UPDATE: This Is How a Developer Earns Back a Customer
I originally left a very critical review after an update caused widget functionality I had relied on for years to suddenly require a Pro subscription. From my perspective as a longtime user, it felt like an existing feature had been taken away and placed behind a recurring paywall.
I am updating that review because Muhammed, the developer of Planetaro, completely changed my perspective through how he handled the situation.
Rather than dismissing the criticism or sending a canned response, he personally explained what happened. A long standing bug had unintentionally allowed some users continued access to Pro functionality, and the recent update corrected it without the team realizing how many longtime users would suddenly be affected.
More importantly, he listened.
One of my biggest concerns was the lack of a fair one time purchase option. Muhammed acknowledged that criticism, and Planetaro has since introduced a lifetime Pro option, which directly addresses the concern I originally raised.
He also went out of his way to make sure my individual issue was fully resolved, and he did so with a level of generosity and personal attention that I genuinely did not expect.
That mattered.
The app itself was always excellent. That is why I cared enough to criticize the change in the first place. Planetaro is beautifully designed, genuinely useful, and its planetary hour features have become part of my regular routine.
What impressed me most, though, was how the developer responded when faced with legitimate criticism. Muhammed listened, explained the situation transparently, addressed the underlying concern, and personally followed through until the issue was completely resolved.
That is how you rebuild trust with a customer.
My original criticism reflected my genuine experience at the time, and I still understand why users were frustrated. But when a developer responds this thoughtfully and actually makes meaningful changes, it is equally important to recognize that.
My issue has been completely resolved, I’ve regained access to the wonderful widgets pro feature and I am once again very happy to support and recommend Planetaro.
5 stars — both for the app and for an independent developer who demonstrated that he genuinely cares about the people using it.
I am updating that review because Muhammed, the developer of Planetaro, completely changed my perspective through how he handled the situation.
Rather than dismissing the criticism or sending a canned response, he personally explained what happened. A long standing bug had unintentionally allowed some users continued access to Pro functionality, and the recent update corrected it without the team realizing how many longtime users would suddenly be affected.
More importantly, he listened.
One of my biggest concerns was the lack of a fair one time purchase option. Muhammed acknowledged that criticism, and Planetaro has since introduced a lifetime Pro option, which directly addresses the concern I originally raised.
He also went out of his way to make sure my individual issue was fully resolved, and he did so with a level of generosity and personal attention that I genuinely did not expect.
That mattered.
The app itself was always excellent. That is why I cared enough to criticize the change in the first place. Planetaro is beautifully designed, genuinely useful, and its planetary hour features have become part of my regular routine.
What impressed me most, though, was how the developer responded when faced with legitimate criticism. Muhammed listened, explained the situation transparently, addressed the underlying concern, and personally followed through until the issue was completely resolved.
That is how you rebuild trust with a customer.
My original criticism reflected my genuine experience at the time, and I still understand why users were frustrated. But when a developer responds this thoughtfully and actually makes meaningful changes, it is equally important to recognize that.
My issue has been completely resolved, I’ve regained access to the wonderful widgets pro feature and I am once again very happy to support and recommend Planetaro.
5 stars — both for the app and for an independent developer who demonstrated that he genuinely cares about the people using it.
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Widget is now paid
I hate that we have to pay for widgets to show even tho we didn’t have to pay before. There is an announcement in the app that said they fixed that but they didn’t.
It’s worth the pay
I’ve been using the app for years and once I realized the paywall, I was a little bummed. After reading the developer’s response to it, I understood. $50 for life is a damn steal! Think of all the things we pay for that adds to that in a blink of an eye that isn’t usual as this. $3 a month is literally 10 cents a day. I get people being upset but angry to the point of 1 star is asinine. Also, I don’t know these mf from a can of paint so this isn’t some paid review if anyone thinks that while reading. Stop whining and pay the small fee for a great app.
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subscription.. yes again.
Since the author saying the widgets paywall was some sort of bug and instead of
making it up for the customers by anything in change you stayed in the reviews explaining the problem to everybody. I totally understood and said ok fine imma check the plans, and i went to see the subscription prices. 50$ FOR LIFE TIME?? please don't try to convince me 3 dollars a month is a very reasonable price because who's paying monthly for an astrology app with their monthly taxes already reaching the roof. im just suggesting here if you can discount the life time price because it has an insane price i mean i wouldn't even buy a shirt with this price. And this is the least thing you can do since the "bug" misunderstanding you had with your app users. You have a very good app and a very good opportunity to win more users, it's up to you im here just to tell you what i have and good luck.
making it up for the customers by anything in change you stayed in the reviews explaining the problem to everybody. I totally understood and said ok fine imma check the plans, and i went to see the subscription prices. 50$ FOR LIFE TIME?? please don't try to convince me 3 dollars a month is a very reasonable price because who's paying monthly for an astrology app with their monthly taxes already reaching the roof. im just suggesting here if you can discount the life time price because it has an insane price i mean i wouldn't even buy a shirt with this price. And this is the least thing you can do since the "bug" misunderstanding you had with your app users. You have a very good app and a very good opportunity to win more users, it's up to you im here just to tell you what i have and good luck.
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Greedy developer
I have had an iPhone for decades and I have never written an App Store review until now because I am so irritated. This greedy developer paywalled a lock screen widget and then wrote an entire essay lying about it. I will never support!
A Magical App Ruined by Subscription Creep
I absolutely loved Planetaro before this latest update. It was one of those rare apps that was genuinely useful, beautifully designed, and earned a permanent place on my phone. The widgets in particular were a major part of the experience and something I actually used every single day.
Then I updated the app.
Suddenly, functionality I had been using without issue is locked behind yet another subscription.
And before the developer responds with the same explanation being given to other reviewers—that these features were supposedly always “Pro” and users only had access because of a years-long subscription bug—I’m sorry, but from the user’s perspective that distinction is almost meaningless.
If your app allows people to use a feature for YEARS, people integrate that feature into their daily routines, you never meaningfully interrupt that experience, and then one software update abruptly takes it away unless they start paying you every month or year, you have functionally taken an existing feature away from those users. Calling the previous access a “bug” doesn’t magically make the experience less anti-consumer.
And this is exactly what people are exhausted by.
Not every useful function on our phones needs to become another recurring payment. I am perfectly willing to PAY for good software. Charge a reasonable one-time price. Offer a lifetime unlock. Put genuinely NEW advanced capabilities into a Pro tier. There are plenty of fair ways to monetize continued development.
But taking something your longtime users have relied on and effectively saying, “Actually, you weren’t supposed to have that—subscribe now if you’d like it back,” is an excellent way to destroy goodwill.
The irony is that Planetaro was good enough that I would have happily supported its continued development. Instead, this update has made me question whether I want to support it at all.
Developers should understand the difference between adding value worth subscribing to and removing value until people subscribe to get it back.
Planetaro used to feel like a thoughtful astrology tool made for people who genuinely use planetary hours in their daily lives.
Now it feels like another app looking at previously satisfied users and asking: “What else can we turn into recurring revenue?”
Extremely disappointing.
Then I updated the app.
Suddenly, functionality I had been using without issue is locked behind yet another subscription.
And before the developer responds with the same explanation being given to other reviewers—that these features were supposedly always “Pro” and users only had access because of a years-long subscription bug—I’m sorry, but from the user’s perspective that distinction is almost meaningless.
If your app allows people to use a feature for YEARS, people integrate that feature into their daily routines, you never meaningfully interrupt that experience, and then one software update abruptly takes it away unless they start paying you every month or year, you have functionally taken an existing feature away from those users. Calling the previous access a “bug” doesn’t magically make the experience less anti-consumer.
And this is exactly what people are exhausted by.
Not every useful function on our phones needs to become another recurring payment. I am perfectly willing to PAY for good software. Charge a reasonable one-time price. Offer a lifetime unlock. Put genuinely NEW advanced capabilities into a Pro tier. There are plenty of fair ways to monetize continued development.
But taking something your longtime users have relied on and effectively saying, “Actually, you weren’t supposed to have that—subscribe now if you’d like it back,” is an excellent way to destroy goodwill.
The irony is that Planetaro was good enough that I would have happily supported its continued development. Instead, this update has made me question whether I want to support it at all.
Developers should understand the difference between adding value worth subscribing to and removing value until people subscribe to get it back.
Planetaro used to feel like a thoughtful astrology tool made for people who genuinely use planetary hours in their daily lives.
Now it feels like another app looking at previously satisfied users and asking: “What else can we turn into recurring revenue?”
Extremely disappointing.
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Response from developer
Thank you for the most thoughtful critique this update has received, and you are right about more than you might expect us to admit. From your side the distinction between a bug fix and a price change is indeed almost meaningless: you had something, you built it into your daily routine, and an update took it away without warning. If we had done that deliberately, it would deserve every word you wrote. But consider what a deliberate version would have looked like: nobody reprices in silence, with no announcement and no transition, because the only thing silence buys is exactly what happened, a wave of one star reviews. The correction itself was logged as a minor cleanup in our tracker. Nobody knew that a years-old bug had quietly been handing out Pro access at this scale, and we learned it from the reviews, which is the last way an independent developer wants to learn anything. On the explanation you have seen under other reviews: it repeats because the truth does not change from one review to the next, but every review and every mail, including yours, has been read and answered personally by the same person for six years, and this one is no exception. Your fairness principle is one we agree with, and for what it is worth, Pro was built on it: everything that existed before the subscription has stayed free since 2020, and Pro was meant to cover only what came after. This update did not move that line, it surfaced the place where a bug had quietly erased it. And one more thing, because your review deserves more than words: you asked for a fair one-time option, and you are getting it. A lifetime unlock is coming in Planetaro 2026.4, and we are committing to that here, in writing. Until then, two things are yours if you want them: the full story is at planetaro.com/six-years-of-planetaro-and-a-note-about-the-widgets/ and if you open Settings and tap "Help Us Improve the App", we will send you a personal code for a full free year of Planetaro Pro. Not as a sales tactic, simply because nobody should lose something they loved to the same bug twice.
After update this app has took a major turn for the worst :(
I rarely ever write reviews on the Apple App Store. However, the most recent update to this app demands an honest review from someone who is not new to the app.
I have used this app for almost a year, and I have absolutely loved my experience with it so far. The little Home Screen widget that shows what planetary hour it is along with how much time has elapsed in that hour and how much is left, along with a small colored visual of said planet, and what was before and after, has been one of my favorite features. It was SO helpful and convenient. I am not a fan of opening up an app just to check for one simple thing, especially on an older generation phone. Along with this feature, there was also an additional feature that I loved, which was adding a small tiny widget to the lock screen, which basically just told you what planetary day it was and also included it’s little symbol/sigil. It was awesome, oh it’s Tuesday, mars day, and here’s its symbol as well. It was not only aesthetically pleasing, but it was incredibly helpful, especially when I was just beginning to learn the correlations to each day.
Unfortunately, with the newest update, these features, that have been available for as long as I was using the app, are now locked behind a premium subscription paywall. This is incredibly upsetting on multiple levels.
I have read the recent reviews and I am not the only one saying this.
TO THE DEVELOPER: I sincerely hope that you take all of your users seriously, and I hope that you take into account that we are upset at this new update, and that we would all like our widgets and simplicity and helpfulness back. We deserve the simple features. The features listed in this comment that are now locked with the newest update, have been available to any and all users for around a year or more, and I would really appreciate it if you consider changing it back to the way it was.
It is unfair that in the updates notes you did not include some features now only being included in premium. This is a disservice to us all, and it is also blatant trickery — something that magicians should stay away from.
Please give us our features back.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. Take care.
I have used this app for almost a year, and I have absolutely loved my experience with it so far. The little Home Screen widget that shows what planetary hour it is along with how much time has elapsed in that hour and how much is left, along with a small colored visual of said planet, and what was before and after, has been one of my favorite features. It was SO helpful and convenient. I am not a fan of opening up an app just to check for one simple thing, especially on an older generation phone. Along with this feature, there was also an additional feature that I loved, which was adding a small tiny widget to the lock screen, which basically just told you what planetary day it was and also included it’s little symbol/sigil. It was awesome, oh it’s Tuesday, mars day, and here’s its symbol as well. It was not only aesthetically pleasing, but it was incredibly helpful, especially when I was just beginning to learn the correlations to each day.
Unfortunately, with the newest update, these features, that have been available for as long as I was using the app, are now locked behind a premium subscription paywall. This is incredibly upsetting on multiple levels.
I have read the recent reviews and I am not the only one saying this.
TO THE DEVELOPER: I sincerely hope that you take all of your users seriously, and I hope that you take into account that we are upset at this new update, and that we would all like our widgets and simplicity and helpfulness back. We deserve the simple features. The features listed in this comment that are now locked with the newest update, have been available to any and all users for around a year or more, and I would really appreciate it if you consider changing it back to the way it was.
It is unfair that in the updates notes you did not include some features now only being included in premium. This is a disservice to us all, and it is also blatant trickery — something that magicians should stay away from.
Please give us our features back.
Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. Take care.
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Forced to subscribe?
Very disappointed that after using this app for its widgets and notifications for a long time that I’ve now been locked out of the widget feature and am being forced to pay a subscription for it. It is a good app though so I guess I might if I can’t find a free replacement.
Money hungry companies
It’s ridiculous how these apps are tying to charge for everything. This app used to be free. You can’t even use the widgets because you have to pay for that. Which is insane on my other device I never had to pay to use that feature. So over these greedy companies now.
Paid Features Are Scummy!
Making having a simple widget that displays the planetary hour on your lock screen a paid feature is scummy.
PAYWALL WIDGETS???
I have had this app for a couple years and with the recent update all of my widgets require a weekly subscription??? greedy. deleting
Was best left free.
This was one of if not the only app I used for planetary hours; I don’t want to have to pay extra to use a feature I’ve used for years. The widgets were top notch and I will be deleting this app now that I have to pay to use them. I don’t want to have a million subscriptions to apps, the best feature you had is now unavailable and I will be deleting the app. Consider returning features with no subscription and the idea that mystic knowledge such as astrology has helped me fight capitalism; but you’re giving right into it.
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Costs money
This used to be free and then suddenly it cost money and I’m out. I would’ve rather they placed a few ads if they really needed the money.
Pay for widgets??
I have been using this amazing app for some time now, and with this recent update, I can no longer see the planetary day at the top of my lock screen because you have to pay for it. Just like everything else in this capitalistic world, the simple little things are starting to cost money now. I added this feature to every Lock Screen since I knew I could, because it helps with a quick glance and is also very aesthetic for an astrology girly like myself. I don’t mind paying for it but it's like dang ANOTHER subscription. This app has helped me understand the planetary days/hours so much. I will just keep using it without the pro features because I just can't do another subscription.
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Was FREE then started charging
Without any explanation, the developers decided to start charging for this app. It is very disconcerting as a customer of this app for multiple years to wake up and randomly see features locked behind a pay wall. Feels like a money grab, feels disloyal, not a fan.
New Update Paywalls Free Features
I loved this app and used the planetary hours widgets religiously until they made you pay $7 a week or something just for those widgets that were previously free, on top of all the other features that require a payed subscription to access. Pretty lame because I liked this app. Oh well, deleted!
Wonderful app / Gated widgets
One of the best planetary timing apps out there, imo. The only downside is, the best widget, which had been freely available until yesterday’s update, just went behind the pro subscription wall. That’s a huge bummer. But this is still by far the best at what it does.
Saheed
I love this app more than my wife 😀🤗
Great Way to Add Structure to Your Routine
Love this app! As someone who does everything from home it’s been incredibly helpful at helping me focus on tasks! Anytime I feel a bit scattered I just look at the app the align myself with whatever hour it is: ADHD-approved!
