Went through the whole onboarding process and made an account only to find out that its method of heart rate tracking is not compatible with my phone…because of the way its camera is laid out. You know, because this app claims to track heart rate with the camera. What? Regardless, why is it not made clear on the app page that it only works on certain devices so the rest of us don’t waste all that time setting it up (and sharing our information with the company in the process…oh, I think I get it now)? Given that this app actually acknowledges that cognitive and social exertion, not just physical exertion, can contribute to worsened symptoms, the fact that it then makes new users take on the mental/emotional load of inventorying their illness(es) and symptoms BEFORE revealing whether or not those users can even use this thing is pretty messed up.
Honestly the fact that an iPhone app designed for health monitoring cannot connect to Apple Health/Apple Watch to use existing data is absurd in the first place, but I digress. Maybe it is helpful, but I’ll never know because I can’t even use the dang thing.
Developer Response
Hey there,
Sorry to hear you're struggling with this. Please reach out to info@makevisible.com and we will do our best to support you, the camera reading works with all models of iPhone!I’ve never been able to pace and have only deteriorated over the years. (MECFS since about 1995) I decided to purchase this armband and app subscription out of desperation, and for the first time, I feel like I’m getting a handle on what pacing actually is. I received my armband about four days before the worst crash of my life, and I was able to see it coming. I am starting to recover, and I have cautious hope and a some sense of control like I’ve never had with this god-awful disease. I wish this had existed years ago when I was first diagnosed, and I hope more people get access to it. I especially hope contributing to studies through the app makes a real difference for people living with Long Covid and MECFS.
Developer Response
So glad you're finding it helpful and thank you for supporting our mission.This app has been the single most impactful intervention I’ve found to make living with Long Covid feel like something I can manage at all. I was about 7 months along and struggling to understand how to function at the best I can; it’s been 13 months now. The twice/daily check-ins have trained me to be observant of my choices and consequences. It’s important to understand that the scoring system is meant to anticipate one’s vulnerability to PEM, which varies, it is not measuring one’s “wellness.” I am very grateful to the developers for creating a tool that even in my exhaustion and brain fog I have been able to use.
Developer Response
Thank you, it's great to hear that Visible has given you an insight into your body's signals and helped you avoid crashes. Thank you for your support.I am one of the first to use the Visible armband. As someone who was diagnosed with ME/CFS and symptomatic for decades prior, this app has been hugely helpful in my management of my energy envelope. It has taken some time, but I now understand how to pace and manage my activities accordingly when I can.
This makes a difference in my function, cognition, pain and fatigue levels. Importantly, I do not have to spend precious energy to track energy output because it is done in real time by the app. It also alerts me when I go over my anaerobic threshold so I know when I need to stop what I am doing and rest when possible.
It is accurate, reliable and the team behind this product is the very best. They care deeply about their customers and are responsive in every way. Visible was developed by folks with long COVID19 looking for answers that sports type apps did not provide to people with chronic illness. I can’t say enough positive things about Visible.
Developer Response
Thanks for being an early adopter and thanks for leaving us such a nice review!I’ve been using the paid version of the Visible app with the Polar heart rate monitor since late July 2023. It has been a lifesaver to be able to monitor my HR in real time so I can better pace during each day. One of my favorite features is that you can set a pace points budget and the app tracks your points usage during the day so you monitor if you are at/above/below your points. I use this particularly to help rest-up and conserve energy if I know I have something that will take more energy later on. I also love how I can track trends going back 6 months, as I can discuss it with my doctor and we’ve been able to make adjustments to my treatment plan based on the data. It’s a game changer!
Developer Response
It's great to hear that Visible has been helpful in managing your pacing and encouraging you to balance activity with rest.I have had Long Covid for 15 months. I have been using Visible Plus for six months, prior to that I used Visible for 2 months. Both versions are extremely helpful for managing my daily exertions, and knowing what level of stability I am working with every day. Visible Plus has the capability to track your heart rate daily, your HRV, your pacing, and send real time alerts if you are over exerting. It has taken so much guess work out of what I can manage on a particular day. I also have months of valuable data all in one convenient, accessible place to compare and analyze whenever I need or want to. This data can also be exported to share with doctors easily. The Visible team has thoughtfully designed the most supportive app for those of us with chronic, energy limiting conditions.
My heart rate monitor is extremely dependable, and Visible Plus is so easy to use, even with my limited energy. For months I was writing on paper all the information about my symptoms and activities, and this was draining mentally and emotionally. With Visible It takes about three minutes or less everyday with a quick morning check in and evening check in. I have been able to make much more progress since having this app for support. If you can get this app, I recommend it 1,000 percent.
Developer Response
Thanks so much for taking the time and effort to leave us a detailed review. Glad you're finding Visible supportive, easy to use and not too energy-consuming. We're grateful for your support!I have been trying to figure out the mystery of my Long Covid crashes for three years now. As a life long athlete I thought I knew everything there was to know about what my body can handle. In just one week of using this app, I realized I was WAY underestimating the impact of even daily life events. Now that I can see where and how I am using my energy, I can better budget how I spend it. For the first time, I feel like I am getting some control back. Also it’s super easy and quick to log each day which is much appreciated!
Developer Response
So glad to hear that Visible is giving you back some control. It's great to hear you're finding it easy to use and we appreciate you taking the time and energy to leave us a review.I’ve been using Visible+ since it launched and through that data I’ve been able to learn a lot about how best to live with my condition and when I need to take it easy, which means a lot of days I almost feel “normal”(!)
The team has been amazing about receiving feedback and incorporating it into fixes and new feature development, too. They can’t add my every random idea or they'd go out of business (thank you Ed for your patience with my occasional barrage of ideas <3 ), but the things they do add show a lot of thoughtfulness in product direction and I’m confident the app is just going to get better and better, and they're not just another startup that is doomed to fail.
Now go take a nap, people! Don’t push yourselves too hard.
Edit: Forgot to mention that it’s also been great for communicating with family: “I’m a two today” and my spouse knows that I won’t be able to take on any extra activities.
Recently I was prioritizing my morning tasks and asked him if he had to choose, would he rather I brush my teeth or do my Visible morning measurement, and he actually chose the measurement.
And it gives me real data, so it’s harder to gaslight myself about how I *should* be feeling. And I can see if a new medication has helped with my OI or whatnot.
Developer Response
Good advice! It's great to hear how Visible is helping you learn how best to live with your condition and giving those close to you a better understanding of your energy levels and capacity.If you are struggling to manage or make sense of chronic symptoms and are considering an app to track your journey, daring to dream that you might stumble upon a little hope—look no further and sign up right now. You’ll likely wish you’d done it sooner, but every new chapter has a first page, and I encourage you to start yours today!
Though some of my symptoms seem to have quieted after three years, there are plenty still playing the marionette. Using the Visible app has helped me learn to attend to my symptoms differently, and find a way to pace myself so that I can engage with life again (even if on a completely different scale than before COVID).
Developer Response
Thanks so much for your lovely review. Fantastic to hear that you think Visible could benefit others, that its helped you to pace and allowed you to reengage with life. I have orthostatic intolerance that I’m in a decent place with managing, I’m a big exerciser, and my heart rate doesn’t go as wild as those with POTS, and for awhile I thought, maybe I’m not the target audience; this is good information but I feel better than this is telling me to expect. Then I got COVID and this was SO SO helpful I’m not overdoing it after…seeing my heart rate at 100 after a nap was a wake-up call.
I’m still experimenting with this to see if it’s right for me long term but I deeply appreciate the folks who have developed this and it’s a brilliant idea.
My other feedback about the app (acknowledging it is still in Beta) is the connectivity with the polar sensor is inconsistent, but I just updated so maybe some bugs have been fixed.
Developer Response
Thanks for your review. If you're having any technical issues at all with Plus please don't hesitate to reach out using the Help and Feedback section of the app or by emailing info@makevisible.com
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