InnerAI: AI-Based Meditation and Mindfulness App Development
Sharing Onix’s experience in developing mindfulness apps with AI features
See how we built a mobile app that enables every user to experience meditation as it should be – deeply personal and profoundly effective – anywhere and anytime.
Health & Wellness
Industry
3 specialists
Team size
USA
Location
5 months
Project duration
[ Business context ]
The AI-based meditation and mindfulness app development was envisioned by Jimmy Gambier, the founder and CEO of InnerVR, Inc.
When Onix’s developers were building the virtual reality-based relaxation application, Mr. Gambier decided to try a new commercial direction – mobile meditation platform development – and a more user-oriented approach. He came up with an idea to leverage AI to tailor every meditation session to each user’s unique needs and preferences.
He envisioned a mobile application that would:
Generate unique meditations specifically for each user instead of generic stress-relief sessions with pre-recorded guidance.
Craft each meditation session so that it dives into the user’s specific stressors and pulls from their life experiences.
Learn from interactions with the user to tailor their meditation practice to their individual needs and teach effective coping mechanisms.
Provide personalized daily insights to guide users toward balance and peace of mind.
Target the US market, where the majority of users use Apple devices.
[ Product scope ]
Onix’s experts had to:
Develop a minimum viable product (MVP) with the core feature set required to provide personalized meditation sessions and a basic intuitive user interface
Focus on iOS app development first
Deliver the MVP within one month
Do you need help with AI-based personalized meditation app development? Our experts are at your service!
Project phases:
01
Thanks to active communication during the InnerVR development, our team knew how to build a meditation app with AI features to the client’s specifications and what limitations to avoid. This facilitated better-informed decision-making and effective planning. No UX/UI prototyping was required.
02
Within a month, Onix’s team created the application’s basic architecture with all the necessary components.
03
After the InnerAI launch, the team focused on improving and modifying the initial functionality for about 4 months.
04
In less than 6 months of the AI-based personalized meditation app development, we delivered a working product that allows users to take their smartphone, sign up, create meditations based on their personal information, and then save and listen to those meditations while tracking their mindfulness progress.
The app’s features
AI-generated personalized meditations
To create a custom meditation, users only need to enter several parameters:
1.Their problem (e.g., they are battling stress, trying to quell anxiety, or want to fall asleep after a turbulent day), which can be expressed as a metaphor (e.g., waves at the beach or waiting for a train)
2.Meditation type (e.g., breath, visualization, sleep stories, Zen, relaxation, energizing, etc.)
3.Meditation duration
4.Guide’s voice
As a result, each meditation is an intimate reflection of the user’s current thoughts and feelings and a fresh, engaging experience. The user can listen to the newly created meditation immediately. Moreover, it is automatically added to their meditations list so they can play it afterward.
Variety of meditation styles
Whether the user has Monday blues or is experiencing a dramatic life change, InnerAI can offer relief. Users can choose from many options, from breath-focused exercises to guided imagery.
Selection of meditation guides
Users can choose among a variety of soothing or empowering narrator voices and teaching styles to find a guide that truly resonates with them and enhances their meditation practice.
Adaptive content
InnerAI continuously tailors the meditation process to each user’s goals and needs.
Each time, it recommends a meditation style and offers specialized modules with advanced mindfulness techniques and philosophies perfectly suited to their current emotional and mental state.
Daily health insights
InnerAI also provides personalized health and mindfulness insights and advice to assist the users’ daily self-care routines.
The actionable recommendations and enriching content should help users seamlessly incorporate well-being into their lifestyles.
[ Client testimonial ]
Here is our client's statement about their experience with the Onix services
“Being able to enter a prompt or reflection and have a personalized meditation pop out a few seconds later is unlike any other meditation experience I've ever had before. I have been shocked at how the meditations speak directly to my personal situation, how deeply they resonate and how they help set me up for success in my day because of how relevant they are to whatever I'm going through at that moment.”
JeffNFLfan
[ Challenges and solutions ]
The project is unique because it required AI to create meditations in real time.
The AI solution not only generates text for a guided meditation based on the parameters entered by the user but also instantly converts it into audio.
The user support feature, where AI provides advice and guidance, can enhance the user experience and make the app more effective in achieving relaxation and long-term mental health goals.
OpenAI GPT
Narrator’s voice generation
Operation in the background
Authentication system
We chose the GPT API as the core for generating the meditation text.
As an additional feature, we decided to replicate the Chat GPT functionality with an option to stream text without waiting for a complete response from the service.Parsing the text coming from Open AI for meditations consisting of different parts was challenging. Since the AI understands queries quite literally, it’s tricky to make it return the text in the right format.We solved this problem by using an additional fresh feature – Function Calling. It allows sending to the AI requests with embedded special data models that specify the data format it should return. This solution helped reduce the number of errors during the text generation and improved the developers’ interaction with the service.
Core technology stack we used
Unity engine,
C# programming language,
iOS SDK for a native module for Unity,
Swift programming language,
Open AI for text generation,
Azure for audio generation,
WellSaid for audio generation,
PlayFab for authentication and data storage
Results
InnerAI was published on the App Store and enjoyed great ratings and reviews. Onix’s experts are proud of their role in realizing.
- ﹂
User-centric approach to meditation sessions that increases the chances of profitability in the mental health and wellness market
- ﹂
AI-driven solutions, especially using the OpenAI GPT API, giving the app a competitive edge in quality and innovation
- ﹂
Unique functionality that can attract broad audiences, ensuring a continuous influx of customers
The MVP has the potential to evolve into a comprehensive platform with rich services.
Currently, the client has put the project on pause due to involvement in other enterprises, but we keep in touch and hope to resume the app development at some point soon.
Throughout the app development process, the client was satisfied with our cooperation, communication, compliance with deadlines, and the results.
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Do you need help with your project? Our experts know how to develop an AI meditation app on time and on budget!
FAQs
How to build a meditation app with AI features?
Your first steps to AI-based personalized meditation app development should include identifying the consumers’ needs and preferences, researching the market and competition, formulating your UVP, prioritizing the desired app features, documenting your product requirements, and planning the timeline and budget.
Then, you need to hire experts in AI-based meditation and mindfulness app development. They will develop a professional and intuitive app design, validate your AI-related ideas, code the applications, integrate AI features, and test the app before publication to ensure it is convenient, fast-loading, and works smoothly.
How long does it take to make an AI-based meditation and mindfulness app?
Onix’s experience shows that a simple meditation guide with AI content generation and a few other essential features can be launched within 1 month. A full-fledged AI-based personalized meditation app development may be completed in less than 6 months.
How much does it cost to build a meditation app with AI features?
The cost of developing mindfulness apps with AI features may range from $30K to $300K, depending on the number of features, their complexity, required technologies and integrations, and the location of the development team.
The best way to get a more accurate budget estimate is to ask experts.
How to develop an AI meditation app faster and cheaper?
One way is to start with an MVP, a basic version of your meditation app, to quickly test market hypotheses and validate your business idea at minimal cost.
Another way is to outsource your AI-based meditation and mindfulness app development or hire a dedicated team. For example, Ukraine’s hourly rates may be twice as low as in the US without compromising design and code quality.
How to hire good meditation app developers?
Firstly, decide which cooperation model suits you best: а fixed-price contract, a time-and-material contract (based on hourly rates), or a dedicated team.
Choose a suitable outsourcing destination based on the average wages of nearshore/offshore developers, your time zone, and cultural compatibility. Look for healthcare app development agencies in that country on the web and specialized sites like Clutch, GoodFirms, or Upwork. Select 5-6 candidates.
Evaluate each agency’s website, portfolio, customer testimonials and reviews, social media, and publications. Contact their clients or conduct other research to select 3-5 eligible companies.
Contact the candidates and evaluate each one’s pricing policy, experience in meditation and mindfulness app development and AI integration, if needed, the developers’ English proficiency, etc.
Choose one team and, if needed, order a testing task or proof-of-concept, visit their office, etc., before signing a contract.
Where can I find specialists for my AI-based meditation and mindfulness app development?
Onix’s experts are at your service! We offer excellent services and dedicated teams for developing mindfulness apps with AI, VR/AR, web, and mobile technologies.
Our experts can answer your questions, estimate the cost of your meditation app development, identify potential risks and technical challenges, suggest solutions, conduct competitor research, draft project documentation, develop a professional, intuitive app design, or build your meditation app from A to Z.