# Beat the Microbead — user reviews > 132 indexed App Store user reviews of Beat the Microbead by Stichting Plastic Soup Foundation, rated 4.50/5 from 25 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beat-the-microbead/id573546717/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beat-the-microbead/id573546717.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 19 · 4★ 2 · 3★ 2 · 2★ 2 · 1★ 0 ## Newest reviews (17 of 132) ### 3/5 — Great idea, needs work *2025-03-17, version 3.1.1* I love that this app exists, but it needs some serious work and I hope developers will take the feedback seriously. It ignores fragrance/parfum as an ingredient of concern which almost always contains microplastic chemicals. Next when it lists zero plastic brands, it would be so helpful to either link to that brand’s website or at least give a general description of what products it sells - very not user friendly scrolling through so many brands 2 at a time. Its database of products is also still very small and no matter how many products I scan it doesn’t seem to have them. Anyway I love that this exists and will keep using it but beware some of the pitfalls ### 3/5 — Great app but…… *2025-03-04, version 3.1.1* This app is really useful. I think it could be even better if the barcode of a product was not always asked for after a scan of ingredients. I frequently look at product ingredient lists on my computer before deciding whether or not to buy it. The app is great at identifying microplastics in the list, but because I am looking at a list on my computer screen rather than holding the product in my hand, there is no barcode to be scanned. ### 3/5 — Mid *2025-02-16, version 3.1.1* Not bad but we should be able to access the database and look for products. ### 2/5 — Has potential *2025-01-19, version 3.1.1* While the app does flag products with micro beads, and user provides app w data, that is literally all it does. There is not database for me to search for a safe product. Kind of a dead end ### 3/5 — Under developed potential. *2024-02-16, version 3.1.0* Having used this app for scanning product over a few years now I’ve found it really hasn’t progressed. Instead of just live scanning or library pic scanning which means users collecting pics or screenshots they don’t need the app should allow for cut and paste text abilities from a list of ingredients. This text feature should also be included in the webpage. I’ve scanned and submitted many products to the app for inclusion to the database but, they never really end up there! The database search feature is also very poor and inaccurate or simply doesn’t work. It feels at times like the app is pushing to towards ‘green’ or microplastic free brands only and not the info the user seeks regarding a product of interest. ### 3/5 — Gute Idee, aber. *2023-12-12, version 3.1.0* Eine Sprach- oder Länderauswahl wäre hilfreich. Soooo gut englisch kann ich nicht… und bin bestimmt damit nicht alleine! ### 3/5 — Privacy *2023-07-19, version 3.0.5* Developer hasn’t submitted its privacy policy to apple for review of how it uses information. Developer also has a cookie banner in place that doesn’t allow me to opt out of certain cookies. ### 4/5 — Super Alltagshelfer mit Optimierungsbedarf *2021-11-06, version 3.0.5* Ich habe soeben den Inhalt meines Badezimmerschranks gescannt und war schockiert, wo überall Mikroplastik enthalten ist. Die einzigen Produkte ohne Plastik (inkl. Zahnpasta) waren ein Nagellackentferner, ein Fußgel und ein Haargel. Die App zeigt mir also viele Produkte auf, bei denen ich mich definitiv nach Alternativen umschauen sollte. Hilfreich wäre es, wenn man statt den Zutaten einfach nur den Barcode scannen könnte, sofern das Produkt schon registriert ist. ### 4/5 — Gute App *2021-07-03, version 3.0.5* Als ich die App ausprobiert habe, war ich schockiert wo überall Plastik drin ist. Jetzt nutze ich diese immer beim Einkauf. Schnell die Inhalte fotografiert und schon weiß ich, ob ich das Produkt kaufe, oder nicht 🙂 Das Eintragen mache ich tatsächlich erst zu Hause, da es dann doch länger dauern würde. Schön wäre es, wenn man die Auswahl hat, ob man den Text oder Code scannt. ### 4/5 — Awesome and educational! *2020-08-28, version 3.0.4* An amazing app geared to helping the environment and helping keep plastic out of your products! Only improvements I can think of are that it would be nice to have a search bar to look for products if I don’t have them on hand with me to scan ### 4/5 — Really gets you interested into what you use *2020-07-25, version 3.0.3* I like this app that informs people about micro plastics and the overall harm. However I wish that when I scan the product and it comes up with the micro plastics that are in the product that it says a detailed description of why it is bad. Like a hyper link on the name or something because I find myself just googling them all after seeing it and it would be more informative and helpful if you used reliable sources on the names that appear. But I overall enjoy bringing light to the problem of micro plastics. ### 5/5 — Amazing *2020-07-18, version 3.0.2* This app is magic: super quick to use and super fast to detect all the ingredients with just one picture. I am so glad I can now be able to select all the products good for me and for the environment in just a few clicks. Super recommended!! ### 4/5 — Great for newbies, empowering! *2020-07-18, version 3.0.2* As a product junkie, I was completely unaware that Microplastics were so widespread. Quick way to check all your products by photographing the ingredient list and slowly learning what ingredients to look out for. Feels great that I can also contribute to the database! I wish I could scan the barcode first and/or search for products however, but you can do that on their website. ### 5/5 — Muy útil *2020-07-01, version 3.0.2* Debería incluir primero un scan del código de barras, y si no está en la base de datos ya escanear los ingredientes ### 5/5 — Genial 😁 *2020-06-27, version 3.0.2* Funciona muy bien y detecta los ingredientes malos de los cosméticos, geles, champús y demás productos de aseo. Ahora lo utilizo antes de comprar nada. Gracias 😊 ### 5/5 — The new version of this app is amazing *2020-06-25, version 3.0.2* I tested the new app and like it a lot! It’s super fast and the fact that it can scan and identify products globally (due to its functionality of reading the INCI’s) is amazing. Highly recommend it! ### 5/5 — Great scan recognition of my products *2020-06-23, version 3.0.2* I was feeling iffy about what’s in my products and going on my body. I was reading an older National Geographic article about micro plastics and they mentioned this app. I tested it in my son’s bath bubble foam by taking a pic; it recognized and verified the ingredients as safe. Since it wasn’t in the database I added the product name and category. I feel like this is a great concept they worked hard on and we should all do our part to use it to start cutting back on products that contribute to the microplastic problem. We should all try to scan and update products into the database. There’s millions of products out there, so it’s understandable we won’t see them all here preloaded, but at least it can read our labels with the scan feature. Let’s do this!! ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Not my language *2025-11-03, version 3.1.1* The app is in German and the Translate to English button does not work. Back to the drawing board people. ### 1/5 — 6x *2023-12-25, version 3.1.0* Ik moet 6x een foto maken en als ik geluk heb krijg ik een uitslag. ### 1/5 — Appallingly innacurate *2020-11-03, version 3.0.4* Anyone in the skincare industry and product development will be laughing at the appalling innacuracy and lack of understanding of ingredients. Shockingly misleading as scaremongering! ### 1/5 — Not off to a great start *2020-05-30, version 3.0.1* I used to love this app, and still want to. Happy to add details and have the app use my camera, but I never have access to photo library and found it switched on. Turned it off and restarted, but the app STILL has access to my photo library. Please explain. Also, I want to add details by products without barcodes but don’t seem to be able to. EDIT: Had to change from 3-stars to 1-star as I’ve found products with microplastics in but the app says there aren’t due to not capturing a sufficiently focused photograph. It’s not good enough to just have a disclaimer no one will read ### 1/5 — Super Idee aber... *2019-09-18, version 2.5.1* ...leider nicht nutzbar. Es wurde nichts erkannt. Dann ist die App irgendwie unnütz. Bitte weiter daran arbeiten! ### 1/5 — Res *2019-09-09, version 2.5.1* He utilitzat 8 productes molt comercialitzats i no n’ha detectat cap ### 1/5 — Unnütz *2019-02-10, version 2.5.1* Habe Nivea-Creme 10 Kosmetika gescannt, nur Nivea-Creme war bekannt. Eine App zum Zeitvertreib? ### 1/5 — Waardeloos *2019-01-04, version 2.5.1* App herkent producten niet ### 1/5 — Er is nog veel werk om producten toe te voegen *2018-08-03, version 2.5.1* Alle producten uit men badkamer gescand, allemaal ongekend. ### 1/5 — No sirve para nada *2018-06-15, version 2.5.1* Descargada y borrada. He escaneado 6 productos y ninguno lo ha encontrado y eso que lo que he puesto son productos muy comerciales. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Really great app *2025-02-16, version 3.1.1* I’ve been using this app for like 20mins and am obsessed. It’s very easy to use and I’ve discovered a shocking amount of my products have microplastics. I was particularly surprised by my kbeauty skincare as I thought Korea had a ban on microplastics. The only things I would like to add to the app for improvement is an option for a personal database so when you scan a product you can save it to avoid having to rescan the same product and also a website version (like Paula’s choice ingredients checker) where you can type ingredients in would be super helpful aswell as not everyone has smart phones ### 5/5 — A Must-Have!! *2024-09-18, version 3.1.1* I saw a review that said that this app is criminally underrated and I cannot describe it any better! It is an essential must have and it is so user-friendly, to the point and just made the information so accessible! Thank you for creating this! ### 5/5 — Thank you for your good work :) *2024-06-28, version 3.1.1* An app like this is truly amazing and revolutionary in a world full of cancer causing toxins and microplastics in literally anything and everything. Now whenever I want to buy a new product but I’m skeptical about it I’ll just scan it! So easy and simple and it’s free! I’ll be using this app for everything now🫶🫶🫶🫶 ### 5/5 — A must-have for shoppers *2023-06-22, version 3.0.5* The app is criminally underrated and deserves a lot more love, I rely on it to tell me which products may contain plastics and I love it. I hope the app gets future updates with more features! ### 5/5 — Incredible initiative *2023-04-28, version 3.0.5* This is such an incredibly well thought app! Easy to use. Just simply scan products in the app and it will tell you if there are micro plastics within or not. The database of product info is massive, with heaps of brands and products from all over the world. A lot of people are worrying about cosmetics using plastic packaging but few like us are wondering about cosmetics using plastic on the INSIDE! Sad that the world has come to this but heart warming that caring people are dedicating themselves to try and improve our world and help people be more careful about the things they consume or put on their skin. This opens doors for genuinely green-friendly brands and not just the greenwashed ones. I would love to see this initiative grow in popularity as it is so needed now more than ever!!! 💚💙 ### 5/5 — Simple & Informative *2023-02-14, version 3.0.5* Amazingly simple to use, I love it and trying to get my friends to use it too. Disgusting finding out all my “natural” moisturisers are thickened with micro plastic dust ### 5/5 — Beste App für Mikroplastik *2022-11-20, version 3.0.5* Foto von der Inhaltsliste machen. Die App “liest” die Liste und findet jedes Mikroplastik. Funktioniert einwandfrei und basiert nicht auf einer hinterlegten Produktdatenbank wie zb. bei Codecheck. Nutze auch noch Toxfox. ### 5/5 — It starts with policy... *2021-07-05, version 3.0.5* this is a great app and i support anyone who wants to reduce the microplastics and nanoplastics polluting our earth. in the US microbeads were banned and no longer allowed to be in cosmetics since 2019. elsewhere, thank you for not supporting these plastic products. also, check out your government's policies and see where laws stand or not. get involved by educating your polititians and lawmakers. support organizations such as PLASTIC SOUP FOUNDATION. this is a global health problem. it is an everyone of us concern. microplastics and nanoplastics are not just in healthcare products, they are in our food, water and yes...in the air we breathe. THANK YOU FOR READING. ### 5/5 — Love the app but have a suggestion *2021-02-09, version 3.0.5* So useful to scan products before buying them to make sure I only buy microplastic free products. One thing that would be a useful feature to add would be a personal database within the app where you can save products that you’ve scanned to a database that is visible to you and categorised into the different colour categories. Then you would be able to come back to the app to see which products and brands to avoid and which to buy, without having to scan them again. I would love that as a feature. Keep up the good work! ### 5/5 — Great app *2020-11-13, version 3.0.4* Fantastic app. Informative. Really easy to use and scan beauty products. Essential to have whilst shopping. You should download this, every time I scanned it told me if it had micro plastics or not. --- *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 2026-07-04.*