# Meditation Timer \| Samsara — user reviews > 473 indexed App Store user reviews of Meditation Timer | Samsara by Bart Jacobs, rated 4.70/5 from 428 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meditation-timer-samsara/id592333521/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meditation-timer-samsara/id592333521.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 375 · 4★ 21 · 3★ 11 · 2★ 2 · 1★ 19 ## What do users think of Meditation Timer | Samsara? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 👍 Simple and effective - 👍 Elegant and uncluttered design - 👍 High-quality bell sounds - 👍 Customizable settings - 👍 Integrates with Apple Health - 👍 Tracks meditation sessions **Cons** - 🐛 Timer randomly resets - 🔋 High battery consumption - 💰 Subscription model locks out previous features - 🔔 Intrusive reminder to leave a review **Commonly reported bugs** - Crashing on launch for some users - Chimes cutting off prematurely **Most requested features** - Apple Watch support - More color options for highlights - Additional sound effects like other bells and instruments - Ability to delete saved profiles - Option to continue timer after initial duration - Ability to set multiple timers within a single session ## Newest reviews (19 of 473) ### 2/5 — peaceful practice *2026-08-01, version 7.4* this is my favorite app to use to time my daily meditations. ### 5/5 — Perfect minimal meditation timer *2026-06-29, version 7.4* Been using it for years! Great design! ### 5/5 — Best app - getting better *2026-06-20, version 7.4* Wonderful app ### 5/5 — Samsara Not complicated and it works! *2026-06-18, version 7.4* It gives you what you need to time your mindfulness. ### 5/5 — Amazing! *2026-06-01, version 7.4* I’ve been using this meditation timer for years. Simple design, with a lot of customization options. Highly recommend! ### 5/5 — Beautiful. I’ve been using Samsara for years *2026-06-01, version 7.4* This has been my go-to app for my meditation practice for years. It is sleek, beautiful, and to the point! The recent redesign is a fresh take on the great features this app has always had! ### 5/5 — Great app! *2026-05-19, version 7.4* I’ve Used Samsara for years and have found it easy to use, and easy to modify to suit my current needs. ### 5/5 — Simple, elegant, and to the point *2026-05-19, version 7.4* I've tried many meditation timers on my iPhone over several years, and Samsara is by far the one I most prefer. It is feature-rich while remaining simple to use, with a beautiful interface that is easy see without any unnecessary clutter. The many bell sounds for starting and ending a session are very much to my tastes, and the ability to set the number of chimes and the interval between each allows me to customize the experience to my exact liking - with even the ability to make each chime in a set get gradually louder (which is how I like to end my sessions). Warm-up and cool-down times can be included as well as arbitrary chimes mid-session - along with many other thoughtful features. One can save any number of presets and these are very easy to set up. My only feature request (at the time of this review) would be to be able to copy an existing preset so I can use it as the basis for a new one. But this is only a small concern since the presets are easy to establish, and I only make new ones occasionally. While this app is more costly than many of the others that are similar, it is well worth the price for its elegance and practical use. There are no in-app purchases or social media components, and for that I am very thankful. When I sit (zazen is my practice), I want a tool that serves to time my session with simplicity and beauty and without the phone getting in the way. Samsara does this for me with excellence. I can't recommend it more highly. ### 5/5 — Favorite meditation app *2026-05-14, version 7.4* I love this app. It motivates me to stay consistent in with my meditation. I love its simplicity, and that it syncs across all of my technology. ### 4/5 — Very good *2026-05-07, version 7.4* Only wish there was an option to save a couple of preset lengths of meditation periods. Otherwise perfect. ### 5/5 — A perfect app *2026-04-29, version 7.4* I’ve been using the free version of this app for 15 years. It does exactly what I need it to. A perfect app really 👌 ### 5/5 — Functional and beautifully designed. Easy to use. *2026-04-17, version 7.4* Love this app. ### 5/5 — Just what I needed *2026-04-13, version 7.4* Simple and wonderful meditation timer ### 5/5 — Perfect! *2026-04-11, version 7.4* Very good app, simple and effective ### 5/5 — Samsara *2026-04-10, version 7.4* Gostei da simplicidade elegante! Recomendo. ### 5/5 — Less is more *2026-04-10, version 7.4* Sophisticated in its simplicity. I’ve been through all manner of meditation systems, and have returned. It’s a tool that aligns with the state of mind I’m pursuing. ### 5/5 — Free version excellent *2026-04-09, version 7.4* Very happy that Samsara has resumed free services after its subscription fee escapade ### 5/5 — Just sitting *2026-03-27, version 7.4* I use this app daily for sitting meditation. I like that I can turn the screen off and let the timer run in the background. And the bells sound great. ### 5/5 — Wonderfull app *2026-03-23, version 7.4* I use samsara for years and it's just perfect ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Aggressively monetized spyware *2026-06-06, version 7.4* I haven’t used this app in awhile but it was once a simple meditation timer. Now there are a bunch of “features” that amount to spam and personal data collection, while preventing me from simply setting up a few timers. No thanks. ### 1/5 — No way to get actual app support *2026-03-23, version 7.4* I’m looking everywhere for app support and the links just go back to the marketing page. I recently purchased a year subscription after using a lower cost version for several years. I used to be able to set bells to repeat- like repeat every 5 minutes. Now it looks like you have to manually add each one. That’s a huge hassle if I’m doing a 65 minute session and need a bell every 5 minutes. I have to add 13 bells manually? I would like to know how to set them to repeat again, please. Sorry to make this request in this forum but I cannot find actual app support. Update- now it’s even worse. Now the intervals don’t ring at all or ring at random times. This app is completely useless to me. Too bad. For almost 10 years it was prefects I just bought a new meditation timer app for $2 that works perfectly. ### 1/5 — Very good! *2025-12-17, version 7.1* i bought this a long time ago when it was FIVE DOLLARS back in 2017, then was removed from the app store, now you have to pay a subscription to store your data? 😂 ### 1/5 — I bought once and then change the app. *2025-10-10, version 7.0* I bought the complete app. its works for a time and then with an update no longer works, required paymente again with membership . Bad Bad Bad . ### 1/5 — All downhill *2025-03-02, version 6.15* Thanks for trashing our settings, making us add useless information, and taking away sounds we’ve been using for years so that you can make a buck. This app has been in decline in the name of ‘improvements’ for some time now, but this is a new low. ### 1/5 — New update RUINED app. Subscription model. *2025-02-20, version 6.14* Made the mistake of updating this app, as the notes showed it was just a dark mode update. Nope, it’s a subscription model now, and you need to subscribe (or pay $80CAD) to have access to all of the bells now. You can still use the timer without a subscription, but the opening bell of EVERY meditation is high-pitched and invasive, plus it activates my dogs. Guess what? You can’t change the opening bell unless you subscribe. You can’t even disable it. For those who are neurodivergent with sensory sensitivities or prone to migraines, it’s a nightmarish experience. It has rendered this app unusable unless you subscribe, which is exactly the intent. I have used this app for years. It was simple and customizable. They finally managed to ruin it. Welcome to capitalism gone wild, where we are being pushed via a high pitched sensory nightmare of a bell to shell out money if you want to better yourself or have any kind of meaningful spiritual practice. Shame on the developers for this. Shove that needle-to-the-soul high-pitched bell deep into your posterior. Back to Buddify I guess, they have a solo timer without a brain splitting bell, or can be customized to no sound at all. ### 1/5 — Another once great app made terrible *2025-02-09, version 6.13* Used to do the one thing I needed it to do, now tries to upsell me things I don’t want or need and charge for things it used to do for free. Such a bummer. Samsara indeed. ### 1/5 — Ruined A Perfect APP *2025-02-06* Veteran user for years. App changed to subscription-based unfortunately. One nagging pain point is that users are locked out and unable to clear former saved timers… unless you pay. There WAS a one-time price option but they axed it (as if they couldn’t make this even worse). Sad to see this app implode for the shakedown. Can’t any dev be OK with selling a simple app anymore‽ Former review: This app is elegant and sleek and doesn’t require a monthly subscription. Definitely worth purchasing. No ads or other annoying additives seen in so many apps. Great app! **Developer response:** I hear your disappointment and I apologize for the confusion. If you purchased/downloaded the app before October 2023, you should have access to Samsara Premium. If that isn’t the case, please make sure to (1) update to the latest version of the app and (2) sign in with the Apple ID on your device that purchased/downloaded the app initially. If you still cannot access Samsara Premium, please contact me at appsupport@codefoundry.be. I’m happy to help. ### 1/5 — Now they want me to pay again? *2025-02-06, version 6.11* I paid for this app many years ago. I love the app and have recommended it to probably close to 100 people when I’ve taught meditation. Suddenly, they want me to now pay $30/year to get the exact things I was using for years. If you don’t pay the only bell you can use is SUPER high pitched. I’m going to see what is available on other apps. Maybe I’ll have to pay for another app but at least I won’t be paying twice. ### 1/5 — What did you do? *2025-02-05, version 6.11* This was the best meditation app I could find. Had it for years and loved the minimalist design. Today all of a sudden I need a subscription to get the basic features that were there for years? C’mon! No way am I subscribing for a timer. Time to find a new app unfortunately. Was 5 stars. You ruined it. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Unique experience *2026-08-25, version 7.4* It is a uniquely useful app. First got it years ago. The developer(s) seem to tend to it pretty well. Their effort and time put in shows, which has made the app worth it for me. Thanks! ### 5/5 — Love it! *2026-08-16, version 7.5* Easily my favorite meditation timer. ### 5/5 — Meditation help *2026-08-14, version 7.5* I love this app -the bell in the middle seems to make the 20 minutes go faster and stops me losing the flow before my time is up. ### 5/5 — The meditation timer I always come back to *2026-08-11, version 7.5* Used for many years. I’ve tried many, but the simplicity of Samsara is why I keep coming back. Visually calming and easy to use. ### 5/5 — Helpful app *2026-08-01, version 7.4* Great support for my practice! I’ve been using Samsara for years and appreciate the ways I can adapt it to fit what I need in a given time. ### 5/5 — Simplicity *2026-07-26, version 7.4* Very easy to customise a suite of meditation profiles to support the various practices that you may be engaging in. No time wasting and superfluous extras, best meditation app I’ve found. ### 5/5 — Used for years *2026-07-22, version 7.4* I’ve relied on this app for years- it’s simple and syncs to Apple health for mindfulness minutes. Does exactly what you actually need for meditation. ### 5/5 — User *2026-07-06, version 7.4* Use it every day. Love it. ### 5/5 — Great app for Meditation *2026-07-04, version 7.4* I love this application. I am using this more than 2 years now, pretty much every day. Has lots of features like warm up and reminder bells. ### 5/5 — Simple *2026-07-02, version 7.4* Samsara is easy to use. It works. --- *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.*