Recovery guide

Can a sponsor track your progress in an app?

Some recovery apps let a sponsor follow your check-ins. Here is what to ask first, and exactly what a sponsor can and cannot see in My Recovery Support.

Some people want a sponsor to see how they are doing without having to explain it every day. Others would rather choose each thing they share. Both are reasonable. What matters is knowing what the person will see before you connect, so nothing comes as a surprise later.

What to ask before you connect

These apply to any recovery app, and NIMH’s privacy question is a good place to begin.

1. What exactly does the sponsor see? Ask about mood, cravings, streaks, sobriety date, and any written entries.
2. Does the sponsor get alerts? Find out whether a missed check-in or a hard day sends them a notification.
3. Can I change or stop it? Check whether you can limit what is shared, and how to end a connection.
4. Does the sponsor pay, or need an account? This can decide whether the plan works for both of you.
5. What happens in an emergency? Assume a sponsor view is not a safety system unless the app clearly says otherwise.

What a sponsor can see in My Recovery Support

My Recovery Support is coming soon for iOS and Android, so this describes the current pre-launch build. You send a connection request, and the other person decides whether to accept. Once they accept, their dashboard can show this information about you:

• Your display name and profile photo
• Your check-in streak
• Whether you checked in today, and days since your last check-in
• Your last mood, such as low, okay, or good
• A recent resilience trend, when there is enough check-in data
• Your sober-day count

The app is also set up to send a connected sponsor or mentor alerts about milestones, missed check-ins, and check-ins that report things like needing support, high cravings, or high stress. They can reply by message or send a one-tap "How are you today?" prompt.

What a sponsor cannot see

• Journal entries
• Written check-in reflections, gratitude notes, and daily goals
• Urge logs
• Recovery Coach conversations
• Your email address or phone number

The person can read messages you send them, so you choose what to say there. The summary itself has no separate off switch in the current build, and activity sharing in Settings does not change it. Decide whether you are comfortable with it before you send a request.

How to use it well

Talk first about what a check-in means to each of you. Agree on what your sponsor should do if you go quiet for a few days, and how you would rather be contacted. A low mood or a broken streak is a reason for a conversation. It should not be a verdict on you.

A summary also cannot show what is really going on, so it is no replacement for a phone call. Sponsors are usually volunteers, not clinicians, and mutual support groups are usually not run by professional clinicians. MRS does not employ, credential, or supervise sponsors or mentors.

You do not need an app for this

A daily text or a weekly call covers the same ground. A simple daily check-in routine works on paper, and you can read it aloud to your sponsor. A.A.’s sponsorship pamphlet covers common questions about the relationship itself. If you are still looking for someone, start with how to find a sponsor.

When an app is part of it, the sponsor and mentor connection page shows how requests work. A view of your check-ins can open a conversation, but the conversation is the part that helps.

This guide shares general recovery information and is not medical advice or a substitute for professional care. My Recovery Support is supportive technology, not emergency or clinical care. If you are in immediate danger, contact local emergency services or call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).