I’ve used this app for years and it had been great. But I updated the app just before starting fieldwork, and it boots up to a screen offering me a free trial or a button that says previous owner. When I click on previous owner, it says “no purchase found in the App Store” and gives an option for emailing the developer. This too goes nowhere and returns a message saying “email unable to send.” I paid almost $30 several years ago, and is one of the most expensive apps I’ve purchased, only to be shut out. I’ve read through reviews, and it seems to be blaming this on “family plan” settings, which makes no sense as we have other purchases in our family plan associated with individual members. I’ve tried to go to their website and it goes to an empty “sorry, we’re doing some work on this site” message. I’m super disappointed not just that they haven’t worked this out for paid app owners, but also that the customer support is totally lacking. Avoid purchasing. It can be taken from you at any time and there is no support, no recourse, and nowhere but here to voice your dissatisfaction.

There seems to be a lot of noise right now because iBird changed from a one-time purchase app to a subscription based model. As a customer of iBirdPro (and now Ultimate) for at least 10 years, as well as a software executive, I would like to add my perspective. First, this app is truly awesome. As an amateur bird watcher, I have received immense pleasure and value from it over the past many years. They keep adding more and more features at a tremendous rate, and it has all been useful. I actually did wonder how they could could sustain their business model by not going to an annual subscription model because it virtually impossible to continue in business like this without an ongoing revenue stream. Even advertising would be difficult to sustain because the ability to monetize bird watching is likely too limited. Mitch Waite has gone overboard to provide free transition periods, special promotions and such for existing customers who have to move to the new model. I personally and professionally think they have done too much. For those of you who are legacy customers who are being asked to move, please understand that you are now asking MW to decide to cripple their business or pander to you. If you like their app you shouldn’t be asking them to do this. This is a fantastic app. If you like it, then pay for it.

Updated review: this app was a great reference that I used from time to time. Then, without warning, they transitioned to a subscription model rendering the app useless. I wouldn’t have minded if they stopped updating the existing app, and started a new app as a subscription, but it was a really low blow to offer an app “update” that made the app useless without me paying more forever. It was like going to my bookshelf and finding my printed bird books blank because the publisher decided they wanted more money. There are plenty of other bird guides in the App Store, and you’ll get better customer service from them. The best bird guide is the one you have with you, and I really enjoy this since I don't always know when I'll run into an interesting bird. The search capabilities are a significant advance over a printed book, it is so nice to be able to specify something like, "what was that mostly black duck-like bird that I saw in New Hampshire in November?" an see all the possibilities laid out for easy comparison (a hooded merganser, it turned out). The recorded bird calls are also an incredibly useful feature. The only problem I have had is occasionally the search has not listed a bird that, in retrospect, it should have. I guess there are still some errors in their indexes. Also, eBird support would be nice.