We analyzed 76 negative reviews from the top 5 Altimeter apps on the App Store. Here's what users hate most.
Ranked by frequency — how often each complaint appears in negative reviews.
33% of negative reviews mention this issue.
"About 31 feet off. Then I was going to compensate for being off and try it anyway. I took a reading on a high spot on a ranch, walked down the slope, took another reading & it said I was about 7 fo"
"Recently went over Donner Summit at 7231 ft., app said I was at 2241 ft. My home is at 118 elevation, app says 61 ft."
18% of negative reviews mention this issue.
"The Apple Watch compatibility will not save the feet measurement so it defaults to meters every time you open it. Frustrating!"
"Most general aviation and commercial aircraft use feet for elevation and not meters. This app allows you to change to feet but every time it leaves the screen and you have to come back to it you have to change it from meters back to feet."
11% of negative reviews mention this issue.
"No matter where I am, even in a hundred acre open field, I alway get a 'GPS signal too weak' error."
"I've tried it in locations all over Los Angeles. It says 'GPS signal too weak' every single time. Hard to believe the GPS signal is weak everywhere in L.A."
14% of negative reviews mention this issue.
"Barometric pressure at US airports is in inches, and no way to enter the local pressure to calibrate."
"It wants calibration, and I know my current barometric in inches of Hg, but it does not seem to know that is, nor ha"
9% of negative reviews mention this issue.
"I was under the impression that this app would be independent from my iPhone 7 but NO you do need to turn on Bluetooth for it to work with the Apple Watch. What is the purpose of this app when you need your phone close by"
"App is great but it hasn't been updated for the iPhone X and it doesn't work on the Apple Watch without having the iPhone present. The new Apple Watch has a barometric altimeter and GPS built in so no need to be tethered to a phone to function."
8% of negative reviews mention this issue.
"I have an Apple Watch 4 and this app is not show in ANY complication of ANY of the watch's face's."
"Nice app and watch app but was hoping for complications for watch faces. Seller doesn't explicitly say it is available but it should be for a paid app."
Design and usability issues driving negative reviews.
Dark color schemes (black background with dark blue text) make apps unusable in bright outdoor conditions
"Please, for the love of god, provide the ability to set the background color! I can't believe that the developers ever used this in the outdoors. Dark blue on a black background is completely invisible outdoors making an otherwise excellent app absol"
Users are confused by GPS vs ASTER vs Barometric modes giving wildly different readings without clear explanation
"Aster and GPS are 20-30 feet different at times. Go outside and stand still, flip between the two a few times and eventually they coincide at a completely different reading but then they change as soon as you switch to the other mode"
Digital altimeter displays spin wildly like slot machines instead of smoothly incrementing, causing confusion
"Instead of smoothly incrementing up and down, one digit at a time, the digital altimeter spins wildly, in one direction only, like a slot-machine, making you think i"
Apps crash on specific functions (barometer, settings) with no developer support or fix available
"This app worked great for a while and now crashes when the Barometer is selected or the settings button is selected. Can't update the version if it needs updating since all it does is crashes."
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