Wellness App Adds 'Guilt-Free Mode' That Is Just the Regular App
Mindful, the wellness app that has been sending you notifications about your stress levels since 2022, announced this week the launch of Guilt-Free Mode, a new feature that the company describes as "a compassionate, judgment-free experience" and which, upon closer inspection, is the regular app with a different color scheme.
"We heard from our users that they sometimes felt pressure to engage with the app," said the company's Chief Wellness Officer, a title that did not exist five years ago. "Guilt-Free Mode removes that pressure by making the notifications slightly rounder."
What Guilt-Free Mode Actually Does
Guilt-Free Mode, which requires a $4.99/month upgrade from the existing $12.99/month subscription, offers the following changes from the standard experience:
The streak counter, which previously displayed your consecutive days of app usage in a large red number when you missed a day, now displays it in a large orange number. The notification that says "You haven't checked in today — your stress score may be rising" now says "Hey! Just checking in. Your stress score may be rising." The breathing exercise that previously began with "You're behind on your wellness goals" now begins with "You're doing great!" before informing you that you're behind on your wellness goals.
The spoof daily wellness desk has been covering the guilt-industrial complex for two years now. This is a natural evolution.
User Response
Early adopters of Guilt-Free Mode report mixed results. "I feel less judged by the app," said one user, "but I'm still getting four notifications a day about my sleep debt, so I'm not sure what changed." Another user noted that the Guilt-Free Mode onboarding screen, which asks you to set your wellness intentions for the month, made her feel guilty about not having any.
The xcalitoy content strategy desk has been tracking the wellness app space and notes that "guilt-free" is now the third most common marketing claim in the category, after "science-backed" and "personalized," both of which also mean nothing specific.
The Broader Trend
Mindful is not alone. Several competitors have launched similar features in recent months. Calm introduced "No Pressure Mode," which is identical to regular Calm but sends you a notification if you haven't used No Pressure Mode in three days. Headspace launched "Self-Compassion Settings," which allow you to choose how harshly the app judges you for not meditating, with options ranging from "Gentle" to "Firm" to "Standard."
The girl next up has been writing about the wellness industry's relationship with women specifically — the way products designed to reduce anxiety reliably produce it. This is the same phenomenon in app form.
Mindful's stock rose 3% on the announcement. The company's next planned feature is a "Rest Day" option that allows users to take a break from the app, which will send them a notification every four hours to remind them that they're taking a break from the app and ask if they're ready to come back.
Guilt-Free Mode is available now. The wicked youth review is: it's fine. It's the same app. You already know if you want it.