How We Test

Devices

Every product is used on two phones: a mid-range Android handset a few years old, and a current iPhone. The older Android device is deliberate — an app that only behaves on flagship hardware is not an app that behaves for most people.

What we check on every product

Installation size and what it grows to after a week of use. What the free tier blocks, tested by hitting the limit rather than reading about it. Which permissions are requested and which of them the product genuinely needs. Behaviour with no connection. Battery cost during normal use. What the paid tier changes, bought and used rather than described.

The five criteria

Core function — does it do its main job well and better than the alternatives. Ease of use — how long until a new user is productive, and what gets in the way. Monetisation — what the free tier really allows and whether the paid tier is priced honestly. Performance — speed, stability, storage and battery on both devices. Privacy and permissions — what is collected, what leaves the device, and whether anything is excessive for the job.

For games, ease of use becomes controls and core function splits into gameplay and replay value.

Weighting

The headline score is the average of the five, and each one appears on the page with its own number and a sentence explaining it. We publish the parts rather than only the total so that a score you disagree with can be argued with precisely.

When a review is updated

Whenever something material changes: a price, a free-tier limit, a removed feature, a redesign. Beyond that, any review untouched for six months goes into a revision queue. The date on the page is the date of the last real check, never a cosmetic edit.

What we do not do

We do not host installation files. We do not accept payment for coverage or position. We do not publish a review without a named reviewer and a date. We do not review products that are not distributed through the official app stores.