Ecosia User Reviews

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  • I really wanted to like this

    The concept of Ecosia is extraordinary: helping plant trees without even changing my lifestyle. Every search contributes. However, it was not without its problems.

    First, the easiest problem to overcome is that the results aren’t all the same as if I used safari or google chrome. I noticed that ecosia orders search results differently. Which isn’t a problem, but when doing research (I’m a grad student so 90% of my time on the Internet is research) I have to look even harder than usual to find what I’m looking for.

    And then there’s the error message. “The trees are silent.” 1/3 clicks will give you this message. It is SO frustrating to click a link and the entire thing crashes. You need to either refresh a lot or relaunch the app, because turning back just leads to the same result.

    And lastly, the most annoying thing: don’t bother searching for pictures. EVERY TIME you click a picture on the images tool, it WILL NOT load. The result is a black image. You need to either reload the page 10 times or actually open the image on a separate page. And that won’t even work 50% of the time.

    Overall I’m so disappointed and dissatisfied with this search engine, and end up using safari 80% of the time anyways. The ONLY reason I’m giving it 2/5 instead of a (much deserved) lower score is because of its good intentions in saving the environment.

    TL;DR: the frustration and lack of proper function in this search engine makes it too annoying to use
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    Developer Response

    We're very sorry to hear about these issues you've encountered using Ecosia. Could you share with us examples of websites or links that you weren't able to open properly (i.e. "Trees are silent")? Also, could you share with us which device and iOS version you're using Ecosia with? This information will help a lot our team as we investigate and fix these issues. You can contact us directly with your answer at iosapp@ecosia.org. Thank you for your feedback!
  • I really wish I could like it more

    I use ecosia on my laptop and it works well, not as well as google but they’re a multinational corporation with a lot more money for development so I’ll excuse it. This app though... is bad. Functioning most the time, but bad. About 1/4 the articles I click on don’t load fully and I have to switch to safari to use them (and since safari works I know it’s not my connection that’s the problem). If I try to use the “image” tab, about 1/3 the time it won’t scroll and the app will freeze if I click on an image. I really do appreciate the work that ecosia is doing in conservation, but i’m gonna delete the app, or maybe only use it to click on ads periodically so that i can help plant trees
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  • Good intentions

    The app itself is quite hard to use ,but once you've got the hang of it it's really easy to use. I quite like the idea of planting trees, taking Co2 out of our atmosphere, boosting the economy and giving work to poorer people in poorer countries. Another upper side to the whole app is the fact that it doesn't take or sell your personal information.
    As a whole, I use this a lot on pc and my phone and it just gives me a good feeling to know that Im helping the world's climate change issue at least a little bit.
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  • One of the BEST search engines!!! NOT A VIRUS!!!!!

    I have been using Ecosia for a while now, and—well NOTHING’S WRONG WITH MY iPAD! There are quite a lot of reviews that say “Ecosia is a virus!!!” but it’s not. Nothing is happening to me, and I love to plant trees with this interesting search engine!

    Ecosia is definitely the best search engine that I am using! Although there are a few glitches, none of them really bother me a lot. This is a very clean app, and you are able to see how many searches you have made. I don’t think you are able to log in on the app yet, but the Ecosia team is probably working on it. Overall, 5/5 stars! If you are wondering if you want to get it or not, do yourself a favor and get it. Hooray for Ecosia!! 🥳
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  • Incredible in every way

    I’ve used Ecosia for around 2 months now, and I have to say it is fabulous. The general concept of planting trees is amazing and gives you a sense of pride and satisfaction every time you search for something. I love how Ecosia is so clear and honest with its users unlike many other companies and search engines (not giving names). The results are great and I would say close to being just as good as google, however, from time to time, I have to quickly search using google if I can’t find the answer I’m looking for. What I think could be improved is that Ecosia could put the most relevant answer to a search query in a box at the top just as google does. This saves time so that we don’t need to press links and can just get the answer to our searches. Overall, if you’re reading this, Ecosia is really worth putting as your main search engine as: it helps the environment massively, gets more jobs for people, has nearly as good results as Google (and definitely better results than other search engines), shows you what they do with their profits, respects your privacy (which is not the case with many search engines) and is just an outstanding search engine.
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  • Good search engine, but keeps opening new tabs

    I like Ecosia, but one issue I have with it is that it keeps pushing new tabs on me. When I go to delete tabs, it gives me a new one. When I open the app, it’s automatically on new tab. This came from the recent updates. It used to have this problem and then it didn’t for a while, which I liked, but it’s back again. I get that it’s convenient sometimes but I want to open tabs on my terms. I’d suggest a toggle for auto-opening new tabs so people can choose what they prefer.
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  • Feel good searches

    I’ve already planted 7 trees by just lifting one little finger to search the internet. The search results are relevant and private so I don’t then get bombarded with ads like when I use google.
    I’ve put the Ecosia app where Safari was so my thumbs muscle memory takes me there without thinking.
  • Finally Deleted

    I’ve been using the app for a year because I loved the idea of planting trees with my searches. I also heard that my information was safe on this browser. However, I found the app frustratingly buggy. I thought about deleting it all the time, but finally just had enough.

    My two main issues were that if I opened a new tab and then tabbed away from it, when I went back to the tab, I’d have lost previous pages and couldn’t go back to them. The biggest issue is that many mainstream, top searches pop up blank pages. If I wanted to read something, I’d frequently have to open another search app to do it. I kept using Ecosia anyway because I was planting trees when it would work, but if I’m constantly having to open Chrome to search yet again and read my search results, what’s the point?

    Great idea, poor execution. I was hoping the bugs would be fixed eventually, but it’s been this way the entire time.
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  • Worst version to date

    I love Ecosia and its concept, but this version is pure crap.
    It can’t even load the Captcha, saying I have to switch to ‘a supported browser’.
  • Best internet browser out there!

    Ecosia is world changing! First of all, you feel a sense of achievement because with every search you do, you’re helping to grow wildlife in so many parts of the planet. Also, it’s so helpful because you get to see the recent work that ecosia have been working on. The browser works just as well as google, and takes up less storage than safari does. After using it for ages I felt really pleased with myself because I helped plant 1000 trees! I would definitely recommend this app because you are helping the planet without even thinking about it.
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