# iNaturalist — user reviews > 424 indexed App Store user reviews of iNaturalist by iNaturalist, rated 4.00/5 from 639 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inaturalist/id6475737561/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inaturalist/id6475737561.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 398 · 4★ 56 · 3★ 60 · 2★ 61 · 1★ 64 ## What do users think of iNaturalist? Overall sentiment: neutral **Pros** - 🚀 Faster and more intuitive UI - 👍 Improved features from website - 💡 Batch upload and sorting options - 🚀 Responsive and smooth performance - 👍 Easier to navigate and use - 👍 Ability to save and come back to observations **Cons** - 🐛 Bugs with observation time and location - 🔍 Difficulty finding advanced editing options - 🔍 Overly complex UI for basic tasks - 🔍 Removal of useful features like map view - 🔍 Too much reliance on AI identification **Commonly reported bugs** - App freezes when suggesting IDs on audio clips - Inconsistent tap responsiveness in search menu - Observation time not accurately filling based on upload time - Map showing incorrect observation locations - Crashes and performance issues on some devices **Most requested features** - Ability to type in address/coordinates for location - Option to add observations to projects during upload - Batch editing/uploading of observations - More precise search filters (e.g. aquatic, parasitic, migratory) - Bring back colored observation markers on map ## Newest reviews (13 of 424) ### 2/5 — Lack of Explanation about App Updates *2026-08-27, version 1.1.0* The app developer keeps updating this app but always fails to explain what exactly changes or why. Are there bug fixes? Privacy changes? Security issues? There seems to be a big lack clarity by the developer. ### 2/5 — Creates confirmation bias *2026-08-16, version 1.0.27* I recently switched to an iPhone and I'm shocked to find that this app lacks the Compare feature. That feature is critical to avoiding confirmation bias in the Computer Vision model and helping users learn to find distinguishing characteristics. That's why I always preferred iNaturalist over Seek. We should not thoughtlessly feed photos to an AI. We are here to learn with help from the CV model. I'm very disappointed that neither iOS version of the iNaturalist app lives up to the Android version. ### 4/5 — Manque un onglet pour comestible ou toxique *2026-08-07, version 1.0.26* Amelioration ### 2/5 — Odd behavior *2026-07-28, version 1.0.25* It’s a fun app, helps to identify mysterious things in the yard. But something odd has happened to it in the last year or so: I now seem to get email notifications of observations from just one user. Hundreds of notifications. Many per week. And nothing from anyone else. Nothing! I think I’ve now blocked her, but I’m not sure. The app has become more annoying than helpful. ### 2/5 — Can’t submit without photo? *2026-07-18, version 1.0.24* In the new version there’s no option to submit an observation without a photo. The response was not helpful. ### 2/5 — Can’t submit without photo? *2026-07-13, version 1.0.24* In the new version there’s no option to submit an observation with taking a photo ### 4/5 — Excellent *2026-07-12, version 1.0.24* Plant taxonomy continues to be one of my scientific interests, and a best enjoyed course from my undergraduate days, many, many years ago. This app enables even the casual observer to identify unfamiliar plants and, best of all, to join a large community of nature lovers and citizen scientists. It works well, and I appreciate that other observers confirm or disagree with a suggested identification. It is very much worth having. ### 5/5 — WOUAW *2026-07-11* C’est la meilleure appli de reconnaissance naturaliste et pour apprendre des espèces ### 3/5 — Da geht noch was *2026-07-10* Zur Erkennung der Arten im Feld okay. Erfassung nutze ich nicht in der App, kann ich als nicht beurteilen. Zur Verwaltung der Beobachtungen (App-Bereich „Aktivitäten“) ist die neue App leider von Beginn an der Classic-Version in Sachen Reaktivität haushoch unterlegen. Ein Changelog für Updates, statt eines Werbetextes, wäre mal nützlich. **Developer response:** Thank you for the feedback, we're continuing to work on improvin the app's speed and stability. Von Google Übersetzer: Vielen Dank für das Feedback, wir arbeiten weiterhin daran, die Geschwindigkeit und Stabilität der App zu verbessern. ### 5/5 — Amazing! *2026-07-10, version 1.0.24* If you want a fun free app that makes a difference this is it. Pictures of anything g from animals, to bugs, to plants. The program is user friendly and very efficient. ### 5/5 — Expectation on dentification accuracy *2026-07-09* Exquisite function! ### 4/5 — Not very usable but the content is great *2026-07-07, version 1.0.24* I've used this app for years and always have loved it for its usefulness in both AI- and human-generated identifications. However the most recent major update to the user interface made it much less usable -- it is super confusing now to try to navigate through the various menus to figure out how to do simple things like upload an observation or search for a particular species on the map. The app developers clearly wanted to add more functionality to the app but by doing so they made it much less fun, and way more confusing, to use. ### 5/5 — Quick, simple, reliable *2026-07-05, version 1.0.24* Have used this app in multiple states and on plants animals and fungi. Does what it says, and rates its own confidence ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Impossible *2026-08-08, version 1.0.26* Impossible to create a password that is acceptable, even when following the rules. Tried all lengths and combinations and every one was denied. (Again, I followed the rules) And don’t try to system generate a strong one. No way will that work. Will have to find another app ### 1/5 — Zero stars what happened to this app? It just told me a mushroom was a paw paw. It’s turned to trash *2026-07-30, version 1.0.26* Title pretty much captures it. Please no generic-“we’ve been using machine learning since 2017” reply, it doesn’t matter, the ID feature completely blows NOW & gives the most random stupid ids. This happens nearly every time I use the app. No one community id’s anything anymore, because people are dropping INaturalist. Also got lots of google & still begs for $ all the time. If u want $, fix the app, the UI is horrendous too. Once loved iNat, oh well ### 1/5 — AI? *2026-07-25* A great app but not using as it uses AI. If you are a naturalist and care about the environment you surely would be anti AI? Look at the effects these data centres are having on the environment. With all this technological advances why not have an opt out button? Convenience is not a good enough reason to screw the planet. **Developer response:** Thank you for the feedback. iNaturalist has been using machine learning since 2017 to provide the suggestions you see in the app. The in-camera identification suggestions were first introduced in 2019 through our other app, Seek by iNaturalist, and are now in this app. Our identification models are trained on a few small machines under our control, not in a large data center. ### 1/5 — Disappointment *2026-07-23, version 1.0.25* My account got suspended, reason? I don’t know maybe because the app development is really bad and everyone complaining about the same things ? Maybe Please fix this app ### 1/5 — Neue Funktionen? *2026-07-16* Diverse Updates, leider keine Changelogs, stattdessen seit Beginn an der gleiche Werbetext unter „neue Funktionen“. Inhaltlich auch keine Verbesserungen sicht- und spürbar. **Developer response:** Thank you for the feedback, we're continuing to work on improvin the app's speed and stability. Von Google Übersetzer: Vielen Dank für das Feedback, wir arbeiten weiterhin daran, die Geschwindigkeit und Stabilität der App zu verbessern. ### 1/5 — Don’t use this app delete your content *2026-07-14, version 1.0.24* They are using your uploaded pictures to train their AI model, google lens, and the defense departments probably anyone else who pays for the data too. I’m not training anyone’s computer program for them. Once a few people identify a species and it gets marked as research grade they start feeding it to the AI. Delete all your content then delete the app.not only that they emailed me to lie about about it. Everything I said is freely available information from their own website. ### 1/5 — Ai garbage *2026-07-10, version 1.0.24* I can’t image anyone would want your new app with new ai features. It destroys the authentic meaning of iNaturalist. It can’t even get anything right anymore. It keeps telling me my bioluminescent mushrooms are common mushrooms and shows me 30 different pictures of each one of those pictures all being different species 💀💀 it’s not even just that it’s trees to flowers etc 😭 How ridiculous. Never use this bs app only use the old app and if the devs choose to have spite and try in anyway remove the old app to force us into this Ai garbage I already saved the source code and bundle for the old app and will host it server side on a tor server to get the data and put the app for all devices on my GitHub without any restrictions or data collection. Even better I will just launch my own at that point but leave it a option (or added into mine) to keep using the old app if it ever becomes a issue. Hope the devs read this review and 1 not pay for fake reviews like everyone else does to cover this up and 2 actual make a change for the better. It’s a shame real research gets thrown away with horrible America language models that deceive the public every single day (Ai). At least use a Russian or Chinese language model that isn’t built for deception and mass surveillance and control by our tyrant country and build off it yourself with open source software on your own infrastructure it’s not that hard and it’s not expensive (unless your a complete idiot only using Ai to build and code 💀💀) then you could actual make this bs app work somewhat decent but that’s a long shot! Looks like I’m gonna use the old app and use alternatives the old school way and focus on my project that is built for the people without Ai The new app layout is nice for a standard Ai template 😂 but it’s still garbage. Use real human code and you’ll be respected more in the community and not get dogged. Hope change comes so I don’t gotta be the one to spend weeks reverse engineering your garbage and building something better. I don’t say any of this with hate I say it with disappointment and truth. Do better. ### 1/5 — Don’t use this app delete your content *2026-06-26, version 1.0.23* They are using your uploaded pictures to train their AI model, google lens, and the defense departments probably anyone else who pays for the data too. I’m not training anyone’s computer program for them. Once a few people identify a species and it gets marked as research grade they start feeding it to the AI. Delete all your content then delete the app. ### 1/5 — Pointless. *2026-06-25* The best I’ve got is essentially “that’s a flower”. ### 1/5 — Harsh users and staff *2026-06-24* This app could be great if the community rule about being friendly was enforced. There are too many users on iNaturalist who are not pleasant to engage with. I reported rude and hostile comments from one user to staff and just asked for them to be reminded to be civil. Instead, the staff member who dealt with my query told me off for voting that the observation had multiple species, when it did, and said the rude comments were fine. I explained that I was considering leaving in an email back to iNat staff and didn’t get a reply. So, I went from being a user with hundreds of observations and thousands of IDs (along with being an iNat Ambassador and donor to this platform) to shutting my account down and all that work vanishing because iNat staff chose to have a go at me when I asked them for support and didn’t reply when challenged. The rudeness from users was irritating but I could handle it. Rudeness from staff on top was more than I could handle. Shame. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Favourite App *2026-08-28, version 1.1.0* Absolutely love this app. It has become one of my biggest hobbies, exploring in the woods or around my neighborhood finding animals, plants, etc. Feels like Pokémon + science. ### 5/5 — amazing *2026-08-26, version 1.1.0* I love this app, it is really useful for identifying organisms around where I live! The numerous updates keep improving it and making it better. ### 5/5 — Best app ever! *2026-08-26, version 1.1.0* iNaturalist is the best there is. It’s free, It’s easy to learn, and once you get going you notice all the different options, like the search menu, and the AI. Please try this app because it’s important to learn about nature, and have fun doing it! ### 5/5 — Спасибо за приложение! *2026-08-18* И спасибо подкасту Сперва роди, за то что рассказали про него. ### 5/5 — 10/10 *2026-08-13, version 1.0.27* literally a godsend in its category! ### 5/5 — best nature ID app *2026-08-06, version 1.0.26* If you are inexperienced with nature and looking for an app to help identify things this is really the best option out there ### 5/5 — An Amazing Tool *2026-08-06, version 1.0.26* iNaturalist is an awesome tool for both the curious observer and researchers alike! I do wish you could add observations directly to projects from the app like you can in iNaturalist Classic. ### 5/5 — Best nature app i've ever used *2026-08-04* the AI that identifies species is extremely accurate and i've only seen it mess up a few times. tons of observers and users that will help you identify things if you don't know what it is. incredibly useful UI and tons of ways to be involved in your community and bond with others through nature. only complaint i would have is (as far as i've seen) there's no way to turn on notifications and i'd like to be notified when people ID species that i post. other than that it's simply a phenomenal app and i have no other complaints. 😊 ### 5/5 — Research and discovery *2026-07-30, version 1.0.26* This might be my favorite app of all time ### 5/5 — First time user *2026-07-18* Used it for the first time and am quite happy and impressed with the results and accuracy --- *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 2026-08-31.*