I used to love Insight Timer. It was a really good meditation timer! It provided a number of pleasing sounds and was really configurable.
Then came the social features. They actually weren’t bad. You could create a profile and track your meditation, and you’d get messages from people all over the world thanking you for “meditating with them.”
Then the app was sold to a couple of meditation entrepreneurs.
It took a little while, but soon the app wasn’t a nice meditation timer any longer. It was a platform for people to share and sell guided meditations.
The timer feature was de-emphasized. Login became required. They added courses, group meditations, sleep stories.
The timer is still in there if you can find it, only now some features are restricted to Insight Timer premium members who pay $60/year.
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I think the app was at its best right before it was sold. Sign in was optional, and while the social features felt a bit superfluous they were quirky and fun, and also easily turned off.
Then came the social features. They actually weren’t bad. You could create a profile and track your meditation, and you’d get messages from people all over the world thanking you for “meditating with them.”
Then the app was sold to a couple of meditation entrepreneurs.
It took a little while, but soon the app wasn’t a nice meditation timer any longer. It was a platform for people to share and sell guided meditations.
The timer feature was de-emphasized. Login became required. They added courses, group meditations, sleep stories.
The timer is still in there if you can find it, only now some features are restricted to Insight Timer premium members who pay $60/year.
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I think the app was at its best right before it was sold. Sign in was optional, and while the social features felt a bit superfluous they were quirky and fun, and also easily turned off.