IBird Pro Guide to Birds App Reviews

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DO NOT UPGRADE!!! Do so & you'll be forced to Subscribe!. DO NOT UPGRADE!!! If you do, you'll find this online bird guide converted to a subscription with only a "one year trial" for prior OWNERS of iBird Pro. Also, it's been renamed Waite's Birds!? Save yourself and keep the old version. We accidentally brushed the Update Button and couldn't stop the process. Turned off our iPad in an effort to cancel the update, but it was too late. Don't let this happen to you! We join others (on fixed income and otherwise) in expressing our outrage. We helped start this company and now they throw their original supporters -- who PURCHASED this online field guide -- under the bus by forcing us into a subscription. At the end of one year we will NOT be jumping on the subscription merry-go-round that'll automatically charge our credit card until we die or cancel. It's so easy to accumulate monthly charges. Our original purchase price for this app, which was not cheap back in the day, should've been honored even if the company's future business model switches to a subscription base. This move was SLEAZY and a cheat. So sorry to lose this wonderful online bird field guide... We're tired of "subscriptions" for everything that we "pay" for. Call us old-fashioned Luddites; however, we no longer allow "automatic" withdrawals from our credit cards and prefer to own what we buy... even if that means no more future "app updates." Farewell iBird Pro!

Subscription update removes everything we've paid for!. Very disappointed that this app has completely moved to a subscription model, with no option for existing users to keep their purchased plan (aside from the "very long free trial" that isn't "free" at all, since we already paid for the app). For a lot of users, this subscription model probably makes sense. But as someone who doesn't use the app often, it's ridiculous to try to remove what I already paid for with no options to keep my existing purchase. I don't need all the latest taxonomic updates, and online services and all that. I'd be happy with a more limited version of the app that gave me the features I already paid for, without removing at least the basic functionality.

Previous purchaser. I purchase iBird Pro years ago. Last year I was contacted saying I’d need to start paying for a subscription - which I don’t mind. I was supposed to pay this month. Now I’m locked out and given options to try a free week or contact iBird since I’m a previous purchaser. I emailed iBird several days ago and haven’t heard back and am still locked out. I can’t pay for a year subscription it seems, since I’m locked out. I use iBird several times a week and I will most definitely need it when I go to Ireland next month. Please help me straighten this out. Love the app and depend on it regularly.

Was a good app but no longer works. Very frustrated with this company. A few months ago iBird Pro stopped recognizing my purchase of the app which occurred ten years ago. They added a button for restoring purchase but it defaults to the Apple email and not the email associated with the original purchase. The developer refuses to even respond to my emails or somehow fix the problem. UPDATE They went to subscriber format and, unlike ethical companies who recognize prior purchases, they refuse to honor prior purchases. It is pretty disgraceful that people who paid $20-$30 can’t even access the content as it was before their subscription service began. I could understand walling off new content or even disabling features like submitting notes and seeing recent locations. But to brick the app unless you pay $10 a year is really shady.

Deleted and NOT worth a subscription. So disappointed with the move to subscription after no changes or improvements to app were made. Do not spend money on the app. They charged an upfront cost for the purchase of a product and now I have nothing to show for it. Should have at the very least grandfathered in people who had purchased the guide prior. Also, it was incredibly dishonest and sly the way that they pushed the update without making it clear (no email, no clear notification upon opening app) to customers that they were going to lose access to a product that I had already paid for. I did not even realize that the switch had occurred, and thought it must have been a mistake until I searched online for answers. So disappointed. I deleted the app and will switch to the Sibley guide or something that does not require a subscription.

I get it but…. They switched to a subscription-based model and I bought it years ago for $50. This is more of a mobile app industry problem and less from Mitch Waite. Maybe I’m getting old but I still remember when customers’ purchases were respected; if you bought an app once, you keep it. I’ve had developers delete their entire app that I bought only to re-upload an exact copy to refresh their cash flow (I’m looking at you EA Games). I think the App Store and apps in general have tanked in the last few years which is unfortunate. About the app itself, I’ve used it for years and it is very handy if you’re an outdoor kind of person. You couldn’t ask for a better birding app. Mitch Waite knows this and I’m guessing they aren’t getting a lot of new buyers. If you’re okay with this new subscription-based business model then you should have no problem! I think all things being fair and just, previous purchases should be able to keep it without a subscription since we already bought it once but again, they are the developers and we are the consumers. It is what it is.

Fabulous birding app!!!. I totally love this app. I am a lifelong intermediate birder so I often need help with identification, and I always want to learn more about the birds I see. This is like carrying an expert birder in my pocket. Comparing the careful diagrams with the included photos is really helpful. I’m given similar birds to check for comparison, I can listen bird songs to improve my accuracy (and I love listening to them). Unlike some reviewers, I have no problem at all with the subscription rate. It’s extremely reasonable (much less than other apps I’ve had that moved to subscription format after purchase), I was given a year free during the transition, and I want the app to maintain its current level of accuracy and usefulness.

This is the best birding app I have seen. There seems to be a lot of noise right now because iBird changed from a one-time purchase app to a subscription based model. As a customer of iBirdPro (and now Ultimate) for at least 10 years, as well as a software executive, I would like to add my perspective. First, this app is truly awesome. As an amateur bird watcher, I have received immense pleasure and value from it over the past many years. They keep adding more and more features at a tremendous rate, and it has all been useful. I actually did wonder how they could could sustain their business model by not going to an annual subscription model because it virtually impossible to continue in business like this without an ongoing revenue stream. Even advertising would be difficult to sustain because the ability to monetize bird watching is likely too limited. Mitch Waite has gone overboard to provide free transition periods, special promotions and such for existing customers who have to move to the new model. I personally and professionally think they have done too much. For those of you who are legacy customers who are being asked to move, please understand that you are now asking MW to decide to cripple their business or pander to you. If you like their app you shouldn’t be asking them to do this. This is a fantastic app. If you like it, then pay for it.

Not worth it. I’ve had this app in my phone for a few months now, and I have not opened it even once in the field. I find it generally difficult to navigate, not to mention that there are much better FREE field guide apps out there. Also, I heard an interview on a birding podcast, This Birding Life, from quite a few years back of the maker of this app (Mitchell Waite): he essentially said that he sent poor artists in third world countries photos and illustrations of birds and asked them to put their own spin on it so it wasn’t straight-up copyright infringement. He was very proud of “outsourcing” and getting this work done on the cheap. Perhaps this is also why some of the images are not that great. Most bird guides with illustrations include paintings done by people who have actually seen these birds in real life, so the results are much more true to life. Don’t waste your money. Get Merlin Bird ID or the Audubon apps instead; they include a good field guide with other great features, and they’re free.

Mitch Waite iBird Pro (a Turkey of an App). Purchased app years ago, worked very well in North America. Good value for the money at that time, although by the time I upgraded from the basic to the full US to the I Bird Pro I actually spent more than I anticipated. Now the Waite group has switched to a subscription based service and I am locked out of the app I purchased and paid for. Seems like a bait and switch marketing plan. I’m content with the features I paid for. This is the second time I’ve purchased an app and the developer has subsequently switched to a subscription only service. Waite has joined the inglorious Market Circle of developers scamming consumers. Before you buy, consider what else they may leverage once you’ve bought the subscription. I can’t even get a email response after months of emails to them! R. E. California

New update doesn’t allow access.. I’ve used this app for years and it had been great. But I updated the app just before starting fieldwork, and it boots up to a screen offering me a free trial or a button that says previous owner. When I click on previous owner, it says “no purchase found in the App Store” and gives an option for emailing the developer. This too goes nowhere and returns a message saying “email unable to send.” I paid almost $30 several years ago, and is one of the most expensive apps I’ve purchased, only to be shut out. I’ve read through reviews, and it seems to be blaming this on “family plan” settings, which makes no sense as we have other purchases in our family plan associated with individual members. I’ve tried to go to their website and it goes to an empty “sorry, we’re doing some work on this site” message. I’m super disappointed not just that they haven’t worked this out for paid app owners, but also that the customer support is totally lacking. Avoid purchasing. It can be taken from you at any time and there is no support, no recourse, and nowhere but here to voice your dissatisfaction.

Lousy customer service - go elsewhere. Updated review: this app was a great reference that I used from time to time. Then, without warning, they transitioned to a subscription model rendering the app useless. I wouldn’t have minded if they stopped updating the existing app, and started a new app as a subscription, but it was a really low blow to offer an app “update” that made the app useless without me paying more forever. It was like going to my bookshelf and finding my printed bird books blank because the publisher decided they wanted more money. There are plenty of other bird guides in the App Store, and you’ll get better customer service from them. The best bird guide is the one you have with you, and I really enjoy this since I don't always know when I'll run into an interesting bird. The search capabilities are a significant advance over a printed book, it is so nice to be able to specify something like, "what was that mostly black duck-like bird that I saw in New Hampshire in November?" an see all the possibilities laid out for easy comparison (a hooded merganser, it turned out). The recorded bird calls are also an incredibly useful feature. The only problem I have had is occasionally the search has not listed a bird that, in retrospect, it should have. I guess there are still some errors in their indexes. Also, eBird support would be nice.

Another customer lost. Like many here, I also purchased iBird pro, only to have my access removed when they updated to a subscription model. Highly unethical. Even Apple’s App Store guidelines state “If you are changing your existing app to a subscription-based business model, you should not take away the primary functionality existing users have already paid for.” And their support took months to provide me a generic response. Among their justifications was that companies such as Microsoft and Adobe moved to subscription models without providing “grandfather” benefits. This is ridiculous and disingenuous. My Adobe and Microsoft products did NOT stop working when they moved to a subscription model. And those companies retained me as a subscribing customer when I decided I wanted the newer versions of their products. No such luck here. Can’t even access the app now. Don’t buy or support this company.

Stolen app. Paid for and taken away. Should be illegal, Stay away!. I paid $15 to BUY this app over 10 years ago. I OWN it!! Loved it used it a lot. Best bird app ever. But the company is stealing it back to charge for subscriptions. If you pay for something it belongs to you; they have no right to steal it and charge again. And again. And again! I understand changing it for new customers . Though $10 a month is a rip off, I would Understand them not allowing new info for those who OWN IT, who don’t subscribe. But to attempt to steal it ALL back so an OWNER now has to subscribe SHOULD BE ILLEGAL if it’s not already,. OWNERS SHOULD GET TOGETHER AND SUE THE COMPANY FOR FRAUD AND THEFT I bought my car; the car company cannot now rent my car to me! if you don’t own it DO NOT SUBSCRIBE ! Get Merlin a free app from Cornell University and EBird for counting the birds you see for the good of the birds! APPLE DISCONTINUE THIS FRAUD.!! DO NOT CARRY IT!

New rating after developer explained issues. I’ve left my original review below for context. There were two things going on that relate more to Apple than iBird. First, in-app purchase are not part of family sharing. Thus, you have to repurchase on different devices. Second, any device using a family shared app but not using the purchaser’s Apple ID has to purchase the original app and the in-app items on its own. Thus, family sharing only works for the original app. In effect, it provides marketing for the developer to extend its sales. To the substance of iBird Pro. It’s the best birding app available. Buy it and put up with the App Store hoops. I had to buy in-app purchases a second time for my iPad after buying them for my iPhone. None of the in-app purchases are recognized on my wife’s iPhone and restoring purchases fails. Instead the app says she has to purchase the original iBird Pro on her phone (i.e., not really family shared)so she can purchase the in-app items — Again! The developer has not responded to my support email or to my post n the support forum. Neither did they respond to my original review. I appreciate the need to make money and how offering in-app purchases for enhancements to components that were once standard or for new components is a way to increase revenue but they need to be honest about family sharing and in-app purchases. It’s a good app and one I’ve used for years but the new version is buyer beware.

Victim of subscription cash-grab. I paid a high price for this when it was introduced. I tried to resolve via email and was met with same template response as others. Justifying a subscription model to allow “innovative new features“ is a lie. Check the release notes. There hasn’t been a single major feature enhancement since the introduction of subscriptions. The other reason sited was to support maintenance of the app. This is nonsense for a few reasons. 1. This kind of app (should) have very low monthly cost to maintain. Minimal- if any servers, small updates to maintain compatibility, minimal user support, etc. 2. The previously high one-time fee should have been enough to cover whatever minimal impact a user has throughout their use period. They could have easily given previous owners a lifetime subscription and let new users decide if a subscription based app was worthwhile. 3. It’s detrimental to their business. Which users do you think were the most passionate about the app and the biggest advocates? Which users (myself included obviously) are most angered and vocal about this? Which users would have been most likely to voluntarily upgrade to something genuinely better or voluntarily switch to subscription if this had been handled better? This was THE app I used to recommend when asked about birding apps. Congratulations; you angered all your most loyal users and destroyed a wonderful app. I hope it was worth it.

Turning their back on original app purchasers. Disclaimer: I’m an interpretive naturalist and lead guided bird walks. I bought this app years ago and paid full retail price ($30). I always somewhat regretted getting iBird over Sibley, since Sibley’s illustrations are far superior to iBird’s. But I made due, and enjoyed the large amount of audio recordings available for each species on iBird. Today when I launched the app, I was notified that in one year my purchase will no longer be valid, and I’ll have to pay a subscription fee. Seriously? I bought this app and paid full retail, treated like a field guide, and even recommended it to clients on bird walks since the audio library was so good. And now I’m being closed out? Nah fam. You honor past purchases by giving legacy owners a legacy subscription, just like Gaia. It won’t eat into your profits that much. I purchased Sibley today, and will now actively recommend against this app to everyone on my birding walks. TBH Merlin does everything iBird does and it’s free. There are better options out there folks.

Company does not stand by what they offer.. While the app has been useful, thankfully there are several better apps available now. I paid over $100 for this app several years ago because they offered the app for a lifetime of use. I felt the investment was worth it. The company has now changed their app and have excluded all those people who paid for the lifetime of use. We were the ones that helped them get off the ground! They sent a letter explaining they are just copying what everyone else is doing in the industry and offering a discount for the first month trial. They have NO INTEGRITY. Here is the quote from their email: “The move from a single-purchase to a subscription-based model is in line with the evolving trends of the software industry. Influenced by market dynamics, including the lower pricing strategies of leading smartphone platforms, this shift isn't just limited to the smaller apps. Even renowned companies like Microsoft and Adobe have migrated to this model without providing exclusive “grandfather” benefits to earlier standalone purchasers.”

So Difficult.... I bought iBird years ago. It was expensive, and flawed. The bugs were never fixed. Now I’m being cheated out of my purchase, they’re going subscription. I’ll delete the app. I've used every version for at least the last five years. Unless you already know the bird's name, you may never find it. Searching by locale or description brings up arbitrary lists. Take the Snowy Egret for example. If you search for "egret", the bird is not listed. If you search for "snowy", it is. The same difficulties and inconsistencies are present in all search methods, like geography, size, color, family. I once wrote down iBird's own description of a bird, entered it as a search filter, and the app could not locate the bird. My wife got so frustrated with iBird Pro that she deleted it. I keep it around if I have a question about a bird I already recognize. (But I still may not find it.) Not worth the price. Shoddy programming, poorly implemented search functions. Too bad.

Much Better Apps Than This Bait and Switch. I purchased this app for the full fee twice, the initial time and a few years ago when they said they did a complete rework. Now the developers are saying they are not making enough money so they are not going to honor what they sold me and want to charge monthly. The developers say the market is saturated with bird apps which is not true. What is true is both Audubon and Cornell Lab of Ornithology have excellent and easier to use free apps plus Cornell Lab of Ornithology has an excellent free online resource. A friend of mine who has no interest in bird watching and is not app savvy enjoys using Smart Bird ID, another free app, where she can just hold up her phone as a bird is singing and the app identifies it. Also, these three free apps are all under 250MB while this app is 1.8GB. I never found this app intuitive to use but maybe you love this app enough to start paying for it monthly. Me? I’m moving on.

Extremely disappointed. As a longtime user (2013) and PURCHASER/OWNER of the original iBird Pro app, I’m extremely disappointed with the forced move to subscription, which in essence makes me repurchase the material I already own access to, over and over again. I have always found your Range maps, Behavior, and Sounds sections useful in the field, but I will be switching to a different app, I can’t afford paying a subscription, like paying for streaming video channels, which I can’t afford either. If there are others like me, you’ve just ruined your own base of users. It is not fair to change your model without recourse, you should have closed the current owner list and started a new app for your new subscriber model. That way we could choose whether the new features, etc, were worth subscribing, or just stayed with the static product. Sorry it wasn’t worth it to you to honor your prior purchasers.

No Longer Accessible 😡. I purchased IBird Pro back in 2009. I know this because when I tap the button to contact customer support to restore my purchase, the date purchased and version appears at the top of the page. So obviously they know. I spent far more for this app, around $35, than I have for any app before or since. Now I cannot access it unless I subscribe, and multiple emails from me over the last couple of weeks have all gone unanswered. Not very professional! If they want to make it a monthly subscription that is up to them. But this is a heck of a way to treat people who spent a significant amount of money to purchase this app back when they were getting started. All I want is the use of an app that I already paid for. But the way it looks now that isn’t going to happen. So anyone who is thinking of supporting and subscribing to IBird Pro, keep in mind the way they have treated previous purchasers. There are other good bird watching apps out there.

Bummer. I have used this app *daily* for almost ten years and it is hands down my favorite. Ten years ago it was THE app to have for birding and at $14 it wasn't cheap. I was a poor college student at the time and wanted this app so badly, my brothers and I would wait for it to go on sale in the App Store so we could purchase it (which even $3.99 for an app is a lot for a young person). Now I am a professional guide and lead bird walks every week, and I still use this app in the field. For years I have recommended it to others. But someone asked me about it this past week, and while I told them what the app was and how wonderful it is, I also had to explain your ridiculous move to a paid subscription service and how I will no longer be using it come August. So while I didn't pay as much as some folks here to originally purchase the app, my loyalty and constant praise of it to others should be enough. I refuse and honestly can't afford to start paying for something that I've used for free for ten years. If y'all needed money that badly, I'm sure folks would have donated to a fundraiser or something. You obviously have a slew of loyal followers. But unfortunately you all chose this route instead and will lose most of those. What a bummer.

Their Response to Me. You can fix it by subscribing for $0.99/month, $9.99/year, or not at all. Contrary to popular belief, you do NOT own any software distributed by the Apple Store. Instead, it's a licensing arrangement that grants developers the authority to modify various aspects, including pricing. Most developers strive to avoid altering these terms, but occasionally, as exemplified by iBird, circumstances dictate otherwise. Initially, the paid app model made perfect sense, especially when it enjoyed robust sales. However, as time passed, some 15 years later, sales dwindled to a point where it was unsustainable. This predicament is why you now witness a growing trend of apps transitioning to subscription-based models—a shift that may not be universally favored. However, amidst this change, iBird remains unrivaled in terms of the sheer volume of ornithological information it offers. Considering the modest cost of the subscription, our aspiration is that bird enthusiasts will rally behind our company, enabling us to persist in delivering innovations. Moreover, you have the flexibility to toggle the subscription on and off at your convenience. We understand that discovering your once-paid app now requires a subscription can be disappointing. Yet, it was a necessary decision to avert the risk of going out of business. In the interim, we value your message and hope you'll consider subscribing on a monthly or yearly basis. BumbleBea iBird Support App deleted!

Taking away the app we paid for and forcing us into subscription.. Revised review. Reducing to one star. I paid for this app. Then for Ultimate. Then Journal which they discontinued. Now they are going to take my app I paid for away and turn it into a subscription????? I should be able to keep what I paid for. I don’t care if I don’t get any updates. I should not be forced to pay monthly for what I already paid for. Previous review below. ——Leave all my bird books at home now. —— Love the ability to search by colors & body style & habitat & many other criteria. Then you see all birds who meet your observations. Choose the closest bird then look at similar birds & hear the calls. (I use that ALL the time). Even do a slides how of birds you are considering. Wonderful on iPod or iPad. Try the free version (less birds less features) & you will be hooked.

Not having problems, plus an interesting story. We really like iBird Pro and have not had any problems with version 11.0 on iPhone 8 or iPad Air 2. The illustrations with field marks and photos help a lot with identifications. The bird sounds are also very helpful. My wife and I have enjoyed using it for several years, especially last spring when a Cooper's Hawk built a nest and raised a family in our neighbor's tree. A few months after the hawk family had moved on, my wife was in a nearby town doing some shopping. She came out of a store to find a large crowd gathered around her car. Thinking somebody had hit her car, she started walking toward the car until somebody warned her not to get too close. On top of the car was a Cooper's Hawk with a dead rabbit. Whenever anybody tried to 'shoo' it away the bird threatened them with loud calls and thrashing wings. My wife took out her phone, launched iBird Pro, turned the volume up loud and played the Cooper's Hawk alarm call. The hawk on the car looked surprised and puzzled, looked around for another bird, then took off carrying it's prey. Everybody was astonished and my wife was pleased and proud of her quick thinking. One of the women in the crowd asked loudly, "What app is that? I want to buy it!" You probably got several new iBird Pro customers as a result.

Purchased all options and Photo Sleuth no longer works after upgrade. I have used iBird Pro for a few years and purchased all of the in app options. I used Photo Sleuth often and it worked fine until I upgraded to version 12.6. It would prompt me to install another Photo Sleuth or restore purchases. I tried several times and the restore would always fail. I messaged the developer and they had me delete and reinstall the complete app again. It still did not work after restoring purchases. The developers last response was I would need to update to the latest IOS. I explained if that was the case then why would it let me download and install it? In all apps I have ever updated on my apple phones, it will check the version of IOS and if not compatible it would not let you install it or indicate to use another version of the app. The developer was not helpful when I indicated this and has not responsive. How about fixing the issue?

Still need help. I purchased iBird in 2009, and I have enjoyed it ever since. We managed to get through the Dropbox situation and successfully migrated our notes when that happened. We paid to upgrade to Pro. We are even ok with the subscription model if that’s what it takes to keep things going. We use several bird apps, Sibley, Merlin (and eBird), but still want access to iBird. So, as stated, we are willing to go along with the current configuration. However, I am very disappointed and dissatisfied that my notes have been lost. This was the one feature that I relied on constantly. Since 2009!!! I hope this can eventually be rectified. I’m staying the course, accepting the new reality, but if I’m never able to recover all the data and observations I will be forced to let our favorite app go. Please fix this for us and we will happily go forward with the subscription plan. We are already committed to the yearly plan trusting that you guys will take care of us. Please fix this for us.

DON’T DO IT ! Buyer beware ! A nest of liars and thieves !. I give it one star , solely for the reason it won’t let me give it a ZERO . I purchased the top of the line for this app ( and it WASN’T cheap ! ) on July 18 , 2009 with the understanding ( explicitly using the term “lifetime”) that it was a one time payment for the agreement . In reality , it was a payment for “until we change our mind and want more money out of you !” Now they have closed it out on me and want me to PAY THEM AGAIN , to “subscribe” on a yearly or monthly basis . It’s a pure money grab . I refuse to deal with anyone who makes an agreement , takes your money , then comes back and reneges on the deal , demanding MORE money to supply you what you have already paid them for . The Internet is populated by enough thieves as it is , I refuse to be ripped of further by a so called “legitimate” business through the App Store. I don’t care WHAT your reason is , if you cannot follow through on a commitment and stay true to your word , you do not deserve to remain in business . If that is your idea of integrity , I won’t do business with you and will be sure to announce it to anyone who cares to hear .

Beautiful App-Don’t Go Birding Without It. We’ve been using iBird-Pro for several years and have always appreciated the well-laid-out and thorough nature of the product. Using it has most often resulted in identifying birds we’ve encountered in the field for the first time. Numerous times, we have attracted identified birds simply by playing their clear and accurate bird calls/songs directly from the App. And now, with the new Sleuth Photo Recognizer, the App has been raised to a new level of accuracy and usefulness. We realize that some who initially paid up for the App in the past may be a bit put out by the new Subscription-Based approach, but now that the bugs for that seem to have been eliminated with the last App update, we believe that the current annual Subscription fee for the iBird-Pro Field App for Birding is worth the price. Purchase and enjoy!

So Long Farewell Goodbye. We bought this app on May 12, 2012, and it has been our go to app in the field ever since. Both of us are certified master naturalists and have used this app extensively. Yesterday when we were birding at one of the local refuges, after volunteering there for 6 hours, we got a nasty little surprise when we turned on this app, it said it had no record of us buying it, and that we had to sign up for a subscription to use it. I tried to contact them via their email address because it said “previous owners click here” They apparently have their email shut off because it came back as unknown address. Therefore, we couldn’t even contact them with photo documentation that we did buy it ages before whatever greedy people have taken over that company that produces this app. Even their website isn’t working today. We would not recommend downloading it or giving them any money to subscribe to it. We are going to go back to using BirdsEye which ties into eBird and also into Cornell University’s Ornithology department, which is a extremely good source of birding information, which is what we were mostly using in addition to our Sibley books before we bought iBird eleven years ago.

Disgusted with BAM. I’ve had iNird for 4 years, but didn’t purchase BAM until today. In New Mexico I didn’t need it. I’m moving to FL. There is an Intracoastal Waterway that separates beachside and landslide. I’ll be beachside. I’ll miss my New Mexico backyard birds enormously and wanted to know what songbirds I can attract to my beachside backyard. So I bought BAM assuming the address search would allow me to constrain my search to beachside. IT DIDN’T. BAM allows minimum of 25 mile radius. I don’t even want to know what birds might be 3 miles west of me, let alone 25 miles. I am more than disgusted. It was only $2.99 but I feel tricked, conned, ripped off. I want a refund. UPDATE I frequently see Curved Bill Thrashers in my NM yard. Since I just bought BAM today, I decided to give BAM another chance to look up the Curved Bill Thrasher to find out what it’s been eating. I set it to use my GPS for the search to make it easier to find. The search didn’t even return Curved Bill Thrasher!!!!! I’ve been seeing this bird all the time for 4 years while backyard birding and looking it up using the Location feature for NM. It’s always appeared in the list. And BAM excluded it? Come on guys. Somethings’s definitely wrong with BAM. Talk to me, guys. I’m very unhappy.

Do NOT update to 12.7!!!. I have used this app for many years since I paid for iBird Pro. Recently when the update showed up, I noticed the wording to switch to a subscription based service like my original purchase is no longer valid. It’s really sad because there are other birding apps out there, but this one worked well for me. Luckily I haven’t updated to the new version as I didn’t trust it and now I can see it ruined the experience for many other fellow Pro users. I’m really hoping the developers will fix this issue as clearly this gives them a bad reputation. I will continue to use it and update my other apps manually. However, the moment this current update is forced I will discontinue use of this app. To me, this is a betrayal of the original purchase agreement I made for this app. There are many ways the developers could have handled this situation if they wanted to add in a subscription-based service and they chose one of the worst ways to go. They didn’t even give a sufficient warning of what this update would do to its current user base. For the functionality of the app itself, I give it 4 stars (-1 star for the constant ads asking me to buy more extensions, otherwise I love it). I hope others can see my review before they update to version 12.7. I’m sorry to those that already updated and now the app is useless to them. I hope the developers make this right with their customers.

Adios iBird!. At one time this was the best app available, but it has long since been superseded by free apps such as Merlin that leverage crowd-sourced data to provide comprehensive global coverage, with constantly updated images, sounds and maps. In addition to the poor illustrations (which have always been awful), iBird deteriorated further over the years, becoming cluttered with pesky pop-ups offering unwanted features as the developers struggled to squeeze more revenue out of users. Worse, they recently switched to a subscription model, aggressively disabling a user’s access to their own paid-for app instead of enticing them to opt-in to a more feature-rich subscription app. I might have considered subscribing had I not been forced to do so. That was the last straw that made me delete this old-school app altogether. Three stars for the app, minus two for bad business practices.

Love the app, bought In 2011- need to contact devs. I’ve been using this app since 2011 when I purchased it for full price. It’s a great app with all wonderful photos and information about birds However I just got a notice when I opened it saying something about having to turn it into a paid subscription. But it said it only affects people who bought it in the last eight years. I bought it in 2011. That’s 10 years plus ago… tried to contact support on this webpage and I was taken to an unsecure website. I hope a developer can kindly reply to me here and tell me how to contact them because I don’t know what’s going on with the app going forward… I don’t want to subscribe but I don’t understand the thing that said it applies to you if you bought it in the last eight years. I’ve had it for 10+ years.

Search function downgraded. I have been trying to figure out how to email the developer but have not been able to figure it out. This was my go to App for Birding until a recent update seems to take away the ability to search by month and state. You can still search by state but not by month. It is frustrating because I like to use this app not only in the field but when I am planning for a trip. I am currently hoping to go to Arizona in May and I cannot use this app for review because I cannot get a relevant list up. Maybe they think that the “Birds Around Me” is an upgrade but it doesn’t help when you do not have a cellular connection and it definitely doesn’t help in planning for a trip. I still think it has the best collection of vocalizations of any App out there which is why I gave it a three, and I will correct my rating if this gets fixed, but I will literally have to be looking for a different app to use if it does not get fixed.

Don’t buy - No support or access for previous purchases. I have used this app for a really long time and have recommended it many, many times. But now, I can’t access app. It looks like an update requiring a subscription, but say there is NO record of me purchasing this app. When you select “previous owner” on the pop up, you get link to a support email for help. (Sounds good, right?). But the email address does not work. Emails returned as undeliverable! Then, I go to the website, but there is no access to web site an more. “Under construction” or “doing work”. Looks like they just shut down AND made the app non-usable. I feel like I have just been shut off. I’ll just stick with my Sibley app. It’s a shame some companies will just “lock out” the customers who paid for several products in the beginning when a company was just starting out.

Bye. Been a good paying customer, since 2009 according to the subscriptions page (not sure if thats right but its been a long long time). I used to keep my life list in here, i’ve seen a lot of changes thru the years. Just redownloaded, and surprise, its now a subscription product. A free year you say. Previous owners could be easily grandfathered. And I think they should be. Subscription are not good for me, and I think they are not good for customers. Yes people are heading that way, but i am avoiding them. Its a hard no. The app has good pictures, has good content overall but is always very awkward to use. Once the search is figured out, it works good (or used to-i havent used it in a while). I only use it a couple times a year, if that. Each time i have to relearn the app because of all the changes (might be good, might be bad). A loyal customer I was, a loyal customer no more. Still loyal, just not to ibird.

Great encyclopedia. Pay attention to descriptions.. We finally noted that some of the raven sounds are from other (faraway) parts of the country, and we recall, ravens are wise old birds. Not always their language. Sometimes they react in silence, as if to say, “What?” Also remember to read the description: if the call is one of birds in fear or alarm, you may well note that nearby birds start flying away in fear or alarm. I note the app is of late getting updates describing IAPs with fancy-schmancy new features. I hope this does not portend an overall IAP for a new version of the app (rendering this current version obsolete). Already, instead of the available Bird Sleuth IAP, we use Merlin. I’d be sorrowful to see the end of iBird Pro due to built-in obsolescence.

Deleted the app.. Remember the Simpson’s episode where they have the elephant and the start charging people to ride and take pictures with it, but them Homer realizes that he needs to charge more because the elephant is costing him too much to care for, so he raises the prices and tries to charge people retroactively under his new price structure? Well that’s this app. I paid for the app years ago with the understanding that I’d have it forever because that was the agreement at the time…silly me. Now they have decided to change to a subscription service and I no longer have access to the app that I paid for. If you want to switch to a subscription model, that’s fine, but you need to honor the contract that you entered with people who purchased under your previous business model. Just a poor, poor way to treat paying customers.

Adios. You’ve lost a long time fan with your new subscription policy. I suspect you’ll lose the majority of your user base. Personally I’m retired on a fixed income, and a bird app does not fit into my financial must haves. It did in 2012 - when I paid plenty of dough for the app and most of your add-on features, thinking it was a lifetime payment, which it obviously is not. What burns me more however is that you felt your new subscription-based policy wasn’t important enough to make your user base aware of via email or some other notification method, other than by default when updating the app. That’s sneaky and treacherous. Many of you software developers never learn and always look at the short game. I understand the importance of profitability but there’s something to be said for loyalty and trust as well. Oh well thanks for many years of support and updates. Off to the internet to find out about these black-capped chickadees keep attacking my outdoor cams. Best of luck. You’ll need it.

Don’t trust these developers!. I actually purchased iBird Pro and found it useful. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of purchasing from developers who are not only lacking in honor, but are extremely greedy and are intentionally taking (stealing), something they have already sold, from those who purchased it. Instead of offering purchasable updates to iBird Pro owners, the developers decided to alienate their supporters by “converting iBird from a one-time paid app to a subscription-based app.” For some reason these developers seem to think that a one year “free” subscription to the app people have already PURCHASED is worth the app’s purchase price (as well as, the lost potential monetary investment value of that purchase price)! Why would anyone ever trust these developers again? The better app choices would be Cornell’s Merlin Bird ID, or Audubon’s Audubon Bird.

The best bird app bar none and…. …was I upset when the devs switched to a subscription model. Well I wasn’t doing handsprings in ecstasy , but I paid up immediately. As a retired product developer I realize the effort and long time required to keep a program current, and in a niche market such as ornithology, there’s no getting around the fact that you need recurring support from your base. To me this signals that the iBird devs are committed to improving their app continuously and I will gratefully support this commitment for as long as they support this A+ app. So should you! Thanks, fellas for making iBird the app I depend upon most, in the field while I am photographing my avian friends, and at home, when I am writing essays for my photos. Thank you, iBird!

Unethical decisions. I’ve had this app for years. I purchased it because of its wonderful qualities. They took features away over the years but it was still a great field guide. Those of us that “own “ the app have had the door slammed on us. Stating that subscription base is now the trend they walked down that path of greed. I have promoted this app for years far and wide to everyone I came across out doors while birding. I can assure you I will never mention iBird again to anyone. It’s so very disappointing, their current actions, and even offering to extend excess before monthly charging is insulting. I bought the app. But, just as for Adobe and others- greed takes over. But also just as I left Adobe for Affinity I will either carry a field guide in print that I also bought and or rely more on Merlin and eBird and make donations as I am inclined.

Developed changed the rules 9 years after I purchased. I purchased this application for the full asking price at the time which sadly I don’t remember. This was in February 2014 now today 9+ years later the developer has decided that this is now a subscription unless I can prove I purchased this is clearly in my Apple account where I did purchases February 22, 2014. I have sent this to the developer and ask them to reinstate the application as it was when I purchased it on the terms I purchased it they are unwilling to do that they keep asking me to subscribe to their new subscription to service, I don’t think it’s fair to ask me to do that. I don’t feel like I can trust any developer who changes terms of service after you have paid full, asking price for the product I would find another app which I intend to do.

Mislabeled photos. I just downloaded this app and the first thing I did was look at the Rd-tailed Hawk info, a bird I have studied for over 50 years and I am very familiar with. Looking at the photos, there are some that are obviously mislabeled. The photo labeled “Red-tailed Hawk Juvenile 1” is actually an adult as evidenced by the dark chestnut colored iris and the varied colors on the bird instead of the light iris and more monotoned colors of a juvenile. Conversely, the photo labeled “Adult Red-tailed Hawk Adult 3-Flight” is actually a juvenile bird as evidenced by the light iris, the lack of a dark sub-terminal band on the secondary wing feathers, and the thinly banded tail feathers with no broad sub- terminal band and no red coloration. With almost a quarter (22.2%) of the photos mislabeled, this brings into question the validity of the labels on all of the other photos in the app. I am immediately feeling buyer’s remote after purchasing this app. I would recommend spending your hard earned money on Sibley’s app instead.

Used to be OK - but calling it quits now. As longtime user, have seen various iterations. As of today, I am LOCKED OUT of a purchased app - it appears these folks changing their fee structure. I PURCHASED the app years ago, and now they want a monthly fee - egad. Here is review of App for people considering purchase: Nice representative drawings and pretty intuitive to use. Two areas to FIX: 1) filtering by state has incorrect ranges for countless species. e.g. Greater Scaup does not appear when filtering for Oregon. uggh - this is just pure laziness on developer part not to do this. I have contacted them repeatedly in past and they suggested I purchase another App of theirs as a work-around. Uggh again. 2) Update the filter-by-family feature to allow selecting more than a single family at a time. e.g., It would be really nice to have sandpipers, ducks, and herons show up on a filter when out at the local marsh. I will never purchase a Mitch Waite app again due to pretty slimy business practice and lack of any product support.

Loved App for Years Until They Broke Their Word. I purchased this app in 2018 as pricey, but worth it, one time purchase app. As a beginner and as I gained more experience, I found this app very helpful, especially with the BAM, bird calls/songs, & photos features. However, a few months ago, suddenly I could no longer access any of the app features and just got a page with 2 options, to either start a free subscription trial (for an app I already paid for) or I could ‘Restore Purchases’ (which sends a msg to customer service with my purchase date in it). I have sent 3 messages trying to restore my purchases since Aug. 2023, and have yet to receive a response. I used to brag about how much I loved this app to ppl, but I’m not sure if I can afford the subscription and the way they went about this change does not make me want to continue to do business with them or recommend them to others. I’m going to look into other birding apps, iBird Pro would have to make this right (like grandfathering previous members in, giving us a version without new features, etc.) for me to come back and to recommend them again.

Took away my purchase to ask for more money. I purchased this app outright. They have now “updated” this app to disable it unless I pay more money. Developers please note. This can and probably will result in legal action. If you really want to screw…. increase your revenue stream, the legally acceptable way to do this is to stop supporting the current app and just create a new one with the new business model (subscriptions). New app, no existing customers. Still pisses off the old customers, but less grounds to get you sued. Unless they remedy this, I’ll be dumping them on principle. I never signed up for subscriptions. I was never told subscriptions would be forthcoming. I’m not 100% opposed to subscriptions, but you need to make that clear from the start, not charge a large initial fee and then change the rules after the fact. I refuse to pay more for something I already purchased.

Have loved this app but may delete it. I bought this app years ago! Paid $30 to get the full version for North American birds. I’ve never paid that much for any other app—not even close. The fee I paid was for life-time access to this app, so when the developer announced they were going to start charging a monthly fee in August and my app would no longer be available if I chose not to pay the monthly fee I was not happy! That is what we call a breach of contract. This is why I cannot give iBird 5 stars. I have it 3 because they don’t track your data and that is huge. I appreciate that. But I will probably not continue to use the app due to the new monthly fee. They haven’t even told us what it will be! If you are thinking of using iBird and don’t mind monthly fees I would suggest waiting till August (2023) to download it.

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great...but not for Australia. Unfortunately little to no coverage of Australia. Absolutely incredible wealth of info and an awesome interface though so if they were to release an Australian version I would happily pay the price.

iBird Pro. Superb app - excellent functionality. It would be good to be able to search by Family name

Bird. Excellent app very easy to use, would like to see more countries covered by this app with the same quality and ease of use. Highly recommend this app

TheTwitcher. A great birding app, if not the best! A must buy if birding in North America.

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DISGUSTING RIPOFF OF PRIOR PURCHASERS — DO NOT SUBSCRIBE. I purchased this app originally in 2011 and enjoyed using it for a number of years. I hadn’t used it for more than a year but when I tried the Mitch Waite Group, the developer, had decided to make the app subscription only and shut out previous purchasers from the content they had purchased unless they started paying for a subscription. This is completely unfair to original purchasers of the app. The developers say well Microsoft and others have gone to a subscription which is true for new purchasers but Mircosoft did not prevent users who had bought there apps before the subscription was put in place from using the app that they bought. If the developers of iBird Pro had created a brand new app and made it subscription only, that would have been quite acceptable, but for them to take the iBird Pro that many people had purchased in good faith and prevent those original users from accessing or using the app anymore unless they agreed to pay for a subscription is UNFAIR, DISGUSTING AND GREEDY. Please find another bird app from a developer that doesn’t treat their original app purchasers like they are just someone to be exploited by a DUSGUSTING and GREEDY business model.

So disappointed – Updated. What I love is that after moving to a subscription model, ostensibly to allow for more continuous development, this dev has not updated the app for 6 months. Classic. Another tone deaf switch to the subscription model that could have been handled so much better. The core of iBird is a reference text, which doesn’t have ongoing costs (my 30 year old Peterson’s still works). The need to support development is real, but if the dev respected their (long-time) users, they would offer the subscription content as an add-on, with the core information remaining useful, or offer a separate app for new users and call this one “Classic” or something. Some of the problem is App Store restrictions, to be sure, but locking out existing users of a premium app is just gross.

Crooked Company.. I BOUGHT their ibird pro in 2022. Paid FULL PRICE. they’ve stolen it back. They want MORE MONEY. Can’t reach them by phone. CROOKED DISHONEST AND THEY HIDE BEHIND THEIR WEBSITE.

An outrageous greedy money grab. We paid, one time, for iBird Pro many years ago. There was no hint of any ongoing subscription fee. Now it is taken away from us completely if compulsory subscription fees are not paid. Why has iBird not, at the very least, done what so many other apps needing more funds have done: Allow the long-term loyal users accessibility to the app they paid good money for, and simply not provide them with further updates? That strikes as a very reasonable compromise. It's not too late to do that. The current situation is truly shameful..

I want my Money back!!!. I bought this app over ten years ago (along with a few other IBird apps along the way) and now for my loyalty they are trying to completely screw me over with a subscription. Not cool and you should be ashamed IBird.

Thiefs!!!. I paid the the book over $40. Now they change the rules and request a subscription

rip-off. i’ve had this app for years and years and years and now they want me to pay for everything and subscription yearly and now they give me seven days subscription trial… this app is gone greedy… i’m very upset… you should support your loyal customers of years and years instead of trying to rip them off…

Subscription bait and switch. I paid for this app, let me keep my features for life or give me a refund. Disgusting.

Yup. I was robbed, too.. Like others, I bought this app in good faith and appreciated the information the app provided. Now I can’t get into it without buying a subscription. I’m appalled by this, and therefore would dissuade anyone from subscribing to any of apps made by these developers. This is akin to buying a bird book from a store, then having to pay again to open it up. Simply unconscionable.

Crooks. I paid approximately $30 to own a subscription to this app outright some years ago and now they decide to charge monthly or annually and cancel all old lifetime subscribers, but won’t grandfather or refund previous purchases! Have some loyalty, crooks!

Subscription now required. I paid 25$ last year for this app and now I have to paid for a subscription!! No way!

do not update. With the latest update, I was now told that it is a subscription starting next year. There was no indication on the update that that was the case. That’s like coming out with a new book and saying you can’t read the old one that you paid for. Very poor business practice. For customers who paid a premium for the old app, it’s a really bad way to treat them. very disappointing. august 2023 update. App now blocked and no response from customer service . DO NOT UPDATE. Can’t access what I paid for.

Not Going to Pay for a Subscription!. Like many other reviewers, I paid a lot of money for this app years ago. I have used it a lot and it often replaced hard copy field guides while I was travelling. That being said I will NOT be paying the developers even more money for the 'privilege' of continuing to use something which I paid full price for previously. I would have been happy to be able to continue to use the, now unsupported, old version which I have already paid for. It is disappointing that the developers have decided to let their original supporters down with this move I will not be recommending this app to fellow birders and bird photographers!

Developer Greed. If you expect an app that will adhere to the implied contract they make when you purchase it, look elsewhere. There is a button which says it will restore your purchase, but it doesn’t work if you don’t choose the subscription model. Moreover, there is no price advantage for those of us who supported this app for 10 years. They also use very specious logic is a FAQ defense, in which they liken an app to a car… Avoid this company like the plague!

Avoid This App. I paid a fee many years ago for a lifetime membership. Now the owners have cancelled lifetime memberships and want you to pay a monthly subscription. If this was an expensive purchase I would fight them in court. Avoid this app it’s a rip off!

Another great application ruined by subscriptions. This has been a good application over the years but has seen very few updates so the explanation of going into a subscription model to keep everything current because of the cost of keeping data current doesn’t lineup. Birds don’t change. I have no problem paying for an occasional update, but I will be deleting this to avoid the subscription. Subscriptions are ruining the platform!

Forced to pay a subscription. I purchased the iBird Pro app in good faith, now I am forced to buy a subscription. I have immediately deleted the app and I hope this new direction works for the developers, it doesn’t work for me. I should get my purchase cost refunded.

Still haven’t got spectrograms right. An excellent app, have used versions for years, not happy about consolidation of the apps, but it was getting confusing with all the similar apps. One problem with the earlier versions of iBird is they claimed to have spectrograms. They were not spectrograms. However this version now, at last, has spectrograms. The bad news is their y-axis is twice as large as it need be. Looks like 20 kHz rather than the more standard 8-10 kHz. This means the diagnostic rise and fall of the birds’ song is nearly a straight line. It’s like plotting the rise in temperature from freezing point to boiling point on a graph that goes from 0 C or -32 F to 1000 degrees: the graph of temp increase incline will barely be seen. As well, these spectrograms are so small that even if they were set onto a useful y-axis they’d be hard to see relevant details and diagnostic features. The big question then is, why bother putting spectrograms on there if they can’t be used the way they’re intended? Either remove them completely, or talk to those of us who work in bioacoustics about how to present spectrograms so they can utilized for their intended usage. Check Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, talk to those folks about bird songs and spectrograms. Or see the Peterson Guide to Eastern Bird Sounds, or talk to the author (Nathan Pieplow) or see his blog earbirding.com. See what wildtrax.ca is doing with spectrograms—now there’s an app just waiting to be developed! The Mitch Waite group leaped ahead of other bird guides. It is now in the position to be overtaken (see The Warbler Guide app...that surpasses all other guides and I believe they’re aiming to do the same thing for all birds). But, they still have the chance to lead the pack again. They did it once. They can do it again.

Ripoff. Like others I had purchased a version that promised unlimited access. Unfortunately an upgrade rendered this useless forcing me into a yearly subscription or not using the app. There was no mention in the description that this would occur and no wayntonroll backnto the version I paid for. I feel I have been ripped off and DO NOT recommend this app. Most unprofessional and unethical move by the developer

Money grab. Bought the app in good faith, now they convert to a subscription model. Any reputable developer would grandfather the original purchases, but not this one. Don’t trust them….they will be back to pick your pocket. Class action suit anyone?

Older versions were better. I bought this app 12 years ago to help me learn bird song. It did help but I’ve notice that they’ve changed and reduced the amount of songs and calls available. I suppose this was to reduce abusing the source but considering how much I paid it’s not very reasonable.

Great app, sneaky strategy. Have been using and enjoying this app for several years. This latest update changes model to a subscription, which is fine for a new version that the user has an option on. Other apps respect that the user paid for the previous software and don’t ‘take that away from users’ who are not interest in upgrading. Certainly a new take on an in-app purchase — taking away what the user has already paid for! Marketing strategy that won’t work for this user! There are other apps out there and this user will not be sending more money to this developer.

Full Rip Off. Bought the app for full price a few years ago. Pricey then but was excellent and used it around my farm. The software moved to a membership yearly or monthly fee with no ability to keep the app separately. When I paid for the subscription just to see what the changes were and to keep using the app all of the databases were empty. I couldn’t access any aspect of the app. I attempted to trouble shoot and got absolutely NO WHERE. Find a different app. I got scammed. Don’t get scammed too.

Ripoff. I purchased the iBird pro app as well as many region add ons since my phone is a lot smaller than the guide books I used to carry around. Can’t access any of it now even though it was all purchased. Bloody disappointing ripoff. I’ll go back to carrying around books now. Previous purchase button does nothing. Utter rubbish!

Unbelievable. I can’t believe that the owners of this app now want me to pay a subscription rate when I purchased this app 13 years ago. At least they should have grandfathered previous purchasers. In the world of greed and unprofessional like behaviour, this ranks at the top. I suggest that people switch to Merlin. It offers just as much content. Shame, Shame.

Still screwing customers I see. Who wants in on the class-action lawsuit? Filing against these developers for selling us a product advertised as “free updates for life” and then turning around and blocking access to what we paid for unless we pay for a recurring subscription. I’m utterly shocked at Apple, as well, for allowing this to happen. This is criminal behaviour.

Purchased the app in 2012…. Now I’m. Locked out. Disappointing!

Broken update process. I had bought this app when there were no subscriptions. Latest update does not recognize my purchase and wants me to buy it again. It also gave me the option to send an email to their support team which has not been answered in over a month. The link for support on the AppStore page is broken. I want the old app made available for download as new one does not work.

Unacceptable.. They converted to a subscription plan after thousands of people purchased the app for $20. Use Merlin Bird ID. It’s a lot more fun.

Poor Customer Service. So many people are frustrated with the fact that we pay for an app and then the developers get greedy and renege on their commitment to a customer’s purchase. They try to justify the price comparing it to the New York Times, but I never bought a permanent purchase of the New York Times. I did however, buy a one-time purchase of this app which the company has since forfeited on which has lead many to use a different birding service. This is unacceptable and a very poor and shady business practice. HONOUR YOUR ONE-TIME PURCHASES and for any new subscribers they can pay for your services as per their current agreement. Don’t be shady!

Rip-Off. Downloaded the iBird Pro app from iTunes for $20.99 but can’t use the app as it requires a monthly or yearly subscription! Paid $20.99 just for the privilege to download the app! What a rip-off I want my money back!

Subscription Is an issue. Ordinary I am fine with the subscription bases for an app, particularly if there is a lot of upgrading and additions over time and it is my decision going in. That said, and noted by others, this was by no means an inexpensive initial purchase. Seems to me a “grandcustomering” in would be more equitable. Don’t forget, without all the original purchases/patrons there would likely be no app surviving to offer as a subscription.

Rip off. I bought this application years ago at full price and now you have switched to subscription and leaving your clients behind. This is unfair. This is not a way to treat your existing clients. I will just erase the app and never come back. It’s a shame.

Not interested in a subscription. Is it possible to go back one version. I have no interest in a subscription.

THE SCAM CONTINUES!!! BEWARE. This is the company that sold many of us a Lifetime License for this app only to send an update that disabled it and forced Lifetime customers to a subscription in order for it to continue working. Even more disgusting is that APPLE allowed them to have all of their reviews removed, including all of the negative posts from angry customers. It is such a scam that Apple who allow this - I guess you can't really trust iTunes for accurate reviews.

Good while it lasted. I just deleted this app from my phone after 13 years of patronage. I’m unable to comprehend why this company cares less about the long term users that built their customer base, while placing profit above all else. I sent them several messages to this effect, and never received a single reply. I think I know where their loyalties lie. So long, iBird: fortunately there are many excellent alternatives out there. PK

Do not use this birding app. Update October 2023: was sent an offer for 6 months trial ‘for free’, when in fact what they’ve done is stolen this app from long-time users who paid bookstore prices for the app years ago. Stop being shady and just admit you’ve stolen from your customers. You should have created a new, subscription-based app instead of taking this full-price one away. At the least do a full refund *then* offer us the trial on this new system. But then again, why would I ever consider giving you any more of my money after I already gave you money for a full purchase, and then you took my purchased item away three years later? I don’t usually actively advocate against certain books / apps, but I certainly will with this one. Original Review: I paid full bookstore price for this app years ago and have loved using it, but they are now barring access unless I start paying them a monthly subscription fee. Reached out to their support contact, no reply. Very disappointed, as it was a great app but now feel like I’m being scammed & forced to pay money to used something I’ve already paid for in full. Do not buy or use this app.

Thieves. I had a paid for app. These people are taking it back without my consent. I’m pretty sure that’s stealing.

Epic fail now. Paid the full $30 or whatever, years ago. Now their new business model wants a subscription for annual blood extraction from users. So — sorry folks! There are better options out there. I believe in paying for good service. But I won’t pay to be exsanguinated by corporate oxpeckers. Good bye! Uninstalled.

I Hate This Developer! Do NOT Update! Do NOT Purchase!. Accidentally updated this app on my iPad, now I’ll soon be locked out of my app that I purchased supposedly for life (that has turned out to be a lie). Unless you want to continually pay for this app each and every year, avoid it and look elsewhere. I bought iBird Pro so I could have my guide book in my pocket. I bought this app at full cost under the guise it was mine to use without additional fees. I don’t want a subscription and I don’t like the fact that I can’t just keep my out of date app for use without avoiding the ‘Update All’ button in the App Store. I am sure that eventually this app will cease to exist, and I will have to look for another bird guide. I only wish they had created an iBird Pro 2 app so that existing customers didn’t have to avoid updates. Do NOT buy this app and do NOT update. Reprehensible treatment of longtime customers. Shameful! Charlatans!

Not paying twice. My ibird pro app is no longer working. Apparently “old subscriptions “ no longer entitle one to continue to use what one has, in good faith, paid for. Buy or rent this at your own peril- buyer beware! I would rate it minus five stars if I could. Robbery.

Robbers!. I PAID for this app YOUR "pro" version NOW if I want to continue to use the app I PAID for I have to pay monthly for it? Seriously? Double dipping big time.

Unacceptable. When you pay for an app a bigger amount you don’t expect to be charged again later. That’s the deal. You pay more and this money must cover for future developments. Changing that even if you give 13$ discount is unacceptable. The subscription model should not be applied to existing owners.

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Rip Off for Previous Owners - DO NOT UPDATE. Like many other recent reviewers, I previously purchased this app at full price and have found it useful for many years. With the latest update, you are presented with a subscription signup and no way to access the previously purchased content without subscribing. The “Previous Owner? / Special Offer” button does nothing (tries to restore purchases, but then says no purchases or subscriptions found). I have reported this to Apple as a ripoff / scam. Very disappointing.

iBird RIP-OFF. I purchased a single payment, lifetime license for iBird Pro several years ago. iBird then decided to switch to a subscription based app because they weren’t making enough money (as per their email) and informed all of their lifetime license customers that they would have to start paying monthly. According to a follow up email from them, there was a huge outcry and they said the were giving us 1 year free and coming out with a new Classic Pro for us. After several months it was released but with a catch; they will not be updating it so if it breaks, they will not be able to help. The version that I purchased has updated over the years to the current version of this subscription based version. They one year free has ended and now it has stopped working unless we subscribe. They sold us a Lifetime License which was our contract and they breached that contract. Customers who paid should be given free lifetime subscriptions or Apple should shut them down their scam.

Purchased for full price, now it says I won’t be able to use it without a subscription. Absolutely outrageous that it cost $30 and now they decide it will be a subscription service only. Well, no way they can stuff it. Don’t get ripped off. The information in here isn’t anything you can’t get free on the web. I’ll be moving permanently to other non rip off products.

Real greasy. I had the pro now there making me switch to a subscription. Say the least I don’t like being scammed so I’m deleting this app!!!

No loyalty to customers that paid $29.99. I purchased this app when it was rather expensive, in relative terms (it was $29.99 while most other apps cost .99, 1.99 at that time). Now they’ve switched to a subscription model, and my app ceases to function unless I pay them a monthly fee? This is a super lame way to treat your customers. Bait and Switch, I believe it’s called in business. I’m surprised this is permitted.

CAUTION: GREEDY DEVELOPERS ALERT!. Do not rip customers off with this subscription bull$**t. We paid for the app already, let us have what we paid for. Enough of this heinous greed already!

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Absolutely disgusted. Paid nearly 30 red hot American dollar bills (yes 30 I’m not joking) for this app. For several years it worked wonderfully and was by far the best birding app out there. Fast forward to the age of ”own nothing be happy” and the devs force an update for an expensive subscription model, what a joke. I paid money, really good money for this app under the guise that I’d use it for life, so much for that. Do NOT give these devs your money, I would recommend going to a bookstore and buying a Sibley or NatGeo field guide, that will last you for life and is a (get this) one time purchase, what a concept! You can purchase something once and own it? Wow! Return to monkey, you cannot trust anything on technology these days.

Search is awkward.. Search is hard to use. It seems awkward and hard to understand. The main concern is that Search settings don't seem to stick when you change them. For example, I will remove large bird categories from the search settings and the next time I go to use iBird, the large bird settings are turned back on again. Search has improved, but now for the second or third time I am told to Restore Purchase. I would rate higher, but this new problem comes up just when I want to use the app. Bought the app, but can no longer use it. This is not really fair. All my favorites gone on a whim. The developer should have offered to at least let users retain the work they had put into this app.

Amateur bird photographer. I am new at imaging birds and other wildlife. This app is helping me learn more about what I take pictures of. My one complaint is not necessarily aimed at the makers of this app as much as it is a complaint that Apple changes their software protocols forcing developers to have to rewrite their apps if they want to keep them up to date. Sometimes changes so large the software you bought does not work forcing you to have to rebuy it again because the programmers had to remake the software to work with apples new changes andit is technically a whole new program.

Perhaps you don’t understand…. I purchased this birding app several years ago. Purchased it, not rented. It wasn’t the cheapest then, but I decided to buy it. Now you tell me I need to rent what I’ve already purchased!? That’s like buying a book and having the publisher walk in to your home and take the book back unless you pay an additional, ongoing fee! I’m sorry you’re not making as much money on this app as you once were. If you feel the need to now rent the app on a subscription basis, fine, do so. If you feel the need to deny me further updates or support, that’s understandable too. But don’t rig it so that I can no longer access what I already paid for. There are other bird apps out there. Some cheaper. And hopefully with better integrity to their customers.

Feeling ripped off. I purchased Pro years ago and upgraded to Ultimate. I also purchased Journal. I have supported this developer with my dollars. I understand that the developers had no choice but to consolidate. Having paid for pro I already had the app and just needed to download it. All good; right? Wrong! I also purchased ALL the add-ins for Ultimate. Time of day, BAM etc. Now the app is telling me I need to purchase them again for pro. Up until this point I understood- but now it appears this is just a money grab. It might be ok if there was a way to get in touch with the developer to discuss. There is not. Lots of great birding apps out there. I have always relied on iBird and not bothered with the rest. Now I think I will try Nat Geo or Sibley.

New to Birding. I was recommended this program by a friend, It gives me everything I need to enjoy birding. The most fun is playing the calls and having the birds call back! The challenge I have is identifying which bird, for example: The “Sand Piper”. I could not believe by my visual identification I was able to pick the correct picture of the “Sand Piper” for the Ohio area! I then looked at the other pictures just for giggles and found that the one I picked was the only ONEmigrating to the Ohio area. AWESOME AND WHAT A DEAL, I LOVE MAKING NOTES AND LITTLE STORIES. THANKS FROM A BEGINNER.

Regularly (like after looking up 5 to 7 birds) Quits Working!. I see or hear a bird, I type in a possible name, then tap the choice for the bird i want. info comes up. I “close” that entry, then do the same several times while on a bird hike. Then, suddenly, after iBird has been working great, I’ll type in a bird name, and get a blank screen, with “4 birds” or “2 birds” at the top of the screen. Browse just brings up another menu of stuff like “birds around me,” etc. The three lines info icon on the upper right offers no choice to reset the app, close open screens, or any way to get back to the alpha bird list. So far, the only recourse is to stop watching birds and shut down my iPhone. Just what I want to do while trying to I’d a bird! I even installed a new version a few months ago but the same thing is still happening.

Paid for the app. Now must subscribe to keep using?. I purchased this app years ago. Not cheap back then. Now I get notified that I can’t use it unless I sign up for a subscription? I’m surprised Apple is letting them do that. I fully understand the reasoning behind changing to subscription. But people purchased iBird Pro with the understanding it was a perpetual license. A better way would have been discontinuing support for this app (let natural attrition take its course) and come out with a new, fully supported subscription-only version (like how Adobe transitioned to CC). This way customers could keep using the app they paid for until it was no longer compatible with the iOS.

Good App; Deceitful Developer. iBird is a nice and comprehensive bird reference. I purchased the full version with “Lifetime” access in 2012 and updated with the photosleuth component in 2022. Now the developer has “reset” the terms. Switched to subscription and locked out prior purchases and disabled the “restore prior purchases” button that directs you to send an email to support. I sent an email to support with information on prior purchases and it’s gone unanswered - cough cough. Now there is even an option for a paid “lifetime” subscription to iBird … yea, “lifetime” until they can cancel it out and try and monetize the app further.

Minor annoyance. iBird Pro is the only useful IOS bird field guide as far as I’m concerned. My only complaint is the failure to support edits in the search bar. Not only can I not edit by clicking in the text, the “X” clear button at the end of the text field can’t be accessed requiring repeated letter-by-letter delete keystrokes. Thankfully Apple’s cursor navigation via the space bar permits correction for misspelling. Why hasn’t this trivial item been fixed? Otherwise all other field guides should follow iBird’s lead on how to organize and present animals, flowers and insects.

Was great. This was by far my favorite app!! But now it’s a subscription service. They tried to explain that “everyone’s doing it”, but I just can’t keep piling on subscriptions. Dozens of individual charges each month/year is more hassle that it’s worth. I don’t believe a company that says they can’t assign a value to their product and charge that. If you add a new service and want to charge for the add-on that’s totally fair. I’ve dropped several apps this year just to cut back on the charges on top of charges. It’s not a total cost thing, it’s just keeping track of everything. I’m done with credit cards and I don’t want to spend all my time balancing my check book. At least there are only about a dozen birds in my area and I know them all by now.

New Subscription Platform. Deeply disappointed that you’ve chosen to flip the “one-time-purchase” of iBird App into a “yearly-subscription-only” format. For those of us that purchased this app so long ago (for a rather hefty fee) it is unacceptable that original should disappear along with the money paid. This was one of the first apps I ever purchased, and have kept it on my device, despite it’s large file size, all these years. I loved the app despite it’s flaws, but I cannot see any reason to now pay yearly for all the documentation I’ve already purchased in the past, and have perused for years. I’ll be going back to good old fashioned birding books for now. I can buy updated volumes as needed, and there are plenty of places online to find more obscure birding info, for free. At least with a book, I will have my “one-time-purchase” for as long as I choose to own it. I can hold it in my hands and no one can take it back in an attempt to hook me into paying more for it many years later. I wish the iBird App producers well, but I cannot afford a subscription service for this product now, after all these years. I will be deleting the app. Good luck to you.

App is fine, but subscription model is flawed.. First of all, I paid full price for the app back in the day, and I’ve been mostly happy with it. But the subscription nonsense feels like a cash grab, especially as I was promised one free year for being an original purchaser and got charged immediately. Sure, 10 dollars per year is no big deal, except it’s not like there are a ton of new birds showing up every year. So I’m willing to pay to make sure the app runs on any new device I might buy, but the price/benefit ratio seems unbalanced. Bottom line is that every time I open the app, I feel grumpy and taken advantage of. I’d rather just have had the option of keeping the old app until Apple wouldn’t support it anymore.

Best of all birding books. I own the other standard authoritative birding books: IBird is the best. It has great descriptions and pictures and photos to help identify distinguish birds. It’s similar birds option is extremely useful. It’s range map is perfect. It’s bird recordings are useful and accurate. The other information in the site, bird by bird, is invaluable. Additionally the photo and sound identity tools are great. I use this app especially in the field along with Merlin and eBird, also mandatory and those are free. Best birding book you can own especially if you can afford only one. It is the one and only.

The only bird “book” app I use. This app was recommended to me by a serious birder as “the app to have if you only have one”. I have been happy with it for many years, as I can look up birds without having to carry a bird book around. I am now getting into birding more seriously and use the app a lot more often. I am still very satisfied, however I have not used many other apps to compare. Features that I love: 1. Having the songs 2. The photos are great for cross referencing with illustrations 3. The “Behavior” tab contains lots of useful information, especially more detail on similar birds Some suggestions that would be helpful: 1. More illustrations for some birds - showing variation and different angles. 2. Having the listing function sync with eBird. I find I’m constantly switching back and forth and would like to stay in one app, but do what I do in both (not sure this is possible). Overall I recommend this app frequently and feel it was well worth the cost.

Buyer beware!. While the app itself is either good or great, depending on what the developer feels like doing at any particular time. This app was sold as a perpetual license for quite a while, and Photo Sleuth (and other components) were in-app purchases. The developer abruptly changed the app to a subscription, so everyone who bought a perpetual license now has a subscription. The other day I discovered that Photo Sleuth is now a separate app. I’d bought Photo Sleuth as an add-on and now the developer apparently wants me to not only pay for a subscription, but also to buy the Sleuth functionality again! What’s their next trick going to be to extract more revenue from us? No matter how good the app is at any particular time, there’s apparently no assurance that the functionality you thought you paid for at a particular time will be the functionality you have at some future time. If you subscribe/buy/whatever this app, enjoy the functionality you have for as long as you can, because Mitch Waite Group may decide to change it on you at their whim.

Goodbye. I’ve used the app for many years, it’s my go to. I paid a lot for the full version, now you expect me to buy a subscription for an app I already purchased? I’m sorry your not making enough money, but I already paid for it. Disable purchases or make this app no longer update able for previous customers. Make a new app for new users, and let those who already purchased keep using on the most basic level, do not punish loyal users. Sorry but I’m done with your app, good luck making enough profit when all your long time users delete your app, and tell everyone to avoid it due to your sleazy business actions.

Disappointed. I was an original purchaser of this app. To this day it is still the most expensive app I have ever purchased and it was a difficult decision on my part to begin with. I was still very excited at the time. Over the years I have found this app frustrating to use when trying to find a new bird and thus have only used it sporadically. I appreciate the idea of a subscription. But for those of us that use it more as a supplement to books as opposed to a sole source, I believe it would have been better to allow previous purchasers of the app to have a choice of keeping the app as is with no further updates. Faced with the choice of a subscription or no longer having access to the app I am inclined to just forget about it.

A wonderful app for birders and those who love birds.. This is a truly great app, essentially a complete bird book (with accompanying bird song) on your phone or iPad. We’ve been using it for years, and it is easy and fast and complete, regardless of your bird knowledge. We do rely on it, and it is as good as Sibley, Kaufman and others, all of which we do have, but this is the easiest in the field and at home as well. It is well worth the small monthly charge (or yearly if you prefer.)

Fair app, but don't count on pricing. I bought this for my iPad several years ago. It was a perpetual license at the time. I also paid for two add-ons. Last year the developer surprised us by making the app subscription and saying that all previous add-ons were included. Now they say that Photo Sleuth (the most useful feature for me) is a separate app that again requires me to pay. Mitch Waite Group's serendipitous pricing changes (which have been accompanied by significant app improvements or feature additions) make me advise staying far, far away from the program. There are alternatives whose developers don't jerk paying users around like this guy. As far as functionality, I find that it doesn't offer more than other bird ID apps whose developers stick to the terms under which the app was sold.

Rip off don’t buy. I purchased this app 10 years ago for $40 and have used it almost daily. Suddenly I have to subscribe for a monthly payment. I read app response to other disgruntled customers and it’s basically we had to or go out of business. Well, I think that’s going to happen anyway because of the way you sprung this on people. How about some notice? An email explaining your situation or give people a year before you just end their access. Anyway, guess I’m going back to a book, at least a book doesn’t all of a sudden refuse to open and hold you hostage until yo pay a monthly fee. In these days of competition you should have come up with something else like new customers have to pay a fee or old customers can’t update unless they do a subscription. See ya ibird.

Easy to use - Excellent For Planning Target Birds. I am very happy with this app. I use it daily in the field to compare “live” sightings against other similar species and it helps a lot. I use it as (first) my pre-trip study guide by building “target” lists and (second) as my “in field” target guide when on a tour; to keep me focused on which birds I would enjoy seeing and observing next. The drop down menu allows birders to investigate and search through lots of intel to aid in proper identification.

Sleazy way of steamrolling users. I bought the app, I’ve paid for subscriptions over the years. This is not an inexpensive app - but it is very good at what it does. I think the way this “update” was implemented, was a huge mistake. At least give customers the option of staying with a non-upgradeable, already-purchased version instead of hitting them in the head with a 2x4 and forcing them to make a decision. If the customer doesn’t want to make a decision they have no choice but to delete the app because the developers have rendered it inoperable. Offer a way to opt out of the new upgrade method without taking away a paid-for version. This was a bad idea

Bye-Bye!. Thanks for shafting me out of my money! I paid for iBird Pro as a one time payment, and after doing the latest update, I now find out that I HAVE to choose either a monthly or a yearly subscription to continue to be able to use the app that I already paid to use! Well, there are 2 more choices for me to choose from, and I’m going to choose them after I submit this review. Those choices are 1) delete the app, and 2) advise anyone thinking about getting the app to not do it. Bad faith decision on your part! One time payment should mean ONE TIME PAYMENT. I would have AT LEAST thought you would have grandfathered in all of us that have already paid, and gone to a subscription service for new customers.

Poor Company. I originally loved this app until they switch to a subscription service. After some digging, I discovered that they didn’t want to pay artists fair pay so they sought international artists that they could pay much less to get high quality work. Their own about us says one of their artists had trouble sending their work because the River wasn’t supplying enough water to the waterwheel to get internet. I’d be curious to see how much they paid them for their artwork (which I don’t see any credit to the artist for). I don’t know why someone would pay a monthly subscription for this when there are incredible free apps like Cornell’s Merlin and the Audubon app which both supply the same information at no cost.

Very Disappointed. I have been a long time user of this app and one of the things it promoted early one was that updates and use were for free. I use multiple birding apps at different times to help in identification of a different then usual looking bird. Each adds something to my path of discovery. The assurance to start out with was once downloaded it would always be available. It is not and when I went to the App Store it just said open. No where does it say, I need a subscription or the price of the subscription.

Don’t do it. This is an unethical business. I purchased the app outright before they went to a subscription model. But when they changed to subscription, they said I would have to pay a monthly subscription fee to use it. So I paid for a product and then they reneged on the purchase. They claim to have tried to contact me (they didn’t). I really liked the app but will not support a business that sells a product and then a couple of years later blocks usage of the product and tells you that you need to pay a monthly cost to continue using it. It’s like buying a house and then years later someone charging you rent to live there. It’s unethical.

One flaw aside, best app!. I love this app. It works beautifully and has amazing features and bird photos and illustrations along with range maps and everything you need in the field. The single exception, and the thing that prevents me fro giving a 5 star rating is the fact that any notes you take on a bird disappear almost immediately. That said, I also wish the software had an easier method for adding a bird to more than one ‘favorite’ list - ie a life list as well as a list by location.

Hundred percent. Used it daily until recent iOS or app updates were blocking me from using the app that I purchased back in 2011. For 12 years I've used this app and now I am not allowed to use it. I have been trying to restore my previous purchase for 2-3 months now. Sent several emails to the developers with no response. Thought it was time to try something else. Would rate the app 5 stars but this recent development has been a thorn in my side for some time now. I really hope this review gets read and my purchase is restored soon....

New Subscriotion model. This is poor business. I bought this app because it was the best available. Or I should say, I thought I bought this app. Turns out I only rented it. Like purchasing a book and then years later getting a notice that you owe an overdue book fee to the store from which you purchased the book. I will certainly use my “free” year’s subscription but absolutely will not renew. I’ll go back to carrying a printed field guide in my pocket before I consider paying a ransom. When you sold this app your model was based on sales. Now you see there is monthly/yearly income to be had and your model has changed. I will not support that.

It's time has passed. I first purchased it in 2009 to run on my iPhone 3GS. At $30 it was the most expensive app I had bought. I also purchased the upgrade to iBird Ultimate in 2015. I was a little shocked by the switch to subscriptions (as someone who purchased the app I have a year free) but I understand since it does take effort to keep the information updated. However, Cornell's eBird, and it's identifying app Merlin, has far surpassed iBird in all ways. It's free, works offline, covers birds all over the world, provides photo and call/song ID (almost magic), and makes it easy to keep a life list. iBird has had a good run but it's time to say goodbye.

Loving this app. Since my fanatic birding friend suggested this app and I follow her birding advice, I love this app. Often I just get lost in the information or trying to find the dang bird, I’m often convinced the bird I’m looking for is the rare and endangered arctic bird that iBird fortunately corrects me on. Traveling as I do, being able to put in the location I’m at is a time saver and keeps me away from the rare endangered arctic species 😂 it instantly lets me familiarize myself with I can expect to see. I recommend this app to anyone interested.

Automatic conversion to subscription model. Each update of iBird pro has proven slower and less intuitive than the previous version. Now this latest update coverts everyone’s perpetual (paid for) copy into a subscription version without notice. Previous owners are given the first year free, which is supposed to make up for having your perpetual copy stolen and replaced. There are faster, easier to use apps available, some which identify birds just by listening to them. Oh, and they are free. It was understandable when the Waite Group started charging for new features (sort of). This goes beyond that and holds every former customers’ iBird app hostage to never ending subscription fees. Look elsewhere, there are far better bird ID apps.

Done with iBird Pro. I purchased iBird Pro on my iPhone several years ago when the developer was offering it for a one-time fee. It wasn’t cheap - maybe $20 or $25. They recently went to a subscription-only model, and “only” means only. The couldn’t even leave me with the product I had paid for in full and had been enjoying. Indeed, I got a pop-up when I recently tried to open the app indicating that I wasn’t even recognized. Outrageous! Well, there’s a silver lining to all disappointments, and the silver lining here is that when I immediately searched for an alternative, I found Sibley’s 2nd edition, which is offered as a one-time purchase rather than as a subscription. And it is an even better app than iBird Pro! IBird Pro has lost me forever.

Unethical. I paid $30 for this app, seeing it the same as buying a very nice birding book. Apparently the difference between that very nice book and this app would be that the book publisher can’t come into my house later and steal my BOUGHT book back and demand I rent it back from him every month - but the product team of iBird Pro apparently thinks they can! Love the app, but I will not subscribe. I’m still over here using 10+ year old photo editing software (from the big A—— company) I bought outright when that was still a thing, because I will not be nickel and dimed to death every month with 273 SAAS subscriptions. Unethical of iBird Pro to force users who have already paid outright for their app to pay a monthly sub. I’ll let my friends know in my birding group and avoid anything else this company puts out as well.

Great Bird Ref for Photographers. I’m an amateur ornithologist, so this bird app has been a huge help identifying birds I’ve photographed. I shoot nature and travel photos, so I tend to be opportunistic when It comes to photographing birds. Then I have the task of identifying them if they are unfamiliar. This app offers the huge benefit of the bird’s call which has been of great assistance. People in the field with me get a big kick out it as well. Nicely done. I’ve literally been using this app since it came out and through various name changes. Finally decided to rate it. Didn’t want to rush into it :)

Zero stars!. If i could give them a zero star review, I would. After years of being a loyal customer and after buying both iBird and upgrading to iBird pro, I’ve now been told I don’t own the content and I must upgrade to a subscription based service if I wish to continue using the app. Total crap. This is simply a way for them to monetize their service using a subscription based model. I can understand the change in their business model going forward, but where’s the loyalty to long time users who have already purchased this app? I do not recommend and I am not continuing my use, even after their insulting, arrogant emails offering a “gesture” discount. Go elsewhere.

TERRIBLE/NO CUSTOMER SERVICE. I have had the app since 2016 and loved it. However recently it stopped working and indicates there is no purchase indicated. The app gives me the option to contact customer support and even generates the email indicating the original purchase date. I have tried contacting customer support for close to a month-3 separate requests and still no response. I finally got a response which indicated I would need to sign up for subscription-which I did but I still get the same message and restore purchase button and it still tells me that it can’t find purchase information-however my credit card bill indicates they took my money!!!

My second choice. While iBird is a great source of information about birds, it is not my first choice in the field when I am identifying birds. I am a moderately skilled hobby birder. Much of the time I hear birds before I see them. I go to Merlin for their sound Id feature. Or if I am searching for a bird, the calendar in Merlin of when to expect to see a bird in my area alongside the name and picture is very handy. If I cannot find what I am looking for in Merlin I turn to iBird. Both are great tools. I just find Merlin has handier tools.

Disfunctional app. I’ve used iBird Pro for years flawlessly. Since the June update I’ve had nothing but problems. I get messages for days at a time that sounds are downloading in the background. And even though I paid for the app which should qualify me for a free year of the subscription service, my app is telling me today that I have a free 7 day trial. Of course none of the spiffy new features I’m supposed to be able to check out are actually working thanks to the endless “downloading in background” messages. I don’t mind paying for a quality birding app, but the way this one has been functioning since June is not worth putting more money into. I sure hope I can find a new app that’s worth my time and money.

Stolen!. When I got this app wayback in the beginning of this era, my feeling was that it changed my birding experience. And I enjoyed it so much that I bought all the extensions and the other bird packs that were offered. First they took away the functionality of using iBird Journal. Now they’re going to take away all the things that I paid for. We should be allowed to keep what we paid for and make our own decision if we want to pay for updates. I have multiple editions of the birding books I’ve enjoyed, and only one of those I haven’t — but I still have them since nice no one has entered my house and stolen them!! They should be removed until they treat us fairly!

Forced subscription on previously paid owners. As others have noted it is unethical and likely in violation of Apple Store policy to change an app from one time payment to renewing subscription AND to force that switch on previous owners to allow continued use. Your terms were clear at the time of purchase: pay the one-time fee and the app is enabled to use going forward. If you wanted to switch to a subscription model you could have created a new app (leaving this one as is), introduced new features as additional subscription add-ons, or grandfathered in your current user base (the best option). By doing none of these you make it clear that your desire is to pull the rug from your user base and attempt to empty their pockets again. Shameful, and I will be actively discouraged others from considering this app.

Mitch Waite is a thief. I purchased iBirdPro in 2014 and now it is subscription based. It looks like, after multiple complaints, good ole Mitch has decided to gift us purchasers with a free ONE YEAR subscription. One year😂🤬. That is still stealing. I remember when Mitch first started this app. He solicited advice and photos from top Naturalists and Ornithologists. He didn’t even know much about birds; he saw an opportunity and a need for such an app. He said the app would be free. Hah! He started charging after stealing information under false pretenses. Okay, so he made a great app, and wants to make money. Okay, but now, he’s stealing back property he already sold by asking for a subscription. Shameful!

Betrayed. Purchased this app for myself, husband, and daughter at $30 a pop many years ago. At the time I thought that was an insane amount of money for an app, but felt it was important to support the birding community. It’s very disappointing to see that the developer has embraced the subscription model, leaving original supporters with a choice: buy the app again forever with no end in sight, or delete. I will be in the delete camp, especially after reading some of the developer’s replies to comments, not even addressing their blatant bait and switch tactic. One commenter made a very good point; we BOUGHT the app in good faith as though buying a book, now the developer is coming into your house to take the book away if you don’t pay monthly for it. What a horrible way to treat customers who got you where you are. Buh bye!

New purchase requirement. I’ve had purchased this app since 2012 and have created my own favorites listing of more then 275 birds as well as notes and observations. After my account was locked. I have asked customer service if my personal list and notes will recover after I resubscribe 3 times over the past month but keep getting the same resubscribe notice from customer service without additional information or answer to my question. Appears the customer service is simply first generation AI with no human involved. I like the app but will not subscribe until I get a real answer to my question! After receiving no response, I’ve decided I will no longer use the app. And I’ve changed rating to one star. App owners are crooks!

what the flying bird?!#%. I’ve had this app for years. I’ve compiled a list of all of the birds I’ve identified in my “favorites”. Well the latest update obliterated that.... years of birds.... and curiously I can’t seem to generate a new list. Why did this happen???? Many years ago even though I had paid top dollar for the application with all the perks an update acted like I was new and needed to pay for features that I should have already had. It was like a shakedown...perpetrated by shoddy, inexperienced or predatory programmers. I can’t begin to express how disappointed I am with an app that had been by my side helping me identify birds by their looks and calls. I’ve lost years of data. Don’t trust it and store your lists elsewhere.

5 star information but charging for a ‘free app’?. This has been my go to app when birdwatching on the mountain located on the migration route of the northern Pacific coast, I happen to be blessed with calling the space home. Have been using this app for at least 5 years. After update, I am required to pay to use this free app : Without prior notice!! App say for new users $$, but everyone is considered new users. When tapped restore purchases- nothing happened. I understand commerce and free interprize but ambushing customers is not cool, especially long time users and contributors. JMHO Limited income dictates purchases.

Photo Sleuth does not download.. Well, bought most of the features of IBird Pro. I went to use the Photo Sleuth portion and it immediately directs me to the features purchase screen. I have purchased it once... because it started showing UPDATE instead of OWNED it charged me twice....$4.99 to download again. It gets to 80% install then fails to finish or says failed. I have sent 2 emails to developer with no response as of this review. I have the iPhone 11 Max Pro with 512GB so space is not an issue for this app. This is probably the most important reason I wanted this app. The interface could use a better layout with less congestion. Even with the biggest iPhone screen it is jammed together on the menus. Would I buy it again...No. I don’t like apps that take your money then don’t work.

Thieves. Purchased this item with a lifetime license and they have now chosen to revoke my ownership without my consent and wish to charge me a monthly fee for the product I already purchased. Not only are they disabling my purchase, they're not even offering a refund for taking awaay that which I bought. Can you imagine purchasing a television or a computer or a sofa or any other product and then having the seller come into your home years later and announce that they're going to repossess it unless you start paying them rent on it? This is nuts. I guess I shouldn't hold my breath waiting on a refund, but you can be sure that I will NEVER do business with these guys again.

Great app, lousy customer service. I bought this app nine years ago, and I love it! I have many bird sightings noted, and several pictures under “my photos“. Now they want to charge a subscription fee, and I am OK with that. What I’m NOT okay with is their customer service. I have sent two emails asking why they do not acknowledge me as an existing customer, and if my photos and notes will still be on my app when ( if ) I continue my subscription. It’s been a week and still not a word from them. Bottom line: great app, lousy customer service.