Nature's Notebook 4+

This app is generally useful and easy to use but is some steps away from being great. I had no trouble setting it up, and I like that observations are logged using straightforward Y/N questions. However, like another reviewer from 1 year ago, I can’t see my comments as I’m typing them and it locks me in the keyboard. To get back to the observation, I have to click a response to one of the questions that are visible. Then I can see the comment. As with entering the comment initially, to edit the comment, I have to blindly backspace over it and retype (carefully) without seeing it. Seems like this should be fixed by now if someone noted the problem a year ago. Also, the app frequently crashes. I’m tracking five plants, and the app usually crashes at least twice before I get the five observations entered. Finally, the calendar shows I entered observations on a date that I did not and says there are no observations when I open that date. There shouldn’t be a green check mark on that date in the calendar. For reference, I’m on an iPhone 13 Pro, iOS 18.3.1.

Setting up an account is very much like doing taxes. I stopped when I found myself tempted to tap ok just because there was no way to back out. Like partnering with organizations I never heard of. Now I remember why I didn't get involved years ago.

I am a Nature's Notebook observer and I have been on the staff for many years, but never used our mobile app in the past because I did not trust the technology. I learned as a young scientist to ALWAYS make and keep a hard copy of your data in case the digital version vanished in a computer glitch, so I have used paper data sheets and subsequently entered the data online all this time. This updated version of the app not only is easier to use, but it also allows you to review the data you just entered and verify that is has synced with the database. I was cautious the first few times, but now I have abandoned my paper and pencil method for good!