What do you think of meditation apps?

[OnceMore]

Mainly thinking of the app called 'Headspace'.

Should a person who is meditating for the first time use an app like this to distinguish between actually meditating or just 'thinking, but with their eyes closed'

Is an app like this just a crutch?

[ADD]

Headspace is great imo. I use it every day.

[Sahil Pandit]

@OnceMore I am more of a warm blanket and stop watch type of guy 

[Sine]

I use different guided meditations around every other day, but I try to be aware of the times i do it because I don’t feel I can handle the all-alone space - then I don’t use the guide and do it on my own instead to confront the feeling. But I think guides can be a great tool sometimes.

[LukeThomas]

@OnceMore Insight Timer, and Headspace are great meditation apps for beginners. They offer both guided, semi-guided, and unguided meditations. Essentially what these apps provide is a timer and log to keep track of your meditation progress. Insight timer is free. Headspace is free with very limited content. Headspace offers a paid subscription that contains meditations on topics like motivation, focus, recovery, rehab, sleep, acceptance, and many more. 
You do not need either app to meditate.
These apps helped me build a foundation in my meditation habit and are perfect for beginners. As you advance you will see them as basically a premium timer/stopwatch app.

[Max_V]

I like insight timer because it tracks how much you meditate very well.

Seeing the statistics from a while back next to today is motivating

[Joseph Maynor]

Nah.  All you need is a cellphone timer.  

[YaNanNallari]

I mainly see them as introductory things that make meditation more easily digestible.

[Psyche_92]

Insight Timer is pretty good.

[TriteNTrue]

@OnceMore i use headspace - i find the videos and the guided portions very useful, especially in subtly understanding the why. 

[Mendi]

Meditation apps are good. Nothing like learning to meditate by yourself though. You are able to relax anywhere really, and the benefits are a lot more in my experience. You can take a virtual class (hackself.org) or learn in person (tm.org).

Keep on meditating! It is a life-changer.

[Morten]

I use https://www.calm.com/

It has quite a lot of different meditaion programs, most of them are not free however.

I use Open ended meditaion with 10 minute bell played, since I use different techniques and it keeps me stay alert.

Also huge plus is that it counts the time you spent meditating and how many consecutive days you have meditated. This is very helpful for the beginners who still struggle with making it a habit.