1-star for unclear marketing leading to unfulfilled promises.
I was so excited to get a free "starburst bush" via the app-game to "find your tree." In the rules laid out on the game itself, there was no indication that there was a limit to when one could earn the starburst bush, only an invitation to keep playing until you earned it. I played and played until I figured out how to get it. I tapped and held the image as directed and nothing. I was unable to collect the prize I had put so much energy into.
I contacted customer service and was informed that there was a cut-off date that was not made available in the game itself but was apparently made available in a part of the app I hadn't noticed prior to being directed to it by customer service. They told me “it was advertised for over a year” which is great, but I’m a new user. There’s no way I could have seen that. advertisement and clearly, I didn’t, which is a fault in their marketing, promotion, and game design.
I feel that if there was this cut-off, that 1, I shouldn't have been repeatedly encouraged to replay until I got the bush, and 2, the cut-off should have been made clear both in the encouragement to replay as well as on the final "congrats! You won the bush!" page itself. I'm taken aback by the lack of transparency in the design of this game and the fact that the rules were tucked away in the app itself in a spot that if you didn't know where to look, one would not have looked.
They are now telling me that the only way to get the bush I earned is to either give them my credit card number to buy gems, or to invite my friends to the app, in which case, they would be subjected to the same lack of transparency I was. Why would I do either of those things for a company that isn't clear on the limits of their promises?
I'm hurt and disillusioned by the cavalier attitude of the customer service team as well as the lack of clear transparency. I would be willing to remove this review, or raise it a few stars in exchange for a starburst bush as well as their commitment to make the rules transparent on the games themselves, not just in an obscure spot in the app, in the future.
I tried to attach screenshots for reference but apparently can’t do that.
This is the app that’s got me through middle school and two years of high school. I don’t have a diagnosed focusing disorder, but I get writing blocks and procrastinate a lot. Like, a LOT. This app has helped me so, so much. It’s really got everything you could ask for. An amazing user interface, currency that you get from focusing, fake (and real) trees that you can plant to make a beautiful forest out of focusing, tags so you know where you’re spending time focusing, and really cool analysis tools that show you what days and what times you focus the most. This is the one of the only apps that I would say is completely worth your money. The tech team is really amazing, I reached out to them about an issue I had and within a day they responded and within a week had fixed the issue. I’ve also for years been pushing for a stopwatch feature in their feedback survey(as a student I don’t always know how long homework will take) and they listened! The only things I guess I would say could be better would be the leaderboard, since it’s worldwide and there are some people who use the app to just get away from their phone, so they can have seriously high hours and it’s really impossible to beat if you use Forest for studying. Overall, amazing app that has literally changed my life in a positive way.
I thought when I downloaded this app that I could name trees and dedicate my time to them like watering. Every day come back to my little “chores” bonsai and watch it grow a little more until I have a beautiful little tree on my phone after months of dedicating time. Same for studying and meditation. I thought this app would be a visual representation of time invested but it seems to be a token unlocking game where you choose the price and that seems so dull to me.
What I propose is: you set goals [7 hours a week] and depending on how much time you leave the app open on that plant it feeds off that time relative to your goal.
But maybe I need to just go make my own app if I want it my way. Good app. Just nothing I’m interested in
This app is a great app for productivity, especially for students who are behind on classes and want to stop procrastinating. I think this app is definitely worth the money! There are only three changes I think could take place to make the app a 5⭐️ rating!
I think Deep Focus mode is great, but I think they could ask you for a list of allowed apps that you can use during Deep Focus Mode. I also think that they could add more free trees considering you have to pay for the app, and I think that they could add more details to trees that take a while to earn, like the 120 minute version of a tree.
Overall, I think this app is great for people who want to get off of their phone and enjoy the moment or be productive!
I’ve been using Forest on and off across Samsung, Microsoft, Apple, and Google devices for years and am very happy with it. It’s gotten better and better and the format is so pleasing to the eye. I am working on adapting to my ADHD and the motivation of keeping my little tree alive is fantastic. I especially like the deep focus mode that kills my tree if I exit the app. The app allows for use of Spotify or other listening apps while also blocking off other apps so you can continue to listen and adjust what you’re listening to while still locking the phone down. I honestly love it and am so glad I’ve stuck with it all these years.
Although I don’t scroll around social media much, I didn’t realize how much I tend to pick up my phone while studying just to check notifications. This app forces me to put my phone back in an instant. I’m sure my dependence on my phone will reduce over time. This app is addicting because I want to achieve making a nice little forest! I use it for an hour before sleep to keep my phone away, for eating, and for studying. Hopefully much much more!! My only complaint is that have an iPhone so I don’t have the free version. I only have the option to buy it, unlike the android play store.
This might sound stupid, but bear with me for a second. I have severe ADHD, and the urge to pick up my phone to look something up or check social media is a constant issue. It got to the point where my partner told me I was inattentive to her needs and that I was ‘distant.’ So, I installed this here app and, no lie, the quality of our time together has improved massively. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve still killed a fair number of trees at this point, but my screen time has gone down significantly and I feel just a bit more present.
The notes section is so limited and small. Sometimes I want to be able to write notes without exiting the app Bc I use them to remember my thoughts. 250 characters is way too small. I wish it was at the very least 500 characters. I’ve never been able to finish out a complete thought in forest it’s really annoying. When I use deep work mode it doesn’t allow me to leave the app which is good but it also means I can’t leave the app to write a note or some concept I want to remember. Please make the notes section longer.
My friend showed me that snap first I didn’t think it was that good, but when I started using it it did help me focus. Believe it or not my grades have risen since I started using this app, and since that I have been able to plant a single tree in real life. I think this is a really amazing app, I am able to keep even an organized certain things don’t take up too much of my time anymore. I definitely recommend this app to anyone who is struggling with time management.
I use my phone much more than I probably should. The Forest App has helped me to work on setting my phone down for extended periods of time to get work done, have more effective conversations, and feel more focused.
You are able to set the time increment you want to focus for, and if you make that time without opening any other apps, you get a plant that goes in your forest. It’s a fun way to hold yourself accountable and spend more time focusing on your priorities.