Customer Reviews (500)

Haley1235✨ • 2025-03-26T15:25:25-07:00

I loved this app but all this new updates have ruined it. Do not like the analyze feature and the fact that grid feeds on your profile are gone. It was much better before.

Biggidee69 • 2025-03-23T11:03:10-07:00

Would have been five stars before update, hate the update, give us the option to use older version

caitdawson • 2025-03-19T19:35:01-07:00

the update is actually horrible. go back to where we could pick types of drinks/alcohol instead of having each individual drink labeled and having to search. actually unusable

Summary of Key Insights

Beer Buddy is an app designed to connect friends and allow them to share their drinking experiences. The app has a generally positive sentiment, but recent updates have caused significant user dissatisfaction. The main strengths lie in its core concept of connecting friends over drinks and its potential for social interaction. However, recent updates introducing unwanted features, removing liked functionality, and causing bugs have significantly impacted user experience and sentiment. Many users express frustration and a desire for the app to revert to its previous state. The app's overall rating is seemingly propped up by older reviews, as current sentiment is significantly lower.

Key Strengths:

  • Core concept of connecting friends over shared drinking experiences.
  • Fun and interactive way to see what friends are up to.
  • Appeals to a social and competitive audience.

Key Weaknesses:

  • Recent updates have negatively impacted user experience.
  • Loss of previous functionality, such as custom drink selection and the ability to add multiple drinks per post.
  • Bugs and glitches, including app crashes, disappearing photos, and inability to accept friend requests.
  • Unwanted features, such as forced selfies and a "Tinder-like" matching system.
  • Concerns about privacy, particularly regarding exact location sharing.

Overall Sentiment: Mixed, trending negative due to recent updates.

Quantitative Metrics:

  • Overall Rating: Not explicitly stated, but can be inferred to be around 4 stars based on review distribution.
  • Score Distribution:
    • 5-star: 55.2% (276/500)
    • 4-star: 11.4% (57/500)
    • 3-star: 10.4% (52/500)
    • 2-star: 7.6% (38/500)
    • 1-star: 15.4% (77/500)

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews.
  • Time Frame: Not explicitly stated, but the reviews appear to be a mix of older and more recent feedback, with a significant portion referencing recent updates.
  • Analysis Methods: Qualitative analysis of user reviews, focusing on sentiment identification, keyword extraction (e.g., "update," "photo," "friends," "bug"), and frequency of mentioned issues and desired features. No automated sentiment analysis was performed; analysis was based on reading and interpreting the reviews.

Key User Pain Points

  • Negative Impact of Recent Updates: Many users express strong dissatisfaction with recent updates, citing the removal of preferred features, introduction of unwanted elements, and increased app instability.
  • Loss of Functionality: The ability to select custom drinks, add multiple drinks per post, and easily view friends' posts has been removed, leading to frustration.
  • Bugs and Glitches: App crashes, disappearing photos, inability to accept friend requests, and other technical issues are frequently reported.
  • Unwanted Features: Forced selfies, a "Tinder-like" matching system, and changes to the feed format are disliked by many users.
  • Privacy Concerns: Some users are uncomfortable with the app's exact location sharing feature and the lack of control over privacy settings.
  • Account Issues: Users are unable to log back into existing accounts after logging out or getting a new phone.

Frequently Requested Features

  • Revert to Previous Functionality: The most common request is to restore the app to its previous state, with the old drink selection method and feed format.
  • Customization Options: Users want more control over the app's appearance and functionality, such as the ability to choose which camera to use, turn off location sharing, and customize the feed.
  • Improved Social Features: Group chats, the ability to tag friends in posts, and a leaderboard for drink counts are frequently requested.
  • Additional Drink Options: Users want more specific drink options, including the ability to add custom drinks and track non-alcoholic beverages.
  • Media Saving: Ability to save photos and videos taken within the app to their device.
  • Profile Customization: Ability to change usernames and profile pictures.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Connecting Friends: The app is praised for its ability to connect friends and allow them to share their drinking experiences.
  • Fun and Interactive: Users find the app fun and engaging, especially when used with friends.
  • Competitive Element: The ranking system and drink counts add a competitive element that some users enjoy.
  • Simple Concept: The core concept of sharing drinks with friends is seen as simple and effective.
  • Useful for Coordination: Helps people find out where their friends are and coordinate meetups.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Address Bugs and Glitches: Fix app crashes, disappearing photos, and other technical issues that are significantly impacting user experience.
  • Revert Unpopular Changes: Revert or provide options to disable unpopular features, such as forced selfies and the "Tinder-like" matching system. Restore the previous drink selection method and feed format.
  • Account Recovery: Fix the issue preventing users from logging back into their old accounts.

Medium Priority:

  • Improve Privacy Controls: Provide users with more control over their privacy settings, including the ability to turn off exact location sharing.
  • Enhance Social Features: Add group chat functionality and the ability to tag friends in posts.
  • Add Customization Options: Allow users to customize the app's appearance and functionality, such as choosing which camera to use.
  • Restore Lost Functionality: Bring back the ability to add multiple drinks per post and easily view friends' posts.

Low Priority:

  • Expand Drink Options: Add more specific drink options and the ability to track non-alcoholic beverages.
  • Develop Apple Watch App: Create an Apple Watch app for quick drink logging.
  • Improve UI/UX: Address minor UI/UX issues, such as the placement of buttons and the clarity of the feed.
  • Implement a Block Function: Allow users to block unwanted friend requests.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Enhanced Location-Based Social App for Specific Activities: Build a more robust social app that allows users to connect with others based on shared interests and activities, with granular privacy controls and safety features.
  • Customizable Social Media Platform: Create a social media platform that allows users to customize the app's appearance and functionality to their preferences.
  • Drinking Companion App with Safety Features: Develop an app that combines social drinking features with safety tools, such as ride-sharing integration, sobriety tests, and emergency contacts.
  • Memory-Focused Social App: Create a social media platform that prioritizes the preservation and organization of user-generated content, with robust search and archiving features.

Trends and Observations

  • Negative Sentiment Shift: Recent updates have caused a significant shift in sentiment, with many users expressing frustration and disappointment.
  • Feature Creep Backlash: Users are resistant to unnecessary features and changes that detract from the app's core functionality.
  • Privacy Concerns: Privacy is a growing concern for users, particularly regarding location sharing.
  • Desire for Customization: Users want more control over the app's appearance and functionality.
  • Nostalgia for Simplicity: Many users express a desire for the app to return to its simpler, more user-friendly previous state.

Conclusion

Beer Buddy has a strong core concept and the potential to be a successful social app. However, recent updates have significantly damaged the user experience and shifted sentiment negative. To regain user trust and continue to grow, the developers need to prioritize addressing bugs, reverting unpopular changes, and focusing on features that enhance the app's core functionality and user control. A focus on privacy and safety is also crucial. By listening to user feedback and prioritizing improvements based on user needs, Beer Buddy can regain its position as a fun and engaging social app for friends who enjoy sharing a drink.

Overall Recommendation: Revert unpopular updates, focus on bug fixes and stability, and prioritize user feedback in future development decisions.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/beer-buddy-drink-with-me/id1487915470?uo=2