Review Insights · Google Play
Couchsurfing Travel App
Couchsurfing Inc. · 117,426 ratings · ★ 3.2
3.2
★★★★★
117,426 ratings
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Top complaints - extracted from 93 negative reviews
Recurring phrases mined from 1-2★ reviews. The bigger the percentage, the more users have the same problem. Fix the top 2-3 in your version and you have product-market fit on day one.
1
"update"
47 negative reviews mention this · 51% of all complaints
★★★★★ "The update is awful! It keeps disconnecting, and there are always internet problems. On top of that, they're trying to make me pay for a subscription. I was chatting with someone, and suddenly, to unlock more messages, I had to pay! It's so…" - Rocky Ferg
2
"couchsurfing"
14 negative reviews mention this · 15% of all complaints
★★★★★ "The latest Couchsurfing update completely ruined the spirit of the community. What made this platform special was genuine travelers, trust, and real references - not forced subscriptions and payment badges. Longtime loyal users who helped b…" - Shaina
3
"dating"
12 negative reviews mention this · 13% of all complaints
★★★★★ "you added to hangout want to mingle??? for realll??? are you willingly adding what we have been trying to avoid the whole time? 🤔 more SEXUAL HARRASMENT FROM MEN'S SIDE? there is enough dating app and this was never it..." - Ivana Tothova
📋 All 93 negative reviews
Every 1-2★ review we fetched. Use the copy button to grab them all for your own analysis (paste into ChatGPT/Claude with a prompt like "summarize core user problems, group by theme, ignore bugs, focus on missing features").
The update is awful! It keeps disconnecting, and there are always internet problems. On top of that, they're trying to make me pay for a subscription. I was chatting with someone, and suddenly, to unlock more messages, I had to pay! It's so annoying and disrespectful! I would never pay for such a scam! How can you suddenly interrupt my chat and make me pay? now the chat with that person is locked and to unlock I must pay. craziness
bring the old CX back. honor people's verifications. let people back into their accounts without a random need to renew their membership.
Terrible update on May 2026. CS has lost it's soul
All my data is gone-so many good memories and contacts.
they charged me again even though I had paid already. So 4 months os subscription stolen.
The latest Couchsurfing update completely ruined the spirit of the community. What made this platform special was genuine travelers, trust, and real references - not forced subscriptions and payment badges. Longtime loyal users who helped build this community are now locked out, while brand-new users can simply pay and appear “verified.” Very disappointing direction for what used to be an authentic travel community.
you added to hangout want to mingle??? for realll??? are you willingly adding what we have been trying to avoid the whole time? 🤔 more SEXUAL HARRASMENT FROM MEN'S SIDE? there is enough dating app and this was never it...
The new update is terrible and not free anymore. I had a guest and cannot even write him reference now.
it is no longer free
new update is horrible. hard to read and understand, looks like dating app. decided to delete from the settings. it sended me an email to delete. i pressed delete and then i was able to login again and saw all my data. then i choose delete from support (website), entered my email, clicked link in email to confirm it me. and then they send me email again to verify it's me and ask my my email, dob and last login date! horrible.
terrible updates
The new interface is a step backward. The design feels outdated and unprofessional, which hinders the overall experience. Please prioritize a simpler, more functional layout that focuses on utility.
Vibecoded. Every aspect put into their profit policy. Community dead.
Ive been using over 10 years. They didn't charge me anything before till now. i can't even log in without paying. CS principle has changed...Sad. Additionally, i cannot use the app properly now even though i pay. it keeps me logging out. i think this is a joke anymore🫠
unusable
The new update is horrible. I pay yearly and suddenly my subscription is gone and I have to pay again and the prices are higher, too. I'm not going to pay for a new subscription and I advise everybody to do the same until they undo the most recent update and price changes.
Could you please go back to the old version? the new update is terrible I have used couchsurfing so much in my travels but now I think I'm going to delete it... people have been discussing about it on the local WhatsApp group and everyone is annoyed with it
I never really write reviews for apps but this one is just unbelievably terrible. For so many years they did not improve the app one bit, now all of a sudden this whole new layout looks like a dating app, difficult to navigate, it's not showing all the references, the hangouts function now is a mess, the events page also. Just don't roll out the update if it's not fully ready. Not to mention they used COVID as an excuse to start forcing everyone to pay, blocking everyone out of their profile!!
thanks for destroying the app
Couchsurfing was never meant to be another Instagram, Facebook, or Tinder. It was built for travelers looking for a safe place to stay, meaningful connection, and cultural exchange. Its beauty was always in its simplicity, locals opening their homes, travelers sharing stories, strangers becoming friends in cities far from home. The newer updates feel like it's moving away from that spirit and turning Couchsurfing into something more superficial and social-media driven.
login problems since app udate installed, cant login with email and password, endless loop of problems
new update is 100% a bug
it was great app. except "verification" which hidden meaning was a payment to app owners. now it contain more bugs than features.
I didn't think they could make the platform even worse, but yet they managed. Congrats I guess. Pro tip: You're supposed to test your app before releasing it to the public.
Bugs: Chats are not opening. I can't see all of my references only less than half of them are visible. Every time I open an app it opens pop up to verify. I think there should be an option such as don't ask again. All long texts such as bio or references that supposed to expand after click are not expanding. I can't switch between hosts and guests references. Hangouts are not working for me. That's the bugs I found in 3 minutes using the app, I'm sure there are many more I haven't discovered
the app is broken. i can't log in. it just keeps sending me back to "send link" page 😂 I get an email with a link, I click on the link - it sends me back to the same page where I request a link. You had one job, one 😂
The app used to be great, but the most recent update is absolutely awful! Seems like a vibe coded app that was deployed with zero testing. I also don't like the new design and layout. It looks currently more like a dating app than a couchsurfing one. The previous app used to be warm and awesome; too bad it was overhauled.
don't touch this app it is just for data mining. the hosts and groups left years ago
It's CS after all, the same guys who since 2010, have been destroying a great idea. I wish I could evaluate the website too. Update 2026: after starting to charge money to avoid shutting down during the pandemic, which is a total disgrace, now the app started to force update. Imagine having no unlimited internet in a vulnerable situation abroad, and you can't even use the app you've PAID for!!!! Appalling
Please press Helpful so others see this disastrous update. 1. Messages are locked behind payment, even in previously exempt countries. 2. No recent active host filter, so users waste time messaging dead or abandoned profiles. 3. Photos and albums are ruined by forced bad cropping. 4. Hangouts became Tinder like, with preset options like “Mingled ❤️”. 5. The app is full of glitches, fake “no internet” errors, duplicated friends, wrong counts, and useless social feed.
Wow. I know the original app had limitations and felt basic but there were ways working around some of the problems. Whoever redesigned this new abomination should be fired. Atrocious design, no feeling, feels like some sort or dating app, lost everything couchsurfing stood for. I'm canceling my subscription and moving on to a different platform altogether. CS, you lost a large part of your fan base with this "vibe redesign"
used to love this app for years, but the update is the biggest downgrade of any app I've ever seen. it doesn't make sense why they decided to ruin it. genuinely it's as if someone's main objective of the update was to make the app worse - and they succeeded. it feels like the person that updated it has never used the app before, or has used it and purposely made things so much worse. ignoring the bugs, so many design decisions are for the worse. going to look for alternative apps
The new design looks sleek and modern. There are even things which are positively surprising you can mention about yourself like "sex positivity" which is huge considering how this platform was always against dating. Anyway, it's still super buggy and IMPOSSIBLE to set up your availability between hosting and not hosting or just meeting people. It is Couchsurfing so I don't get why it is missing. So far, this app is unusable for hosting unfortunately.
this is a total scam. Just found out they have different pricing based probably on gender. I am charged 25 EUR/year while my gf pays just 10 EUR. We're both members since early 2010' and used it similarly.
Couchsurfing died with this latest update.
Why I can't use it until I pay?
The new update is absolutely horrendous. Despite having an annual subscription, I was paywalled from accessing the app until I paid again! I reached out to customer support about being double-charged, but there's been no response.
From bad to worse. Goodbye Couchsurfing
after the update,i can't log in the application,what a weird. i can only use it in a website,every time need relog in.
The new update (forced to update or you couldn't even open it) is UNUSEABLE. Did they pay a 15 year old for UX and program it with Microsoft copilot? Anyway, I recommend signing up for Couchers! it's like the good old days of CS.
error you have already subscribe d to couchshurfing. After payed yearly can t access account non refundable money Scam
The uptade is horrible, it has ruined the app. the option of "being able to hangout with someone in a city at the moment" has been removed, also option of group hangout has been removed. it looks like a cheap paid DatingApp. It used to be my favourite app FOR 7 YEARS....
While the old app had its challenges, the new app is a bloated piece of garbage and now it's impossible to find anything. So disappointing . Community is dead
I would give zero if I could. After new update a number of bugs. Paywalled while having active subscription. TC state that CS can increase their subscription fee after notice, while time ago they increased from 14$ to 22 without ANY notice. Generally even before the update the app was faulty. Errors, no new message notifications, lost connection, lengthy loadings etc Interestingly how free CS was of better quality and less bugs than paid one. I wish there was alternative to CS
I'm extremely disappointed and heartbroken at this new tinder-style rebranding, and sincerely hope the management will backtrack to the old couch surfing.
Absolutely dismayed and betrayed by the new "update" that has turned the app into everything it's not supposed to be. Sad that I'd have migrate to other platforms after being in the community for over 15 years... I resisted this back in 2020 when the app introduced payments, but now it seems inevitable.
new update strong arm and forces you to pay again. money grabbing from the developers. dirty move.
The new version launched in May 2026 is absolutely awful, buggy, and not usable at all. A full rollout is the way to go. I'm absolutely leaving Couchsurfing if the new app stays. Reviews cut off and mixed up, not being to able to search according to the last login, not being able to set yourself as Maybe accepting guests and many other major issues mean I'm not going to use Couchsurfing any time soon, if at all. This is an absolute shame, and I'm truly upset.
I thought it couldn't be any worse but then the new version of the app came out. This was the final nail in the coffin
Locking away messages behind a paywall is a dick move.
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Sentiment summary
52%
Positive (4-5★)
6%
Neutral (3★)
42%
Negative (1-2★)