# Starling Bikes — user reviews > 53 indexed App Store user reviews of Starling Bikes by Beryl, rated 3.70/5 from 3 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starling-bikes/id6475349536/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/starling-bikes/id6475349536.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 2 · 4★ 0 · 3★ 0 · 2★ 0 · 1★ 1 ## Newest reviews (16 of 53) ### 1/5 — customer service scott in particular is more horrible than the bikes itself *2026-03-13* got their electric bike, died on me within few mins, switched to another one, worked great until i had to pause and unpause, had to contact customer service, who ended the ride, told me to unlock a gain in few minutes, said will refund me for minutes. asked about refunding unlock fee for faulty bike, said no and then for no reason became super mean. said its my fault and no refund for unlock fee, choose to walk than pay to unlock the bike again to finish my journey. worst customer service ever received. don't trust they will refund me for the ride they ended because of bike fault. just take uber, atleast their customer service wont dismiss you. ### 1/5 — Serious Question *2026-03-03* Do you collect data on how many times customers unsuccessfully try to unlock bikes? Surely you must, in which case you must know how inconsistent the bike ranks are. I can confidently say that of the times I’ve tried to use your bikes they haven’t unlocked more than 50% of the time. There’s a bike by my house that has literally been there for at least a month 😂. There’s clearly so little care and thought put into this and it’s consistently an awful experience but damned if you do and damned if you don’t coz buses are also incredibly inconsistent. Truly awful service but so obvious no one cares. ### 1/5 — Bad service and even worst operational management *2026-02-04* I used this service as a more sustainable form of transport to university. Always tried to have a positive impact by reporting damage or issues. However, they blocked my account due to suspicious activity and won’t investigate it. I had evidence that I done nothing wrong and they still chose to ignore me. These bikes get abused by the Manchester youth and management do not care about this. Terrible service that causes you more stress than driving a car during rush hour. ### 1/5 — Took my money *2026-01-30, version 2.61.0* I bought a bike and I took £12.30 of me ### 1/5 — Terrible bikes that always have issues *2026-01-22* These bikes are a nightmare. Half the time you go to use them, they either aren’t available, say they’re unlocked but won’t ride properly, or won’t lock when you’ve finished riding them. When you finish riding the bike, if it won’t lock properly, they give you a minute timer before charging you £10-£20 without any consultation. Avoid using these bikes as best you can ### 1/5 — £10 fines *2025-12-04, version 2.59.0* Every time you drop a bike you will need to take 3 pictures, front wheel , back wheel locked and the bike clearly in a docking station with the bike reg. they will charge you if you cannot provide evidence you did this and it happens about 25% of the time. ### 1/5 — Rubbish *2025-11-30, version 2.59.0* Endless bizarre card and unlock fees terrible maintenance and a locking system designed by primary school children. May aswell get an uber when all the costs have added up ### 1/5 — Useless design *2025-11-01* The design of this bike system is the worst maintained and most over complicated I have ever seen. Half of the bikes I have tried to use in Manchester do not work and about half of the docking bays when returning them are broken. The value exchange between using this system is therefore massively detractive. Why you need a ludicrously engineered front and back locking system I do not know. A company as innovative as Starling Bank should really have thought twice about being associated with an appallingly designed solution. ### 1/5 — !!!WATCH OUT FOR THE Out of zone charge ££££ *2025-10-11* Be very careful be aware of the Out of zone charge make sure you’re staying in map on the app otherwise you will be charged extra. for a 24 minute bike ride cost me £26 because the app didn’t say their will be added charges for going OUT OF ZONE think their should be a warning tbh ### 1/5 — Manchester Bikes *2025-10-01, version 2.55.0* I actually like riding these bikes, they're well designed. The issue with this app is actually getting a bike to ride. Maybe 29/30 of the bikes I've tried in the past week do not work - be it normal or electric (Manchester). When I use them as a time saving mechanism, this ruins it obviously. No more ### 1/5 — Bikes are dysfunctional *2025-08-31* First bikes parked don’t all unlock so you end up having to guess which bike is available. We eventually go to some bikes to unlock we tried at total of 3 bikes and none of them worked properly - wheel was stuck, chain loose, pedals not turning. Will never try again after trying once. ### 1/5 — Awful *2025-08-01, version 2.49.4* Don’t bother with this app it’s a complete waste of time. Line scooters are way better and actually work consistently. ### 1/5 — Poor service *2025-06-04* Poor service I do not recommend using this service if you have anywhere to go just uber it because they will over charge you for a problem their service causes so be very careful as a trip can go from 5 to 15 pounds very quickly ### 1/5 — Great idea if they actually unlocked *2025-04-29, version 2.46.0* 1 in 20 work. Absolute load of cow pat. Waste of metal. ### 1/5 — SCAMMERS - PROFIT OF CHARGING FEES *2025-04-04, version 2.44.0* 1. Bike locks are broken. They dont work properly, 1/5 bikes will only unlock as it should. 2. The app doesnt recognise that its been locked and swiftly charges you £30!! (Unlock fee) Despite being locked and parked in a bike stand. 3. The magnet lock on the front ALWAYS looks and feels locked, but its NOT! £10 charge added. Whats that, you have no picture proof that you locked it after leaving it secure but our system failed? Sorry no refunds! ### 1/5 — additional charges *2025-02-04* Twice now i've been charged £10 for 'not locking the bike' when i have done. it disincentivises me from using it again if they can't get this simple operation correct. they are fast to apply the charge and slow to take it off. not impressive be careful using and check the charge before leaving the bike, you'll need to take a photo ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — The worst experience *2026-08-14* As someone who takes bike shares and travels frequently, this was by far the worst one that I've ever experienced and the most complicated, with the worst user interface. From the beginning you download one app just for you to see, of course, whether there is a bike share near you in the first place. I figured I was in the city center by Piccadilly that there would be lots of options nearby me but you can't actually see if there are any bike shares until you put in your credit card information. That was strike number one. I put in my credit card information only to be told that I have to download another app to see where the bikes are. When you are traveling and in another country, data is usually at a premium. After spending a couple of minutes to download the first app just to put in my credit card information, I now have to spend another two or three minutes downloading another app just to see if there are bikes on the map. I then download the second app, which is the app that I'm commenting on now, only to find that it doesn't even geolocate you automatically to see if there are bikes nearby you. I see a map with what looks like hundreds of bike stations but I don't even know if any one of them is near me or where their distance is because it does not automatically geolocate me. I then click on "bikes near me" only for it to load and load and load and not move anywhere. Finally I just give up and call an Uber. ### 1/5 — Rubbish service, waste of time *2026-08-12* You are able to pick up 1 out of 7 bikes, and even that one you pick up is faulty 9/10.. aaand if you manage to can go somewhere either the stations don't work to leave you bike or the app doesn't pick it up... it's very poor service and there's no sign of improvements. Just wasting your time ### 1/5 — In a dire state *2026-07-20* I’ve been using Starling bikes for a while now, when they were known as Beryl Bikes. I’ve never seen them in this bad of a state as they are in now. For almost every ride I’m onto customer support because the bike doesn’t release but my journey is started, or a bike doesn’t lock properly. In the rare chance that a bike does unlock there’s a likely chance something is wrong with it, from non existent brakes, to broken chains and loose seats that can’t be tightened. The customer service however is excellent, really friendly people, but it’s massively overshadowed by the poor quality of the bikes. ### 1/5 — Very unreliable *2026-07-18* Good idea in theory but I’d say 70+% of the time I try to use the bikes the don’t work. The lock stations are not fit for purpose and don’t work. Pls start collecting data on how many people try to use and can’t because you really need to improve your service or Manchester Council need to revoke your license for someone who can provide the service efficiently ### 1/5 — Completely useless *2026-06-30* Installed app. Biking rack outside hotel. App says it isn’t. Scan bike. App says it’s not available. It’s right there! Down road, 2 bikes in rack. Also ‘not available’. I walk across town. Return journey, three bikes in rack, none scan. Next day, leaving hotel, rain approaching behind me. I’ll beat it to my show so long as one of these five bikes in the rack is actually useable. But of course not. 3 days in MCR, 11 bikes that won’t scan, 0 journeys competed. Manchesterism? I was considering using Starling Bank but not any more. ### 1/5 — An incredibly frustrating process *2026-04-14* With all the extra steps you have to unlock and lock the bike properly it ends up feel like it has take longer than just walking somewhere with significantly more stress. A great idea but somehow implemented so so poorly. ### 1/5 — Unreliable *2026-04-03* There clearly isn’t enough maintenance on the bikes/locks because you can go to a stop with multiple bikes and none will work. Yet the app will still tell the next person that the bikes are there, even after multiple people have failed to unlock them. ### 1/5 — The bikes never work *2026-03-23, version 2.62.0* Hardly any in old Trafford and when they are the contactless scanners have been smashed off, or they just don’t work. And why are there STILL no bikes in Levenshulme? It’s ridiculous. Overpriced too ### 1/5 — Hit and miss at best *2026-03-16, version 2.62.0* App requires a strong signal to work fast else you’ll be stood waiting for a bike quite a while even if it says you have 4G. It’s often quicker for me to tether off another phone, even if I have enough signal to operate other apps. ### 1/5 — Horrible customer service by Scott *2026-03-13, version 2.62.0* Had issues with my ride because of the app, contacted customer care, Scott was not only not helpful but also very hostile in helping. Didn’t get any help, delete the app, walking is a better option. ## Most praised reviews (7 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Nice one *2025-11-20, version 2.58.0* Nice oneeeee ### 5/5 — Good service *2024-07-31, version 2.32.1* Love the customer service and everything about the bike is great and excellent affordable prices.saved me from being late to my destination a lot of times ### 5/5 — Instruction for locking a bike should be clearer *2024-07-12* I absolutely love the app, makes travelling around Manchester very quick and easy, and the prices are relatively cheap. However, the instructions for locking a bike should include that you must put the bike in first gear to be able to lock the rear lock fully. This caused me to get fined a total of 30 pounds until I figured out that the rear lock wasn’t locking because it was in third gear. Beryl did refund me the whole 30 pounds though, which is why I give 5 stars. Amazing customer service. ### 5/5 — Always nice assistants *2024-06-19* Thank you for all the kindness shown by your staff every time there was a tiny problem or worry about a bike, nicely done you all xx ### 3/5 — Want it to be better *2025-01-20* I’d love to give the app more stars but the process needs improvement. I use the bikes every week and it’s 50/50 whether they unlock or not. Sometimes you try three in a row and they won’t work. ### 2/5 — Unlocks never work *2025-09-28, version 2.55.0* Bikes are great, especially the new electric ones. Only issue is most the time the bikes just don’t unlock from the docking station or aren’t available. Why are there so many bikes that you can’t unlock? ### 2/5 — Inconsistent app *2025-05-18, version 2.46.1* Compared with the seamless lime bike’s experience I have found using the Sterling bikes app to be glitzy and inconsistent. Bikes are fine, it’s just the initial getting started that could be a lot simpler and reliable. --- *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 2026-08-29.*