Review Insights · App Store
Portal - Escape Into Nature
Portal Labs Ltd · 10,086 ratings · ★ 4.8
4.8
★★★★★
10,086 ratings
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Top complaints - extracted from 13 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
"subscription"
7 negative reviews mention this · 54% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Connection Issues with Phillips Hue. I recently installed Phillips Hue lights throughout our house and thought the Portal App would be a good add on. The problem is the app refuses to connect to the Hue Bridge Pro. I’ve tried it multiple times; followed all the advice in the b…" - Joey-In-MD
2
"free"
6 negative reviews mention this · 46% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Connection Issues with Phillips Hue. I recently installed Phillips Hue lights throughout our house and thought the Portal App would be a good add on. The problem is the app refuses to connect to the Hue Bridge Pro. I’ve tried it multiple times; followed all the advice in the b…" - Joey-In-MD
3
"expensive"
5 negative reviews mention this · 38% of all complaints
★★★★★ "This is the most amazing app but unfortunately it’s so expensive you can’t use it. I loved the free trial. I’m so sad. 300 dollars for lifetime membership for a productivity app? That’s insane. The monthly membership is also oddly high, more expensive than Netflix. :((((((" - StrawberrySwing97
4
"love"
3 negative reviews mention this · 23% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Subscription. As much as I love the visuals the subscription is too much. The ability to choose 3 - 4 options which can be downloaded and played at any time would be much more welcome." - Reviewbot5000
5
"monthly"
3 negative reviews mention this · 23% of all complaints
★★★★★ "This is the most amazing app but unfortunately it’s so expensive you can’t use it. I loved the free trial. I’m so sad. 300 dollars for lifetime membership for a productivity app? That’s insane. The monthly membership is also oddly high, more expensive than Netflix. :((((((" - StrawberrySwing97
6
"year"
3 negative reviews mention this · 23% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Not worth a subscription. App and content haven’t been updated in a year. It feels like they are just extracting subscription fees at this point. I have no problem paying regular fees for regular updates but this feels like a scam. If they had regular content upda…" - vagabondish
7
"paying"
3 negative reviews mention this · 23% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Not worth a subscription. App and content haven’t been updated in a year. It feels like they are just extracting subscription fees at this point. I have no problem paying regular fees for regular updates but this feels like a scam. If they had regular content upda…" - vagabondish
8
"review"
3 negative reviews mention this · 23% of all complaints
★★★★★ "annoying repeating Restore issue. The imagery and audio are fun, but I’m taking 3 stars off due to an annoying Portal app requirement to log into the App store at every launch of the Portal app to verify a paid subscription. Restore of a subscription must only be done once …" - ssilverblack
📋 All 13 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").
Subscription
As much as I love the visuals the subscription is too much. The ability to choose 3 - 4 options which can be downloaded and played at any time would be much more welcome.
This is the most amazing app but unfortunately it’s so expensive you can’t use it
I loved the free trial. I’m so sad. 300 dollars for lifetime membership for a productivity app? That’s insane. The monthly membership is also oddly high, more expensive than Netflix. :((((((
Video Disappears
I purchased this app to see the videos. They disappear. the sounds can be found for free. I cancelled within 24 hours and I want a refund.
No free
Trash, everything just need to pay for it
Too expensive
I’m posting this review because I think some people might accidentally purchase this expensive $300 app. On top of that, if you subscribe, it costs $7-13 per month. But you can simply go to YouTube and search for “nature sounds” you’ll find countless free videos. Create a playlist to play them continuously, or combine different ones for an even better experience. For example, you could mix the sound of rain with water, forest, and wind noises, then play them together in the background all without paying for a $300 app. You can even download the videos to enjoy them offline.
It’s a sound machine
Get a YouTube premium subscription. The nerve to charge people for something they can a better value on. Save your time and money. I use YouTube all the time for this and sleep. They want us to sub to a sound machine current year is crazy
Love it but too expensive
I understand it’s Worth paying for such a beautiful art work software. But seriously it’s so expensive and not only you buy it for life or you just own it, no. it’s every year annual payment. No I can’t
Connection Issues with Phillips Hue
I recently installed Phillips Hue lights throughout our house and thought the Portal App would be a good add on. The problem is the app refuses to connect to the Hue Bridge Pro. I’ve tried it multiple times; followed all the advice in the bell section, all to no avail.
If you’re thinking of getting this to connect to your smart lighting system, think again. The app works fine to listen to calming soundscapes…but I can find those for free elsewhere.
I just wish I’d cancelled my subscription before the trial period ended. Thirty bucks down the drain.
If you’re thinking of getting this to connect to your smart lighting system, think again. The app works fine to listen to calming soundscapes…but I can find those for free elsewhere.
I just wish I’d cancelled my subscription before the trial period ended. Thirty bucks down the drain.
Not worth a subscription
App and content haven’t been updated in a year. It feels like they are just extracting subscription fees at this point.
I have no problem paying regular fees for regular updates but this feels like a scam. If they had regular content updates my rating would be higher.
I have no problem paying regular fees for regular updates but this feels like a scam. If they had regular content updates my rating would be higher.
annoying repeating Restore issue
The imagery and audio are fun, but I’m taking 3 stars off due to an annoying Portal app requirement to log into the App store at every launch of the Portal app to verify a paid subscription. Restore of a subscription must only be done once in a subscription period! Kindly correct the defect and I’ll revisit my review. Top 3 annoyances: 1) the regular subscription prices for monthly, yearly, and lifetime are far too high; 2) the Portal app needs internet connection to run; 3) the Portal app can’t remember a paid subscription.
Pas ouf
L’application trop fermée en allant quatre choix pour la version gratuite et pour le reste bah on peut pas faire grand-chose pour l’utilisateur qui n’ont pas la version premium. Bah en fait ne sert strictement à rien. À part les sons initiales.
Love the idea but way too expensive
I really want to love this app, but the pricing to unlock the app is $300 or a monthly fee. I’m tired of everything having a subscription. I would pay $20 for this app, but at $300 its just way too much for what it offers.
Should not be a subscription or be that expensive
The price is insane to be a one time purchase and there is no reason for an app like this to be subscription based. Sub fatigue is real and hopefully companies will start to notice. Theres not enough backgrounds, The ones I tried got stuck and the free one doesnt move in a good manner. The idea is neat though but ive used several other apps that do this, this is the only one that made it a little simpler than normal but for that price is just insane they even got a good review as editor choice.
Sentiment summary
95%
Positive (4-5★)
3%
Neutral (3★)
2%
Negative (1-2★)