# Ikiru — user reviews > 131 indexed App Store user reviews of Ikiru by James Rhoades, rated 3.90/5 from 101 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ikiru/id1111565046/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ikiru/id1111565046.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 50 · 4★ 19 · 3★ 14 · 2★ 3 · 1★ 15 ## What do users think of Ikiru? Overall sentiment: neutral **Pros** - 🚀 Stable and reliable - 👍 Useful for organizing lists and notes - 👍 Intuitive and easy to use - 👍 Syncs well across devices - 👍 Handy for tracking tasks and reminders **Cons** - 🐛 Sync issues and data loss - 🐛 Crashes and bugs after updates - 🔍 Limited search functionality - 💡 Lack of formatting options - 💡 Monochrome icons not as visually appealing **Commonly reported bugs** - Reminders not working properly - Syncing issues causing data loss - Crashes after iOS updates - Inability to disable Face ID lock **Most requested features** - Add more formatting options (bold, italic, etc.) - Improve search to allow searching within sublists - Provide more customization options for themes and icons - Add location-based reminders - Implement better backup and restore functionality ## Newest reviews (16 of 131) ### 4/5 — Nice stable app *2026-01-08* This is a lovely stable app. This is very important with note keeping apps. I’ve had others that have lost notes, crashed after updating. This one, however, is very reliable. I made my notes look prettier and more colorful by putting emojis in front of my categories. The only thing that I wish with this app is that it had a universal search feature. It only searches the notes on the level you are on. ### 3/5 — Great Secondary App for Personal Lists *2025-12-12* As a longtime happy user of Paperless, I’ve been looking for an app that allows you to build lists within list categories and add photos, when necessary. This would’ve been exactly what I was looking for, had it been an app that offered shared live lists through something like Dropbox, as Paperless does. My husband and I share the grocery list and add items to it regularly, even as one of us is in the store shopping. This app, unfortunately, doesn’t allow for that. ### 3/5 — Do I rate this ⭐️⭐️ or a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️star??? I guess I’ll make it ⭐️⭐️⭐️… Please read why. *2025-11-27, version 1.2.2* For those who aren’t in reading the details. Long story short, this will make your life and lists so much better. I really do love it and use it weekly, if not daily. Now read and I’ll tell you things you can do. This is a long review, but I promise it’s worth it. I LOVE THIS APP! REALLY, REALLY!!! That’s why I’d give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️However, it hasn’t had any updates in forever. Which is why I want to give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. If it would get some updates, I’d be more than happy to give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I use it for groceries, bills, medications… things are easy to cross off and then restore. Things may take time to set up depending on your level of detail and number of things on your list. But it is well worth your time. Like bills… I have a list by date. If it’s only on a specific month. Then the bill and if I have auto deduct set. If so, which account is it coming out of. After I’ve finished a month, I mark everything incomplete. I’ve got things set up so they’ll sort by the number. Go thru, mark thins completed that aren’t due this month. Now I have a list of bills due and on what date. When I pay or a bill’s auto deduct date passes, I mark complete. Rinse and repeat. End of month, mark all incomplete and do it again. It has really helped me make sure I’m paying everything on time. I have a lot of medications and doctors. And a new doctor always wants to know what you’re on. I have a list with the med name (generic and/or brand), strength, quantity per am/pm, what is prescribed for, who prescribed it, and start date (if I know it). So very helpful. And if they read your meds to you, you can check things off. Then when they say, “are you on anything else,” you can see if there’s anything left unchecked on your list. I used to travel a lot for work. I have a packing checklist. A list of certain items at home, so I stop from buying something again if I already have it. Vaccines and dates back to babyhood. Restaurants, locations, how I feel about them, what I really like (if anything). Todo lists. History of car maintenance and repairs. Cat food, if they like or hate it. Surgeries/dates. Lists of places I want to go, movies I want to see, songs I want to buy, and on and on This app has been a godsend. But there’s a number of improvements I think they can make and the version listed in the App Store is years old. So I’m very disappointed that they seem to have made it and the forgot about it. Maybe they’re out of business, the person passed away, had a stroke, whatever. Then I’m very apologetic to them. But if sound and healthy, please update things (contact me, I’m happy to give suggestions). ### 2/5 — Can't search within sublists *2024-10-27* I've been a Paperless user for years and have always loved it, however it was missing the ability to create lists within lists. I just found out about Ikiru and decided to buy it as I’m a massive fan of the clean, smooth and user-friendly interface from this dev. However, the fact that you can't search terms within sublists foils for me the main purpose that I wanted the app for, which is to create searchable database-type lists with sub-categories, not just to-do type lists. ### 3/5 — Bogus reminders *2024-07-31, version 1.2.2* I loved this app. Last several months I started to have reminders from past timed items. I got more and more of the lately. All the timed items are removed, and reminders are coming. Very annoying! ### 3/5 — Great App But I Stopped Using It *2024-07-01* The features of this app are great; you can build lists within lists and the interface is user friendly, but the two main issues I found challenging were the limited options for reminders (for example, you cannot set a reminder for every 4 months, or every third Monday, etc.); the only options are every day, week, month, year. This was a minor annoyance compared to that of the second issue of getting multiple reminders for the same item, or worse yet, getting reminders for items deleted as though they were never deleted. For these reasons, I decided to delete the app for good and to use something else. Disappointing. ### 3/5 — Great app - that’s sadly stopped synching, and zero response from support *2024-01-08* I’ve loved and used this app now for years. Suddenly, it’s stopped synching across devices. I’ve removed and reinstalled it several times, ensured I’m on all current OS versions, quadruple checked that all synch settings are on, and written the support email four times asking for guidance, each time ignored. It’ll be a shame to delete the app, which is now useless, as is their help line. ### 3/5 — Lacks punch for serious writers *2023-11-15, version 1.2.2* There’s still no formatting after all this time. Last I checked, this is an all-around note taking and list making app. Formatted text is crucial in apps like this to create punch. You need bold, italics, underlines, and strike-throughs at the very least but bullets would be nice too. Formatting must be really hard to code for but c’mon already. This app has been around long enough to add these crucial features. The developer seems really nice, so hopefully he’ll take this request seriously. I’m raising my rating to 3-stars I hope that an update comes soon, but it can’t be higher than that without formatting. ### 4/5 — Great app but needs updating *2023-05-15, version 1.2.2* I have been using this app for years. It’s a great note taking app. I love it’s functionality and simplicity. However both my spouse and I have noticed a problem with current notes that are either not saving properly or deleting themselves. Another Ikiru reviewer complained about something similar happening with their notes. I am concerned that this app is not being monitored enough to keep up with iPhone updates. Unfortunately due to the app becoming glitchy I am going to look for a replacement. ### 3/5 — Could have been a great app *2023-01-19* Could have been a great app, but unfortunately not a lot of development and enhancements happened in the last few years I have had it. You still can’t tag, you can’t even view parent of your note which is very limiting in searching something that has unlimited layering. Most annoying bugs have not been fixed. On my iPad pro, once you turn on faceID the app never opens on the first try! You have to close it and reopen it. Not only that but once you turn on faceID lock you can’t go back and disable it. When you try to do that from the interface the UI just blinks and takes you nowhere. Also constant issues with losing synch between devices. ### 3/5 — I'm revising my review below from one to three stars *2022-11-08* I'm changing my review as I have resolved some of the issues I was having and have increased my rating from one to three stars. I LOVED this app and have been using it for years but it started to crash constantly. When my iPhone 7+ started playing up recently I increased my iCloud memory to 1Tb to ensure I had backup. I had so many problems backing up to my support phone that I had virtually given up on this App. After much help from Apple and the purchase of a new iPhone 14 I have overcome most of the issues and I can again access the App and still use it as I have SO much data on there but it just shuts after a few minutes. It's VERY frustrating. The App seems to be unsupported but I would gladly pay a small annual subscription as it is so comprehensive. Maybe the developer has been seriously ill or heaven forbid has died. I have dozens of lists here in fact I use it as a pictorial inventory for hobby collections like numismatics (google it). I have lists within lists for everything from storage lockers to shopping lists and recipes. It's simply amazing. I'm just FRUSTRATED to hell that I have to keep reopening it every couple of minutes! Original review - Best avoided, unsupported for years. I used to use this app extensively and had many VERY detailed lists. It WAS an AWESOME app but was never well supported. Recently it stopped syncing and when I changed my phone I could not transfer my lists. As far as I can tell all the good reviews are years old and the app is redundant. I’m surprised Apple still list it. ### 3/5 — Paperless was better *2022-11-06* I had the original list app Paperless from this developer and enjoyed it. He changed everything when he stopped Paperless and launched Ikiru. I got it to support his work but I’ve never liked it nearly as much as Paperless and rarely use it. I see that an update is supposed to be in the works. I hope some of the color and utility of the old app returns. ### 3/5 — Ikiru loosing functionality *2021-08-11* Love the program, love its structure, e.g. the ability to have a heading with subheadings and subheadings to the subheadings, To Do’s listed in chronological order, etc. However, some Ikiru features no longer function, such as automatic data sync upon closing, return to the the last view when reopening, etc. I can only attribute this to the fact that there have been several changes to Apple’s operating system and Ikiru has not kept up; there have been no updates for too long. For this reason, I’m now hesitant to entrust important information to Ikiru in case the next major Apple operating system update leaves Ikiru inoperable ### 4/5 — Almost perfect - needs colored icons *2021-07-08* Paperless, Ikiru’s parent, is almost perfect but is missing lists within lists (within lists). Ikiru adds that, but its small monochrome icons aren’t as useful as Paperless’ colored icons. It’s much faster to scroll through many items to find what you want if you can recognize icons by their color. The small monochrome ones looks very similar to each other so are almost no use at all. Ikiru chooses form over function in this case. Other than that, the best list app out there IMO. ### 4/5 — Overall very good, but with room for some improvements *2020-12-11, version 1.2.2* I have used the app for several years, and overall, I am quite happy with it. It is very easy to use. There are two features I frequently wish it had though: - there is no PC version. For some content, it would be much easier to enter/edit on a PC instead of having to do everything on the phone - when searching, it shows you all content that matches, but there is no way to see WHERE that note is. Some content is meaningless if you don’t know where it is: I search for ‘chocolate’ And see the result: ‘Brand X chocolate’ Is that in the list: Good presents for my wife Or the list Things my wife hates ### 4/5 — Add paperless icons and checkboxes for 5 stars *2020-06-19, version 1.2.2* Almost there. Got spoiled with paperless but a good start. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Devastated *2023-10-22* I’m having to abandon this app, as more often than not, it’s not saving the changes I’m making to my lists. ### 1/5 — I used to love this *2023-09-21* I used to love this and it has been very helpful in the past and I have lists and lists that I have written and used without problem in the past. Unfortunately it keeps losing the recent updates that I make. Yes, it’s supposed to sync to the cloud, but if it forgets the last page of notes that I’d painstakingly tapped out (and refined over the last hour and a half) and then syncs, there’s no way of getting my data back. I don’t know why it lost my data - maybe I closed it before it had a chance to sync or accidentally shook it and it decided to do the Shake to Undo thing (is there a way to switch that off) without me noticing and somehow acknowledged it, or maybe it broke when I walked to an area with no phone or Wi-Fi signal. Whatever happened, it doesn’t matter, my updates are gone and so it my confidence in this app. If as well as the cloud sync option, I had a manual save or even an Update Now option and a way to choose which file to load then this would not be a problem. But at the moment while, I really want to recommend it but I would struggle to do so. ### 1/5 — Lacks punch for serious writers *2022-09-25, version 1.2.2* No formatting! Enough said. ### 1/5 — Won’t sync between devices *2020-12-28* This app won’t sync between devices. You update one device and then when you look at another device the information isn’t updated ### 1/5 — Sharing *2020-10-11, version 1.2.2* I have the issue of my writings disappearing! I write in my notes and go back to find my update GONE! I’ve lost a lot of time and notes. I have emailed twice for help but never receive a reply! Loved the app until this started happening... ### 1/5 — Support Sucks!! *2020-09-03* Pretty good app, but support for problems does NOT exist. I’m not talking about “how to” or feature request, but report of a genuine problem that is causing data to be lost. Totally unacceptable. I guess some developers think it’s enough to take your money, and the hell with you if you have a problem. I’m surprised Apple doesn’t have a better policy for app developer supporting their app. If I could give this zero stars I would. ### 1/5 — Stay away from this one. Junk. *2020-03-12, version 1.2.2* This has only one improvement from over the previous Paperless, and a massive downside! The improvement - you can now place lists within lists. The rest - dangerously bug ridden. Items will randomly show up with lines through them as if done. Sometimes you can long-hold to correct this, other times not. The shake to undo feature kicks in often when not needed, so here you’ll lose even more items. The icons available are greater in number than in Paperless, but being smaller and monochrome line doodles they do not distinguish well, so rather defeat the whole point. BUT THE WORST, AND FOR ME THE DEAL BREAKER - I HAVE BEEN SENDING NUMEROUS EMAILS TO ASK FOR ADVICE ON ALL BUGGINESS, and not received a single response. If you sell crap apps on the AppStore and abandon your customers when they can’t get the d*amn thing to do what they paid for — PLEASE FIND ANOTHER LINE OF WORK — after you refund your clients. ### 1/5 — CRASHES ALL THE TIME *2020-01-30, version 1.2.2* I happily used this app for a long time. But in the last 6 months it crashes while updating. When I reopen it works. I’ve reached out to the developer several times with no response. I thought maybe he had abandoned the app. ### 1/5 — Was good, now not *2019-12-01* Was perfect and simple app, last week or so notes haven’t been saving. Don’t risk it, Ive deleted it ### 1/5 — Syncing *2019-11-12, version 1.2.1* Keeps turning off icloud sync. It’s ridiculous that it has to be reenabled every time I open the app. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Handiest list keeper, simple with a photo. *2025-12-31, version 1.2.2* Useful, syncable or not, as you wish. Don't need a shopping list on multiple devices. But can if I want to. ### 5/5 — Gets better and better *2024-09-05* I’ve been using this app for years. I use it for everything — notes, reminders, checklists, other lists, recipes and all sorts of things. Recently I’ve been astonished at the quality of the AI it uses for its predictive text. Its predictions are far more context-based than other apps (or social media) seem to be, and it’s constantly learning from your previous inputs, so it has an uncanny ability to get it right. The more you use it the better it gets. ### 5/5 — Best app ever *2022-10-17* Most amazing little app! I’ve been using Paperless for years to the upgrade just seemed natural. So easy to use, I love it! Just a couple wishes : 1) I’d love to be able to send checklists to another person with the app 2) It’d be amazing to have a desktop desktop with seamless access to my lists ### 5/5 — Love Ikiru *2021-07-11, version 1.2.2* It’s a simple to use app with lots of features. Can have several folders all on the home screen with sub folders. Can import or take pictures easily for a specific topic. ### 5/5 — Please update *2021-07-10, version 1.2.2* For the love of god update your app ### 5/5 — It Changed My Life! *2021-04-28* I’ve been using Ikiru for about 5 years and have gone from being disorganized, unproductive, and restless when it came to performing daily tasks and projects large and small. I created lists for just about everything that I need to get done and I now live a life of daily organization and order. Being able to cross things off as they get done is a real joy! And you can reset the lists to use daily, weekly, whatever. I can’t recommend this app enough for people who love to be organized or for those who are at the beginning of becoming organized. Really... it has changed my life! ### 5/5 — Yes! *2020-05-24* Update: I had been using this app quite a while ago but stopped. Not sure why. I reinstalled it recently and began with it again. I’m OT sure when the password/finger scan option was added, but this makes the app a good deal more useful to me. I think this is going to be my go-to app for to-do’s, passwords, grocery lists, short study notes, birthday lists, and a host of other things. It’s so flexible. I would still like to see more flexibility in date recurrence, i.e. repeat from completion, but still a wonderful list/notes app. Thank,Ikiru. I had been using Paperless for a long time and really liked it - and used it. But I kept wishing for an update with the ability to attach dates - with a repeat function and also for the ability to create lists within lists. Wish granted! Thank you! It works well, and I can keep track of SO MANY things with this app! So functional! Like other reviewers have mentioned, it would be nice to have other themes to select from. Yes, the old Paperless WAS much more attractive. I do have one other wish - now that dates and repeat function are available it would be great to see the repeat function a bit more flexible, i.e., repeat from date or from completion, and repeat every # of days, weeks, etc. Thanks for a great app which is at once functional and easy to use. 🙂 ### 5/5 — So Easy! Best App for Keeping Track!!! *2020-04-24* I have used Ikiru for years and Paperless before that. I can’t find any other app that works so effectively and fluidly for keeping things organized and easy to find and retrieve. I use it for everything. It keeps my life organized! I especially love the way you can make folders within folders within folders. It makes it so quick to find exactly the item you need. The thousands of icons are fun and quick and help you find things at a glance. I also love the way you can slide items around and rearrange them as priorities change. It’s great for adding photos, copy & paste, moving, rearranging, exporting, checking off. It does almost everything you could hope for. I only wish it did bold, italics, and bullet points. It’s such a fantastic app!!! Thank you to the developers! I just LOVE Ikiru!!!!! ### 5/5 — Love this App *2020-01-14, version 1.2.2* I keep a myriad of lists in Ikiru, from book recs, menus, shopping lists. PLEASE PLEASE let this sync to Apple Watch! ### 5/5 — Everything is fixed now I’m happy *2019-10-18* All good now **Developer response:** My apologies for the trouble. I’ve fixed the cause of the crash under iOS 13 and an update to the app is now available. --- *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 2026-08-30.*