A calm thought labelling app for iPhone
Then let it settle.
Labels is a simple mindful check-in: set a timer, gently label the thoughts that show up, and spot your mind's patterns over time. No fixing. Just noticing.
Free to start · The app collects no data
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Start with unguided and guided check-ins, session history, and reminders, all free. Premium adds custom labels, voice labels, and deeper personalisation when you're ready.
Download Labels for iPhone"Helps a lot to quiet my mind down before bedtime, I would recommend!"
E_Cliff · App Store review"Trying this app out and finding it very useful for meditation sessions!"
Oliver Sissons · App Store reviewInside the app
Three screens, one loop: check in, label what shows up, and watch the patterns emerge.
How it works
Labels turns the classic noting meditation technique into a simple, tappable practice.
01
Choose a length that feels supportive rather than ambitious. A few minutes is enough, especially at the start.
02
Rest your attention on your breath, the sounds around you, or something visual in front of you.
03
When your mind wanders, tap the tile that best matches what pulled your attention away. Pick the closest fit and keep moving.
04
After labelling it, gently come back to your breath, sounds, or visual anchor, and begin again. That return is the practice.
Guides
Practical, judgement-free guides to the thought patterns Labels helps you notice, and the practice behind the app.
The simple mindfulness skill at the heart of Labels, naming thoughts instead of following them.
Read the guide → The practiceThe Vipassana technique behind the app, and how tiles make it easier to keep up.
Read the guide → SleepWhy the mind speeds up at bedtime, and a 5-minute check-in that helps it wind down.
Read the guide → Mental noiseA gentle way to slow a busy mind, without trying to force it quiet.
Read the guide → Past replayStep out of replayed conversations and old regrets by seeing the loop clearly.
Read the guide → Future worryWhat-if thinking feels urgent. Here's how to notice it, name it, and let it pass.
Read the guide → Self-criticismSelf-critical thoughts are a pattern, not a verdict. Learn to observe them instead.
Read the guide → ComparisonMake an automatic habit visible, and notice what tends to set it off.
Read the guide → PatternsNo journalling required: how one tap per thought builds a picture of your mind over time.
Read the guide → The practiceWandering isn't failing. It's the raw material of the whole practice.
Read the guide →Questions
Thought labelling is a mindfulness practice where you notice a thought as it arises and gently name it, "future worry", "past replay", instead of getting pulled into it. Naming a thought creates a small gap between you and the thinking, which makes it easier to return to the present. Learn more →
Noting meditation, from the Vipassana tradition, uses a quiet mental note like "thinking" or "hearing" when attention wanders. Labels builds on this with specific tiles for common thought patterns, so each note also becomes a data point you can review later. Learn more →
Yes: a short pre-bed check-in is one of the most common ways people use Labels ("Helps a lot to quiet my mind down before bedtime", as one App Store review puts it). Labelling night-time thoughts takes the urgency out of them, which helps a busy mind settle. Learn more →
Racing thoughts calm faster when the mind has one clear job. In Labels you set a focal point, and each time a thought pulls you away you tap the tile that names it, then return. The naming interrupts the loop without forcing anything. Learn more →
Rumination survives by staying unnoticed. Labelling a replayed memory as "past replay" the moment it appears reveals the loop, and seeing how often it recurs in your session history makes it much easier to step out of. Learn more →
What-if thinking feels urgent, but it rarely is. Labels gives future worry its own tile: name it when it shows up, return to your focal point, and let your trends show you when and how often your mind leans forward. Learn more →
Self-critical thoughts lose power when they're seen as a pattern rather than a truth. Labels includes a dedicated self-criticism tile, so each harsh thought becomes something you observe and log, not something you have to believe. Learn more →
Comparison thinking is usually automatic. Labelling it as "comparison" in the moment turns an invisible habit into a visible one, and reviewing your history shows what tends to trigger it, often the first step to it loosening. Learn more →
Yes. Every session is saved, and Labels shows your thought patterns through summaries, trends, and calendar views, so you can see which labels your mind returns to most, without journalling a single word. Learn more →
Completely. Wandering isn't failure: noticing the wander is the practice. Labels treats every wander as useful information: label what pulled you away, return to your focal point, and the noticing gets quicker over time. Learn more →
Begin gently
Build a system that understands your thoughts. Clear your mind, one label at a time.
Download on the App Store