# Polar Scope Align — user reviews > 170 indexed App Store user reviews of Polar Scope Align by Dimitrios Kechagias, rated 4.70/5 from 171 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polar-scope-align/id970157965/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polar-scope-align/id970157965.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 150 · 4★ 8 · 3★ 1 · 2★ 4 · 1★ 8 ## What do users think of Polar Scope Align? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 🎯 Extensive reticle options for various telescope mounts - 👍 User-friendly and intuitive interface - 🆓 Powerful free version with no popup ads - 🔴 Red night vision mode preserves dark adaptation - 📍 Accurate GPS-based location detection - 🌙 Works offline without internet connection - ⭐ Excellent customer support from developer - 📚 Clear instructions and helpful documentation - 🔧 Thoughtfully designed with attention to detail - 🎨 Clean, simple design without distractions - ⏰ Includes accurate clock with seconds for ISS tracking - 🌍 Supports both northern and southern hemisphere alignment - 💰 Free app with optional pro version - 🔋 Battery-saving GPS features - 📊 Multiple useful calculators and tools included **Cons** - 🐛 Inconsistent accuracy with metal mounts/tripods - 📱 Font size too small for comfortable reading - 🎯 Center dot in reticle obscures precise alignment - 📍 Limited effectiveness for southern hemisphere (Sigma Octantis is dim) - ❓ Steep learning curve for beginners without proper guidance - 🔴 Red color not bold enough for visibility - 📺 Lacks comprehensive video tutorials - ⏰ Time/date dial misalignment reported - 📢 Ad button could be smaller/less intrusive - 🌐 Reliance on cell tower location data can be inaccurate **Commonly reported bugs** - Date and time dial do not match correctly - GMT and LST times appear to be switched - App crashes or fails to initialize for some users - Alignment accuracy varies inconsistently between sessions - Location detection issues with cell tower vs GPS - Reticle display not rendering properly in some cases **Most requested features** - Online video tutorials demonstrating all features - Remove or reduce center dot size in reticle - Larger, bolder font options for better readability - Brighter star options for southern hemisphere alignment - Smaller ad button or ad customization - Better beginner onboarding and instructions - More robust alternative alignment methods for southern hemisphere ## Newest reviews (17 of 170) ### 4/5 — Polar Scope Align *2026-03-15, version 6.9* Buona app, funziona bene e non ho avuto nessun tipo di problema ### 5/5 — Excelente! *2025-02-28, version 6.8* gracias ### 5/5 — Perfect app *2024-10-26, version 6.8* Using and loving the app, always there when i need it. Thanks ### 5/5 — Date and time dial do not match *2024-10-22* App is excellent. It’s pretty obvious the developer gave this careful thought and thought of everything that would be involved in developing the polar application. I would give more than 4 stars if that was available. — Tom **Developer response:** Hello. Sorry for the trouble, but are you sure you read the reticle-specific instructions as suggested when you first go to the settings screen? The part of interest is "Note that you should use your local time zone (as long as it is not more than 15 degrees from your location) minus daylight savings". If you don't subtract DST (or your location is farther from the meridian) you would get one month earlier, which seems to be exactly what you describe. The general idea of the app is that it saves you from having to figure out these things, you just duplicate what you see on the screen. If you still have a problem, there is a contact page on the app website, write me and I can help you further as I don't get any notification from reviews. ### 5/5 — A simple handy tool *2024-09-21* Focused & straightforward, it’s such a handy little Astro tool ### 5/5 — Très pratique ! *2024-06-24* Cool ### 4/5 — A very useful app for a new astrophotographer *2024-06-13* This app is super simple and easy to use for showing me where to set the polar alignment on my SkyGyider Pro. My only improvement suggestion would be to remove the dot in the centre of the cross so it’s easier to judge a more accurate position. The dot is too large and gets in the way. ### 5/5 — Amazed it has my 1989 Meade LX6 9x60 Polar Alignment Scope reticle! *2024-05-30* I recently took a chance on a dusty dirty 10” Meade LX6 (f/6.3). It works! It came with the Meade 9x60 Polar Alignment Scope. I was amazed to see it available as one of the reticle options in this app! I look forward to exploring this app and am sure I will upgrade to PRO version very soon. Thanks for your development efforts! ### 5/5 — Polarscope app *2024-05-06* Invaluable and well thought out. An easy five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ### 5/5 — Exactly what I was looking for *2024-05-02* I am pushing the limits of my Skywatcher Star Adventurer GTI shooting unguided with a 600mm telephoto lens, so I needed the most precise polar alignment possible. This app came through and helped me reduce my PA error over what was possible with Synscan Pro. Many thanks. ### 4/5 — Celestron CG-4 Polar Axis Finder *2024-04-25* Works as described for polar alignment of the Nexstar 130 SLT ### 5/5 — Awesome App *2024-04-18* The free version is awesome. I’ve been using it for years. I’m going to get the pro version partly as a way of expressing my gratitude to the developer, and partly to get one of the pro features. Really grateful for this app. Thank you to the developer!! (I believe this app would be even more widely used if there was a good online video demonstrating all the features.) ### 5/5 — Great for astrophotography and eclipse prediction! *2024-04-09* I have been using this app whenever I’ve been doing astrophotography sessions with my Star Adventurer. With the new eclipse simulation tool it was also a great aid to planning a family eclipse 2024 road trip! Thanks! ### 5/5 — Polar alignment *2024-04-06, version 6.7* Easy to use, clear instructions. ### 5/5 — Great help when polar aligning *2024-02-18* This app is very easy and straightforward. When you begin your polar alignment just open the app and it tells you, based on your latitude and time of day, where Polaris needs to be in the reticule. Just that simple. ### 5/5 — Makes Alignment Less Daunting *2024-01-13* Polar alignment used to be the bane of my life and I’d often skip viewing as I dreaded it so much. Since being recommended this app it’s not only made the whole process much easier, it’s also given me a better insight into the workings of my mount, so much so that the app has become a reference tool to double check my alignment rather than being the guiding principle. I still use it every time I align. The display is clear and concise, every function explained and the instructions are way to understand and follow. ### 5/5 — Polaris *2023-12-27* Tout simplement indispensable pour positionner parfaitement l étoile polaire Top Philippe ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Assurdo *2024-10-17, version 6.8* La pubblicità compare proprio sul basso dove ci sono i comandi principali (3 puntini) per attivarla… praticamente inutilizzabile ### 1/5 — No instructions, no idea how to start it *2024-02-04, version 6.5* Unusable. Can’t find a way to make it work. Downloaded the app. Set to southern hemisphere and it shows me a fixed drawing of sigma octantis. That is it. ### 1/5 — Worthless for beginner *2023-05-30, version 6.4* Worthless to a beginner ### 1/5 — eye-squinting app advertisement at the bottom? *2021-10-05, version 6.1* Where’s the setting to remove eye-squinting app advertisement at the bottom? ### 1/5 — Manual Location only in "Pro"? *2021-06-08* Such nonsense does not seem very "Pro" to me.. **Developer response:** - This is the only free app of its kind and already it has some features that no other app offers. - It includes everything a standard polar alignment app has without any annoying popups etc. In fact, even some paid polar alignment apps do not offer manual location, as it's not commonly needed. - The "Pro" version of course doesn't just offer a manual location (which is not a simple feature, as it can access offline/online location searches, maps etc - no other app has that), most people gladly upgrade to it because of all the other tools it offers. You could have at least offered some more insightful comments about why you would give a free app a single star apart from just being entitled and complaining that you don't want to pay anything for a specific feature. I may be missing some cultural difference - the German app store has the lowest rating for the free app with people complaining either that it is not in German, or that the ads are distracting and now this. I mean no offence, I am genuinely curious so perhaps somebody care explain, is it common in German culture get upset if you don't get everything you want (at least for free)? in the app store for other countries I see people maybe downgrade by 1 star if they have such a complaint (or not downgrade at all if it is something nobody else offers anyway - just a "oh, I wish it had this"), but giving 1 or 2 stars seems quite extreme. ### 1/5 — thumbs down for southern hemisphere *2019-11-18* fairly useless for southern hemisphere. need a way to use brighter stars than octans **Developer response:** Hmm, a quite harsh review for a free app, given the fact that I have worked with users down under to help them get the most of their equipment and they tell me they are grateful for the help, even though mount manufacturers tend to not care about them (hence being limited to using octans at best). But you have to live up to your user name I guess ;) ### 1/5 — Takahashi 90S *2015-08-24* Please support old Takahashi 90S which has 2015 pattern. I think so many people have this old staff. **Developer response:** This has been supported for quite a while now. I always add reticles that are requested, you can use the contact form instead of leaving a review which I might not see - and is also rather unfair ;) ### 1/5 — Whoops *2015-08-17, version 1.6* Uninstalled; didn't work for me. ### 2/5 — Can’t use *2024-06-07, version 6.8* Ad displays at the bottom of the screen and covers the controls, so app is unusable for intended purpose ### 2/5 — Font too small.. *2020-09-03, version 5.2* the font is so small that it is hard to use.. plus the specific color red, while necessary for this purpose.. needs to be bold . At least making the latitude font much larger and bold with be helpful to align North Star. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — A nice app *2026-07-17* A very convenient app, I’d recommend it to any astrophotographer. ### 5/5 — Skywatcher star adventure *2026-06-01, version 6.9* GTI goto e propirtdc ### 5/5 — Great app for polar alignment! *2026-04-29* This app is doing what it is intended for and in addition explains a lot of useful information, tips and tricks around the alignment process. Recommended! 👍 ### 5/5 — Gracias *2026-03-13, version 6.9* Personas en las calles ### 5/5 — Parfait ! *2026-01-10* Utilisée avec une monture iOptron SkyGuider Pro, cette application fait de l’alignement polaire est un jeu d’enfant ! ### 5/5 — Cool *2025-10-08, version 6.9* Cool ### 5/5 — Amazing Reticle Options *2025-08-30* This is one of the few apps I’ve found that has a ton of options for reticles. Has all the mounts you can think of. Free version is phenomenal and you should consider supporting the devs! ### 5/5 — Fantastic *2025-07-29, version 6.9* Extremely User Friendly ### 5/5 — Awesome *2025-07-22, version 6.9* Great for older scopes! ### 5/5 — Well made *2025-05-01, version 6.8* Perfect for beginners --- *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 2026-08-24.*