We analyzed 79 negative reviews from the top 5 Minimalism Companion apps on the App Store. Here's what users hate most.
Ranked by frequency — how often each complaint appears in negative reviews.
32% of negative reviews mention this issue.
"when tapping the name of certain apps in the widget it opens the shortcut app brielfy before opening the actual app"
"launching an app is not a very smooth experience"
19% of negative reviews mention this issue.
"coming in after iOS 26 has a couple distinct disadvantages, particularly in the new look of widgets having an unremovable/uncustomizable border that defeats the seamless look"
"With the advent of iOS 26 and Liquid Glass, this app has become completely unusable from a UI/UX perspective"
15% of negative reviews mention this issue.
"The app supports a handful of potential apps out of the box, but if you want to add an app that isn't on there it can get somewhat technical"
"This app does not allow you to input apps like Notion, Motion and plenty of other apps into their widget"
13% of negative reviews mention this issue.
"I open up the app and it takes me back to my Home Screen"
"App immediately crashed and would never o"
11% of negative reviews mention this issue.
"The setup is difficult because the tutorial videos are outdated and it hard to get past the first step without help"
"I've been working on it all morning. Some of the apps on iPhone need to go through shortcuts and it's not opening on my phone like in the tutorial video"
9% of negative reviews mention this issue.
"After a day, it sneakily allows you to turn OFF restrictions, but you can't turn them ON again without buying a subscription. Manipulative design pattern"
"I was truly liking this app. But now I can't even change which apps are on my home screen without paying? Unfortunate. There was no notice of this prior"
Design and usability issues driving negative reviews.
Users report the widget doesn't scale properly, forcing them to create multiple shortcuts when listing many apps
"The widget is too small. It doesn't seem scaled properly"
Apps don't truly limit phone usage since users can simply swipe away from the widget to access other apps
"You can swipe away from this launcher to your other apps so it's not really making your phone a 'dumb phone lite' or giving much friction"
Apps cause typing lag, battery drain, and slow performance that contradicts the minimal efficiency promise
"After a certain WPM, the app lags behind, I see 3-4 characters typing after I release my fingers"
Cloud syncing frequently fails, causing data loss and workflow interruption
"the iCloud syncing is often unavailable"
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