Everything you need to know about Respiro

Respiro analyzes 22 signals from 7 sources: your app usage patterns, device activity, circadian rhythm, sleep quality, Watch biometrics (optional), breathing session performance, and mood trends. When multiple signals indicate elevated stress with high confidence, it sends a supportive push notification suggesting the right technique. All computation happens on-device. No data is sent to servers. Smart guardrails prevent notification fatigue: max 1 per day, 5 per week, and a 72-hour pause if you ignore 2 in a row.

Respiro has a generous free tier with 5 practices always available: Physiological Sigh, Box Breathing, 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, and Dive Reflex. Smart stress detection is free for everyone. No account required.

PRO unlocks all 26 practices, full adaptive recommendations, and weekly insights for $4.99/month or $29.99/year with a 7-day free trial.

Respiro focuses on quick stress relief (30 seconds to 5 minutes) rather than 30-minute meditation sessions. Key differences:

Smart stress detection proactively notifies you when stress is detected from behavioral patterns. No smartwatch needed. Calm and Headspace do not have this.

4-stage personalization learns which techniques work best for you and shows exactly why each is recommended.

No streaks, no guilt. Missed a day? Nothing happens. No counters reset.

Privacy-first. All computation on-device. No cloud processing.

More affordable. $29.99/year vs ~$70/year for Calm or Headspace.

26 techniques across 4 categories:

Breathing (9): Physiological Sigh, Box Breathing, Cyclic Sighing, 4-7-8 Breathing, Extended Exhale, Coherent Breathing, Belly Breathing, Energizing Breath, Humming Breath.

Body (8): Body Scan, Quick Body Scan, Extended Body Scan, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, PMR Full Body, Butterfly Hug, Yoga Nidra, Yoga Nidra Micro.

Mind (8): 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding, Mindful Minute, Cognitive Defusion, Cognitive Reframing, Thought Redirect, Self-Compassion Break, STOP Technique, Loving-Kindness Meditation.

Emergency (always free): Dive Reflex -- activates the body's natural calm response in 30 seconds.

Respiro includes emergency techniques specifically useful during acute anxiety: Dive Reflex activates the mammalian dive response (slows heart rate within seconds) and 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding redirects attention through the senses. Both are standard clinical protocols and are always free in Respiro.

Important: Respiro is a wellness tool, not a medical device. For frequent or severe panic attacks, please consult a healthcare professional.

Yes. All practices, stress detection, personalization, and the LotusBloom breathing animation work completely offline. Respiro has no cloud dependency for core features. Your data stays on your device.

Respiro's personalization works in 4 stages:

1. Context (sessions 1-3): Collects your initial preferences, stress triggers, and goals.

2. Behavior (sessions 4-7): Tracks which techniques you complete, skip, or repeat.

3. Feedback (sessions 8-14): Incorporates your post-session ratings and Inner Weather check-ins.

4. Pattern (session 15+): Full calibration -- recognizes time-of-day patterns, stress triggers, and technique effectiveness.

The system tracks 11 signals and shows you exactly why each practice is recommended.

Free: 5 practices + smart stress detection + LotusBloom animation. No account required. Free forever.

PRO Monthly: $4.99/month with 7-day free trial.

PRO Annual: $29.99/year (save 50%) with 7-day free trial.

Reduced pricing is available in Ukraine: $2.99/month or $19.99/year.

Respiro is currently iOS-only (iPhone, requires iOS 17.0+). Android version is planned but no release date has been set. Email hello@respiro.health with subject "Android" to be notified when it becomes available.

Respiro was built by Kostiantyn Vlasenko, a solo developer based in Kyiv, Ukraine. He has 10+ years of experience in tech as a Product Manager and Delivery Manager. He built Respiro after experiencing burnout, as a tool for people who need to calm down quickly using evidence-based techniques.

No. Respiro is a wellness tool for stress management, not a medical device. It does not diagnose, treat, or cure any medical condition. The techniques included are based on published research (Stanford Medicine, clinical CBT protocols), but the app is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health care.

Stress Radar is Respiro's smart stress detection system that analyzes 22 signals from 7 sources — behavioral patterns, device activity, circadian rhythm, sleep quality, breathing analysis, mood trends, and optional Watch biometrics.

It works entirely without Apple Watch by using iPhone-only data: how you use the app, when you practice, your movement patterns (CoreMotion), sleep data (HealthKit), and your mood check-ins. When multiple signals indicate elevated stress, it sends a supportive notification suggesting the right technique. All processing happens on-device.

Yes. Respiro's shortest technique — the Physiological Sigh — takes just 10 seconds and can be done silently without anyone noticing. Double inhale through your nose, long exhale through your mouth. No phone interaction needed after you start.

Box Breathing (1-5 minutes) can also be done discreetly during a meeting. The app does not require you to hold or look at your phone during a practice.

Respiro's 4-stage personalization starts learning from your first session:

Stage 1 (sessions 1-3): Collects your initial preferences.

Stage 2 (sessions 4-7): Tracks which techniques you complete or skip.

Stage 3 (sessions 8-14): Incorporates your ratings.

Stage 4 (session 15+): Full calibration with time-of-day patterns and technique effectiveness.

Most users notice personalized recommendations improving by session 5-7.

The Physiological Sigh is a breathing pattern discovered by Stanford Medicine researchers (Balban et al., 2023, Cell Reports Medicine). It consists of a double inhale through the nose followed by a long exhale through the mouth, taking about 10 seconds.

The Stanford study found it reduces cortisol more effectively than mindfulness meditation. It is always free in Respiro because everyone should have access to the fastest evidence-based stress relief technique.

No. Respiro processes all data on your device. No personal data is sent to servers. No analytics track your personal information. No data is sold to third parties. The app works fully offline.

You can verify this in the Privacy Transparency screen within the app, which shows exactly what signals are tracked and confirms all processing is local.

Free includes 5 practices (Physiological Sigh, Box Breathing, 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Dive Reflex), smart stress detection with notifications, and the LotusBloom breathing animation. No account required.

PRO ($4.99/month or $29.99/year with 7-day free trial) unlocks all 26 practices, full adaptive recommendations from the 4-stage personalization engine, weekly progress insights, and 30 ambient sounds.

Respiro includes several techniques specifically effective for sleep: 4-7-8 Breathing (developed by Dr. Andrew Weil for sleep), Yoga Nidra (guided deep relaxation between waking and sleeping), Body Scan (systematic relaxation of body regions), and Coherent Breathing (5.5 breaths per minute for nervous system calming).

The 4-7-8 technique's extended exhale produces deeper sedation than symmetric patterns. These are PRO techniques — Respiro's free tier focuses on acute stress relief.

Three key differences:

1. Stress Radar. Respiro detects your stress from 22 behavioral signals and proactively suggests the right technique. YouTube cannot do this — you have to search when you are already stressed.

2. Silent guidance. Respiro's LotusBloom animation guides your breathing rhythm at 120fps without voice narration, so you can practice silently anywhere — at work, in a meeting, on a commute.

3. Personalization. Respiro's 4-stage engine learns which techniques work best for you and shows exactly why each is recommended. YouTube videos are one-size-fits-all.