The drink free days app put together by the NHS is free to download on the Apple App Store and on Google Play. Immediately we noticed the lack of intrusive ads which often plague apps that are free to download.

The app shares our ethos that you don’t necessarily need to abstain totally, you just need to have some time off without drinking.

App Set Up

The set up is simple and straightforward. There is no need to enter any of your personal data – the app does not even ask for your name. You are able to decline notifications if you don’t want others to see what you are doing.

There is a series of initial questions that as you about the amount the you typically drink and the days that you will usually drink. The app allows you to select the size of drink, for example a standard bottle of beer compared to a pint and the strength of the drink. Once you complete the amounts you drink for each day of the week, you are asked how many days you would like to stop drinking this week.

Next comes the pledge.

You make a pledge to have this number of drink free days and afterwards are presented with some helpful tips to help you to cut back.

Monitor Your Drinking Progress

There is a handy summary that shows you the current month with the days that you had a drink and those that you abstained.

The app then performs a calculation that shows you how many calories and how much money you have saved by not drinking your usual amount.