Category Research: What Users Complain About

Pick a category and see the complaint profile of its leading apps side by side, plus the problems that run across the whole niche. Built from the negative reviews we already analyzed, so nothing here is a guess about what people might dislike.

Platform
20 apps ranked by audience size20 with a complaint profileProfiles generated Aug 4, 2026 to Sep 20, 2026

Problems across the whole category

Share of the 20 profiled apps whose top complaints include each theme. A theme carried by most of the category is a problem nobody in the niche has solved.

45%Billing and refunds9 of 20 apps
Flo Cycle & Period Tracker: Unauthorized premium chargesClue Cycle & Period Tracker: Aggressive subscription promptsStrava: Run, Bike, Walk: Subscription and billing problemsAllTrails: Hike, Bike & Run: Aggressive subscription model

Did not surface in the top complaints of: Lose Weight App for Men (4.9), Finch: Self-Care Pet (4.9), Step Counter - Pedometer (4.8)

40%Paywall and pricing8 of 20 apps
Flo Ovulation & Period Tracker: Aggressive paywalls for basicsMyFitnessPal: Calorie Counter: Paywall for featuresClue Cycle & Period Tracker: Essential features paywalledStrava: Run, Bike, Walk: Too many paywalled features

Did not surface in the top complaints of: Lose Weight App for Men (4.9), AllTrails: Hike, Bike & Run (4.9), Planet Fitness (4.9)

30%Advertising6 of 20 apps
MyFitnessPal: Calorie Counter: Intrusive adsClue Cycle & Period Tracker: Too many ads and pop-upsStep Counter - Pedometer: Excessive adsPlanet Fitness: Excessive third-party ads

Did not surface in the top complaints of: Lose Weight App for Men (4.9), AllTrails: Hike, Bike & Run (4.9), Finch: Self-Care Pet (4.9)

25%Bugs and glitches5 of 20 apps
MyFitnessPal: Calorie Counter: Frequent bugsAllTrails: Hike, Bike & Run: Buggy app and GPS issuesFinch: Self-Care Pet: Technical glitches and bugsI am - Daily Affirmations: Technical glitches and bugs
20%Accuracy and data quality4 of 20 apps
Sweatcoin・Walking Step Counter: Inaccurate step countingGoogle Health (Fitbit): Inaccurate step countsStep Counter - Pedometer: Inaccurate step countingGoogle Fit: Activity Tracking: Inaccurate step counting
15%Crashes and stability3 of 20 apps
Strava: Run, Bike, Walk: App crashes and loses dataPlanet Fitness: App loading or crashing issuesGoogle Fit: Activity Tracking: Bugs and crashes
15%Speed and performance3 of 20 apps
Google Health (Fitbit): Slow app performanceGarmin Connectâ„¢: Buggy or slow performanceStep Counter - Pedometer: Slow app opening
10%Sync and data loss2 of 20 apps
Google Health (Fitbit): Health Connect sync issuesGarmin Connectâ„¢: Data syncing issuesGoogle Health (Fitbit): Unreliable syncing
10%Login and account access2 of 20 apps
Flo Ovulation & Period Tracker: Forced onboarding blocks loginFlo Ovulation & Period Tracker: Login/account access failuresFlo Cycle & Period Tracker: Sudden data/account loss
10%Privacy and permissions2 of 20 apps
Flo Cycle & Period Tracker: Data privacy violationsGoogle Fit: Activity Tracking: Inconsistent distance tracking
5%Update regressions1 of 20 apps
MyFitnessPal: Calorie Counter: Poor interface updateMyFitnessPal: Calorie Counter: Poor update changes
5%Servers and connectivity1 of 20 apps
Garmin Connectâ„¢: Frequent disconnections from devices
5%Interface and usability1 of 20 apps
Google Health (Fitbit): Poor user interface
5%Broken or missing features1 of 20 apps
Finch: Self-Care Pet: Frequent unwanted feature changes
5%Customer support1 of 20 apps
Sweatcoin・Walking Step Counter: Unresponsive customer support
25%Niche-specific complaints5 of 20 apps

Complaints too specific to this category to fit a shared theme. Often the most interesting ones.

Sweatcoin・Walking Step Counter: Rewards not creditedMyFitnessPal: Calorie Counter: Frequent logoutsLose Weight App for Men: Hindi language not supportedLose Weight App for Men: App download issues

App by app

Ordered by audience size, so the list reads as the competitive landscape rather than a worst-of ranking.

Flo Ovulation & Period Tracker
Flo Ovulation & Period TrackerFlo Health Inc.★ 4.70 · 5.1M ratings
Forced onboarding blocks loginAggressive paywalls for basicsLogin/account access failures

Users frequently complain about the app's poor user experience, including forced onboarding questions that block access to existing accounts and data loss during device changes. Many criticize the aggressive paywall system, which restricts basic features and health information behind a premium subscription. Technical issues like login failures, misleading free trials that still charge, and excessive ads for premium features are also common frustrations.

Sweatcoin・Walking Step Counter
Sweatcoin・Walking Step CounterSweatco Ltd★ 4.30 · 3.0M ratings
Inaccurate step countingUnresponsive customer supportRewards not credited

Users frequently report that the app inaccurately counts steps, often freezing or undercounting. Many complain about unresponsive customer support and issues with rewards not being credited despite watching ads or completing tasks. Some feel the effort required to earn meaningful rewards is disproportionate to the payout.

MyFitnessPal: Calorie Counter
MyFitnessPal: Calorie CounterMyFitnessPal, Inc.★ 4.40 · 2.9M ratings
Frequent logoutsPoor interface updatePaywall for features

Users frequently complain about the app's recent update, which made the interface less intuitive and harder to navigate. Many are frustrated by frequent logouts and the requirement to pay for previously free features like barcode scanning. Bugs, such as issues with logging food, syncing data, and step tracking, are also common complaints.

Lose Weight App for Men
Lose Weight App for MenLeap Fitness Group★ 4.90 · 2.7M ratings
Hindi language not supportedApp download issuesUncertain weight loss results

Users report issues with the app not downloading properly and Hindi language support not working. Some reviews express uncertainty about the app's effectiveness for weight loss.

MyFitnessPal: Calorie Counter
MyFitnessPal: Calorie CounterMyFitnessPal, Inc.★ 4.70 · 2.4M ratings
Poor update changesIntrusive adsFrequent bugs

Users are highly dissatisfied with recent updates, citing a clunky and confusing interface, frequent bugs, and intrusive ads. Many long-time users feel the app has become harder to use and less reliable, with essential features now behind a paywall or removed entirely.

Flo Cycle & Period Tracker
Flo Cycle & Period TrackerFLO HEALTH UK LIMITED★ 4.70 · 2.0M ratings
Unauthorized premium chargesData privacy violationsSudden data/account loss

Users frequently complain about the app automatically charging for premium subscriptions without consent and refusing refunds. Many report losing years of tracked data due to sudden account or data deletion. A significant number of reviews accuse the app of selling or leaking private user data to third parties like Meta and Google.

Clue Cycle & Period Tracker
Clue Cycle & Period TrackerClue Period Tracker by BioWink★ 4.50 · 1.5M ratings
Too many ads and pop-upsEssential features paywalledAggressive subscription prompts

Users frequently complain about excessive ads and aggressive prompts to upgrade to a paid subscription. Many express frustration that essential features, previously free, are now locked behind paywalls. Some also report technical issues like login problems and inaccurate tracking.

Google Health (Fitbit)
Google Health (Fitbit)Google LLC★ 3.60 · 1.3M ratings
Health Connect sync issuesInaccurate step countsSlow app performance

Users frequently report issues with app performance, including slow response times and synchronization problems with Health Connect and other apps. Many complain about inaccurate or missing data, such as step counts, sleep tracking, and custom food entries. The app's UI and functionality changes since transitioning from Fitbit have also been criticized.

Strava: Run, Bike, Walk
Strava: Run, Bike, WalkStrava Inc.★ 4.60 · 1.2M ratings
App crashes and loses dataToo many paywalled featuresSubscription and billing problems

Users frequently complain about the app crashing, losing activities, and having poor GPS accuracy. Many express frustration with aggressive paywalls, where previously free features are now locked behind subscriptions. Technical issues like login errors, sync failures with other apps, and difficulty canceling subscriptions are also common.

Garmin Connectâ„¢
Garmin Connect™Garmin★ 4.30 · 1.1M ratings
Frequent disconnections from devicesData syncing issuesBuggy or slow performance

Users frequently report issues with the app's reliability, including syncing problems, disconnections from devices, and data not being recorded correctly. Many complain about the app being buggy, slow, or freezing, with some features suddenly disappearing or breaking after updates. Others express frustration with the lack of user-friendly design, poor customer support, and the removal or paywalling of previously free features.

AllTrails: Hike, Bike & Run
AllTrails: Hike, Bike & RunAllTrails, Inc.★ 4.90 · 1.0M ratings
Aggressive subscription modelPoor public transport integrationBuggy app and GPS issues

Users complain about aggressive subscription prompts with a short free trial, lack of clear public transport integration for trail access, and persistent bugs like app crashes and GPS issues. Many also find the Apple Watch experience frustrating and note missing or inaccurate trail information.

Step Counter - Pedometer
Step Counter - PedometerHitchhike Tech★ 4.80 · 817K ratings
Excessive adsInaccurate step countingSlow app opening

Users frequently complain about excessive ads that disrupt the app's functionality and user experience. Many also report issues with the app not accurately counting steps or being slow to open. Some users mention misleading features or unexpected payment prompts.

Planet Fitness
Planet FitnessPlanet Fitness Holdings, LLC★ 4.90 · 813K ratings
App loading or crashing issuesExcessive third-party adsBilling and membership problems

Users frequently report technical issues with the app, including loading problems, login failures, and unresponsiveness. Many complain about excessive third-party promotions and ads within the app, overshadowing fitness-related features. Additionally, there are numerous complaints about billing problems, such as unauthorized charges and difficulties canceling memberships.

Finch: Self-Care Pet
Finch: Self-Care PetFinch Care Public Benefit Corporation★ 4.90 · 758K ratings
Technical glitches and bugsAggressive subscription promptsRestrictive shop system

Users frequently report technical glitches, such as event countdowns freezing, tasks disappearing, or the app crashing. Many express frustration with the shop system's randomness and limited free refreshes, as well as aggressive prompts to subscribe to Finch Plus. Some find the app repetitive or poorly adapted to their location or needs, like seasonal mismatches or accessibility oversights.

BetterMe: Health Coaching
BetterMe: Health CoachingBetterMe Limited★ 4.70 · 704K ratings
Unauthorized automatic renewalsDifficulty canceling subscriptionsMisleading free trial offers

Users frequently complain about unauthorized automatic renewals and difficulty canceling subscriptions, often resulting in unexpected charges. Many also report poor customer support and misleading free trial offers. Some users mention issues with the app's functionality, such as unrealistic exercises and lack of language options.

I am - Daily Affirmations
I am - Daily AffirmationsMonkey Taps★ 4.80 · 692K ratings
Excessive paywalls for featuresTechnical glitches and bugsHigh subscription cost

Users frequently complain about excessive paywalls, with many basic features like themes and app icons locked behind high fees. Technical issues like broken widgets, lost custom affirmations, and background sounds not working are common and slow to be fixed. Many feel the subscription cost is too high for the app's limited functionality compared to free alternatives.

Google Fit: Activity Tracking
Google Fit: Activity TrackingGoogle LLC★ 3.40 · 685K ratings
Inaccurate step countingInconsistent distance trackingBugs and crashes

Users frequently complain about inaccurate step counting, with many reporting significant discrepancies compared to other apps or devices. The app is also criticized for inconsistent tracking of distance and GPS issues, often showing incorrect data or deleting recorded activities. Additionally, users express frustration with bugs, crashes, and poor integration with other health apps or devices.

Google Health (Fitbit)
Google Health (Fitbit)Google★ 4.50 · 676K ratings
Poor user interfacePersistent bugsUnreliable syncing

Users are frustrated with the app's recent updates, citing a poorly designed user interface, persistent bugs, and the removal of useful features. Many complain about unreliable syncing, accessibility issues for blind users, and an overemphasis on premium features.

Finch: Self-Care Pet
Finch: Self-Care PetFinch Care Public Benefit Corporation★ 4.90 · 627K ratings
Intrusive ads and movie collaborationsFrequent unwanted feature changesEssential features behind paywall

Users complain about frequent changes to the app's interface and features, making it less useful and harder to navigate. Many are frustrated with the increasing number of ads, especially movie collaborations, which feel intrusive in a mental health app. Paywalling essential self-care features and poor customer support are also common grievances.

Impulse - Brain Training Games
Impulse - Brain Training GamesGMRD Apps Limited★ 4.50 · 627K ratings
Excessive disruptive adsAggressive paywallsSubscription billing issues

Users frequently complain about excessive ads that disrupt gameplay, often forcing them into the app store or making the app unusable. Many also report aggressive paywalls, hidden subscription charges, and difficulty canceling paid plans. Some feel the puzzles are too simplistic or that the app misleads users by hiding test results behind premium paywalls.

Complaint profiles are generated from 1-3 star reviews on the App Store and Google Play and refreshed periodically. Theme grouping is rule-based, so the same complaint label always lands in the same theme. Ratings come from the stores themselves.