Review Insights · App Store
TalkingParents: Co-Parent App
Monitored Communications LLC · 28,750 ratings · ★ 4.4
4.4
★★★★★
28,750 ratings
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Top complaints - extracted from 83 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
"court"
17 negative reviews mention this · 20% of all complaints
★★★★★ "No download feature. AppClose has a download feature making court ready records a snap. This app is way behind!!!" - Rock Chalk Girl Mac
2
"been"
16 negative reviews mention this · 19% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Wonky lately. It’s been acting wonky lately; especially for the severe increase in price!" - TYLER OF BEAST
3
"messages"
14 negative reviews mention this · 17% of all complaints
★★★★★ "PRESENTS ITSELF AS A FREE OPTION-FALSE / CHARGES MINS WHEN RINGING. Profiting off of parents who are required to use TP because it was feee before. Now, they won’t answer messages or emails why. The app even charges you minutes while the phone is ringing, even if nobody picks up. Let your commissioner know …" - RedJonathan
4
"doesn"
14 negative reviews mention this · 17% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Cannot justify the price increase. I’ve used TP for over 5 years. The messaging works fine, but their calendar feature is terrible, so I cannot justify the price increase when other services have better features. Also, slow response time by customer service meant I got stuck…" - AprilSahara
5
"free"
13 negative reviews mention this · 16% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Avoid - Do Not Use - No Longer Free Avoid. Avoid - Do Not Use - No Longer Free Avoid this Site and App. They are now charging you to collect your most personal data on your family, consider this. Avoid." - FUKd APP
6
"parents"
13 negative reviews mention this · 16% of all complaints
★★★★★ "PRESENTS ITSELF AS A FREE OPTION-FALSE / CHARGES MINS WHEN RINGING. Profiting off of parents who are required to use TP because it was feee before. Now, they won’t answer messages or emails why. The app even charges you minutes while the phone is ringing, even if nobody picks up. Let your commissioner know …" - RedJonathan
7
"month"
13 negative reviews mention this · 16% of all complaints
★★★★★ "PRESENTS ITSELF AS A FREE OPTION-FALSE / CHARGES MINS WHEN RINGING. Profiting off of parents who are required to use TP because it was feee before. Now, they won’t answer messages or emails why. The app even charges you minutes while the phone is ringing, even if nobody picks up. Let your commissioner know …" - RedJonathan
8
"money"
12 negative reviews mention this · 14% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Glitchy app still after years. This app is poorly designed and glitchy and has has been for many years. The fact that they want to raise the cost to $19 a month/ they should be sued. I regret ever spending money on the subscription. I wish I could get it all back. There…" - elgaen555
9
"price"
11 negative reviews mention this · 13% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Wonky lately. It’s been acting wonky lately; especially for the severe increase in price!" - TYLER OF BEAST
10
"service"
11 negative reviews mention this · 13% of all complaints
★★★★★ "PRESENTS ITSELF AS A FREE OPTION-FALSE / CHARGES MINS WHEN RINGING. Profiting off of parents who are required to use TP because it was feee before. Now, they won’t answer messages or emails why. The app even charges you minutes while the phone is ringing, even if nobody picks up. Let your commissioner know …" - RedJonathan
11
"years"
11 negative reviews mention this · 13% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Cannot justify the price increase. I’ve used TP for over 5 years. The messaging works fine, but their calendar feature is terrible, so I cannot justify the price increase when other services have better features. Also, slow response time by customer service meant I got stuck…" - AprilSahara
12
"through"
10 negative reviews mention this · 12% of all complaints
★★★★★ "They cannot confirm if your account is canceled. Because they have sign ups go through Apple ID they cannot confirm if you have your account canceled or if you’re still getting charged. This is ridiculous. They should be able to see your account through their system and help you. I only h…" - TruthRevealed13
📋 All 83 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").
Avoid - Do Not Use - No Longer Free Avoid
Avoid - Do Not Use - No Longer Free Avoid this Site and App. They are now charging you to collect your most personal data on your family, consider this. Avoid.
App sucks
I requested an app to talk to my ex wife when our child is with her. I had 500+ minutes and they all went away without reason. This app continues to prove how much a scam this stuff is. It says it’s supposed to protect you but feel free to read the information about how it only records about 30 minutes of the call you need to spend an arm and a leg for something that we all already pay for. Makes zero sense to me.
They cannot confirm if your account is canceled
Because they have sign ups go through Apple ID they cannot confirm if you have your account canceled or if you’re still getting charged. This is ridiculous. They should be able to see your account through their system and help you. I only have one Apple ID and I am not seeing a subscription there. But I’m getting emails from them saying I still have a subscription. People don’t respond to help support tickets very quickly and when they do, they are of no help. I would not use this app again.
No download feature
AppClose has a download feature making court ready records a snap. This app is way behind!!!
PRESENTS ITSELF AS A FREE OPTION-FALSE / CHARGES MINS WHEN RINGING
Profiting off of parents who are required to use TP because it was feee before. Now, they won’t answer messages or emails why. The app even charges you minutes while the phone is ringing, even if nobody picks up. Let your commissioner know during court this service is no longer free. Parents should not be charged to communicate about their child considering all the options we have that can show proof already paid for monthly.
Disappointing Customer Service and Communication
I reached out to this company before the promotional period ended and expected a timely response. Unfortunately, there was very little urgency in getting back to me, despite my efforts to resolve the issue before the deadline.
What was most disappointing wasn’t the outcome itself, but the lack of communication and customer service throughout the process. When customers proactively reach out for assistance, they should not have to repeatedly follow up or worry about being ignored.
Based on my experience, I chose to take my business elsewhere. I hope the company improves its responsiveness and communication with future customers.
What was most disappointing wasn’t the outcome itself, but the lack of communication and customer service throughout the process. When customers proactively reach out for assistance, they should not have to repeatedly follow up or worry about being ignored.
Based on my experience, I chose to take my business elsewhere. I hope the company improves its responsiveness and communication with future customers.
Terrible app
App barely works. Super glitchy. And now they want to charge $40 a month, instead of $27
Warning Not Free! Concerning business practice.
Families court ordered use of the app , courts promote the app as "free" to use. Seems The app grows and surprise vulnerable families now have to pay to get access. A court order not followed can result in transfer of custody to an unsafe parent and incarceration of a fit parent. Evil targeting vulnerable families for profit. I hope when the policy and procedures changed the courts were all notified not to promote the app as "free" to use.
Too expensive
App is too expensive
63% price increase
No explanation given, but price increased overnight from $12 a month to $19 a month. Why? What justifies this increase?
Pricing
I recognize the world is getting more expensive, but this company doesn’t offer a $19.00/month service. It’s actually very predatory. They take advantage of families already going through a struggling point, via court order.
Glitchy app still after years
This app is poorly designed and glitchy and has has been for many years. The fact that they want to raise the cost to $19 a month/ they should be sued. I regret ever spending money on the subscription. I wish I could get it all back. There’s been no value added from this app to my life whatsoever.
Not worth it
Terrible app that costs a lot, look for better options
Jacking the price up
Jacking the price up from $27 to $39. Will be finding something else
Buggy and unreliable
Had to many instances that bugs have viewed my messages or new messages won’t appear in the chat and I’ll look but then it tells the other recipient I viewed it although it showed me no message. And now being charged to use it for 20 bucks a months. They are just robbing us
Hot trash
Too expensive for a service you can zoom and text for free. They just raised the price over 30% during record inflation. What a greedy company I would never used unless I was court ordered.
100 minutes video call cost $50 and video quality is poor.
The most devastating part is the low bar tech support here. Sometime the video screen just stops and you don’t know why. That it starts again. No indication onscreen why.
When video is in landscape mode the downloaded video just takes both frames are rotate to the left to fit the single video. Resulting in far less than desirable video.
All in all a disappointing app.
When video is in landscape mode the downloaded video just takes both frames are rotate to the left to fit the single video. Resulting in far less than desirable video.
All in all a disappointing app.
Are you kidding me?
I am required by court to use this app with my child's father. I've used it for a few years now and pay the premium plan of $27/month (plus tax) to talk to my child via calls or video. It's worked ok. Has a lot of glitches often. (Dropped calls. App doesn't respond. Can't hear the other party via video calls) Now this app is going up to $39 a month!!!!!! Disgusting. That's $468/year before Apple's added taxes for an app! This is outrageous.
**update: developers respond that they've had limited price increases? Yea ok. Well 12$ a month increase at once is excessive. This app does not share with courts in real time nor does anything truly significant. You can save your chats as pdf's and you can video chat. Again, I've been using this app for years ONLY because I'm required not by choice. As many times as I've printed off how my child's father talks to me and show how he controls and limits my communication with our daughter when she's with him, it changes nothing. Just another broken system taking advantage of parents now price gouging them!
**update: developers respond that they've had limited price increases? Yea ok. Well 12$ a month increase at once is excessive. This app does not share with courts in real time nor does anything truly significant. You can save your chats as pdf's and you can video chat. Again, I've been using this app for years ONLY because I'm required not by choice. As many times as I've printed off how my child's father talks to me and show how he controls and limits my communication with our daughter when she's with him, it changes nothing. Just another broken system taking advantage of parents now price gouging them!
Absurd price increases
Yall are going to dig yourself into a hole by continuing to increase the price. $19 per month is insanity! Most people can’t afford that in this economy, so don’t be surprised when you see people consistently cancelling their plans. You’re going to run your business in the ground by being greedy!
5 year user/high conflict case
I give this one star because initially when I got the service, it was horrible…its web biased interface is horrible. You can’t use the app unless you pay for the premium service. Half the time the app would crash or not send messages when you type them. They would just disappear. Couldn’t see archived content also. They finally fixed it after about two years just recently there was a 44.4% increase in the price. It went from $27 a month up to $39 a month. It seems like the company has now started to capitalize on the amount of coparents who can’t get along and can’t communicate normally. In my situation I don’t have a choice as this is court ordered. I choose to pay to hold the other parent accountable. the other parent recently can’t afford it. I think the price increase is crazy considering the users are already incurring the cost of attorney fees and court cost. Not to mention the app does not work as well as it should for the price. Fingers crossed for full custody🤞so I don’t have to keep paying for this trash app and the price.
Willing to bet I get some AI generated reply to my review, it’s probably not even gonna be personable. Who knows🤷♂️
Willing to bet I get some AI generated reply to my review, it’s probably not even gonna be personable. Who knows🤷♂️
It’s not working
Again My coparent partner sent me a invite and I typed in the code and it went through but she still hasn’t replied because she is still not getting my messages. Help please
Fraud
This company alters records.
And it’s very obvious.
Correspondence between coparent have without a doubt been deleted from December 17, 2021 to January 22, 2022. Christmas and new year of 2021 and 2023video attachment of a drunk man admitting to crimes, and TalkingParents is gaslighting and covering it up, or they are simply too incompetent to run such organization with integrity.
I’ve been a paid member since day one and I want those attachments. It is obvious when you get on the website that the transcripts are there and I’ve downloaded the PDFs but I now need the attachments.. high level social engineering coming from china and most likely involved in human trafficking. Talking parents are complacent in this.
All of the proof is in the video that has been removed on the bugged app.
I want the video and I will not stop until all of the data regained from this account is recovered.
It also does not send videos, photos or messages.
If TalkingParents is not involved directly in this crime, then they are complacent in allowing their app to be bugged and not accounting for the evidence shown in countless emails.
When you show them evidence, they disappear. Just like any guilty party.
And it’s very obvious.
Correspondence between coparent have without a doubt been deleted from December 17, 2021 to January 22, 2022. Christmas and new year of 2021 and 2023video attachment of a drunk man admitting to crimes, and TalkingParents is gaslighting and covering it up, or they are simply too incompetent to run such organization with integrity.
I’ve been a paid member since day one and I want those attachments. It is obvious when you get on the website that the transcripts are there and I’ve downloaded the PDFs but I now need the attachments.. high level social engineering coming from china and most likely involved in human trafficking. Talking parents are complacent in this.
All of the proof is in the video that has been removed on the bugged app.
I want the video and I will not stop until all of the data regained from this account is recovered.
It also does not send videos, photos or messages.
If TalkingParents is not involved directly in this crime, then they are complacent in allowing their app to be bugged and not accounting for the evidence shown in countless emails.
When you show them evidence, they disappear. Just like any guilty party.
Excessive Price Increase
I have been using this app for years, and it started out as affordable. The price has been going up though without any real updates to justify that increase at all. Recently, I got an email saying they are going from $12 to $16 per month. It’s really just starting to feel like the developers are trying to take advantage of single moms and DV survivors at this point. Which as any of us in family court system know is an issue throughout the entire system. I will be looking for alternatives.
*Update: When I spoke to support about the waiver mentioned there wasn’t an actual application. They requested that I email them a long list of very sensitive financial information that would include my child’s social security number.
*Update: When I spoke to support about the waiver mentioned there wasn’t an actual application. They requested that I email them a long list of very sensitive financial information that would include my child’s social security number.
takes advantage of parents
they overcharge you for this app and it doesn’t work sometimes. they’re taking advantage of parents that are forced to use it. for $30/month it should work when i need it to. sadly it does not
Horrible app
Always freezes and makes video calls impossible.
Crashing and endless login loops
This is the only means of communication between my ex and the only way to confirm logistics for our kids safety. The constant crashing/loading /logins made it almost impossible to communicate which puts our kids in danger. Why can’t it just send a reliable text?! How hard can that be in 2026?
Rip off price gauging
This app was worth the price but now they charge you just because it’s Tuesday. They know that the courts consider this admissible evidence, and for that reason they hiked their prices to an insane and exorbitant price point. They’re price gauging with no added benefits.
DON’T USE TALKING PARENT-NO CUSTOMER SUPPORT-WORST CO-PARENTING APP TODAY
This was a great app until it wasn’t. They have had significant upgrades that have made the app horrible, inoperable, and glitchy. Even worst is when you lose all your data and there is no phone number to call and they do not respond to the in app help. If you love your kid/s and depend on this data, DO NOT USE TALKING PARENT. Your entire case will evaporate and there is no one to help or that responds to in app request for help. It’s obvious their priority is their on-line reputation responding to every review quickly (look for yourself). WORST CO-PARENTING APP EVER. The Accountable Calling works when it wants and you my find all your calls gone and no one to help you. The picture function is now also broke where you once could attach photos very easily. Now if sends the same picture over and over even when you know you choose the right picture. The Calendar is useless. Our Family Wizard is much better and you can get customer support. It is very hard to change once you start. Make the right choice the first time with an ESTABLISHED business like Our Family Wizard. To add they also MAKE you sign new policies/rules under duress since you HAVE to sign it to stay in compliance with the court orders to get back into your account. Read them carefully because I would never sign or agree to any of those terms if I didn’t need back into my account to only find all my calls are gone and the new calls not captured. DO NOT USE TALKING PARENT IT IS THE WORST
(Dad)For my kid years it doesn’t work
Don’t even bother wasting more time
Always an issue
Weekly I need to uninstall the app and reinstall the app because it goes back years worth of conversations and the only way to see the current message is to delete the app and reinstall it. So frustrating especially when this is the only way we communicate plus I pay for it
Worst app on the store
Constant glitches, calls often times don’t go through, notifications may or may not work, calendar will say there’s a new event but will not post any details or the time of event… this app is supposed to be a reliable platform for parents to communicate on and it’s easily the most unreliable and glitchy app I have ever used. It’s absolutely ridiculous. I have been using this app for 3 months now and the glitches are never ending
Trash like app close
Hard to use and expensive. Pass.
Garbage
Can’t use the app unless I match or you pay? What a joke. Seems like the devs spend more time replying to people’s reviews and not fixing or improving their own product.
Unable to Use
App has been down for a month.
Not worth the monthly fee
How can I get my money back for this app? It never lets me log in to the app, it just keeps circling around. What’s the point in paying if I can’t even use it. Going to cancel my monthly membership….
Trash
Never get notifications and the app shuts down randomly. It is absolutely garbage. The worst thing that I could ever use in my life something needs to be fixed or it needs to just be taken down. It’s unacceptable. I can’t even call customer service and get help because they tell me it’s not their problem. How do I communicate with people don’t ever download this app no matter who says anything. Should I add to it? It doesn’t work at all so it needs to be fixed if you want it to work.
Not entirely free.
I really wish the app was free to use. In this day and age, it should be. If one doesn’t pay, then the app is worthless and you have to use the program through your web browser and you get notifications via email. Not at all convenient like it’s advertised to be.
Messages
Whenever I receive a message I basically have to close the app and reopen to read it. This shouldn’t be an issue at 12 dollars a month. This garbage charges a service fee to send money on top of the ridiculous fee to have it.
Trash
One of the worst app I’ve ever used in my whole entire life. Doesn’t save my photos or let me open them later. I can’t believe people actually have to pay to use this garbage app.
Don’t waste your time.
To use the app free you have to use it on the web. That means having to sign in every single time via the web and no notifications. The whole point in communicating through an app is to keep track of conversations. Just realized the thread doesn’t even save. All this time we’ve wasted communicating through here and the thread is gone. Apparently you have to pay $55 to email the text record to yourself within a certain time frame before it vanishes. Ridiculous.
Terrible and Deceiving
First of all it’s not free. Second, beware that even if you download to test and see if you like it, you cannot delete the account afterwards. They will keep your information; your partners or the other party’s information and all your records. Do not download this app unless you want to be tracked and have all your data stolen.
Trouble accessing records
I have been trying to access the PDF of my records everything says it should go through and I never receive the records to my email. They do not provide a phone number for technical support. You could only send them a message. When it comes to child custody, I need this information when they say they will provide it they say they will provide it immediately, and I never receive it
Unreliable from day 1
Can’t even log in. Can’t subscribe. 2 days troubleshooting for hours. I do not recommend. They charge me for the service but won’t give me the service.
Photo video size restrictions
For the amount of money you guys charge, you only improve features related to membership. I can’t send a basic photo; too big .. All pictures are too big with advanced cameras. Do you expect me to quit my job to resize photos & videos daily…!
More bugs than features, unfair pricing practices
Don’t bother trying anything with the free version. However, if you upgrade to the monthly paid services you get adfree access to even more bugs! Notifications buggy, messages not showing at least 50% of the time opening app, message history is buggy 100% of the time, web browser access is frozen more than 50% of the time and 100% of time have to eventually close browser and reopen because it bugs or freezes. Extra minutes for calls are absurdly expensive. Changing plan or canceling once you are into paid app is a task near impossible. I gave up and am waiting on support.
Don’t use!
Product is designed to make lawyers rich at loving parent’s expense. It’s a NO GO for parents that love their kids. Designed for scum bag lawyers to get rich. If the developer of this app wants to help children… scuttle your app. I know this app was created by a family law attorney who is part of the divorce industrial complex and is profiting off of destroying children’s lives. This app is the garbage all the tin foil hat folks warned us about.
Clunky
One of the worst apps I’ve personally used. Has caused me to miss out on scheduled video calls multiple times because it times out or drops constantly. Messaging is bad as well. Sometimes I open the app and just get the spinning wheel for 30 minutes. I pay for premium too. Really poorly operating app for such an important need. Disappointed
Worst User experience and zero accountability
Our Family Wizard is light years ahead of Talking Parents. They feature all are archaic and hardly perform as expected. It’s like they want to make coparenting more difficult. Updates seem to make the app worse not better. Filing a petition to request we switch to Our Family Wizard to best protect me and my family from a dangerous person. Talking Parents cannot provide the peace of mind or protection.
Slowest app/tech ever
It’s a joke how slow this app is…I have complained and reached out to their support and all I get is “do you have the latest version?” Give me a break. Yes, of course that is the first step anyone takes in troubleshooting. If you like waiting for a looooong time to see your messages, this service is for you!
Mid-level app got worse with new rollout
I’ve been subscribed to this app for four years. It was basic, but functional.
However, about a month ago, they rolled out a very big updated version. It has a slightly better look and feel - but at the cost of not working. Basic functionality has been lost - THE ONLY REASON I PAY TO USE THIS APP HAS BEEN BROKEN!!
Now:
*I don’t always get notified when I get new messages
*It often takes up to three minutes for the app to load
*Sometimes the app refuses to load at all
*New messages don’t show up and I only find them after I coincidentally reopen the app for another reason
FOCUS ON BASIC FUNCTIONALITY AND QA - FIX YOUR APP!!!
However, about a month ago, they rolled out a very big updated version. It has a slightly better look and feel - but at the cost of not working. Basic functionality has been lost - THE ONLY REASON I PAY TO USE THIS APP HAS BEEN BROKEN!!
Now:
*I don’t always get notified when I get new messages
*It often takes up to three minutes for the app to load
*Sometimes the app refuses to load at all
*New messages don’t show up and I only find them after I coincidentally reopen the app for another reason
FOCUS ON BASIC FUNCTIONALITY AND QA - FIX YOUR APP!!!
+ 33 more in the clipboard copy
Sentiment summary
84%
Positive (4-5★)
4%
Neutral (3★)
12%
Negative (1-2★)