Headspace finally launches its Ebb AI companion in the UK – here’s how it works

Headspace has finally added Ebb, its AI companion to the UK version of its app. The conversational AI tool offers guidance and advice to users to help them process their emotions and find personalised recommendations and exercises from Headspace’s extensive library.

Founded in 2012, Headspace quickly became one of the most downloaded wellness apps for meditation and sleep advice and exercises. With the rise in AI over the past few years, Headspace has been using this technology in its platform in order to serve relevant content to its members and to identify safety risks within member chat conversations.

With this in mind, Headspace has added Ebb, its new AI companion. This feature has been trained using a combination of large language models and in-house data-sets to have better conversations with users and to understand different experiences and emotions.

Ebb, named after the ebbs and flows of life, is integrated in the Headspace app, and has been trained in motivational interviewing so it can hold a conversation with users. Headspace app users can tell Ebb how they feel and why, and the AI companion will provide personalised support to help guide them through their emotions.

The Ebb companion originally launched in October 2024 for US app users, who have exchanged over a million messages with the feature. Headspace found that 64% of users reported to have felt heard and understood by Ebb, with sleep, boundaries, work and relationship challenges being the most common conversations.

Once you’ve told Ebb about your thoughts or problems, the companion will go on to pick out the most relevant exercises or content from Headspace’s library to assist you. While it doesn't give diagnoses, Ebb will recommend meditations, mental health content and mindfulness exercises which are more relevant to your concerns.

The way Ebb ‘speaks’ is quite personal, natural and understanding, so it doesn’t feel like you’re talking to an AI. It’ll ask you questions and have a full conversation with you rather than instantly recommend something, so it can better understand your needs.

Headspace has now added Ebb to its UK app, so subscribers based in the UK, US, Canada and Australia can use it. If you’re new to Headspace, you can try the app and Ebb for free within the 30 day trial, before paying £9.99 / $12.99 a month or £49.99 / $69.99 a year.