From managing finances to ordering food, there seems to be an app for everything nowadays. And it's fair to say that they're streamlining our lives in ways that would have been unimaginable to previous generations.
Or at least in most cases.
Because amidst all the convenience, there lies a persistent nuisance that makes some apps feel like they're more trouble than they're worth.
We're talking about bugs and glitches, those pesky errors that can turn a smooth experience into a super-frustrating temper tantrum.
So which apps are causing the most problems for users in 2024, and which are fulfilling their promise to make our lives an absolute breeze?
These questions inspired the latest study from the research team at Electronics Hub. It analyzed over 1.8 million (yes, 1.8 million!) Google Play reviews, then calculated the number of mentions of glitches and bugs for every 1,000 posted.
Then the team translated all the data into several charts showing the most and least buggy apps of 2024.
Let's take a look at the results.
The buggiest apps of 2024
With 325 mentions of bugs and glitches in every 1,000 Google Play reviews, the banking app Go Program Way2Go Card is officially the buggiest app of 2024.
And some of those reviews are absolutely brutal. "This is the worst app I have ever used in terms of crashing/bugs/glitching," reads one of the many one-star reviews. "You cannot log in at all, but the few times I can get it to log in, it IMMEDIATELY logs me out."
The least buggy apps of 2024
Online dating can be...a frustrating experience. Thankfully, those frustrations don't include annoying bugs and glitches — or at least not for those using FlirtMe and Once to find their perfect partner.
These two dating apps have the fewest mentions of bugs in Google Play reviews. FlirtMe had just 8.8 negative mentions per 1,000 reviews, while only 12.2 out of every 1,000 reviews for Once complained about annoying glitches.
The most and least buggiest social media apps
The designers of SendIt, the Q&A social media app, should give themselves a huge pat on the back. That's because their first-rate coding means users experience fewer bugs compared to all the other social media apps.
We can't say the same for the design team behind Amino. Sloppy coding means the app is riddled with bugs, making it practically unusable for thousands of paying customers. "Super ANNOYING," reads one review. "It always gives me a server error, and the only way I can get past it is by uninstalling the app and reinstalling it over and over again." Not exactly a great user experience.
Glitch rates in shopping apps
After analyzing data from over 1.8 million reviews, the Electronics Hub researchers found that Wawa is the most annoying shopping app. It had just under 150 mentions of bugs and glitches for every 1,000 Google Play reviews.
Wholesale discount provider Sam's Club can boast that it has the least buggy shopping app of the year. Less than 25 out of every 1,000 reviews on Google Play talk about problems using the apps due to bugs and error messages.
The Taco Bell App needs some work
Taco Bell might be great at cooking up classic Mexican food. But it sucks at app design. With more than 250 references to bugs and glitches, it's the most annoying food and delivery app in terms of usability.
Other fast-food chains with apps that have a big problem with bugs include Wendy's (159 mentions), Chick-fil-A (126 mentions), and Subway (126).
The management team at these chains should think about poaching some coders from Crumbl. These tech wizards built the least buggy food app in 2024. Only 22 of every 1,000 Crumbl Google Play reviews rant about glitches and bugs.
Bugs and glitches in gaming apps
Pokémon Go tops the list of the most bugged gaming apps of 2024. The data shows 153 reviews talking about glitches for every 1,000 posted. "How are you supposed to catch them all when the app keeps crashing due to bugs?" posted one frustrated user—excellent question.
And Call of Duty app players often see their kill streak come to an end due to bugs and glitches. As the second buggiest gaming app of the year, it had 114 mentions per 1,000 reviews.
Buggy productivity apps
The GLT Getting Out app promotes itself as a productivity app.
Essentially, it's supposed to make staying in touch with friends and family fast and simple. Sounds great. But there's just one big problem. According to its Google Play reviews, the app is riddled with bugs and glitches that ruin the user experience. Some have even called it an anti-productivity app.
On the other hand, the user experience with WiFi Password Map is practically seamless - just like any good productivity app should be. An analysis of its Google Play reviews shows less than 16 references to bugs in every 1,000 posted.
Problems with finance apps in 2024
The Naval Federal Credit Union is among the most buggy finance apps of 2024. Other finance apps that can be a real pain to use include Huntington Mobile and Woodforest Mobile Banking.
You won't find many mentions of bugs and glitches when you scroll through the reviews of the Experian app. In fact, you'll have to read more than 1,000 before you come across 30 references to bugs and disruptive glitches.
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