What users complain about in habit tracker apps

The complaints that repeat

Each heading sums up what reviewers wrote; the quotes under it are their own words.

1. 01

   Me+, Fabulous, and Dear Me employ deceptive billing, unexpected upfront charges instead of advertised trials, and unresponsive refund handling

   Many users

   “First, I was charged immediately for one year instead of getting the 7-day free trial.”

   “They charged me double what I agreed to pay, apparently there were more options that charge you after you have already put in card info and I clicked through them.”

2. 02

   Apps lack flexibility for scheduling and logging past activities, breaking streaks if tasks are entered retroactively

   Several users

   “so if you finished your habits late the day prior you can’t mark them off the next day and there’s no ability to actually see any of your past activities and reflect on progress.”

   “even if you go back the next day to check a missed box, it still acts like you broke your streak and resets.”

3. 03

   Home screen widgets frequently desync, fail to update values, or open the app rather than allowing direct completion

   Several users

   “Nope wrong, it never updates and when I click on the widget to go into the app all of a sudden it says I hit my goal of 80oz and I’m at 85oz when I only put in one entry of 17oz.”

   “I wish you could tap on the check-mark in the home screen widget at it would just mark the habit as complete, instead of opening up the app for you to mark it yourself.”

4. 04

   Reach it fails to provide cloud sync or account linking, risking lost progress upon reinstalling or switching devices

   Several users

   “You can't create and link your profile to an email. You can't sync your data and progress with other devices.”

   “I re-installed the app & premium was gone. This is really not good that you don't have any mechanism to retrieve purchases.”

5. 05

   Aggressive paywalls restrict basic functionality like habit counts, dark mode, or offline access

   Several users

   “Free version is useless. You should never limit the number of habits or goals one can create in free version.”

   “Also you have to pay a subscription for dark mode... laughable.”

What users ask for

• Non-daily flexible scheduling, such as habits that repeat every X days or specific days of the week

  Asked for a few times

  “Being able to schedule habit frequency of twice a week, or schedule for certain days, is a significant element in most habit apps, and it’s really important to me.”

• Measurable fractional and numeric tracking (e.g. decimals, pounds, ounces, or partial completion)

  Asked for a few times

  “Could be better, you can't add fraction numbers to your goal like if one of my goals is to run 100 miles and I run 12.5 miles I can't add the .5 it has to be a whole number”

• Widgets displaying multiple habits or stacked overviews in one space

  Asked for a few times

  “One thing I wish there was is the ability to have a widget that can display multiple habits even if in a condensed list view or something similar.”

• Negative or quit-habit tracking with customizable threshold limits

  Asked for once or twice

  “Basically if I stay under my set limit then the habit is considered complete or good”

• Built-in activity timers for tracking time-based habits dynamically

  Asked for once or twice

  “I have a request, check if your team can add a timer for the list. Like for study, add a timer that will go if the user wants to start, and they can check dynamically how much they sit for learning.”

What these apps get right

What users praise, and would expect from anything new.

• Visual heatmap and contribution-style tracking with clean, minimalist aesthetics
• One-time lifetime purchases instead of expensive recurring subscriptions
• High UI customization, including custom icons, colors, and notes per entry

Apps we read

• Loop Habit TrackerGoogle Play
• Habit Tracker - HabitKitApp Store
• Habit TrackerApp Store
• Onrise: Habit Tracker & FocusApp Store
• Fabulous Daily Routine PlannerGoogle Play
• Dear Me: Daily Routine TrackerGoogle Play
• Me+ Lifestyle RoutineApp Store
• Routine Planner, Habit TrackerApp Store
• Goal & Habit Tracker CalendarGoogle Play
• Reach it: Goals, Habit TrackerGoogle Play

App names belong to their owners. Quotes are from public store reviews, and the summaries describe what those reviewers experienced; they are not claims we have verified.