# iBird Pro Guide to Birds — user reviews > 448 indexed App Store user reviews of iBird Pro Guide to Birds by Mitch Waite Group, rated 4.30/5 from 6,918 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ibird-pro-guide-to-birds/id308018823/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ibird-pro-guide-to-birds/id308018823.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 5,210 · 4★ 432 · 3★ 120 · 2★ 113 · 1★ 1,043 ## What do users think of iBird Pro Guide to Birds? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 🚀 Convenient and feature-rich - 👍 Excellent bird identification tools - 🎨 Detailed illustrations and photos - 🔊 High-quality bird call recordings - 🗺️ Useful range maps and habitat information - 🔍 Powerful search and filtering capabilities - 📱 Offline accessibility **Cons** - 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs - 🔒 Issues with restoring purchases - 💰 Transition to subscription model frustrates some users - 🤔 Confusing navigation and layout for some - 📊 Inaccurate or missing information for certain species **Commonly reported bugs** - Photo Sleuth feature not working as expected - Inconsistent or missing bird song recordings - Search function not always returning expected results **Most requested features** - Ability to save and sync personal bird lists - More detailed nesting and migration information - Improved filtering by season and location - Integration with other birding apps and services - Expanded coverage of birds beyond North America ## Newest reviews (16 of 448) ### 5/5 — Wildlife Photographer *2026-06-28, version 13.5.11* I've been photographing birds for over 20 years. The multiple photos and detailed descriptions help me confirm species when I'm reviewing images after a trip. Very useful resource. ### 5/5 — Weekend Birder *2026-06-26, version 13.5.11* I'm not an expert birder by any means, but this app makes me feel like one. The identification tools are easy to understand and I've learned a lot over the last year. ### 5/5 — Elementary School Teacher *2026-06-24, version 13.5.11* I teach a nature unit every spring and this app has been incredibly helpful. The students love hearing the bird sounds and comparing them to what we hear outside. A wonderful educational tool. ### 5/5 — Rural Birdwatcher *2026-06-22, version 13.5.11* Living in a rural area means cell service isn't always available. I like that I can still access bird information and sounds when I'm out exploring. Very dependable app. ### 2/5 — Cry foul *2026-06-14, version 13.5.10* A few years ago I purchased the lifetime version of the iBird Pro app. Loved the app. Then low and behold one day opened the app and it tells me I need a subscription. Contacted the developer and the response was “we have gone to a different model now that requires a monthly or yearly subscription.” So I have to pay twice? Is this legal? Needless to say I deleted the app. Now I see iBird is offering a lifetime subscription again. Probably won’t purchase due to the past experience. My opinion is they played dirty pool. ### 5/5 — Feature packed birding *2026-05-27, version 13.5.9* As someone who collects field guides, I love having this available when carrying a book isn’t convenient. It’s helped me identify birds by both sight and sound and it's fun just scrolling through the birds in my area with the birds around me feature. ### 5/5 — Bird photos a plus! *2026-05-25, version 13.5.9* I use this app a lot and really enjoy it. The photos are excellent, and having the recordings makes identifying birds much easier, especially for someone like me who is still learning. Highly recommended. ### 4/5 — Easy Birding *2026-05-23, version 13.5.9* This app is great because I drive a lot and don't have to worry about where my books are, my guide is right on my phone. Having quick access to bird songs is very helpful too. If you are not used to using a database it might take a while to get used to it and make the most of the features, but overall very useful. ### 2/5 — Subscription model ruined it *2026-05-21, version 13.5.9* The app use to work great. I only used it a couple of times in the spring and fall to identify some birds now they want 10 bucks a month or some such thing for the same service not worth it in my book app has been deleted and never be used again. ### 4/5 — Keeping notes is easy *2026-05-21, version 13.5.9* I started getting more serious about birding this year and this app has helped me identify several life birds already. There are so many different ways to search for and learn everything you wanted to know about your bird. The notes sections and favorites list are my most used features. The one downside is that it needs to be updated as some of the birds' names have changed. ### 5/5 — Great for photographers *2026-05-19, version 13.5.9* iBird Pro comes with me on every birding trip on my iPhone. I use it to identify birds by field marks, pictures, range maps, and vocalizations. As a photographer I really appreciate the "My Photos" section where I can add my own photos to each of the species. Really makes it personal! ### 4/5 — Lots of ID tools! *2026-05-17, version 13.5.9* A really great reference for identifying birds. The search tools that let you filter by color and body type work very well. The slide show is great for learning the birds sounds. I wish you could add an alarm clock feature! That would be perfect. ### 5/5 — Great information *2026-05-16, version 13.5.9* I love this app. It contains so much detailed information on each species. I find it easy to navigate and highly accurate with a good selection of songs, calls & photos for each bird species. Highly recommended ### 5/5 — Feed the birds! *2026-05-15, version 13.5.9* My wife and I really enjoy using this app while watching birds at our backyard feeder. As we have learned more about the birds in our backyard we have added more feeders and the backyard feeder and feeder type searches have helped us provide the right feeders. ### 4/5 — Easy bird ID *2026-05-13, version 13.5.9* Even as a casual birder, I love how I can identify a bird just from a quick glimpse or from its song using the search tools. There are almost too many search terms, at least for a beginner. If there could be a beginners section with just a few terms it would make it fun to learn. ### 4/5 — Big fan *2026-05-11, version 13.5.9* I’m really pleased with this app. My friend is always asking me what birds she sees at her feeder, and now I’ve got a full guide with sounds right on my phone. Just be sure to read the help section because there are a lot of features. Once you learn them, it’s actually very easy to use. The only thing is I wish I could print out the help sections. They are hard to read on my phone. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Paid for lifetime access, can no longer access. *2026-07-27, version 13.5.12* I paid a (large) flat fee for this app back in the day. Then they switched to a subscription model and I lost my access. Super lame and disingenuous. Get Merlin instead. ### 1/5 — No longer opens *2026-07-25, version 13.5.12* I’ve had this app for 5 years. Now it asks to restore purchase but even after it says it has restored previous purchase it still won’t open. I’ve contacted customer support but have not gotten any response. ### 1/5 — Version 13.5.9 not working *2026-05-26, version 13.5.9* App has always been great. However, the new version no longer works on my iPad Pro, or iPhone 12. The app opens normally, select a bird, it pulls up and everything freezes. Nothing is able to be selected, and you can’t even close it without closing the whole window. Sent in an email, but no response. It was a five star app for me before, but not now. I have to rate it one star now, because it does not work at all. ### 1/5 — “LIFETIME” PURCHASE IS A LIE *2026-05-19, version 13.5.9* I purchased this app 15 years ago. The developer now says I can get a “free 1 year subscription.” I have sent 6 emails over the past month requesting the free offer code that the developer claims to offer. I have heard nothing from the developer. I say this free code claim is a lie that is told to make the developer seem like a reasonable person. Shame on you! __________ Previous UPDATE Now I have sent 5 emails to IBird support and have gotten no reply regarding their claim that they will free 1 year subscriptions to previous purchasers of their app. Either they are liars, they have a horrific support team or both. Previous review: I PURCHASED iBird over 15 years ago, however a few weeks ago while banding birds, without warning the app said I need to subscribe to it to continue using iBird. Very inconvenient and irritating since I was without internet access to try to figure out what was going on. Legal? Probably. Sleazy? Definitely. They are still offering a Lifetime subscription. “Lifetime” according to these developers means “until we change our minds!” A less morally questionable option would be to offer Legacy access for previous purchasers of iBird that lets those users to continue to use the app without upgrades. Other apps have done this when they have moved to subscriptions. The developer states that users who purchased the app can get a free year subscription - just send an email to support. I’ve sent FOUR EMAILS over the past few weeks simply saying when I purchased the app and NO RESPONSE. I’m leaning more to the SLEAZE conclusion. Finally, my previous review - not favorable - mysteriously disappeared. What’s up with that!? ### 1/5 — Deleted *2026-04-22, version 13.5.9* Purchased this app and now they want subscription. Not going to pay a subscription on something i purchased already. ### 1/5 — So frustrating! Unethical! *2026-04-11, version 13.5.9* I am a professional guide and have been using this app regularly for almost 12 years. Two weeks ago, right before leaving for a guiding trip in Greenland, I made the mistake of updating the app. Got the “No Subscription Found" message and assumed there was just a glitch. Emailed support many times and have received no response. I finally got good enough internet today to search for this issue and was surprised to see that the app is now subscription based. I’m so disappointed… no notice and no support. I will be looking for a different birding app. ### 1/5 — Total Ripoff *2026-04-06, version 13.5.9* I purchased this app a number of years ago. Worked fine until it was renewed. No I can’t even get into it unless I pay a subscription fee again. This should be against the law. Not very happy and would not recommend this app to anyone. Did not work all the well in the first place. ### 1/5 — Don’t waste your money *2026-04-06, version 13.5.9* I purchased this app—it appears twice now, and now more features get taken away until it won’t work without a subscription. There are other apps out there that are better in price and performance. ### 1/5 — Was Good... not working now. *2026-03-13, version 13.5.8* My iBird Pro is not working. When I load the United Kingdom data base it crashes everytime I try to scroll after loading it. Then it gets to the point where the app won't open. I have re-installed the app three times now. I submitted this concern over a week ago to the Zendesk help site as directed but have received no acknowledgment. My notes and favorites sync with a 2 Terabite iCloud drive. So far I have not lost any saved data when I reinstall. iPhone 17 Pro Max Model# MFXH4LL/A iOS Version 26.3 Storage - 90 of 256 GB used iBird Pro Guide to Birds Version 13.5.8 Build 628 ### 1/5 — Can’t restore my annual subscription! *2026-03-10, version 13.5.8* Don’t subscribe! It asks you to restore your subscription every time and to no avail! Customer support is non existent. The send button is grayed out. Something is off about this! ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Retired Teacher *2026-07-22, version 13.5.12* I've always enjoyed birds but never had a reliable way to identify them. This app changed that. It's informative without being overwhelming. ### 5/5 — Casual Nature Lover *2026-07-20, version 13.5.12* I enjoy walking local trails and learning about wildlife. This app has become one of my favorite tools. I'd love a few more customization options, but overall it's excellent. ### 5/5 — Garden Enthusiast *2026-07-17, version 13.5.12* I originally downloaded it to identify birds visiting my pollinator garden. Now I use it almost every day. The sounds and photos are especially helpful. ### 5/5 — Professional Guide *2026-07-15, version 13.5.12* As someone who spends a lot of time outdoors, I appreciate having detailed bird information available without relying on internet access. Very dependable. ### 5/5 — New Homeowner *2026-07-13, version 13.5.12* After moving to a house with a large yard, I became curious about the birds visiting. iBird helped turn a casual interest into a real hobby. ### 5/5 — Happy Birder *2026-07-10, version 13.5.12* My binoculars and this app go everywhere together. It's become part of my daily routine to check birds around the neighborhood and look them up afterward. ### 5/5 — Backyard Feeder Fan *2026-07-08, version 13.5.12* I've spent years watching birds at my feeders and finally decided to learn what they all were. This app made that process fun and easy. ### 5/5 — Science Major *2026-07-05, version 13.5.12* The depth of information surprised me. This isn't just an identification guide; it's a complete reference library for birds. I've recommended it to several classmates. ### 5/5 — Campground Traveler *2026-07-03, version 13.5.12* We travel in an RV and visit parks all over the country. This app has helped us identify birds from Florida to Montana. One of the most-used apps on my phone. ### 5/5 — Empty Nester *2026-06-30, version 13.5.11* I've recently gotten into birding after retirement. The app has a lot to offer and I discover something new every time I use it. The interface takes a little getting used to, but it's worth the effort. --- *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 2026-09-02.*