Calm is introducing a number of new features to make it easier for people to incorporate mindfulness into their lives. Most notably, the app is introducing Taptivities, interactive text-based stories that take one to two minutes to read. The app is also adding playlists and personalized search.
While users tend to spend endless amounts of time tapping through Instagram stories or swiping through TikTok videos, Calm wants to encourage users to meditate in a similar format. Taptivities allows users to get bite-sized mindfulness sessions that they tap through, similar to Stories in other apps. The sessions touch on topics like gratitude, self-reflection, grounding, and deep breathing.
Calm says the next time you find yourself aimlessly scrolling through social media trying to relax, try a Taptivity instead.
The sessions might encourage you to do things like reflect on your feelings, take a mental break by doing concentrated counting, or take a moment to think about someone you love.
With the introduction of playlists, Calm users can now combine content from across the app. For example, once you’ve finished a bedtime story, you no longer have to search for music to help you fall asleep. Instead, you can string together meditations, bedtime stories, and music in any order you want. Calm says this type of functionality has been the most requested feature by its users.
Additionally, Calm is introducing a personalized search feature that leverages each person’s specific preferences and listening history to deliver more accurate recommendations. Users can also further refine their search using Calm’s new category and time filters. Calm recognizes that search in the app hasn’t been great, so it’s revamping it to help users find what they need.
Alongside these changes, Calm is expanding its content library and now has more than 500 sleep stories, some of which are narrated by big names like Kevin Bacon, Harry Styles and Camila Cabello. Calm says the popularity of sleep stories continues to grow, with 19 billion minutes of listening since its launch.
