# UrgeShield - Gambling Recovery — Quit Sports Betting & Slots

> Gambling recovery companion with app blocker, AI chat, and savings tracker. (iPhone/iPad app by Jacob Engemann.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/urgeshield-gambling-recovery/id6802140235 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Jacob Engemann](https://appshunter.io/developer/6802140237)
- Category: Health & Fitness, Lifestyle
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 3 App Store ratings · 2 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 17+
- Requires: iOS 17.0 · 3 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2026-08-25
- Data updated: 2026-10-03
- Monetization: subscription
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/urgeshield-gambling-recovery/id6802140235/reviews.md

## What is UrgeShield?

UrgeShield is a recovery companion built for one thing: helping you stop gambling and stay stopped, one day at a time.

It's not a generic habit tracker with a gambling label slapped on. Every tool inside was built around how urges actually happen — suddenly, at inconvenient times, with your phone already in your hand.

EVERYTHING INCLUDED
— Blocker: blocks gambling apps and sites through Screen Time, with a built-in cooldown that's intentionally hard to talk yourself around in the moment.
— SOS button: one tap routes you to the National Problem Gambling Helpline or a trusted contact, wherever you are in the app.
— August: a supportive AI chat companion with memory across sessions, available any time you need to talk something through before you act on it.
— Streak tracker: your current streak, past milestones, and accountability partners who get notified if you need support.
— Savings tracker: see what you're actually keeping instead of losing, with goal pace projections and a running dashboard of money saved.
— Urge pattern insights, built from your own check-ins over time.
— Streak & Savings widgets for your Home Screen.
— Resources: crisis support, a nearby-treatment finder, and recovery stories from people further down the same road.

PRICING
Try everything free for 7 days. After the trial, UrgeShield is $9.99/month, billed through your Apple ID. Cancel anytime in your Apple ID subscription settings.

UrgeShield is built local-first. Your data lives on your device and syncs only through your own private iCloud account — never a server we run.

UrgeShield is a supportive tool, not a replacement for professional treatment, and it's not a crisis service. If you're in danger or thinking about harming yourself, call 911 or the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700 — free, confidential, and available 24/7.

UrgeShield is intended for users 17 and older.

Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Privacy Policy: https://urgeshield.com/#privacy

## Key features

- Gambling app and site blocker
- SOS button for helplines
- AI chat companion for urges
- Streak and savings trackers
- Urge pattern insights
- Home screen widgets
- Recovery resources

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| UrgeShield Monthly | $9.99 | per month |


## Is UrgeShield safe?

Not enough ratings yet to assess UrgeShield.

## Is UrgeShield legit?

UrgeShield - Gambling Recovery appears legitimate, with a few gaps. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for UrgeShield is 65 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data.

## Recent user reviews (2 of 2)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/urgeshield-gambling-recovery/id6802140235/reviews.md

### 5/5 — This App Helped Me Take My Life Back

*2026-08-28*

I don’t normally write reviews, but UrgeShield genuinely deserves one.

Before downloading this app, I felt like I was constantly fighting the same habits and losing. I’d tell myself “this is the last time,” only to fall right back into the same cycle. It was frustrating, embarrassing, and honestly started affecting the way I felt about myself.

UrgeShield gave me something I had been missing: a way to actually interrupt the urge instead of just hoping my willpower would magically be stronger that day. Over time, those small wins started adding up.

I feel more disciplined, more confident, and more in control of my life than I have in a long time. It sounds dramatic to say an app helped me turn things around, but that’s genuinely what it feels like.

If you’re stuck in a cycle you’ve been trying to break, give this a chance. I’m incredibly glad I did.

### 5/5 — Gambling Recovery

*2026-08-27*

I have been an addict since I was 17 years old. I downloaded the app and it has helped tremendously.

## Frequently asked questions about UrgeShield

### What is UrgeShield?

UrgeShield is a recovery companion designed to help users stop gambling. It offers tools like an app blocker, an AI chat companion, and tracking for streaks and savings to support users in their recovery journey.

### How does UrgeShield's blocker work?

The blocker utilizes your device's Screen Time settings to block gambling apps and sites. It includes a built-in cooldown period designed to make it intentionally difficult to bypass urges in the moment.

### What is the SOS button in UrgeShield?

The SOS button provides one-tap access to the National Problem Gambling Helpline or a designated trusted contact. This feature is available anywhere within the app for immediate support.

### How much does UrgeShield cost?

UrgeShield offers a 7-day free trial of all features. After the trial, it costs $9.99 per month, billed through your Apple ID. You can cancel anytime in your Apple ID subscription settings.

### Is UrgeShield available on Android?

Based on the provided data, UrgeShield is supported on iPhone and Apple Watch. Information regarding Android availability is not included in the description.

### How often is UrgeShield updated?

The latest version of UrgeShield is 1.2, which was last updated on August 29, 2026. This indicates a recent update, suggesting ongoing development and support.

### Does UrgeShield have ads?

No, UrgeShield does not have advertisements. The app is free to try and then operates on a subscription model, with no mention of ads in its description.

### What age is UrgeShield intended for?

UrgeShield is intended for users aged 17 and older. This age rating is provided in the app's details.

## Version history (last 3 releases)

### 1.3 — 2026-09-04

Ride it out - right from your Lock Screen.

- Live Activity: your 15-minute urge timer now counts down on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island
- After an urge passes, tap what actually helped - UrgeShield builds you a list of what works for you
- Logging a slip now walks you through what was going on, what it cost, and the one thing you'll do differently - then shows you the pattern across slips
- Hand a slip straight to August: the conversation opens with what you just logged, not a blank screen
- A single check-in the day after a slip, when it matters most
- Strict Mode: stops apps from being deleted to get around the block, with a 24-hour cooldown to turn it off - and a heads-up the moment any cooldown lifts
- Your Shield status now shows right on the Streak tab, so you always know you're protected
- The Shield tab gets a new cyan look, and Savings shows your pace toward your goal

### 1.2 — 2026-08-29

A fresh coat of neon.

- All-new look: electric teal, glowing accents, and a dark mode that feels alive
- Animated tab headers, a rolling streak count-up, and a progress bar to your next milestone
- The Shield fires an electric burst when you switch it on - and hums with a force field while it protects you
- Your savings total sparkles as it climbs
- Onboarding upgrades: set an existing streak in months and years, and pick every urge that applies to you
- The SOS button now starts at the top right (drag it anywhere you like)

### 1.1 — 2026-08-26

No release notes.

## Apps similar to UrgeShield

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| [Solid Ground: Quit Gambling](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solid-ground-quit-gambling/id6790007462) | — | Free | Health & Fitness |
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## More apps by Jacob Engemann

- [3 Man - #1 Party Game](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/3-man-1-party-game/id6804472246)
- [CutTheNets: College Basketball](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cutthenets-college-basketball/id6806891535)

All apps by Jacob Engemann: https://appshunter.io/developer/6802140237

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-10-03.*