Portal - Escape Into Nature

11/10

Pros: -This is great for people who don’t like it completely quiet or use it to sleep and work. - the interfaces are gorgeous and there is good variety. All Beaches, mountains, woods, greenery, and 1 fire. - I love that I can use it on most of the Apple ecosystem - more on that below. -there’s a built in timer and alarm which is great for workers - I loved that I could play the interfaces in the background while moving on to another app like my kindle app or shopping apps. -my family liked having access to it on their devices too Cons: - there are some people who like a “soft city” setting which is pretty common in the ambient world. A little surprised that one is not included for this app. -a majority of the interfaces are for places like Switzerland and Iceland which is great, but I was hoping they’d add a few more from different places throughout the year I had it - like more from Hawaii, Africa, Canada, South America, etc…and of course, a city one or something of that nature. -some of the interfaces move more beautifully than others. As in, some of the interfaces don’t seem to move at all. They are standstills with the ambient noise in the background. Obviously, I enjoy the ones that I can see moving for an immersive feel. -I see that there’s information about the price being different depending on which geographical app store you are using. However, I bought the annual subscription last year for $49.99 from my I-Phone. And it says it’s $69.99 now from my IPad. I’m seeing two different prices from two different devices. I don’t really like that…So you could potentially be charged differently depending on the device you use. I have not moved locations or have any different settings on my devices that could cause that. So look at the pricing from different devices if you consider purchasing the subscription, because that is strange. I would think it would be the same across all platforms if my location and settings haven’t changed…. -nevertheless, let’s say the “true” new price is now $70 for someone in my location for the year a - I just don’t see how it would be worth it at this time. In the past year, nothing has changed on the app for users except the inclusion of one new portal. I saw the developers response to someone bringing up the subscription model, but with the price increase based on your device and geography, I definitely think there could be more interfaces dropped throughout the year to justify a price increase too. Again, for the ye

Love this app! Would be amazing if there was an AirPlay feature or Apple TV app so I could have the full experience on the big screen.

Just awesome , many thanks!

They added bluetooth functionality - amazing

I really love this app with its beautiful visuals, immerse sound, and HomeKit (lighting) integration. The only thing I’m patiently waiting for is the Apple TV app; this is the app I have ALWAYS wanted for my TV, and I can’t wait to see what the team brings to the big screen! I enthusiastically read through all the notes in each update hoping to see those magic words: “Apple TV“. Yea, I am very antsy for this feature, but would rather have the team take their time and get it right than to rush something out that’s not ready for release.

I was surprised at the fairly limited selection of soundscapes from a limited number of geographic locations (mainly England, Iceland, Eastern Europe and Costa Rica). Plus some of the soundscapes seem like they loop after just a few minutes. You can get far better nature sounds elsewhere, especially when you consider the high subscription price of this app ($12.99/mo).

I love the quality of the sounds. There are a lot to pick from, and the concept of the portals itself is unique. The Spatial Audio features using AirPods is also really cool and definitely makes you feel like you’re there if you close your eyes. It’s just nice to have so many quality sounds in one app.

love

I’ve been using Portal for about 4-5 years now and can’t imagine falling to sleep without the likes of Pacific Waves, Neist Point Lighthouse, Radovna Hut Rain & Amazon Thunderstorm (to name a few). After upgrading to the iPhone 16 Pro yesterday, I noticed that I was unable to download most of my favorite portals. I waited until Saturday morning to email Portal support and to my surprise received a prompt reply from Stu. After a few questions, Stu was able to resolve the issue same day, outstanding service for a weekend, totally blew me away I’d even heard back, let alone have the issue resolved. While the audio of Portal has always impressed, it’s the attention to excellent customer service that is over the top for me. Thank you Stu and the whole Portal team for what you do, really appreciate you guys and sleep like a baby listening to your app!