Customer Reviews (500)

3k21 • 2025-03-27T15:20:10-07:00

Ive had the free version with capability to sync my Apple Watch stats for a very long time. With a misplaced thumb, I accidentally disconnected it from the app’s settings, and then I tried to reconnect it. But now it’s apparently a premium feature. Man, a disappointment to say the least. And now, I might as well take the chance to say app is, while certainly decent with a good user base and reliable resource to pull from, it’s definitely clunky in places and more confusing than other apps, but the feature I loved was the free syncing of my watch. What a shame—oh, and for goodness sake, the incessant prompts for Premium….All in all, we had a good run, but the change to sync my watch being premium is enough to part ways, I think. Thanks.

BeckyLouLou22 • 2025-03-27T14:33:17-07:00

I really enjoy this app. It shows you macros and breaks down what you should be eating in a day. I always thought of carbs vs calories. You can see what you’ve eaten for each meal - carbs, protein, calories and fat. You can’t fail if you follow the guidelines. Things that could be improved are recipes. You can find all kinds of great recipes on this app with nutritional info attached. That’s awesome. What’s not awesome is the fact when you like a recipe it shows up in your food list instead of it’s own little folder. If you like a bunch in one day it’s just messy. It would also be easier logging food if the food you have already scanned shows up in your food folder first vs every single food similar. You want your info to be correct with what you’ve eaten and it takes forever to find your brand , if you find it at all. So much food is prepped ahead and packages get thrown out. My last gripe is about fiber. It’s so important in any diet. I wish the app added in the drop down where you get your fiber from. It lists every other important part of your diet including vitamins and potassium and such but not your fiber. This should be a huge part of daily numbers. All and all though I’m very pleased with the app and I’m glad it was recommended to me Update :: my Apple Watch isn’t syncing today and unsure what’s the cause. I don’t want to delete in case I lose my info Please help

wentzlover21 • 2025-03-27T13:13:02-07:00

With the recent update, it stopped counting my steps from my Apple Watch as well as allowing me to reconnect to Apple heath. Hopefully there’s a fix for this soon, been using this app for the last five years

Carb Manager—Keto Diet Tracker App Review Analysis

1. Summary of Key Insights

Carb Manager is generally well-received, particularly for its ease of use in tracking macros and its barcode scanning feature. However, recent updates have introduced bugs and issues that are causing significant frustration for some users, especially regarding syncing with Apple Health, app stability (crashing, blank screens), and the functionality of previously free features now requiring a premium subscription. The app's database accuracy is also a recurring concern. While many users praise its effectiveness in weight loss and dietary management, addressing the stability and feature accessibility issues should be a top priority.

Key Strengths:

  • Ease of use for tracking macros and calories.
  • Free barcode scanning.
  • Large food database (though accuracy is questioned).
  • Helpful for weight loss and managing specific diets (Keto, low-carb).
  • Intermittent fasting tracker (though improvements are needed).

Key Weaknesses:

  • App stability issues (crashing, blank screens, freezing).
  • Syncing problems with Apple Health and other fitness devices.
  • Inaccurate food database entries.
  • Previously free features now requiring premium subscription.
  • Poor customer support responsiveness.
  • Meal planning crashes.

Overall Sentiment: Mixed. While many long-term users are satisfied, recent issues have negatively impacted the user experience for some, leading to frustration and lower ratings.

Quantitative Metrics:

  • Overall Rating: Not explicitly provided but calculable from the distribution.
  • Score Distribution:
    • 5 Stars: 56.6% (283/500)
    • 4 Stars: 12.2% (61/500)
    • 3 Stars: 5.8% (29/500)
    • 2 Stars: 9.4% (47/500)
    • 1 Star: 16% (80/500)
  • The app has a positive sentiment, with over half of the reviews being 5 stars. However, the 1- and 2-star reviews represent a significant proportion indicating substantial user dissatisfaction.

2. Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
  • Time Frame: Not explicitly stated, but the reviews appear to be relatively recent (covering updates and issues within the last year, and even recent weeks).
  • Analysis Methods: Qualitative analysis of user reviews, identifying recurring themes, sentiment, and feature requests. Keyword extraction was used to pinpoint frequently mentioned issues and positive aspects.

3. Key User Pain Points

  • App Instability (Crashing/Freezing/Blank Screen): Many users report the app crashing, freezing, or displaying a blank screen, particularly after recent updates. This is a major disruption, preventing users from logging food and tracking progress.
  • Syncing Issues with Apple Health/Fitness Trackers: A frequent complaint is the inability to sync data with Apple Health and other fitness trackers (Fitbit, Apple Watch). This includes step counts, exercise data, and weight information. Some users report that syncing was a free feature that is now behind a paywall.
  • Inaccurate Food Database: Users report inaccurate or missing nutritional information for foods, requiring manual entry and verification. Conflicting entries for the same food are also common.
  • Premium Subscription Issues: Complaints include the app appearing to be free but requiring a subscription for basic functionality, previously free features now requiring a premium subscription, automatic renewals without notification, and difficulty obtaining refunds.
  • Customer Support Responsiveness: Several users mention a lack of response from customer support or unhelpful responses to reported issues.
  • Meal Planning Issues: The meal planning feature is reported to crash frequently, especially for premium users.
  • Barcode Scanner Issues: The barcode scanner is not working for some users, or it scans incorrectly.

4. Frequently Requested Features

  • Improved Intermittent Fasting Tracker: Users want more flexibility in setting fasting times, manual start/stop options, and better visualization of progress.
  • Sodium Tracking in Free Version: Many users want sodium content to be tracked in the free version of the app.
  • Protein-Focused Version: Some users, particularly those focused on weightlifting, would like a version of the app that prioritizes protein tracking.
  • More Accurate and Comprehensive Food Database: Users want a more accurate and comprehensive food database, including more whole foods, international dishes, and better support for custom recipes.
  • Ability to Compare Foods Side-by-Side: Users want the ability to compare nutritional information for different foods to make informed choices.
  • Ability to Report/Vote on Inaccurate Food Entries: Users want a way to flag or vote on inaccurate food entries in the database.
  • Ability to Log Free-Form Text Entries: Users want the ability to log free-form text entries to track symptoms or notes related to their diet.
  • Night Shift Worker Option: Users who work night shifts would like an option to adjust the app's day start/end time to align with their sleep schedule.
  • Widget Options: Users want more widget options, such as tracking water intake or a barcode scanner shortcut.
  • Dark Mode Option: Users want a dark mode option for the app.

5. Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Ease of Use: Many users praise the app's user-friendly interface and ease of navigation, making it simple to track food intake and macros.
  • Barcode Scanning: The free barcode scanning feature is a major draw for users, allowing them to quickly log packaged foods.
  • Customization: Users appreciate the ability to customize macros, goals, and diet settings to fit their individual needs.
  • Effectiveness for Weight Loss: Many users report success in losing weight and managing their diets using the app.
  • Recipe Database: The app's recipe database, particularly for premium users, is seen as a valuable resource.
  • Integration with Health & Fitness Apps: The app's ability to connect with Apple Health and other fitness trackers is appreciated (when it works).
  • Motivational Features: Users find the app's reminders, celebrations, and community features to be motivating.

6. Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Address App Stability Issues: Investigate and fix the reported crashing, freezing, and blank screen issues immediately. This is the most critical issue impacting user experience.
  • Resolve Syncing Problems: Fix the syncing issues with Apple Health and other fitness trackers. Ensure that previously free syncing features are not behind a paywall without clear communication.
  • Improve Food Database Accuracy: Implement a system for users to report and vote on inaccurate food entries. Prioritize verifying and correcting existing data.
  • Improve Customer Support Responsiveness: Increase customer support staffing and provide more timely and helpful responses to user inquiries.
  • Fix Meal Planning Crashes: Address the reported crashes in the meal planning feature, especially for premium users.

Medium Priority:

  • Enhance Intermittent Fasting Tracker: Add more flexibility to the intermittent fasting tracker, including manual start/stop options and better visualization.
  • Consider Reinstating Previously Free Features: Evaluate the impact of moving features behind a paywall and consider reinstating some previously free features to improve user satisfaction.
  • Provide Clearer Communication About Subscription Changes: Clearly communicate any changes to subscription features or pricing to avoid user confusion and frustration.
  • Add Sodium Tracking to Free Version: Consider adding sodium tracking to the free version to meet user demand.
  • Improve Accessibility: Address font size and readability issues.

Low Priority:

  • Develop Protein-Focused Version: Explore the feasibility of creating a protein-focused version of the app.
  • Add Ability to Compare Foods Side-by-Side: Implement a feature to compare nutritional information for different foods.
  • Add Ability to Log Free-Form Text Entries: Add a feature to log free-form text entries.
  • Implement Night Shift Worker Option: Add an option to adjust the app's day start/end time for night shift workers.
  • Improve Widget Options: Add more widget options for quick access to key features.
  • Add Dark Mode Option: Implement a dark mode option.

7. Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • AI-Powered Food Database Verification: Develop an AI-powered system to automatically verify and correct nutritional information in the food database.
  • Personalized Nutrition Recommendations Based on Health Data: Integrate with health trackers and provide personalized nutrition recommendations based on user's health data and goals.
  • Community-Driven Recipe Platform with Verified Macros: Create a community-driven recipe platform with verified macros and user ratings.
  • Hyperlocal Restaurant Menu Tracking: Develop a system to track restaurant menus in real-time based on user location, with verified nutritional information.
  • Subscription-Based Personalized Supplement Recommendations: Offer personalized supplement recommendations based on user's dietary intake and health goals, with a subscription service for convenient delivery.

8. Trends and Observations

  • Recent Negative Sentiment: There is a clear trend of increasing negative sentiment due to recent app updates and stability issues.
  • Focus on Specific Diets: The app is heavily used by individuals following Keto and low-carb diets.
  • Importance of Free Features: The free barcode scanning feature is a major selling point for the app.
  • Desire for Integration: Users want seamless integration with other health and fitness apps and devices.
  • Language Preferences: The majority of reviews are in English, with a few in Spanish.

9. Conclusion

Carb Manager is a valuable tool for individuals tracking their macros and managing their diets. However, recent issues with app stability, syncing, and feature accessibility are negatively impacting the user experience. Addressing these issues should be a top priority to retain existing users and attract new ones. By focusing on improving app stability, enhancing the food database, and providing better customer support, Carb Manager can solidify its position as a leading nutrition tracking app.

Overall Recommendation: Prioritize fixing the critical app stability and syncing issues. Re-evaluate the premium subscription model to ensure it provides value without alienating free users. Invest in improving the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the food database.

10. Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/carb-manager-keto-diet-tracker/id410089737?uo=2