# Anchor Watch — user reviews > 45 indexed App Store user reviews of Anchor Watch by Chris Lukassen, rated 3.07/5 from 15 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anchor-watch/id389011510/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anchor-watch/id389011510.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 4 · 4★ 4 · 3★ 1 · 2★ 1 · 1★ 5 ## Newest reviews (14 of 45) ### 2/5 — Upgrade worse *2021-01-15* The new version appears to have lost several useful aspects of the version it has replaced: The vessel sometimes ‘disappears’ No breadcrumbs are left as the vessel moves - this was quite useful. The display shows Lat & Long but the box at top left just shows 2 rows of red dashes... what should be displayed here?? No distance and bearing to anchor is shown. The ability to use range and bearing to adjust relative position of anchor appears to have disappeared. Dragging the anchor to a guessed position is not as useful. Does the App now send message to another phone? This feature seems to have been lost?!! Whilst accepting that developments are necessary, the new version seems a step backwards. Very disappointing. ### 4/5 — Not working on iPhone 12 pro *2020-12-09, version 3.0.0* I have used this app for a couple of years now successfully. I just upgraded my phone to an iphone12 pro, and am unable to drop anchor anymore. The drop anchor icon is inoperable. Hope this gets addressed. ### 2/5 — Used to be great *2020-09-07* Not working correctly now on either device. ### 3/5 — Good be better but usefull *2020-03-29* Not a bad app but complicated to use ### 1/5 — Ianqv *2017-03-17* Cant work out how to use it! It would appear you need to download maps. But it does not say how or where from or how much! Not much use really! ### 1/5 — Poor ui. Not good *2016-10-17* Hopeless application. Waste of money ### 1/5 — This app is not worth a penny. It is a worthless. *2016-07-01, version 2.7.8* Crap. If you trust this app you will be sorry ### 1/5 — Does not work *2016-06-01, version 2.7.8* Several attempts, 2 hours time, product never acquired GPS location on iPhone. Purchased supplemental overlay maps as prompted by the app however they also did not work. Unfortunate because otherwise the app appears to have a good user interface design. ### 1/5 — Does not work *2016-05-18, version 2.7.8* This thing appears to work when you set it up but when I move the boat the alarm never happens. Either it's useless or the interface is deceiving. ### 1/5 — Help! *2016-04-18, version 2.7.8* I've been trying to find help for an hour... Useless without it! ### 1/5 — Crashes *2015-11-25* Just updated app now crashes on startup tried reinstalling no joy os 8.41 ### 1/5 — Terrible app *2015-06-16* Asks to download maps and pay more. ### 1/5 — Anchor Watch *2015-04-09* Good idea, looks great but unless you want to be up several times in the night with false alarms don't bother. Paid extra for the offline maps to find they're coverage is limited. Useless in the Caribbean. ### 1/5 — Worthless *2015-03-02, version 2.7.4* Will not even open. Emailed support and have had no response so far. Will update review if appropriate. I'd recommend Drag Queen as a free anchor alarm app that actually works. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — No Alarm *2021-03-05* It would be great if it made an audible Alarm n my phone. Not much use otherwise ### 1/5 — Not current for IOS 13 *2020-02-04, version 2.9.0* Have an IPhone XS which has no home button. No user manual where indicated, no way to move around. Deleting ### 1/5 — Rubbish *2019-06-04* Frozen ### 1/5 — Not Reliable! *2019-05-07* Good interface and functionality, but just randomly stops by its self. You never can be sure if it’s on! No effective support that I can find? Seems others having the same experience. ### 1/5 — Hopeless *2018-12-04* It does not work ### 1/5 — Rubbish. *2018-12-01* Keeps turning off. Never sure if it’s working. Does not alarm if phone ringer set to silent. Bugs not fixed over past 2 years. Find another product to use. ### 1/5 — Total garbage *2018-08-05* Didn’t work at all. Alarms start sounding the second you’re not actively looking at the app and we weren’t dragging anchor at all. Fix your gps positioning running in the background. Don’t waste your money. ### 1/5 — Does not SMS using carrier provider *2018-05-27* The app is hard configured to only send SMS via Messagebird account and con not be configured to utilise mobile phone providers SMS. ### 1/5 — Crashes half the time. Poor instructions. *2018-05-24, version 2.8.1* If 1/2 the time is good enough, get it. ### 1/5 — Doesn’t alarm *2017-12-01, version 2.8.1* I haven’t been able to get it to alarm. Other reviews are 4 years old. I’m assuming it has not been maintained. Will delete it and buy a different one. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Works Well For Me *2020-11-27, version 2.10.0* I have not had any problem at all with the app. Simple, straight forward. Do be sure to have device plugged in when using overnight just in case phone dies. After my last anchor dragging episode I set three alarms! Thank God for TowBoatUS. Didn’t cost me a penny! ### 5/5 — Used for years *2020-07-29* Consistent performance and used many, many times for a reassuring watch at night at anchor. For those who set the ring at 10m remember that GPS wanders. A realistic ring is 100m because you swing the length of the scope anyway. A great app that works. Thank you. ### 5/5 — Anchor watch *2019-01-04* We have found it to be very easy to use and reliable- I would recommend to boating friends ### 5/5 — Great app *2018-03-05, version 2.8.1* This app has been working well for several years. It does the basic alarm plus many other things like send out a Txt message alarm, great for lunch or dinner outings ### 5/5 — Godsend! Straightforward and reliable. *2017-09-11* This is the fourth anchor watch app I have downloaded and it really works! Unlike the others, frankly. The add on features are valuable too - calling out to another phone if the boat moves outside the circle you yourself define. Or changes heading. Strongly recommended. ### 5/5 — Works for me. *2012-04-26, version 2.3.3* This app gets the job done. Any gps app will chew up the battery... So it would not be fair to complain about that aspect. It works in real world tests. I have used it to check fror anchor drag and a quick lunch stop. When I am overnighting on the hook, I plug in the phone to the 12v cigarette adapter on the boat and sleep easier. I would like to be able to add and or alter the alarm sounds. The warning email should state the last known position. I would prefer a more LCARS type interface... But I am a geek. A good buy ### 5/5 — It works! *2011-08-11* Anchor Watch is worth it's weight in gold. It very probably saved me from dragging onto leeward moored boats......... and all the embarassment that would have involved! It really does what it supposed to do. Just remember to set the "run in background" setting to on. ### 5/5 — best anchor watch app on iphone *2011-03-13* fantastic app! no other anchor watch or geofencing app for the iphone can raise an automatic alarm without constantly sending enormous amounts of data to some external server web site. This is exactly what I've been looking for. Five stars, thanks! ### 5/5 — Anchor watch 1.1.3 *2010-12-08* Well, being a Captain and owning a new iphone 4, l was a bit sceptical about just how good this was going to be. I have anchor alarms on my more expensive GPS`s in the wheelhouse. Was on a pick today on stand bye to a barge in the Gas & OIl business. l set the Anchor Watch on 20.6m (+/- 14.5m) and it did all the right things with the accuracy of the two GPS`s to compare it with. SO I AM IMPRESSED WITH A LITTLE HAND HELD ANCHOR WATCH.You can be in the bunk and if you drag you are awoken straight away with a loud alarm noise if you drift outside the area you have set........ Its great. Stoked !!!!! ### 4/5 — Saved our bacon but… *2023-07-08* I’m giving this app four stars because it no kidding saved our bacon when a pop up thunderstorm w/ 80 mph winds came up and we drug. The notification gave us time to get the engine started and save the ship from hitting a marker piling. That said, this app would be more helpful if a great deal more instruction were provided w/ it. It doesn’t discuss where or how to set the anchor position and it doesn’t seem to differentiate between the boat position and the anchor position i.e. it shows one boat icon, not a boat icon w/ a separate anchor icon. Do I set the app at the location I dropped the anchor or do I set it after I let out scope and have backed down and set the anchor? It also supposedly provides connection between iOS devices using iCloud but provides no instruction on how to do that…and it is not intuitive. It also has some sort of ability to push notifications over an app called Pushover but again, provides no documentation on how to do that. So, it works but it takes a lot of experimentation to figure it out. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*