Waking Up: Meditation & Wisdom

In-app purchases
4,7
41,4K reviews
1M+
Downloads
Content rating
Rated for 3+
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About this app

Recognized as a 2025 Pick by NYT Wirecutter

Thousands worldwide call Waking Up life-changing. Whether you want better sleep, more clarity, or deeper meditation, Waking Up is your complete guide.

What’s Inside

• Introductory Course—a transformative 28-day program, for both beginners and experienced meditators
• Daily Meditations—regular guided sessions with Sam Harris
• Moments—short reflections when you need them most
• Daily Quotes—a spark of insight each day
• Reflections—breif lessons that shift perspective
• Sleep—talks and meditations to help you rest
• Meditation Timer—customize your own sessions
• A vast library of meditations, theory sessions, life courses, conversations, and Q&As
• Community—connect with members to discuss meditation, philosophy, psychedelics, and more


Why Waking Up Stands Out

Unlike conventional meditation apps, Waking Up blends practice with theory—so you not only learn to meditate but also understand how it transforms your mind. It’s meditation, science, and timeless wisdom in one place.

Topics & Techniques

Our library combines contemplative traditions with modern science, offering tools for both practice and understanding. Techniques include mindfulness (Vipassana), Loving-Kindness, body scans, yoga nidra, and nondual awareness practices from Dzogchen, Zen, and Advaita Vedanta. Topics span neuroscience, psychology, Stoicism, ethics, psychedelics, productivity, and happiness.

Content & Teachers

Created by neuroscientist and best-selling author Sam Harris, Waking Up features leading voices in meditation, philosophy, and psychology:

• Practice—Vipassana, Zen, Dzogchen, Advaita Vedanta (Joseph Goldstein, Diana Winston, Adyashanti, Henry Shukman, Richard Lang)
• Theory—Philosophy and science of consciousness, ethics, and well-being (Alan Watts, Charlotte Joko Beck, Joan Tollifson, James Low, Douglas Harding)
• Life—Mindfulness in relationships, productivity, Stoicism, and more (David Whyte, Oliver Burkeman, Matthew Walker, Amanda Knox, Donald Robertson, Bob Waldinger)
• Conversations—Sam Harris with Yuval Noah Harari, Michael Pollan, Morgan Housel, Roland Griffiths, Cal Newport, Shinzen Young, and more
• Q&As—Sam Harris with Joseph Goldstein, Adyashanti, Henry Shukman, Jack Kornfield, Loch Kelly

Created by Sam Harris

Neuroscientist and best-selling author Sam Harris built Waking Up as the resource he wished he’d had when he began meditating 30 years ago. Every practice, course, and teacher is chosen for its power to change lives.

Testimonials

“Waking Up has led to my most consistent meditation practice. Family and staff also use it because it’s such a powerful tool.” —Andrew Huberman, neuroscientist

“Waking Up is a critical part of my daily practice. It’s my go-to for presence, peace, and well-being.” —Rich Roll, athlete & author

“Waking Up is the most important meditation guide I’ve ever used.” —Peter Attia, MD

“If you’ve had trouble getting into meditation, this app is your answer!” —Susan Cain, best-selling author

Free for Anyone Who Can’t Afford It

We never want money to be the reason someone can’t benefit.

Subscriptions renew unless auto-renew is disabled 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage in Apple account settings. Payment charged to your Apple account.

Terms: https://wakingup.com/terms-of-service/

Privacy: https://wakingup.com/privacy-policy/

Satisfaction guarantee: Email support@wakingup.com for a full refund.
Updated on
27 Oct 2025

Data safety

Safety starts with understanding how developers collect and share your data. Data privacy and security practices may vary based on your use, region and age. The developer provided this information and may update it over time.
No data shared with third parties
Learn more about how developers declare sharing
This app may collect these data types
Location, Personal info and 4 others
Data is encrypted in transit
You can request that data be deleted

Ratings and reviews

4,7
40,7K reviews
A Google user
08 May 2019
At first I was like, meh, is this dude thinking I'd pay to listen to his audioblog? But my opinion changed once I got through the intro course. This app is very different from other meditation apps on the market. While it's easy to use those just to unwind, Waking up seems like serious and sometimes hard work. It is a well thought-out training program for the mind, which lacks what you would expect (i.e. there is no mandatory “body scan” meditation) and surprises you with unexpected (i.e. open eyed meditations, looking for your head, whatever that means). New content is added regularly.
12 people found this review helpful
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Habib Benhamida
10 July 2022
I've used this app for one week until now. It's really not just another meditation app, it has a sleek design which allows to explore freely, it allows you to find what works for you easily since it doesn't bombard you with tons of useless stuff. Also, it really holds a deeper meaning. When I first started meditating I thought it's just about getting calm and sleeping better, it's far beyond that, I feel I have really discovered the secret of life. Thank you Sam for changing my life!
14 people found this review helpful
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Ilia Antipin
11 April 2021
This app is a game changer. I have always been interested in meditation and exploring consciousness but the previous techniques and teachers I had tried were too rigorous and I dropped them fast. However, Sam's method is more undemanding and therefore doesn't feel like a chore. I have derived many positive thoughts and experiences and feel like I understand my consciousness a bit better. The Moments are pregnant with meaning and keep your thoughts away from the rabbit hole of daily worries.
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What's new

We’ve improved search. You can now filter the whole library by session length, speaker, or newly added content. On the Explore page, tap the magnifying glass in the top left corner. You’ll see a new filter icon next to the search field. Find the topic, teacher, or track length you’re looking for.
Discover something new.