Written by the New Day Recovery Services clinical team. Last reviewed: May 11, 2026. Our clinical leadership is listed on our team page.

Inside an online meeting

If you’re looking for an AA meeting near you anywhere in Texas, online meetings are often the fastest way in. They run around the clock, don’t require travel, and protect your anonymity. AA’s free Meeting Guide app and the AA Online Intergroup both list virtual meetings statewide, including Texas-specific groups that meet daily. For people who need more than peer support — especially if you’ve tried to stop drinking before — our Virtual Intensive Outpatient Program delivers clinical care from anywhere in Texas, on a schedule that works alongside AA meetings.

How to Find an Online AA Meeting in Texas

The four most reliable ways to find an online AA meeting in Texas are AA’s free Meeting Guide app, the AA Online Intergroup directory, AA.org’s meeting finder, and your local Texas intergroup website. Each one lists the same virtual meetings — pick whichever feels easiest right now.

Meeting Guide app. Built by AA World Services and free on iOS and Android. Open it, allow location, and you’ll see in-person, online, and hybrid meetings near you with day, time, and format filters. It’s the closest thing AA has to an official directory.

AA Online Intergroup (aa-intergroup.org). A worldwide directory of virtual AA meetings, searchable by day, time, language, and meeting type. Strong option if you want a specialty group — veterans, women, men, LGBTQ+, young people, Spanish-speaking, professionals.

AA.org meeting finder. The official Alcoholics Anonymous site has a meeting locator that includes virtual options. It’s reliable, but the apps and online intergroup tend to be easier to filter.

Your local Texas intergroup. Every major Texas metro has its own intergroup that lists both in-person and online meetings. We’ve linked to the three we cover in the city section below.

How Online AA Meetings Work

Online AA meetings follow the same format as in-person ones — same readings, same structure, same anonymity expectations — they just meet on Zoom or a phone bridge instead of a church basement. You don’t need an AA account, a sponsor, or a membership to join. Most meetings post a Zoom link and password on their listing; you click in a minute or two before the meeting starts.

A typical online meeting opens with the Serenity Prayer and a reading from AA literature. The chairperson welcomes newcomers and explains the format. Members take turns sharing — usually 3 to 5 minutes each — and the meeting closes with a prayer or statement of encouragement. The whole thing takes about an hour.

You’re never required to share. Many newcomers spend their first several meetings just listening, and that’s encouraged. If you do want to share, you raise your hand using Zoom’s hand-raise feature or unmute when called on.

A few quiet expectations across most online meetings: stay on mute when you’re not speaking, use a real first name (last initial only if you’d like), and skip the chat for side conversations. The point is to keep the meeting feeling like a meeting — focused, anonymous, and safe.

Types of Online AA Meetings

Online AA meetings come in the same formats as in-person ones. Most newcomers start with an open meeting or a beginners meeting so they can listen without pressure to speak.

When Online AA Meetings Are the Right Fit

For some people, online meetings are simply more practical than in-person ones — at least at first. A few situations where they tend to be the better starting point:

You live outside a major metro. Texas is huge, and rural counties often don’t have a daily in-person meeting within a reasonable drive. Online closes that gap completely.

Your schedule makes evening meetings hard. Online meetings run 24/7 across time zones. There’s almost always a meeting starting in the next hour, whatever time you’re free.

You’re nervous about going in person. Walking into your first meeting can feel like a big step. Joining a Zoom call with your camera off and just listening is a gentler entry point. Many people start online and move to in-person once they’ve gotten comfortable with the format.

You have mobility or transportation barriers. No driving, no parking, no walking from the car. If physical access is the obstacle, online removes it.

You’re worried about being seen. Online meetings let you participate while keeping your camera off if you want to. For people whose work or family situation makes anonymity especially important, that matters.

You want to supplement in-person meetings. Plenty of long-term members mix both — an in-person home group plus online meetings when traveling, working late, or just needing extra support on a hard day.

Looking for In-Person AA Meetings in a Texas City?

If you live in San Antonio, Austin, or Dallas, we’ve put together local guides for each that cover in-person meeting locations, intergroup hotlines, and how to find a meeting in your neighborhood. They’re written for people who want to walk into a room rather than join a call.

When AA Alone Isn’t Enough

For some people, AA on its own is enough. For others — especially those with moderate-to-severe alcohol use disorder, co-occurring depression or anxiety, or a history of failed quit attempts — AA works best alongside professional outpatient treatment. AA addresses the social and spiritual side of recovery. Clinical care addresses the medical, psychological, and behavioral side.

Both matter. Most people don’t need to choose between them — they need both.

How Our Virtual IOP Works Alongside AA

Our Virtual IOP is designed to fit alongside AA participation, not replace it. Clients typically attend online AA meetings on evenings and weekends, then bring what comes up at meetings into their clinical sessions during the week.

A typical week in Virtual IOP includes three group therapy sessions, individual therapy as needed, and family programming when appropriate. Sessions run on a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform. Most clients keep working, parenting, and managing daily life while they’re in treatment — that’s the point.

Virtual IOP is available to clients across Texas. If you’d prefer in-person care and can get to Castle Hills, our in-person intensive outpatient program offers the same clinical structure. Either way, our therapy approach combines evidence-based modalities like CBT with the kind of warm, steady clinical relationships that make outpatient work.

Sober Living and AA in San Antonio

Sober living is structured housing for people in early recovery, and most homes — including ours — build AA attendance into the weekly schedule. The combination gives residents a safe, alcohol-free place to sleep and a built-in peer community to lean on while they rebuild work, relationships, and routines.

Our men’s sober living in San Antonio is open to men transitioning out of residential or outpatient care who need that structure. Residents attend AA meetings together, share household responsibilities, and live alongside other men working the same program.

AA, Al-Anon, and Family Support

If a loved one is drinking and you’re searching for help, Al-Anon is AA’s program for family members and friends. Al-Anon meetings follow a similar format and are also free, anonymous, and widely available online and in person across Texas. They’re a separate program — you don’t need your loved one to be in AA for Al-Anon to be useful.

Our weekly family group meets Tuesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 PM (hybrid in-person and virtual) and welcomes loved ones whether or not your family member is currently in treatment with us.

Frequently Asked Questions