Bento: Calm Focus Timer

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1. ★★★★★subscription and paid restrictions

   Paid for this now it requires a subscription. I don’t want a subscription just make me pay 20 dollars to have it forever! Considering I already paid for it I think that’s a reasonable request!!!

2. ★★★★★subscription and paid restrictions

   Changed to subscription, yuck. I am pretty sure I got this app a long time ago and had features that are now locked behind subscription! It was so simple and perfect before now it’s just a countdown timer with a lot of pop ups in the UI for me to subscribe. I am sure I used to be able to change the background to the other Japanese aesthetic stuff, now I’m just annoyed

3. ★★★★★negative experience without a specific reason· unspecific

   No good now. This app used to be good and then they completely changed it and made it about focus rather than breaking down tasks. Not able to use anymore.

4. ★★★★★negative experience without a specific reason· unspecific

   Big letdown. The small medium and big goal system felt like a breath of fresh air. I loved the app and style of bento. It’s been years and I was hoping for updates but we never got it. While still watching your YouTube I kept wondering why did you let go of the development of such a neat methodology that I started using in Notion by finding your templates. But why? And what for? To redesign an app into making a timer? Like we don’t have any timer apps by this time? If you really want to make something meaningful by helping us being productive. You already made the biggest work by creating the system, just give us the updated and polished version of it. We didn’t even really had a chance to dive deep and enjoy it. But maybe you will think about it?

5. ★★★★★negative experience without a specific reason· unspecific

   Another redesign hater. The redesign has essentially made the app unusable. It’s incredibly sad. I feel its original simple design was one of its strongest features. So many apps have enough features that you can spend the whole time you were meant to be working on something just fidgeting with it. Bento used to be different. But now it’s most basic feature is behind a pay wall and there’s a million flashing tools and pop ups and other typical distractions that led me to delete other apps. I know I’m not alone in feeling this way so I hope there is a way to integrate what your user base wants and what you guys have already worked so hard on. It feels a little like other reviewers with similar feelings aren’t being heard or at least there’s not a lot the team seems willing or able to do in response. Nevertheless I thought I’d add another dissent to the pile and hope that compromise is out there.

6. ★★★★★subscription and paid restrictions

   SUCH A LET DOWN. im so sad right now, I LOVED this app for my to do lists! I remember I PAID to be able the features on this app, I’m unable to use any of them because you guys want to charge monthly for them now? So everyone who’s already paid for this app got scammed out of their money. Such a disappointment…

7. ★★★★★subscription and paid restrictions

   ADHD friendly but like. In a fake way.. Ironically in their quest with this update to make it more adhd friendly it’s actually too overwhelming for me to use now. I do not need 30 AI features and suggestions and statistics as soon as I open an app where I could previously just set up my next couple of tasks and get on with it. There are too many doohickies and pages to navigate and eveytime I try to input something I get told I should pay for a subscription. And judging by all the other reviews their previous supporters feel the same way- It feels almost tone deaf. Y’all shoulda just made a different app and left this one alone instead of virtue signaling tbh.

8. ★★★★★subscription and paid restrictions

   Subscriptions are not “the future”. Barely anything is worth a subscription these days, let alone yet another man trying to also sell you paid productivity courses. There’s great free options for both out there. And Francesco if you’re reading this don’t reply with your email and and “exclusive discount” or whatever. You had a cool idea, but subscription apps and subscription “courses” are just like all the rest. Not worth.

9. ★★★★★subscription and paid restrictions

   Paid app + Subscription. I paid $5 for this app, now you want me want me to also pay you for a subscription FOR THE FEATURES I HAD ALREADY PAID FOR?!?!?! The focus boxes were my favorite part which is why i was willing to pay for it. Now you want me to pay MONTHLY for what I already paid for. Greedy Scammers!!!

10. ★★★★★negative experience without a specific reason· unspecific

    It will be charged again; the previous money was spent in vain;. The previous functions are not allowed to be used, and they have to be charged again.I think it‘s very unfriendly; the previous functions were bought by others, how can they be withdrawn and charged again?

11. ★★★★★subscription and paid restrictions

    New update = new paywall to people already paid. I paid to download this app and it came with features like choices in work background. Now that option is now behind another paywall with the most recent update. Feeling betrayed

12. ★★★★★negative experience without a specific reason· unspecific

    Don't be fooled.. This app is not as special as the photos and descriptions say. Look into the app "Time wave" instead.

13. ★★★★★negative experience without a specific reason· unspecific

    Had high hopes... Not practical.. I've used the app maybe once since purchasing it over a year ago. Just not practical. Things or Ticktick are just more worth it.

14. ★★★★★subscription and paid restrictions

    timer resets randomly. I love the concept of this app, but the timer resets on my frequently for no reason. I will have started a task let’s say with 90 minutes. Fifteen minutes in I’ll notice that the timer is back up to 89:59. I’m annoyed that I paid so much for a timer that doesn’t even work.

15. ★★★★★negative experience without a specific reason· unspecific

    Poorly Designed. Not user friendly. Overpriced.. This application purported to help improve the quality of work that I do over the quantity of work that I do. While it “may” be possible to split up your workflow into three-part chunks that would fit into the structure of this method, You will need to leave the application running and check off each item as you do it. There is no automation save timers. That’s it. Timers. And art and sounds. Support articles reference Brian Tracey. Or not, Brian Tracey, if you can’t do your most significant task first. For eight dollars. Yep. 7.99. That’s poorly priced for pre-existing info. I’m getting my money back. This application is not worth eight dollars to me. I could buy a journal and pen set for eight dollars. A nice one. It would do the same job.

16. ★★★★★negative experience without a specific reason· unspecific

    Instructions Not Included. Perhaps this is a fabulous app for those familiar with the concepts of the “Bento theory”, or whatever they are basing this on. I know what a bento box is regarding food, but know nothing beyond that. I’m lost on how this app is supposed to help. I can enter a task in, but are they supposed to be related, subtracts off the largest task, or in their opinion, does it not matter? If this app is just here, enter three tasks, one small, one medium and one large, then this is a very unnecessary app and a waste of$6. If there is something more to the theory, please direct me to where I can learn more about how this is supposed to function and help, because I’m not seeing it. Save your pennies.

17. ★★★★★subscription and paid restrictions

    Absolute Waste of Money. I am very disappointed with the app. It did not help me at all. I’ve only used it once and it left me dissatisfied. I deleted the app after using it once and requested a refund but they didn’t even budge. I’ve wasted $6 on this piece of junk that they refuse to refund.

18. ★★★★★slow performance and long loading times

    Freezing and Battery Drain. Freezing ❄️🧊 - When I try to edit time of task - when I press return or enter on keyboard - When I try to change size of an individual task where it shows the bento box sizes This app drains my battery horribly 🔋 iPhone 11 Pro Max

19. ★★★★★negative experience without a specific reason· unspecific

    💀💀💀💀💀🦨🦨🦨🦨🦨👎👎👎👎👎Needs Fixing. 💢App locks up upon 1st use & starts to drain battery 🔋> 🪫 real fast.

20. ★★★★★subscription and paid restrictions

    It freezes…a lot. After paying $5.99 for this app, I wish I had more to review. The app freezes up a lot and I haven’t been able to customize it or use it as intended.

21. ★★★★★subscription and paid restrictions

    Used to be great. This used to be great. Then they moved to a subscription model and added a lot of distracting stuff. The app used to be good because of its simplicity. Now it became cluttered. I don’t need it to suggest that I drink green tea. I guess I’m back with the Forest app.

22. ★★★★★subscription and paid restrictions

    Beautiful app, major flaw. UPDATE: So the developer responded to my comment citing a new experience and I got around to checking it out, the app looks cool but I paid for it already and now I’m on a “free” plan and they want an additional subscription. Incredibly frustrating that as an early adopter I now am expected to hand over more money. Honestly in a world where subscription this and that is taking over the simplicity of the original apps pay once and enjoy the serenity of the app while getting things done was so relieving, disappointed to say the least. Original review: I love this app and the methodology. The graphics are great, the idea is awesome and I thoroughly enjoy it. The problem is that it runs in the background constantly for absolutely no reason, so it’s using way more battery than it should be, and there’s no option to toggle background app refresh or any other settings because notifications on or off. I want to keep it and use it but I want my phone to have a normal amount of battery, as of now I haven’t decided but I’ll probably have to delete it unless an update is pushed through that fixes this issue.

23. ★★★★★subscription and paid restrictions

    Not the same. New upgrades are very disappointing. I just want the app I already paid for that worked perfectly for me. Your whole selling point at the beginning was simplicity and avoiding overwhelm. All you did was add complexity.

24. ★★★★★negative experience without a specific reason· unspecific

    Amazing App - helps get things done!. It’s okay. But doesn’t really help me get things done. No Mac version and very limited. And most recent update was 1 year ago!?!?!!!

25. ★★★★★negative experience without a specific reason· unspecific

    Lack of Updates. Feels half-finished.. If you were like me looking at ways to boost productivity and saw the bento methodology, avoid this app. Although it may seem a nice way to get into the method and all at first, the app itself is so lackluster in quality compared to others on the market. Firstly, there are no updates to the app for live activities, or any additional maintenance. Its not a big deal, but many other similar apps have some form of this which is helpful. Secondly, half the time the timer for some reason will stop running. Its very annoying. And lastly, the app just lacks some features such as saving typical tasks instead of resetting everything, and for some reason you can put any amount of time for a small, medium, or large task. Yes, you can make a small task an hour and a large one 20 minutes. Its not a big deal, but when your app rides on this whole bento methodology this sort of thing just makes the app feel half made.

26. ★★★★★negative experience without a specific reason· unspecific

    Not really worth the money.. Honestly, it’s a pretty notes app. That’s it. There’s nothing really anything special. Once you finish a checklist it simply throws some confetti on your screen and doesn’t even delete the task box for you. I wish this app did more! Just so basic.

27. ★★★★★a needed feature is missing

    Task Manager with NO PRESENCE.. You just need to open the app everytime you need an update or check the task or timer. Obvios things like: WIDGETS, new OS16 lock screen customization, and BASIC NOTIFICATIONS are absent! Beautiful app but USELESS.

28. ★★★★★subscription and paid restrictions

    Annoyed I Paid. I’m annoyed I paid money for this app. It’s beautiful and it does what it says it does, but just barely. There’s only one music option for the countdown timer which is literally what you spend the entire app using. So if I plan out a half hour session, an hour session, and a 90 minute session for my day, then I’m spending three hours listening to the same 20 or so measures looping over and over. Like would it be that hard to just offer four or six different music options? It also doesn’t give any guidance on how to plan, I know it’s supposed to be simple but simple doesn’t have to mean lacking important guidelines. And I don’t understand the names of the different time plans. “Eat that frog?” What does that mean. I don’t want to think about eating frogs for 90 minutes. Esotericism is annoying and unfriendly.

29. ★★★★★negative experience without a specific reason· unspecific

    Basic app with attractive name. Well to make it short this is a timer with music. it is very basic and has nothing special at all. the main idea is to split a task into 3 portions SML and thats it. the price is soo high for such an app.

30. ★★★★★negative experience without a specific reason· unspecific

    beautiful app; not functional. this app is stunning and the goals it sets out to meet are exactly the ones I need. each time I name a task, though, the app freezes and I have to relaunch it. I also can't change the duration of any of the tasks. I want to love this app, but it's unusable for me in its current state