Review Insights · App Store
Petlibro
Designlibro Inc · 7,217 ratings · ★ 4.6
4.6
★★★★★
7,217 ratings
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Top complaints - extracted from 67 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
"feeder"
17 negative reviews mention this · 25% of all complaints
★★★★★ "This turning into junk quickly. I have been using this app for a long time but in the past few months it is becoming increasingly unreliable. With no change in my wifi, app constantly needs resetting and dropping shared users. Add this problem to the Air feeder that has n…" - @ania@
2
"subscription"
16 negative reviews mention this · 24% of all complaints
★★★★★ "You broke it!. I just got an update and now I can’t load my videos at all. This has been a constant problem since I bought the feeder. I don’t want a subscription, I just want to load from my SD card! Fix it!!!" - Katmystiry
3
"petlibro"
14 negative reviews mention this · 21% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Horrible lately. This app has been ruined by updates over the last year. The ability for two people to login without logging the other out has been removed. Now, live video is non-functional. Don’t know why Petlibro is ignoring all the poor recent reviews. …" - TowandaJ
4
"product"
13 negative reviews mention this · 19% of all complaints
★★★★★ "STOP WITH THE ADS. i bought the feeder already; you already have my money. i just want to feed my cat, i do not need to be presented with an upsell opportunity. your product is supposed to make life easier, ads do the opposite. stop it please, or i will c…" - TommyNoble
5
"device"
12 negative reviews mention this · 18% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Cannot use device due to app bug. Impossible to select WiFi for device because the app redirects to the wrong screen in iPhone settings" - Fixitplsitsborkedty
6
"wifi"
11 negative reviews mention this · 16% of all complaints
★★★★★ "This turning into junk quickly. I have been using this app for a long time but in the past few months it is becoming increasingly unreliable. With no change in my wifi, app constantly needs resetting and dropping shared users. Add this problem to the Air feeder that has n…" - @ania@
7
"bought"
11 negative reviews mention this · 16% of all complaints
★★★★★ "STOP WITH THE ADS. i bought the feeder already; you already have my money. i just want to feed my cat, i do not need to be presented with an upsell opportunity. your product is supposed to make life easier, ads do the opposite. stop it please, or i will c…" - TommyNoble
8
"products"
11 negative reviews mention this · 16% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Ads are too much. I already paid over $80 for your product, I don’t want to see ads in your app for your other products. Really annoying in when you’re trying to use the app and a pop up appears." - Benjisan43
9
"other"
10 negative reviews mention this · 15% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Horrible lately. This app has been ruined by updates over the last year. The ability for two people to login without logging the other out has been removed. Now, live video is non-functional. Don’t know why Petlibro is ignoring all the poor recent reviews. …" - TowandaJ
10
"feed"
10 negative reviews mention this · 15% of all complaints
★★★★★ "This turning into junk quickly. I have been using this app for a long time but in the past few months it is becoming increasingly unreliable. With no change in my wifi, app constantly needs resetting and dropping shared users. Add this problem to the Air feeder that has n…" - @ania@
11
"been"
9 negative reviews mention this · 13% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Horrible lately. This app has been ruined by updates over the last year. The ability for two people to login without logging the other out has been removed. Now, live video is non-functional. Don’t know why Petlibro is ignoring all the poor recent reviews. …" - TowandaJ
12
"every"
9 negative reviews mention this · 13% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Requires FREQUENT login. The app requires you to sign in every time you open it. It is wildly inconvenient and extremely frustrating. It is almost as if Petlibro clearly wants the user to connect Apple or Google accounts so that they can steal more user data." - MasterLeafTheDeemon
📋 All 67 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").
Horrible lately
This app has been ruined by updates over the last year. The ability for two people to login without logging the other out has been removed. Now, live video is non-functional. Don’t know why Petlibro is ignoring all the poor recent reviews. Recommend buying a different brand at this point. Too bad because it used to be functional.
This turning into junk quickly
I have been using this app for a long time but in the past few months it is becoming increasingly unreliable. With no change in my wifi, app constantly needs resetting and dropping shared users. Add this problem to the Air feeder that has no manual button and you end up opening the lid to feed your animal at odd hours of the day!!! Considering switching to another brand. Those constant ads are not also helping at 3 am while trying to maneuver app glitches.
Also I won’t be surprised sometimes from now when news break that all access to our location data that Petlibro desperately needs has been sold and used for nefarious reasons. This is my trust level now! Yey.
Also I won’t be surprised sometimes from now when news break that all access to our location data that Petlibro desperately needs has been sold and used for nefarious reasons. This is my trust level now! Yey.
Cannot use device due to app bug
Impossible to select WiFi for device because the app redirects to the wrong screen in iPhone settings
STOP WITH THE ADS
i bought the feeder already; you already have my money.
i just want to feed my cat, i do not need to be presented with an upsell opportunity. your product is supposed to make life easier, ads do the opposite.
stop it please, or i will continue to give bad reviews.
i just want to feed my cat, i do not need to be presented with an upsell opportunity. your product is supposed to make life easier, ads do the opposite.
stop it please, or i will continue to give bad reviews.
Private access to photos
Why do you need private access to our personal life’s photos ???? This shouldn’t even be on this app and should be changed settings to none or no permissions like other apps I will delete your app and get rid of your system because of your lack there of to see you shouldn’t take peoples data or have access to there personal life’s thru there photos CHANGE THE SETTING
Requires FREQUENT login
The app requires you to sign in every time you open it. It is wildly inconvenient and extremely frustrating. It is almost as if Petlibro clearly wants the user to connect Apple or Google accounts so that they can steal more user data.
You can’t just use the device
You have to tell it your life story and your pet's life story. You get upsold on tons of products when really all you wanted to do is what you paid for: dispense food
If you value privacy tread not here
For whatever reason, this app is requesting my precise location in order to connect a device over WiFi. This is shady at best. Even worse the account deletion feature does nothing. If you value your personal data, avoid this company’s apps and products.
Broken
I keep getting network request errors and to try again later, hours later and even an update still broken can’t access my schedule or feed my pet.
You broke it!
I just got an update and now I can’t load my videos at all. This has been a constant problem since I bought the feeder. I don’t want a subscription, I just want to load from my SD card! Fix it!!!
Terrible
Shocked this has such good reviews, and it makes me question the legitimacy of them. It’s incredibly difficult to get the app to connect to the Petlibro feeder-even when the feeder, phone, and router are within 5 inches of each other- and even once I am actually able to connect it, it will randomly log me out of the app and give me error messages when I try to get back in. It’s completely unreliable. You’re better off getting a security camera to put by the cat food. It’ll be more reliable and less expensive.
Redesign needed.
Redesign around cloud/ ads annoying, I’m okay with my own sd card. sD Card says full even though continuous recording is on.
Updated app and it deleted my account
Worked fine until they forced update and now I can’t feed my pets. Thanks so much….
App update
Have only had the product for a week. App has deleted all my information. I have logged out and back in and my pets information is not there. I am unable to reach anyone through the contact us phone number provided.
Apple private email is not enough?
App asks for my personal email or it won’t allow me use it. Most ridiculous demand I’ve ever seen.
Bypasses PrivateRelay and Sign in with Apple
I don’t know why this is allowed on the App Store. I used private relay to not send my private email address to them when I signed in, but then they want me to verify my email address. It doesn’t work with private relay and they even put a note when they ask for an email that it helps “ensure” something. Why are they allowed to do this? Can I make a new throwaway address on my own? Sure. But these games really waste my time. I spent good money for quality and privacy. I like the other products I have bought from them. But apparently my money, including buying supplies from them every month or so isn’t enough; they need more. They shouldn’t be allowed to say that you can sign in with Apple if they’re going to require you to use another email address. I think this is false advertising and I don’t normally leave reviews like this. Their physical products have been great. But this is so disappointing it is hard to express. I will return the feeder over this. I guess selling my private information is more profitable than having me as a loyal repeat customer. Thinks a real shame!
Addition: I made a temp email to at least see how this would work and it now requires my location?!? What does that have to do with anything?! Why does a device I am trying to get on WiFi need my location?
Addition: I made a temp email to at least see how this would work and it now requires my location?!? What does that have to do with anything?! Why does a device I am trying to get on WiFi need my location?
Worst purchase ever
I bought this and have regretted it since the day it came. When trying to view the feed on the phone, it works less than 30% of the time. Simply loads forever. The AI cannot tell the difference between a 85+lb German shepherd and a 10 lb cat, no matter how often I correct it. Support teams have done nothing to fix any of this. Waste of money. Cameras have worse quality than much cheaper versions. Do. Not. Buy. Truly a terrible system/service
Poorly functioning
I use the SD card to record rather than the cloud subscription. Petlibro seems to intentionally makes using an SD card as frustrating as possible. I’m not just talking about it loading slow, they make it as many clicks as possible to view clips for literally no reason and so many ads. I’m a vet and I used to recommend Petlibro to clients because you could still use them without a subscription, but with how annoying the app is and how it tries to trick you into thinking you need a subscription made me think twice about that.
Worst App
This has to be the absolute worst app I’ve ever used, way too much friction has trouble connecting to the device and right out of the gate wants to charge us some annual fee of $129 for some subscription that has nothing to do with feeding our pet.
Dockstreamstream2
Too hard to connect!! POS
Automatic feeder
We bought an automatic feeder for our kitty because she’s been waking us up very early in the morning. We got one with this company and the feeder itself was $70. I start setting up the feeder and it wants you to pay more money monthly or yearly. No where on the packaging or manual does it say anything about having a subscription. Honestly disappointed.
Absolutely shady subscription
Will never buy another PETLIBRO product. The fact they have so many different subscriptions that you are required to have to get the full use of the product I already bought is insane. Not to mention the crazy dark pattern behavior to unsubscribe. Literally not a single place in the app event hints at what to do to unsubscribe.
Thanks a lot
I hope everyone who made this app gets woken up by a notification at 5AM too, thanks for that
Also the interface is really unintuitive and cheap feeling
Also the interface is really unintuitive and cheap feeling
No way to cancel trial subscription
Tries to scam you into paying for the annual subscription
Constant software problems
I’ve been using this automatic cat feeder for a few months, and unfortunately the experience has become completely unreliable.
The main issue is the app. It is impossible to turn on the camera and watch my pet in real time. The loading screen just spins for a long time and then ends with an error. Videos are either not saved to the memory card at all, or they appear to save but cannot be accessed-every attempt results in an error.
The memory card constantly shows as full, and there is no way to format it through the app because that also triggers an error. On top of that, the feeder stopped sending notifications when the food level is low, which defeats one of its main purposes.
I also installed backup batteries for power outages, but the feeder does not work on battery power. As a result, my cats have been left without food multiple times. That is unacceptable for a device that is supposed to provide reliability and peace of mind.
After about four months of use, most of the functionality simply stopped working. I cannot rely on this device or its app anymore. The software is poorly made, and it feels like no one is interested in fixing these issues.
The main issue is the app. It is impossible to turn on the camera and watch my pet in real time. The loading screen just spins for a long time and then ends with an error. Videos are either not saved to the memory card at all, or they appear to save but cannot be accessed-every attempt results in an error.
The memory card constantly shows as full, and there is no way to format it through the app because that also triggers an error. On top of that, the feeder stopped sending notifications when the food level is low, which defeats one of its main purposes.
I also installed backup batteries for power outages, but the feeder does not work on battery power. As a result, my cats have been left without food multiple times. That is unacceptable for a device that is supposed to provide reliability and peace of mind.
After about four months of use, most of the functionality simply stopped working. I cannot rely on this device or its app anymore. The software is poorly made, and it feels like no one is interested in fixing these issues.
MAJOR BUG WITH POLAR FEEDER
There is a major bug with the polar feeder that needs to be addressed as it’s caused my cat to miss several meals. I can not rely on this product.
Sometimes, the polar feeder thinks it’s open even if it’s actually closed. However, you cannot “close” it through the app because it will give you an error that “your pet is eating”
You guys NEED to add an override to the your pet is eating message or else this is totally unusable. I can see on camera she’s nowhere close to the feeder. Will update my review when fixed.
Sometimes, the polar feeder thinks it’s open even if it’s actually closed. However, you cannot “close” it through the app because it will give you an error that “your pet is eating”
You guys NEED to add an override to the your pet is eating message or else this is totally unusable. I can see on camera she’s nowhere close to the feeder. Will update my review when fixed.
Terribly Made
You can’t log into the app from more than 1 device at a time. There is a login agreement you have to click every time you log in. The app is designed to help care for pets but requires the Petlibro server to run at all times, thereby making your feeder worthless without their consent. There is no landscape mode for iOS. The actual features for Wet Cat Food Feeder are made in a non-sensical way. All around indicates the people hired to make this app are deeply incompetent and it needs a total redesign from the ground up. The login flow is bad, the device usage flow is bad, it’s DRM for your pets feeder. Insane.
Terrible App
Don’t sign up for the free trial because you won’t be able to cancel. I was charged even though I have been trying to cancel for a week. The app doesn’t allow you to stop the subscription and when I go online, the subscription can’t be found. Customer service bot automatically blames it on apple and says they can’t do anything about it. Still waiting to hear from a real person before I report them to my bank.
DO NOT RECOMMEND!!!
I have been trying to cancel my subscription for over a month now and they keep pulling out. I do not recommend them. Be careful!!!
Wifi drop down bad idea
They're making us choose a wifi network manually when resyncing devices which magically unsync and it's a terrible model
Pop ups and ads
The app is slowly losing functionality- instead of being able to feed my cats I need to click through pop ups for products I am not interested in. I am going to switch feeders for something that doesn’t have such an obnoxious, barely usable app.
Slow, ad-filled, feature restricted
The fact that wirecutter recommended a pet feeder from this brand makes me reconsider if I should trust wire cutter. The app is barely usable on older iPhones. It constantly shows me apps for other products of the brand.
App issues
The only notification I have set to receive is low water, but the app tells me several times a day that the device can’t connect to WiFi. There is a WiFi notification option and it’s turned off. Fix your app.
Frustrating Device
Not able to update WiFi without uninstalling and reinstalling, super frustrating.
WARNING DO NOT SIGN UP FOR A SUBSCRIPTION VIA THE APP
I signed up for a free trial to see what the subscription provided (spoiler alert, absolutely nothing of value). Now when I go to cancel it, their website says I don’t have a subscription and Stripe says I don’t have an account. If I can start a free trial in the app I should be able to cancel it in the app.
Scammy Ad
The app keeps opening an ad for their “Care & Care Plus” when I’m trying to setup a feeding schedule. The back button on the ad won’t work and I have to force close the app. Avoid this product.
Horrible
I bought this water fountain for my cat and it’s always offline. Can’t get it back online. Doesn’t work when offline. Thank god she has an alternate water bowl. I would never buy again.
App is non functional
Kinda dissatisfied to invest in Petlibro products and the app doesn’t work correctly and is extremely slow since last updates. Can’t even access camera on feeder at all. Nothing but spinning. Kinda pointless in buying products and the trash app system doesn’t work. Save money and go with a better brand. They don’t know how to make their app work correctly so your expensive products are useless and you can’t use what you paid for.
Trash App
There is no option to turn off the subscription notifications they shove down your throat. Don’t install. I am also going to leave a review warning purchasers at the place i bought it from. It’s not worth buying if you’re getting mentally abused by them shoving advertisements down your throat.
Clean reminder
PLEASE GET RID OF THE CLEAN REMINDERS IT MESSES UP THE SET SCHEDULE EVERY TIME
Wasteful company
NOTHING WORKS EVER!
Feeders unreliable. App is infuriating
Feeders have a bug where they randomly dispenser endlessly until clogged. Who’s completely defeats the purpose of a rationing feeder. We have 6 of them and they all have the same problems.
The iOS aPP has taken to expiring your login after about 3 taps and 15 seconds. Basically unusable.
The iOS aPP has taken to expiring your login after about 3 taps and 15 seconds. Basically unusable.
CANT FEED MY PETS
The scheduled feeding does not run while the network on the app is down! Why is this a thing?!?! My home network is fine but the PetLibro app has had network issues for several days now.
Disconnect between product and app quality.
The products are great, however the app suffers from catastrophic disconnect issues that brick the use of their product. And repeated upsell prompts for an expensive subscription service that pops up upon pressing any button outside of the 4 free ones plague the app. Their products are being severely hurt by their app’s insufficiencies and bad business model. And before saying “just use the lite version of the app”, it was abandoned.
Petlibro’s app engineers need help to fix this and stop forcing them into whatever subscription model bs they are getting forced to make. I don’t need to know how often others are feeding their cats. But I would like to be able to use their rather expensive product that I bought and not fear the app breaks it while I’m away for any period of time…
Petlibro’s app engineers need help to fix this and stop forcing them into whatever subscription model bs they are getting forced to make. I don’t need to know how often others are feeding their cats. But I would like to be able to use their rather expensive product that I bought and not fear the app breaks it while I’m away for any period of time…
Can’t Stay Logged In
If the app won’t stay signed in, low food and water notifications aren’t very useful.
You will never be able to unsubscribe
If you grow tired of your subscription, be prepared for an extremely frustrating and involved process in order to cancel your subscription. There is no option within the app, and you can’t delete your account until your subscription, which automatically renews, is over. I’ve never experienced such a frustrating process.
Feeder won’t connect
Garbage product. Returning immediately for refund
Worked well for 10 months
11 months after purchasing, the app has suddenly become very glitchy and the device keeps saying it is offline (it isn’t, all other WiFi based devices are working well). Customer service is useless (AI based). Don’t buy this!!
App designed to get money, not to help your pets
This company makes a good product, and designed it entirely to get you to subscribe to its multiple paid subscription services. I HATE this. If you care about pets, then don’t lock this entirely free software behind a paywall then send daily messages inviting me to be a better pet owner by paying you to open full use of your app. Good product, garbage greedy business model.
Constant connectivity issues no matter what I do….
4 feeders are almost 2ft apart and that takes up some valuable space, relocated the main router within 5ft, but they all still have trouble either connecting to the internet sometimes or the app won’t recognize that they’re online.
HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED especially since we spent hundreds of dollars!
4 months of nightmares
HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED especially since we spent hundreds of dollars!
4 months of nightmares
+ 17 more in the clipboard copy
Sentiment summary
88%
Positive (4-5★)
2%
Neutral (3★)
10%
Negative (1-2★)