# Expand: Beyond Meditation — Experience, Transform, Awaken > Guided meditations and sound science for expanded awareness and personal transformation. (iPhone/iPad app by THE MONROE INSTITUTE.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expand-beyond-meditation/id1552705313 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [THE MONROE INSTITUTE](https://appshunter.io/developer/1552705315) - Category: Health & Fitness, Lifestyle - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Rating: 4.00/5 from 284 App Store ratings · 152 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.1 · 68 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2021-07-19 - Data updated: 2026-08-29 - Monetization: subscription - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expand-beyond-meditation/id1552705313/reviews.md ## What is Expand? From the world-renowned Monroe Institute, Expand helps you access deeper states of awareness to reduce stress, improve sleep, and cultivate greater meaning, clarity, and purpose. Powered by Monroe Sound Science, our proprietary audio technology, Expand uses targeted soundwave patterns to support unique states of consciousness and focused inner exploration. Through guided sessions, courses, and immersive sound experiences, you can uncover insight, release unwanted patterns, and reconnect with your inner wisdom. Inside Expand, you’ll find: • 100+ guided meditations and consciousness-expanding exercises • Multi-day mini-courses and structured practice paths • Guided reflection and journaling tools • Custom-generated soundscapes designed for specific brainwave states • Programs for both beginners and experienced practitioners Explore sessions across topics including: • Relaxation & Healing • Joy & Meaning • Insight & Intuition • Sleep & Dreaming • Healthy Relationships • Creativity & Manifestation • Beyond the Physical Unlike typical meditation apps focused only on clearing the mind, Expand encourages active imagination, perception, and intentional practice to help you achieve specific outcomes. About The Monroe Institute The Monroe Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and a global leader in the study and practice of expanded consciousness. Founded in the early 1970s as a research and educational organization, Monroe offers transformative learning through the Expand app, virtual programs, and in-person retreats on its 300-acre Virginia campus and in countries worldwide. Subscription Pricing and Terms Expand offers auto-renewing subscription options: • $69.99/year • $11.99/month Payment is charged to your App Store account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged within 24 hours prior to renewal. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings. Terms of Service: https://info.monroeinstitute.org/expand-app-terms-of-use Privacy Policy: https://info.monroeinstitute.org/expand-app-privacy-policy ## Key features - 100+ guided meditations - Monroe Sound Science audio technology - Multi-day mini-courses - Guided reflection and journaling - Custom-generated soundscapes - Focus on active imagination and perception ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **Subscriptions** | Subscription | Price | Period | | --- | --- | --- | | Expand Plus Yearly | $69.99 | per year | | Expand Plus Monthly | $11.99 | per month | ## What do users think of Expand? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 🚀 Powerful meditation tool - 👍 Lovely and helpful - 👍 Great way to practice - 👍 Transformative - 👍 First class app - 👍 Seriously the best app - 👍 Phenomenal - 👍 Brilliant - 👍 Excellent extension of the Gateway tapes - 👍 Amazing - 👍 Beyond mindfulness - my new favorite meditation app - 👍 The best gift! - 👍 SO relaxing - 👍 Very Good Mediation App - 👍 LOVE LOVE LOVE - 👍 Very promising so far **Cons** - 💰 Money maker - 🔒 How do you get a premium subscription? - 🐛 Cuts off sometimes? - 🔍 Where's the guidance? - 🐛 Annoyed - 🐛 Login screen of the app doesn't work - 🐛 Great app but constantly crashes - 🐛 Unusable with current update - 🐛 Have they changed the app? - 🐛 Broken app since update - 🐛 Fraud - 🐛 App does work... - 🐛 Bait and switch. Immediately disappointed - 🐛 Crashes - 🐛 Not working - 🐛 Terrible - 🐛 Glitches - 🐛 Doesn't open and load when needed! - 🐛 Locked out of my subscription - 🐛 Annoying - 🐛 Crashes - 🐛 Sound not working - 🐛 Terrible guides/narrators!!! **Commonly reported bugs** - Paid but no play - Login screen freezes - Incompatible with older devices - Sound shuts off when the iphone goes to sleep **Most requested features** - Longer guided meditations - What's new section for meditations - Ability to turn off background music - Monthly charge option ## Recent user reviews (10 of 152) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expand-beyond-meditation/id1552705313/reviews.md ### 2/5 — Constant glitches and crashes. False meditation feedback. *2026-08-25* This app looks good at first glance aesthetically, but I am constantly frustrated by how often it crashes. I literally cannot search for events. If I try, it crashes and kicks me out of the app. I cannot play the same meditation back to back. If I try, the app freezes. It’s very frustrating. Yes, I am using the most recent update, and I am a premium user! I also really hate the fact that all of the meditations have fake “reviews”. You can’t see any feedback, just the star rating, and they are all rated exactly the same: 4.5 stars. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. To Monroe: You all charge a ridiculous amount for everything you offer. How about making sure this works right, and let people submit HONEST FEEDBACK. ### 4/5 — Will explore this App curiously *2026-08-19* After a rough start, where the app would not let me register, the Monroe support was nice enough to hear my struggle and to help me out. I finally could create an account (after an update) by using my apple account, manual registration still did not work due to password requirements - this issue seems presently to be under review. A big Thank you to the very attentive support and quick and caring feedback. Now I can try the App - review shall follow. **Developer response:** Thank you for writing, and we are sorry that setting up an account did not work. There was a problem affecting sign-in and account creation, and it has now been resolved. If you would please fully close the app, check for an update in the App Store, and then try again, it should go through. Thank you also for flagging the password requirements, which we have passed on for review. If it still will not let you create an account, please write to support@monroeinstitute.org and our team will set it up with you directly. ### 2/5 — Switching to Gaia. Expensive app to not be working so frequently. Customer service is non existent. *2026-08-13* I love the app when it works. I’ve contacted customer service several times and only gotten one response. I’ve turned off my phone and restarted more time that I care to Jay to get the app to clear it cashe. No one gets back to you when you reach out. $70 is a lot for an app you can’t use when you want to. I try to mediate first thing in the morning and I’m greeted with errors. Very annoying and frustrating. One and done for me because it’s a waste of money. **Developer response:** Thank you for taking the time to write this, and we are sorry the app has been unreliable for you. If you write to support@monroeinstitute.org and mention the name "Honest Review" so we can match it to this, our team will pick it up and prioritize it. We will get you back up and running with your daily meditations, and we appreciate your patience. ### 4/5 — Fixed *2026-08-12, version 2.1.0* Excited to try the new program! Edit the new update is supper buggy doesn’t play timer mode doesn’t play differnt meditations i pay for the premium I expect this to be fixed ### 3/5 — Great meditations but the talking can be too much *2026-08-11* Some of the free meditations are excellent and get me into a deeply relaxed state. One tip: cut the talking by a third! After a directive, stop talking! When the narrator said, “Prepare to receive whatever comes up,” I was ready. She then went on to talk for about 5 more minutes, and I couldn’t receive! We don’t need everything to be explained or rationalized during a meditation. It took me out and I felt myself getting upset as I was thinking, “Shut up already and let my body do its job!” The app prompts me to turn on notifications every single time I open it. This is aggravating! I don’t want notifications. There needs to be a “don’t remind me again” button. The new update makes it harder to get to your favorites (now at the very bottom when it used to be a heart at the top) and timer (which used to be an icon and was an easy tap). These updates force you to scroll through their courses which are extra to pay for, so it feels more like an ad. I don’t appreciate this. **Developer response:** Thank you for taking the time to write all of this out, it is genuinely useful. The good news on the timer is that it was not removed, it has moved to the Explore tab under Timer Soundscapes. Your point about the timer and favorites being harder to reach is a fair one and we have passed it on, along with your note on the amount of narration in some of the sessions. The notification prompt appearing every time you open the app has now been fixed. Thank you for staying with the app and for telling us what would make it better. ### 5/5 — Asking for a favour *2026-08-07* Thanks for the amazing app, I use this daily for meditation and it helps me a lot on my spiritual journey. I have only one question: in the Meditation with timer, sometimes the music stops because of the weak internet connection, it frustrates me. Is there any chance to get it play offline? I would pay for that if possible. Many thanks **Developer response:** Thank you, and we are glad the app has a place in your practice. Playing without a connection is one of the most requested things we hear, and we have passed your note on to our development team for review. Thank you for taking the time to ask. ### 1/5 — Manipulative design *2026-08-02, version 2.0.2* This app used to be much better. Now it forces a pop up EVERYTIME you open it nudging you to turn on notifications. It does this to wear you down psychologically, slightly annoying you each time you open it until you comply to make the pop up stop. This is called a dark pattern design in the app world. There’s another dark pattern that now forces you to see an ad to buy their 500 dollar course Everytime you open it. The former design was simple and easy to navigate and meditation signals could be downloaded for offline use. No one asked for these changes and now it’s made me trust this company less, as it claims to be about consciousness expansion- more like bottom line expansion and manipulative app design to coerce people into spending more money on something you can find elsewhere. Disappointed in the intent with this once trusted company. ### 3/5 — App bug *2026-07-29, version 2.0.2* I really like the new version of this app since I can access all my courses. But there is a bug, every time my phone screen locks the app also stops, this is definitely new since I’ve been using the app for years. Yes and I have done all the checks like battery mode and deleting and reinstalling, pretty much all the big fixes suggested by Claude. ### 2/5 — Buggy! *2026-07-29, version 2.0.2* I love this app and have used it for years but a lot of their meditations for me cut off mid way through and it’s just been like this for some time now. I reached out to the Expand team to fix their tracks but never heard anything back from them. I’m wondering if anyone is even running and keeping this app up to date anymore. It’s a shame because I really liked their app and never make 2 star reviews but I just hope it’s brought to whoever’s attention to fix the issues! ### 4/5 — Bring it back, please. *2026-07-27* I am enjoying the app and everything about it, the navigation, the design, and cost of the yearly subscription. But, I was so disappointed to discover that after the latest update the timer function was removed. I really liked this feature because I could mediate without any guidance or limit. I hope enough users can convince the developers to change their decision. **Developer response:** Thank you for your feedback, and for the kind words about the app. The good news is that the timer was not removed, but it was moved. You will find it under the Explore tab, in Timer Soundscapes. We have passed your comments on to our development team for review. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. ## Frequently asked questions about Expand ### What does the Expand app do? Expand offers guided meditations and proprietary sound science to help users access profound states of expanded awareness. It aims to foster greater meaning and purpose, relieve stress, improve sleep, and release unwanted patterns by encouraging active imagination and perception. ### What are the key features of Expand? Key features include over 100 guided meditations, multi-day mini-courses, guided reflection and journaling, and custom-generated soundscapes. It utilizes Monroe Sound Science, a proprietary audio technology designed to facilitate unique states of consciousness. ### How much does Expand cost? Expand offers an auto-renewing yearly subscription at $69.99/year or a monthly subscription at $11.99/month. This provides access to the entire library of guided experiences. Payment is processed through your app store account. ### What kind of meditation topics are covered? Meditation topics in Expand cover a wide range, including Relaxation & Healing, Joy & Meaning, Insight and Intuition, Sleep & Dreaming, Nurturing Healthy Relationships, Creativity & Manifestation, and Beyond the Physical. ### Who developed the Expand app? The Expand app was developed by the Monroe Institute, a non-profit organization founded in the early 1970s dedicated to the study and practice of expanded consciousness. They are known for their research and educational programs in this field. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 2.1.1 — 2026-08-18 This update makes signing in more reliable and keeps the app up to date automatically. • Fixed an issue that could cause errors when logging in or resetting your password, especially after a fresh install • Courses and events now show the correct dates in every time zone • New "Get Latest Update" button on Your Profile — tap it any time to grab the newest version and restart the app in one step • Improved how the app delivers updates, so fixes reach you faster • Performance improvements and bug fixes ### 2.1.0 — 2026-08-06 Audio • Course audio runs through the same player as the rest of the app — playback, lock screen controls, and background listening all behave consistently. • Course session content loads faster. Groups and community • Share a group with a link that opens straight into the app. • Group admins can promote and demote members without leaving the app. • Delete notifications and messages you no longer want. • Reply notifications now open the thread rather than the group. Events • Recurring events are scheduled in an explicit time zone, so times stay correct wherever you are. • Past gatherings and events you've attended are now visible. • Events without a set end time stay in Upcoming instead of disappearing. Membership • Premium exercises attached to an event are available to everyone invited. • Expand Plus subscribers now have the promo chapter unlocked. Offline • More reliable downloads, and clearer offline states across course pages. Fixes • The notification permission prompt no longer reappears every time you open the app. • The intro no longer replays after signing out. • Fixed a crash on the exercise screen, and multi-day journeys that wouldn't advance past day one. ### 2.0.2 — 2026-07-21 New in this update: - Gateway Voyage Online is now available in the new Courses tab, giving you the flexibility to purchase, start, or continue your journey in the app, with progress synced between desktop and mobile - Timer Soundscapes, including Focus Level signals, are now easier to find in Explore beneath the Journeys section - Journal entries have moved to the Personal tab, alongside your profile settings and personal practice tools - Behind-the-scenes improvements help us continue bringing you future Expand updates more quickly ### 1.13.0 — 2025-06-12 Expanded awareness is a global journey—and now, so is Expand. This release introduces multi-language support, with vocal guidance and descriptions for a selection of our most popular meditations now available in Danish, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. Set your preferred language in your profile, filter meditations by language, and see translated titles and descriptions where available. Explore consciousness in a way that speaks directly to you. ### 1.12.0 — 2025-05-14 This release introduces newly remastered versions of the Focus Level signals in the Timer, powered by the latest generation of Monroe Sound Science®, which uses a new, immersive 3D entrainment format powered by Dolby Atmos. These updated tracks also feature Gamma brainwave entrainment for enhanced clarity, awareness, and experience recall. Choose between the new Monroe Sound Science® versions or the original Hemi-Sync® tracks to suit your personal journey. ## Apps similar to Expand | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Aura: Meditation & Sleep, CBT](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aura-meditation-and-sleep-cbt/id1114223104) | 4.7 (35,072) | Free | Health & Fitness | | [Insight Timer: Meditate, Sleep](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/insight-timer-meditate-sleep/id337472899) | 4.9 (445,378) | Free | Health & Fitness | | [Calm](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calm/id571800810) | 4.8 (1,976,407) | Free | Health & Fitness | | [Slumber－Calm Stories for Sleep](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/slumbercalm-stories-for-sleep/id1109543953) | 4.7 (26,869) | Free | Health & Fitness | | [Meditopia: Sleep, Meditation](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meditopia-sleep-meditation/id1190294015) | 4.9 (21,938) | Free | Health & Fitness | | [Headspace: Sleep & Meditation](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/headspace-sleep-and-meditation/id493145008) | 4.8 (973,855) | Free | Health & Fitness | ## Related topics [monroe institute](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/monroe-institute) · [the monroe institute](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/the-monroe-institute) · [expand monroe institute](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/expand-monroe-institute) · [expanding consciousness](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/expanding-consciousness) · [monroe](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/monroe) · [djalma pinho](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/djalma-pinho) --- *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 2026-08-29.*