember that while the AI Assistant is sophisticated and personalized, it's not a replacement for human medical professionals. For medical concerns or emergencies, always consult a healthcare provider.
Note: The assistant learns from your interactions to provide more personalized support over time. Your conversations help it understand your preferences, challenges, and what strategies work best for you.
The Progress section of the app provides powerful tools for visualizing your quit journey, monitoring health improvements, and celebrating achievements. Tracking your progress can significantly boost motivation and help you recognize the benefits of quitting, even when the journey feels challenging.
To access your progress tracking features, tap the Progress icon in the bottom navigation bar. The main Progress screen displays an overview of your key metrics, including:
Smoke-Free Days: A counter showing the number of days since your quit date. This is your most immediate measure of success and resets only if you indicate a full relapse (not just a slip).
Money Saved: A calculation of how much money you've saved by not buying cigarettes, based on your pre-quit cigarette consumption and the cost per pack you provided in your assessment. This amount accumulates over time and can be a powerful motivator.
Health Timeline: A visual representation of health improvements you're experiencing based on scientific research about recovery after quitting smoking. As you reach each milestone (e.g., carbon monoxide levels normalizing, lung function improving), the app notifies you and adds it to your timeline.
Craving Tracker: A graph showing the frequency and intensity of your cravings over time. This helps you visualize how cravings typically decrease in both frequency and intensity as you progress in your quit journey.
Mood Tracker: A visualization of your mood patterns throughout your quit journey, helping you identify emotional triggers and see improvements in your overall well-being over time.
Achievement Badges: Visual rewards for reaching significant milestones in your quit journey, such as completing your first day smoke-free, saving your first $100, or experiencing specific health improvements.
To update your progress data, the app will send you regular check-in notifications asking about cravings, mood, and whether you've remained smoke-free. You can also manually log this information at any time by tapping the "Log Update" button on the Progress screen.
For a more detailed view of any metric, tap on its card on the main Progress screen. This will take you to a dedicated screen with more comprehensive data visualization and information about that specific aspect of your progress.
Tip: Share your progress milestones with supportive friends and family to increase accountability and celebration of your achievements. You can easily share by tapping the "Share" button on any progress metric.
Cravings are a normal part of the quit process, and the app provides multiple tools to help you manage them effectively. Understanding and preparing for cravings can significantly increase your chances of remaining smoke-free.
The app includes a dedicated Craving Management tool, accessible from both the Dashboard and Resources sections. This tool offers immediate support when you're experiencing a craving:
When you feel a craving coming on, open the app and tap "I'm Having a Craving" on your Dashboard, or navigate to Resources > Craving Management.
The app will ask you to rate the intensity of your craving on a scale of 1-10 and identify what triggered it (e.g., finishing a meal, feeling stressed, seeing someone smoke).
Based on your responses, the app will suggest specific coping strategies tailored to your situation. These might include breathing exercises, distraction techniques, physical activities, or mindfulness practices.
Follow the guided activity to help manage your craving. Most activities take 3-5 minutes, which is often enough time for the acute craving to subside.
After completing the activity, the app will ask you to rate your craving again to track the effectiveness of the strategy.
Over time, the app learns which strategies work best for your specific triggers and craving patterns, making its suggestions increasingly effective.
In addition to the immediate craving management tool, the app provides educational resources about cravings in the Resources section, including:
Information about the physical and psychological nature of cravings
The typical pattern of cravings over time (frequency and intensity)
A comprehensive library of coping strategies you can practice before cravings hit
Guidance on identifying and preparing for your personal trigger situations
Note: Remember that cravings are temporary and will pass whether you smoke or not. Most cravings last only 3-5 minutes, though they can feel much longer when you're experiencing them.
Setbacks are a common part of the quitting process, and how you respond to them can significantly impact your long-term success. The Smoking Cessation App is designed to help you navigate setbacks constructively and continue your quit journey.
The app distinguishes between two types of setbacks:
Slips: Smoking on one or a few occasions after your quit date, followed by a return to not smoking. Slips are common and don't mean your quit attempt has failed.
Relapses: Returning to regular smoking patterns after a period of abstinence.
If you experience a slip or relapse, the app provides a supportive, non-judgmental process to help you get back on track:
Log the setback in the app by tapping "I've Had a Setback" on your Dashboard or in the Progress section. You'll be asked to provide details about what happened, including when you smoked, how much, and what circumstances led to the setback.
The app will guide you through a constructive reflection process, helping you identify the triggers or situations that led to the setback and what you might learn from the experience.
Based on your reflection, the app will help you develop specific strategies to handle similar situations in the future and adjust your cessation plan if needed.
For a slip, your quit date and smoke-free days counter will remain unchanged, but the app will provide additional support for the specific triggers you identified.
For a relapse, the app will help you set a new quit date and adjust your plan based on what you've learned from your previous attempt, rather than starting from scratch.
The AI Assistant is particularly helpful during setbacks, providing emotional support and perspective. Don't hesitate to use the Chat feature to process your feelings about the setback and get encouragement to continue your quit journey.
Important: Many successful quitters have experienced setbacks before achieving long-term abstinence. A setback doesn't erase the progress you've made or mean you can't quit successfully. It's an opportunity to learn and strengthen your quit plan.
The Resources section of the app provides a comprehensive library of educational materials, tools, and support resources to enhance your quit journey. To access the Resource Library, tap the Resources icon in the bottom navigation bar.
The Resource Library is organized into several categories for easy navigation:
Educational Content: Articles, videos, and infographics about smoking addiction, the quitting process, withdrawal symptoms, benefits of quitting, and other relevant topics. This content is evidence-based and designed to help you understand what's happening in your body and mind as you quit.
Coping Strategies: A collection of techniques and exercises for managing cravings, stress, negative emotions, and challenging situations without smoking. Each strategy includes step-by-step instructions and information about when it might be most helpful.
Relaxation Tools: Guided breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation sessions, and other relaxation techniques specifically designed to help with the stress and anxiety that can accompany quitting smoking.
Success Stories: Inspirational accounts from former smokers who have successfully quit, highlighting their challenges, strategies, and the benefits they've experienced since quitting.
External Resources: Links to additional support options, including quitlines, local cessation programs, healthcare provider guidance, and online communities for people quitting smoking.
You can bookmark any resource for easy access later by tapping the bookmark icon in the top right corner of the resource page. Your bookmarked resources appear in a special "Bookmarks" section at the top of the Resource Library.
The app will occasionally recommend specific resources based on your progress, challenges you've reported, or the phase of your quit journey. These personalized recommendations appear on your Dashboard and as notifications.
Tip: Set aside regular time to explore the Resource Library, especially in the preparation phase before your quit date. Familiarizing yourself with the available resources before you need them can make them more effective when cravings or challenges arise.
The Settings section allows you to customize your app experience, manage your account, and control notifications. To access Settings, tap the gear icon in the top right corner of any screen.
The Settings menu includes the following options:
Account Settings: Manage your profile information, change your password, update your email address, or delete your account.
Notification Preferences: Control which notifications you receive and how often. You can customize notifications for daily check-ins, achievement milestones, plan activities, and motivational messages. We recommend keeping critical notifications enabled for check-ins and plan activities to maximize the effectiveness of your quit plan.
Update Assessment: Retake or update your initial assessment if your smoking habits or preferences have changed significantly since you first completed it.
Data & Privacy: Review the app's privacy policy, manage your data, and control data sharing options. You can also export your progress data for personal records or to share with healthcare providers.
Appearance: Customize the app's visual theme (light, dark, or system default) and text size for better readability.
Support & Feedback: Access help resources, report issues, or provide feedback about the app. Your feedback helps us improve the app for you and other users.
About: View information about the app version, terms of service, and acknowledgments.
Note: Some settings, such as notification preferences, can significantly impact your experience with the app and the effectiveness of your quit plan. Consider changes carefully, especially during the critical early phases of quitting.
If you encounter issues while using the Smoking Cessation App, here are solutions to common problems:
App Crashes or Freezes:
Login Issues:
Missing or Delayed Notifications:
Progress Data Issues:
AI Assistant Not Responding:
For any issues not covered here, or if the suggested solutions don't resolve your problem, please contact our support team through Settings > Support & Feedback or email support@smokingcessationapp.com. When reporting issues, please include:
Our support team typically responds within 24-48 hours on business days.