Customer Reviews (500)

Boobie La Bug • 2025-03-21T23:36:51-07:00

I would love to hear soundscapes or music gently playing behind the sleep stories. Certain stories begin with some music, but I’d like to hear it all the way through. It would help me fall asleep faster. Thank you.

Jeep-Sarge • 2025-03-21T21:21:36-07:00

This app was very disappointing. On the TV commercial, they demonstrate green noise which appears to be multidimensional and very calming. But the green noise on the app that’s offered is very one dimensional and not relaxing. Also, they seem to encourage a lot of celebrities as well as random people to talk. I rather have the TV on all night with forensic files in the background. I don’t need to pay an additional $69 for a bedtime story. I would’ve given this five stars. If the same green noise on the television commercial could be found on this app. It’s not about helping people it’s about making money.

Roach 76 • 2025-03-21T19:26:39-07:00

Great for when I’m stressed out and I have a lot of anxiety .

Summary of Key Insights

Calm is a popular app for sleep, meditation, and relaxation, with a generally positive sentiment. Users appreciate its wide range of content, including sleep stories, guided meditations, and soundscapes. However, the high cost of the subscription and aggressive upselling tactics are major pain points. Usability issues, such as navigation difficulties and lack of customization, also detract from the user experience. The removal of Sonos integration has negatively impacted some long-term users. The overall rating is decent, but the significant number of 1-star reviews indicates substantial dissatisfaction among a segment of users.

Key Strengths:

  • Effective for sleep and relaxation.
  • Variety of content (sleep stories, meditations, soundscapes).
  • Helpful for managing stress and anxiety.
  • High-quality narrators (in some cases).

Key Weaknesses:

  • High subscription cost and aggressive upselling.
  • Poor app navigation and organization.
  • Lack of customization options.
  • Removal of Sonos integration.
  • Occasional technical issues (e.g., login problems, content loading errors).
  • Ads even with paid subscriptions.

Sentiment and Quantitative Metrics:

  • Overall Rating: App Store lists 4.8/5 (calculated from the provided data, it's closer to 4.2)
  • Score Distribution:
    • 5-star: 54.2% (271/500)
    • 4-star: 8.4% (42/500)
    • 3-star: 8% (40/500)
    • 2-star: 5% (25/500)
    • 1-star: 24.4% (122/500)

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
  • Time Frame: Not specified, but likely covers a recent period.
  • Analysis Methods:
    • Sentiment analysis (categorizing reviews as positive, negative, or neutral).
    • Keyword extraction (identifying frequently mentioned terms and phrases).
    • Thematic analysis (grouping reviews based on common themes and issues).

Key User Pain Points

  • High Subscription Cost: Many users complain that the app is too expensive, especially given that similar content can be found for free elsewhere.
  • Aggressive Upselling/Prompts: Users find the constant prompts to subscribe, share the app, or buy gift cards annoying and disruptive. This is especially frustrating for paying subscribers.
  • Navigation and Organization: Users report difficulty finding specific content due to poor app navigation and a lack of clear categories or filters.
  • Limited Free Content: Many users feel that the free version of the app offers too little content and that almost everything is locked behind a paywall.
  • Technical Issues: Some users experience login problems, content loading errors, and app crashes.
  • Sonos Integration Removal: The removal of Sonos integration has angered many users who relied on this feature.
  • Disruptive Ads with Paid Subscription: Users are upset that they are still seeing ads, or prompts to purchase other features, even after paying for a subscription.
  • Lack of Sleep Timer for Stories: The absence of a sleep timer for stories is a major inconvenience for users who want to fall asleep without the story playing all night.

Frequently Requested Features

  • More Free Content: Users want more content available in the free version of the app.
  • Improved Navigation and Search: Users desire better search functionality, clearer categories, and more robust filtering options.
  • Sonos Integration: Users want the Sonos integration to be reinstated.
  • Custom Playlists: Users want to be able to create custom playlists of soundscapes and stories.
  • Sleep Timer for Stories: Users want a sleep timer option for stories.
  • Option to Disable Vibrations: Users want the option to disable vibrations during breathing exercises.
  • More Content Variety: Users want more frequent updates with new stories, meditations, and soundscapes.
  • Ability to Play Daily Calm on Apple Watch Speaker: Users want the ability to play the Daily Calm meditation from the Apple Watch speaker without headphones.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Effective for Sleep: Many users find the sleep stories and soundscapes highly effective for falling asleep and improving sleep quality.
  • Stress and Anxiety Relief: Users report that the app helps them manage stress and anxiety.
  • Variety of Content: Users appreciate the wide range of content, including sleep stories, guided meditations, soundscapes, and breathing exercises.
  • High-Quality Narrators: Some users praise the narrators, particularly Tamara Levitt, Jerome Flynn and Alan Sklar.
  • Daily Meditations: Users find the daily meditations helpful for starting their day with mindfulness.
  • Accessibility: Users with various conditions (e.g., BPD, PTSD, ADHD) find the app beneficial.
  • Useful Coping Tools: Therapists recommend the app to their clients as a useful coping tool.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  1. Re-evaluate Pricing and Subscription Model: Address user concerns about the high cost of the subscription. Consider offering more affordable options or a more generous free tier.
  2. Reduce Upselling and Prompts: Minimize the frequency and intrusiveness of prompts to subscribe, share the app, or buy gift cards, especially for paying subscribers. Provide an option to disable these prompts.
  3. Improve App Navigation and Organization: Redesign the app's navigation to make it easier for users to find specific content. Implement clearer categories, more robust filtering options, and a better search function.
  4. Implement Sleep Timer for Stories: Add a sleep timer option for stories.

Medium Priority:

  1. Address Technical Issues: Investigate and resolve reported technical issues, such as login problems, content loading errors, and app crashes.
  2. Evaluate Sonos Integration: Assess the feasibility and potential benefits of reinstating Sonos integration or providing alternative solutions for users who relied on this feature.
  3. Increase Content Variety: Regularly update the app with new stories, meditations, and soundscapes.
  4. Improve Customer Support: Ensure customer support channels are readily available and responsive.

Low Priority:

  1. Option to Disable Vibrations: Add an option to disable vibrations during breathing exercises.
  2. Ability to Play Daily Calm on Apple Watch Speaker: Implement the ability to play the Daily Calm meditation from the Apple Watch speaker without headphones.
  3. Allow Customization of Default Landscapes: Allow users to remove or replace the default landscapes with their own images or videos.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  1. Affordable Meditation App: A meditation app with a focus on affordability, offering a generous free tier and low-cost subscription options.
  2. Customizable Soundscape App: An app that allows users to create highly customized soundscapes by layering different sounds and adjusting their volume and intensity.
  3. Meditation App with Strong Community Focus: An app that incorporates social features to connect users with similar interests and goals, fostering a sense of community and support.
  4. Meditation App with Focus on Specific Conditions: An app that provides targeted meditations and resources for individuals with specific conditions, such as anxiety, depression, or PTSD.
  5. Calm-like App with No Upselling: An app that delivers high-quality meditation and sleep content without aggressive upselling tactics.

Trends and Observations

  • Focus on Sleep: A significant portion of users primarily use the app for sleep-related content.
  • Narrator Preferences: Certain narrators (e.g., Tamara Levitt, Jerome Flynn, Alan Sklar) are consistently praised, while others are criticized.
  • Negative Impact of Celebrity Endorsements: Some users are turned off by the inclusion of celebrities and the perceived commercialization of the app.
  • User Frustration with "Free" App: Many users feel deceived by the app's "free" label, as most of the content requires a subscription.
  • Impact of App Updates: Changes to the app's features or pricing model often trigger a wave of negative reviews.
  • Requests for Content for Children: Users are requesting more kid-friendly stories and meditations.

Conclusion

Calm is a valuable tool for many users seeking to improve their sleep, manage stress, and practice mindfulness. However, the app's high cost, aggressive upselling, and usability issues detract from the overall experience. By addressing these pain points and focusing on user-requested features, Calm can strengthen its position as a leading meditation and relaxation app. The priority should be on improving the user experience and providing more value for the subscription cost.

Overall Recommendation: Address the negative feedback regarding cost and aggressive upselling. Focus on improving app navigation and providing more customization options. Consider reevaluating the decision to remove Sonos integration.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/calm/id571800810?uo=2