# FlareFinder — user reviews > 26 indexed App Store user reviews of FlareFinder by Christian Hansen, rated 2.10/5 from 28 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flarefinder/id855485513/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flarefinder/id855485513.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 6 · 4★ 2 · 3★ 0 · 2★ 0 · 1★ 20 ## Newest reviews (10 of 26) ### 1/5 — App doesn’t even open. Constantly crashes *2020-07-21, version 1.0* Crashes in the first second. Have removed and reinstalled it. Won’t open. It’s pretty much a paperweight in the App Store. ### 1/5 — Won’t stay open. *2020-05-30* App opens for a second, then crashes. Using an iPhone 7 ### 1/5 — Crashes on load *2020-04-24, version 1.0* Nothing further to add. ### 1/5 — Doesn’t open *2020-03-24* This used to be a five-star app but now the app won’t even launch on my iPhone X. Crashes from the splash screen every time. ### 1/5 — No longer works *2019-11-16* Don’t know what happened. ### 1/5 — Flawed *2019-10-25* I assume it’s terrific software, but if it can’t even figure out my location, it’s hard to tell if it works. Tried every way to force location to it. Nada ### 1/5 — Worthless *2019-08-06, version 1.0* Just spins, and spins, and spins while trying to locate me. Even when I enter my zip code. Worthless. I’m deleting. ### 1/5 — Quit working. *2019-02-27, version 1.0* 2/25/2019 quit again just spins. Used to work but now does not. Just spins deleted reinstalled and still nothing. What happened? ### 1/5 — Current location *2018-12-11* App just spins and spins, looking for its current location, never coming to a resolution. ### 1/5 — What happened? *2016-05-04* Use to love this app, now it won't work at all. Just a frozen screen or a blank screen. Obviously some glitch that needs to be fixed! ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — I can’t delete *2021-07-24* I tried to download this app. It won’t work on my iPhone. Every time I install another app, I get a pop up saying it isn’t compatible and do I want to keep or delete. Neither option works. ### 1/5 — App no longer runs *2021-05-26* This used to be a great app, but I haven’t been able to use it in a few years. It crashes immediately after opening. Does it need to be updated for the newer IOSs? UPDATE (May 2021): The latest version of IOS won’t even let this app run any more, and gives you a choice to update or cancel. If you choose update, it’ll try to update, but since there is no update, you get another choice to remove the app or cancel. The developer seems to have abandoned this app, as it hasn’t worked in years, and there have been no updates in years. ### 1/5 — Can’t even install *2021-05-18* I got a new phone and I kept getting an error message every time my phone tried to redownload this app. I deleted it and tried to reinstall from the store, but it’s the same problem. No other app did this. I guess I’ll give up as it seems to be abandoned and not working for anyone anyway. ### 1/5 — Crashes *2021-05-06* Crashes when I enter a zip. Deleting ### 1/5 — Was excited about using this app but... *2021-04-02* An amateur astrophotographer, I was looking forward to using this app, but I can’t open it without it crashing. So disappointed. ### 1/5 — Used to be Hreat *2021-01-23, version 1.0* Had this app with an older phone and it worked great. Installed today and won’t even load. Crashed immediately so very disappointed. ### 1/5 — Christian, used to love your app *2020-09-04* Alas, clearly not updated for iOS updates. Christian, if u have the time would love to have this working again — one of a handful of truly fun naked eye sky gazing apps ### 1/5 — FlareFinder *2020-08-17* App does not open! ### 1/5 — Crashes 100% of the time *2020-08-06* Crashes 100% of the time after opening (deleted app and reinstalled did not help one bit)...crashes within 1 second...junk ### 1/5 — Total fail *2020-07-28* Kept freezing and crashing. Uninstalling. ## Most praised reviews (6 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Thanks for the reviews! *2014-07-01* Okay, developer here. Thank you all for the very helpful reviews. I am actively working on updates so I hope to incorporate as much feedback as possible. Cheers, all! ### 5/5 — Great fun *2014-06-21* Great app! Thanks for making it. One thing that would be nice is if it would tell where the center of the flare is so that I could get to where it would show up brighter. ### 5/5 — Works great! *2014-04-24* This app worked perfectly. And the 5-minute reminder is really helpful so I can get outside and let my eyes adjust before the flare. ### 4/5 — Nice app; however it has two major usability issues and other problems... *2014-11-12* FlareFinder Update 1. Irritatingly, the app still asks you for your location every time you launch it! A nuisance. See note #10 below. 2. There's no way of updating the flare passes when it's opened, save by exiting and re-entering the app! Should be a pull down or, better, a circular arrow icon. 3. An update on one of the earlier suggestions. It would be much clearer and more useful for observers if the altitude and azimuth info were presented separately-- i.e., Alt 34 Az 110 E Running the degrees together is harder to process! In any event, here's the original review, which still holds! -------------------------------------- This is a great app. It more than holds its own against the higher-end, $$ apps for finding out when Iridium flares will occur. It lists all the key information on one screen. That includes altitude, direction, and brightness. That is something that many other apps still lack. With those, you end up having to hunt through multiple screens. The FF app has a great tutorial, although at this stage, most people will know how use an app! It comes with an astronomical, night-friendly, red display mode built in, something many apps lack. (Of course, flare finding as opposed to faint fuzzy searching doesn't really need it, but it's still nice to have, especially if you're out doing telescopic observing, too. Flare viewing is done naked eye.) While FF doesn't have some of the features of the high-end apps (e.g., compass orientation, star charts, etc.), it nevertheless is quite good. Plus, once one knows the cardinal directions (0 = North; 90 = East; and 180 = South), you don't need the compass and you're all set. It may well replace the Iridium Flares app that I've been using for years, even though that one has more features! With Iridium Flares, you don't get all the key information on one screen (bad), and it makes you recalibrate the compass whenever you open it-- and even, repeatedly, after that! A major nuisance! Some unsolicited advice for the developer! :-) 1. Get Iridium into your app's name somehow. I know the your title is different, but it doesn't get found in the App Store. Searching for "Iridium" does not turn it up. Why not "Iridium Flare Finder" -- with spaces in the name? 2. Skip the opening tutorial; just leave it under the Info-Help button. Also, provide a cancel or exit button during the tutorial, so one can escape it if needed. I got caught again just now. 3. Separate the altitude and azimuth numbers. Running them together can be hard to process, especially if the flare is in the Northeast! I.e., 50o/34o. 4. Add some info about the flares themselves. 5. Use "Tonight" & "Tomorrow" labels rather than dates for flares soon to happen. 6. Make the app universal. It runs fine on the iPad in the 2x mode, but would be better in HD mode-- it would also show up in the default App Store searching on the iPad, which only looks at iPad apps! 7. Reminders up to one hour in advance, not just 5 minutes. 8. App icon on home screen is too spartan. Needs improved, jazzier, space-related design! 9. It'd be great if if could run under iOS 6, too. We have iPhones and iPads on which we'd like to use it, but can't. 10. There is another major usability problem. Your app prompts the user each time it is opened for one's location. I would definitely drop that. Many of us observe from one location only and this repeated prompting is a nuisance. You have nicely put a "last location" button there, but one wants the flare information quickly, not having to set location each time. Virtually none of the astro apps out there, including those for flares, require you to enter or set your location each time. From a users perspective, that's really a nuisance! In any event, it's a great app. Best wishes for successful future development! ### 4/5 — Works perfectly but no alarm sound *2014-05-24* Even though alarm sound are turned on it only produces screen alerts. I hope this can be corrected. IPhone 5s. Ios 7.1.1. ### 3/5 — Good but needs better notifications! *2017-08-22, version 1.0* This app does a great job of predicting flares, and when I've seen them they have been great. But the reminder can only be set 5 minutes in advance, and regardless of what I set in the iPhone Notifications the reminder is a silent banner, so unless I happen to actually be looking at my phone 5 minutes before the flare it's no use. If it could be set to play a sound that would solve the problem --- *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 2026-06-09.*