# Reimagining the Examen

> Guided Ignatian Examen prayer app for daily reflection and spiritual growth. (iPhone/iPad app by Loyola Press.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reimagining-the-examen/id1065042173 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Loyola Press](https://appshunter.io/developer/323368408)
- Category: Books, Utilities
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.34/5 from 164 App Store ratings · 82 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 13.0 · 31 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2016-02-16
- Data updated: 2026-06-29
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reimagining-the-examen/id1065042173/reviews.md

## What is Reimagining the Examen?

Reimagining the Examen offers a unique prayer experience that’s tailored to your needs and mood. Each Examen, based on St. Ignatius’s 500-year-old prayer, guides you through a stimulating reflection on your day, helping you invite God into your nitty-gritty. Choose an Examen that matches your current state of being, or pray that day’s scheduled reflection.
 
Reimagining the Examen, created by Loyola Press, is based on Mark Thibodeaux, SJ’s best-selling book, “Reimagining the Ignatian Examen,” which offers flexible and adaptable versions of the Examen. Begin the app experience today to invite grace, gratitude, and insight into your daily life.

What is the Examen? 
St. Ignatius of Loyola created the Examen to be a very short prayer that can be prayed at any time. In the Examen, we review our recent past to find God and his blessings in our daily life. Ignatius would say that the Examen should be the most important moment of our day, because this moment affects every other moment.

How Do I Pray the Examen?
There are five simple steps to the Examen, which this app leads you through:

1. Relish the moments that went well and all of the gifts you have today.
2. Request that the Spirit lead you through your review of the day.
3. Review your day.
4. Repent of any mistakes or failures.
5. Resolve, in concrete ways, to live tomorrow well.

## Key features

- Guided daily reflection
- Tailored prayer experiences
- Based on St. Ignatius's Examen
- Adaptable prayer versions
- Invites grace and gratitude

## What do users think of Reimagining the Examen?

Overall sentiment: mixed

**Pros**

- 🙏 Excellent prayer guidance and prompts
- 👍 User-friendly interface and elegant design
- 🎯 Variety of examen options to choose from
- 📱 Accessible and convenient for daily use
- 🎵 Background music and ambient sounds
- ✨ Helps deepen spiritual connection with God
- ⭐ Free app with no paywalls
- 🧘 Effective for meditation and reflection
- 📚 Well-structured step-by-step guidance

**Cons**

- 🐛 Screen freezes and app locks up
- 🔋 Significant battery drain
- 📵 Audio/music functionality broken or missing
- 🔄 App resets when phone locks or autolocks
- 💔 Recent update removed beloved features
- 🎨 Bright background difficult for nighttime use
- 🔤 Font size too small despite settings
- ⚙️ Unresponsive selection and navigation
- 🔊 Sound control unintuitive and buggy
- ⚠️ Male-only pronouns for God
- 🎮 Streak counter feels like punishment

**Commonly reported bugs**

- App freezes and becomes unresponsive
- Music/audio not playing despite settings enabled
- App advances to new examen when phone locks
- Cannot return to previous examen after interruption
- Battery drains rapidly even when closed
- Music plays continuously even after app closes
- Sound control toggle doesn't work properly
- Screen timeout too short during reflection
- Text difficult to read on blue background
- Selection buttons unresponsive to taps
- Incompatible with certain iPhone models
- App doesn't record completed examens

**Most requested features**

- Dark mode or night mode for evening use
- Random examen selection feature restoration
- Background music option restoration
- App stays open during phone autolock
- Timer for each section of examen
- Lock-in preferred examen option
- Narration/voiceover for hands-free experience
- Mood or feelings tracking chart
- Completion tracking without streak counter
- Inclusive language for God pronouns
- Ability to use personal music instead of preloaded
- Categorization/sorting of examens by topic
- Android version availability
- Multiple language support
- Ability to resume interrupted examen

## Recent user reviews (10 of 82)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reimagining-the-examen/id1065042173/reviews.md

### 4/5 — Eminently useful content; slightly less useful after the update.

*2026-01-19*

Before the update (last year?) this was a very favorite prayer app and I recommended it to many people and used it often. It appreciated the elegant simplicity of design & clarity of communication with each page being different steps in examine. I *really* liked that it would randomly select a new examen each time I opened the app. I very much miss that functionality. I love having the contents available to me, but use the app less this year than I did before the update.

### 4/5 — What if

*2025-12-20, version 2.0*

I wondered if it would be helpful in the context of this as to include a mood or feelings tracking chart option.

### 3/5 — Turn off the counter

*2025-10-23, version 2.0*

It’s okay but why the counter?  It’s like being punished if we miss a day.  The exams don’t always apply but I can skip to another.

### 3/5 — Liked the old version

*2025-08-26*

It had been awhile since I had used the app and I am not a fan of the new version. The cosmic screen is distracting as well as the word selection.  If someone is being so selective put it at the bottom of the screen.  It just has seemed to of lost its depth maybe because they are trying to reach too many folks.  Offering a new app to target the new users maybe would have been better.  I don’t think I’ll continue with it in this new forum. At the minimum I wish you had options to change screens etc.

### 5/5 — Absolutely Fantastic!

*2025-07-04, version 2.0*

This helps me so much prompt what helps discernment. On my own as a new learner it is hard to know what to do. This has great prompts and variety!! Absolutely Fantastic App!! Thank you!

### 5/5 — Simple but effective!

*2025-06-09*

Fulfils exactly what I was searching for: a simple daily examen based on Catholic teachings. The app guides you enough that you don’t have to worry about the structure of the examen, but not so much that it interrupts you from your reflection. I also love the variety and how you can choose an examen that suits whatever the Lord puts on your heart for that day. 

A good way to start if you have an Apple watch is sit in a favourite chair, use the 60 second breath mode on your watch to put you in the zone, then do the examen.

Great job to the developer for providing this all for free!

### 3/5 — Days done

*2025-03-06, version 2.0*

The app doesn’t seem to record when I have completed a day’s Examen.

### 3/5 — Love it - but it has changed

*2024-12-01*

Great resource and perfect for someone who is just starting with the Examen! I love this app and used to use it all the time. Recently though, the format has changed and the background music (which I loved), is no longer part of the app. Would love it if this feature was brought back!

### 4/5 — What happened to the music?

*2024-11-09, version 2.0*

Did the new update eliminate the music? Or am I just missing it?

### 5/5 — Excellent

*2024-10-19, version 2.0*

Only on day 3 but finding this exceptionally good to really see myself and to experience God’s healing.

## Frequently asked questions about Reimagining the Examen

### What is Reimagining the Examen?

Reimagining the Examen is a mobile application that offers a guided prayer experience based on St. Ignatius's 500-year-old Examen practice. It helps users reflect on their day, inviting grace, gratitude, and insight through adaptable prayer sessions.

### How does the Examen prayer work in this app?

The app guides users through the five simple steps of the Examen: relishing good moments, requesting spiritual guidance, reviewing the day, repenting of mistakes, and resolving to live the next day well. Users can choose a reflection that matches their current mood or follow the scheduled daily reflection.

### Is this app free to use?

Yes, the application is available for free. There are no in-app purchases or advertisements mentioned, indicating a completely free user experience.

### What is the Examen prayer based on?

The Examen prayer in this app is based on St. Ignatius of Loyola's ancient practice, adapted from Mark Thibodeaux, SJ’s best-selling book, “Reimagining the Ignatian Examen.” It offers flexible and adaptable versions of this traditional prayer.

### Who is this app designed for?

This app is designed for individuals who want to incorporate a structured yet adaptable daily prayer and reflection into their lives. It is particularly beneficial for those interested in Ignatian spirituality and seeking to invite more grace, gratitude, and insight into their daily experiences.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.0 — 2024-06-24

A fresh new look and improved functionality!

### 1.23 — 2023-06-07

+ 6 new music tracks!
+ Music now plays in the background!
+ Keeps the app open when phone is dimmed or locked
+ Keeps the examen of the day when the app is restarted

### 1.22 — 2018-03-05

This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon.

This version (1.22) contains updated audio settings and enhanced display for iOS 11.

### 1.09 — 2016-04-25

This version updates and enhances the background music/sound and audio settings.

### 1.04 — 2016-02-16

No release notes.

## Apps similar to Reimagining the Examen

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Jesus Calling Devotional](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jesus-calling-devotional/id444553118) | 4.9 (55,325) | Free | Books |
| [Give Us This Day](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/give-us-this-day/id904908265) | 3.5 (84) | Free | Books |
| [Meditations Daily Devotional](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meditations-daily-devotional/id813756034) | 4.5 (20) | Free | Books |
| [Magnificat English Editions](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magnificat-english-editions/id363526415) | 4.4 (829) | Free | Books |
| [500 Life-studies](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/500-life-studies/id6444869330) | 4.8 (117) | Free | Books |
| [Sacred Space Daily Prayer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sacred-space-daily-prayer/id1050192048) | 4.8 (874) | Free | Books |

## More apps by Loyola Press

- [3-Minute Retreat](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/3-minute-retreat/id323368405)
- [ECL](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ecl/id1224742682)
- [Redescubrir el Examen](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/redescubrir-el-examen/id1290389074)
- [LCE español](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lce-espanol/id1381457239)
- [Wanderlight](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wanderlight/id1524809529)

All apps by Loyola Press: https://appshunter.io/developer/323368408

## Related topics

[examen](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/examen) · [reimagining the examen](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/reimagining-the-examen) · [reimagine the examen](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/reimagine-the-examen) · [ignatian examen](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ignatian-examen) · [examine](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/examine) · [loyola press](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/loyola-press) · [center for action and contemplation](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/center-for-action-and-contemplation) · [jesuit](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/jesuit) · [jesuitprayer](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/jesuitprayer) · [jesuits](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/jesuits) · [cloisters ignatian prayer](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/cloisters-ignatian-prayer) · [doctrinal mastery plus](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/doctrinal-mastery-plus) · [JusSuit](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/jussuit) · [centering prayer](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/centering-prayer) · [ignatius press](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ignatius-press) · [ohridski prolog 2](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ohridski-prolog-2) · [blessed sacrament huguenot](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/blessed-sacrament-huguenot)

---

*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 2026-06-29.*