# Beacon - Digital Guide — user reviews

> 14 indexed App Store user reviews of Beacon by University of Staffordshire, rated 4.50/5 from 2 ratings.

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beacon-digital-guide/id1435526583/reviews
- App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beacon-digital-guide/id1435526583.md
- Rating breakdown: 5★ 1 · 4★ 1 · 3★ 0 · 2★ 0 · 1★ 0

## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated)

### 1/5 — Ceased support to Mac

*2025-03-10*

This worked fine when I started my studies last year, but recent updates did not include Macs (tho they did include iPads). Typing up work and submitting on a tablet is not as comfortable or practical as using a Mac. Nor will everyone who has purchased a Mac have access to a tablet. Please reconsider.

### 1/5 — Simply Annoying to Work with

*2021-10-18, version 2.8.5*

Never ask beacon a question because they’ll simply ignore you or answer the question five minutes later. Also the attendance system is annoying to work with as sometimes it will not log in your attendance.

### 1/5 — Unfit for purpose

*2021-09-30, version 2.8.4*

As frustrating as every other aspect of communication with the university unfortunately. What use is a timetable without location information? OK I now know when I have a class but where? Also, one of my modules is missing altogether! So I don’t know when half my classes are and where the rest are located! Automating this sort of thing and putting a friendly little robot face on it would be one thing if it actually worked but it doesn’t and then it just makes it harder to access human help, a few days till classes start and several increasingly frantic phone calls and emails later, still no idea where! While welcome week didn’t feel very welcoming when there was such limited information on how to access the events, again I had to call around to find out the location of physical events because that wasn’t on Beacon and was unable to access online events as there was no information on Beacon except that they were online! This has so many gaps that they shouldn’t really be presenting it as a finished project, let alone expecting students to rely on it. The one thing that seems to work well is tracking non-attendance at events you are unable to attend because no information on how to access them is included in the app!

### 1/5 — Poor

*2021-09-15, version 2.7.6*

Constantly crashes and timetable doesn’t load…. Not fit for purpose

### 1/5 — Needs fixing ASAP

*2021-09-15, version 2.7.6*

App used to be great, but now only shows a white screen so I can’t see my timetable. Fix it now!

### 2/5 — not working

*2023-03-28, version 3.4.8*

keeps showing black screen and won’t let me do anything

### 2/5 — Needs fixing.

*2022-02-23, version 3.0.1*

Timetables keep disappearing.

### 2/5 — Wouldn’t let me log Attendance

*2021-09-29, version 2.8.4*

The app itself is easy to navigate however it’s very flawed. Wouldn’t allow me to log my attendance meaning I received an absent mark. Bugs need to be fixed

### 3/5 — Not compatible with My Mac

*2025-03-26, version 4.0.7*

Needs a fix to allow compatability for my MacBook Pro, it is annoying to not be able to have it open when in lecture for signing in and getting to blackboard quickly etc

### 3/5 — iPad Support is limited.

*2022-08-19, version 3.2.7*

Using this app on an iPad will make your neck hurt since the screen doesn’t rotate to horizontal when used on one. This needs fixing.

## Most praised reviews (4 highest-rated)

### 5/5 — Yes

*2021-09-24, version 2.8.4*

Sends memes and tells jokes when asked nicely. A true friend we all need.

### 5/5 — Beacon is a digital Pensieve

*2019-01-23, version 1.1.2*

Dumbledore had a Pensieve to help him remember, if you’re a muggle you’ve got Beacon  👍👌 ‘when is my next lecture’ - a question asked far too often 😂

### 5/5 — Great app

*2019-01-21, version 1.1.2*

Totally loving this app ! What a great way to enhance the student experience and learning. Can’t wait to see how this develops. I will definitely use this and tell my friends

### 3/5 — Crashing

*2022-04-04, version 3.0.6*

Very convenient, but for the last couple weeks it has been crashing, so preventing me from recording my attendance.

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*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 2026-06-04.*