Overview
- A meta-analysis in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine pooled 31 randomized trials with 12,802 participants published between 2018 and 2025.
- Apps used alone were associated with nearly triple the rate of six-month continuous abstinence versus no or minimal support, equating to about 40 additional quitters per 1,000 people based on low-certainty evidence from four studies.
- When paired with standard interventions, apps nearly doubled six-month abstinence compared with those interventions alone, and apps plus pharmacotherapy improved six-month quitting by 77% versus pharmacotherapy alone, both from low-certainty subsets.
- Apps grounded in psychological-behavioral theory outperformed traditional-behavioral apps, with 69% higher abstinence at three months and 36% at six months supported by high-certainty evidence.
- Many trials relied on self-reported quitting, had substantial dropout, and were concentrated in high-income countries, leading authors to call for larger studies with biochemical verification and clearer reporting of app features.