Everything AA

Review by eFreeware

Anyone working a 12 step program tends to accumulate materials in scattered places: a paperback Big Book on the shelf, a phone full of bookmarked meeting links, a PDF of the traditions, an audio file passed along by a sponsor. Keeping track of all of it takes effort that could go into the program itself. Everything AA is built to collapse those pieces into one place.

The app comes from A.A. World Services, Inc. and sits in the Lifestyle category. It is free to install, carries no ads, and offers in-app purchases. It has been available since May 2021 and has passed 500,000 installs on Google Play, where it holds a 4.9 average across 29,711 ratings and 3,297 written reviews. For a reference app in this space, that is a strong signal that people are finding what they came for.

The core texts, in reading and listening form

The library is the heart of the app. The Big Book appears in both text and audiobook form, so the same material works whether you prefer to read a passage or hear it. The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions are handled the same way, with text and audio versions available. Living Sober is included as text.

Beyond the main volumes, the app carries a set of shorter pieces: How it Works, the Twelve Steps, the Twelve Traditions, the Preamble, AA meeting cards, the sponsorship pamphlet and the AA prayers. These are the documents people reach for constantly in early recovery, and having them together means less hunting around. The Joe and Charlie audio tapes are also part of the collection, which adds a well-known spoken resource to the mix.

The Daily Reflection rounds out the reading side, giving the app a natural daily rhythm. My sense is that this combination is what makes the app useful over months rather than days: there is a reason to open it every morning, and a deeper library waiting when you want to sit with a longer text.

Finding a meeting wherever you happen to be

The meeting finder is the other half of the app's purpose. It covers online meetings worldwide, which matters for anyone traveling, working odd hours, or living somewhere with few local options. Version 2.0 brought a built-in meeting guide for finding a meeting at any hour.

What appeals to me about that integration is the handoff. The app can open a meeting automatically in your video conferencing apps, so the step between deciding to attend and actually being in the room is short. Anyone who has fumbled with a copied link five minutes before a meeting starts will understand why that matters.

The most recent update adjusted the placement of the OIAA online meeting button and included a backend software update. Neither is dramatic, but both suggest the meeting side of the app is being maintained rather than left alone, which is reassuring for something you might depend on at an inconvenient hour.

A counter for the days that add up

A sobriety counter tracks how many days you have. It is a small feature next to a full literature library, but for many people it is the number they check most often, and having it inside the same app as the readings and meetings means one less thing to remember.

I would treat the counter as a companion to the rest rather than the reason to install. It gives a concrete figure to hold onto, while the texts and the meeting finder give you something to do with the day that figure represents. Together they cover the practical side of a program without much ceremony.

What you need before you start

The material is available without much setup. The resources are included, and the app is free to install, which keeps the barrier low for someone who is new to this and not sure what they want yet.

The one thing worth flagging is that the app does offer in-app purchases. The resources are provided at no cost and without ads, so the purchases are not something I can map to a specific feature.

The meeting finder is built around online meetings and can hand off to your video conferencing apps. That is the model the app is designed around, so the meeting side of it is a connected experience by nature.

Who gets the most from this

This is a natural fit for someone actively working the steps who wants the literature, the audio and the meeting list in one place instead of spread across several apps and a bookshelf. It also suits people who travel or keep irregular hours and need to find an online meeting outside their usual schedule.

It works well for anyone who prefers listening to reading, since the Big Book and the Twelve and Twelve both come in audio, and the Joe and Charlie tapes add another spoken option. The Daily Reflection gives the app a reason to be opened every day, which is where a reference tool like this earns its keep.

The content rating is Everyone 10+, and the app is aimed at adults working a program. If you are looking for something to hand to a newcomer who is just starting out, the combination of a day counter, the core readings and a meeting finder covers the ground most people need first.

A free library worth keeping on your phone

Everything AA does one job well: it puts the standard Alcoholics Anonymous materials and a worldwide online meeting finder into a single free app, with no ads and a sobriety counter on top. The 4.9 average across nearly 30,000 ratings suggests it delivers on that promise for the people using it.

I would recommend it to anyone in a 12 step program who wants the texts, the audio and the meetings together, and to anyone who needs to find an online meeting at an awkward hour. The in-app purchases are the one thing to look into before spending, since nothing explains what they cover. For everyone else, this is a straightforward install.

What's new in version 5.01

* Adjusted OIAA online meeting button placement * Backend software update