Marco Polo - Video Messenger Customer Service

Marco Polo - Video Messenger Positive Reviews

Loved this app, hate the updateSo, since I’ve gotten Marco Polo, it’s been the best!!! Sure it’s crashed a few times, but hey? Don’t we all? So, on iPhone 10 r’s, you can’t update apps on your own. The phone does it for you. So when all of my friends said they updated the app, I had the old version. So, two days ago, I was trying to go onto it, and it updated! I was like ‘finally!’ So I was excited to see the changes. And when I went on there, all of my data had been deleted! And it made me sign in again! So I went through the whole process, which doesn’t take that long, and I finally got to the end. Later that day, I had taught my dog a new trick, and I wanted to put it as one of my seconds. So I looked at the menu area and it was gone. I texted my friend who had Marco Polo way before me and actually introduced me to Marco Polo, said that when she updated it, everything was the same but better. And so, I deleted the app and tried again. We both agreed that it could have also just been my phone. But when I downloaded it again, it was the same! No seconds, no history of my past polos, nothing. And it even deleted my contacts! So I had to add all of my contacts back on, then for some reason, it made me invite someone or else it wouldn’t let me continue the sign in process. So I did. And now I’m back where I started. Secondless. The app was better BEFORE the update. :/.Gamehater07Version: 0.14.313

Why Aren’t There Any Visible Current ReviewsPerhaps it is because the current reviews are too poor and/or too poignant or pointless, I don’t know... but if anyone cares or is listening, I refuse to believe and cannot possibly believe that I would be the first to complain about the new subscription required to access the features that we had before and are no longer present. There’s little to match the need for or the greed for the ol’ mighty dollar; but for whatever the reason for taking away the features... I think it was of the worst and unethical thing to decide to do, than to just sit down and think up additional features that would warrant a subscription to this magnitudes! Your subscription charge is as much as it would be for providing some kind of private phone number or something! It is infuriating.. It’s not that the APP isn’t worth any monetary value to have; but it’s wrong for how you’ve taken away what was given as free features, to now dangle to have them through subscription only. My five star views have now changed to one as a result, and hopefully, if you allow this review to be publicly visible, other users or former users will ask you the same question as in my title... or will at least ask you to undo this and make a Marco Pollo2, for subscription with ADDED features worth the subscription being charged..LovieDivineVersion: 0.14.285

Best messaging app ever!!My three siblings are all over the country so we don't see each other often. And we're all busy so even talking on the phone regularly is a challenge. But with Marco Polo we talk several times a day and now feel so much more connected and closer than ever! It's as if we were living near one another and having coffee daily. We all treasure this app more than you can imagine. We created a channel for talking to my nephew who is in the Air Force across the country and he really appreciates the opportunity to hear our words of support and encouragement. We have another channel with all the nieces and nephews, allowing us to become so much closer. And we have a channel with our cousins in Italy whom we have never met in person, and that has been really awesome!! This app is do much better than Snapchat or Instagram or FB. My only complaint is that as of the last update it is behaving oddly. If I hit the x to exit from a Polo I'm watching so I can jump ahead and record one, it just freezes the screen on the Polo I was watching while the audio keeps playing and I have to force close the app and maybe I can stop the Polo that's playing so I can jump ahead. This happens every time I try to jump ahead to record when I'm listening to a Polo. It didn't used to do that. iPhone XS Max with the latest iOS. Otherwise we all love it..Three fluffsVersion: 0.14.193

Love Marco PoloMy niece asked me to join Marco Polo and I was hesitant at first even though it was free. But what I have come to really love besides the fact that it puts us in contact with each other, is the convenience of Marco Polo. I can talk to anyone in the middle the night when I can’t sleep; I can talk in the early hours of the morning before my day gets started; likewise, I can listen to what they sent to me at My convenience regardless of the time of day or night. You can choose to save your conversations or you can erase them when you’re done with them. For years are used to write letters that took a long amount of time not to mention pains of the all hands; then I sent tape cassettes back-and-forth to people over the states to stay closer; and texting also takes a lot of time! But with Marco Polo, you can talk as much or as little as you want to but the most important part is you can talk whenever it is convenient for you to talk. It doesn’t matter at all whether the person you’re talking to is awake or not because they’re not getting this Marco Polo when you’re making it. They listen to it whenever they have time and that might not be for a day or two or even a week. That’s the beauty of Marco Polo. Marco Polo has put me in touch with people that I otherwise was rarely ever in touch with. I absolutely love it and you will too!.Viki4910Version: 0.14.186

Upgrade ? More like downgrade.As many others have said Marco Polo’s “upgrade” comes across as a poor marketing decision. Every feature aside from the recording of videos themselves has become an up-charge ( 2x’s fast forward, rewinding, recording the bubble when you’re responding to a video, sending a note, sending a picture, etc.) it’s all now ONLY available via plus. Now I was understanding of a need to assist their team / company keep up with demands of increased use due to COVID. However that did not require EVERY capability of the app to be only available with a paid membership. Furthermore a one time fee would be more understandable, but $5 a month fee is excessive and an inconsiderate move towards both long time users pre-COVID-19 and newer users who have relied on Marco Polo as a means to stay connected /maintain their mental health during a time of immense financial instability. Ideally they would have followed suit of many other apps maintaining to users the free version of their app as in and offering a plus version of their app with new features and capabilities However Marco Polo went about it a different route. I am going to go about it a different route as well and I will no longer be using this app I will use Kinzoo instead..Thressa IrvingVersion: 0.14.279

What The Change?!Ok so I have a few friends that have this app and we all use it ALL DAY EVERY DAY!! I hate/despise Snapchat! This app is easy to use and understand!! The ONLY reason I gave it 4 stars is because things like this... and I wish I could add pictures to this review to help illustrate the point I’m trying to make. Used the app this morning and it was the same setup as every other day, midway through the day it updated, or so I thought. The ‘emoji icons’ that where at the bottom of the screen where now on the right side of the screen making it easier to not press one by mistake. There where a couple of other small changes but I don’t remember what they where at the moment because it switches back to how it used to be, hence the ‘reverse updating’ I’m mildly confused/complaining about. I even went through and did a proper update to see if I could get to the ‘new’ changes, nothing. Power cycled my fone, still nothing. Checked for any ‘missing’ updates, none to be found... I really liked the new look and was very pleased with how you ‘cleaned up’ the screen area. Either plz fix it to how it was around 2pm cst or just fix the screen clutter!! Nothing like going to press START and being a 1/10sec to slow and ‘loving’ a message of ‘oh, my moms cat died today...’ OTHERWISE... This is actually a really good app overall. Again my friends, all in other states, use it DAILY!!.Srp64209Version: 0.14.165

Would have been 5 star.... ☹️👍🏻This is an amazing app and I suggest getting it, but there is one big problem. People who are new to Marco Polo probably won’t mind this, but it bugs me really bad 😩. A while back Marco Polo had all these amazing features like being able to text on Marco Polo when you couldn’t video, sending videos through Marco Polo, sending pictures through Marco Polo, being able to watch the video at two times the speed, being able to send a lot of emojis while watching live, and being able to send a live emoji while watching live (It’s where you video yourself saying something and it will pop up on the screen and the person recording can watch it while still recording). There are probably more features I forgot to name. Well now you have to pay for all those features! I understand adding new features and having to pay for them, but making people pay for features that people have already been using is ridiculous!!! I know the makers of Marco Polo probably ignore reviews like these and don’t even care about if we are upset with this or not, but they should AT LEAST make it cheaper or leave some of the features available😡!!! Other than that I think the app is great 👍🏻. I just hope the makers of Marco Polo will consider changing it..The animal lover🐇🐿🐁🦓🐆Version: 0.14.296

Love Marco!!!I absolutely love this app! It is amazing. We have used it for several years and it enables us to keep in touch as we travel around the world. I have some updates I would love to see in the future. My AirPods don’t continuously stay connected when I’m watching Marco’s. My AirPods work perfectly when listening to anything else on my phone. Can we have an option to lock in the listening to AirPods? I would love to be able to watch Marco’s while doing other tasks on my phone. Can you make it optional for Marco to be screen in screen? Lastly, can we mark polos as unwatched and have that red dot remain? I accidentally touch my screen all the time and my friends are 80 messages ahead of me and then I lose my place when all the red dots disappear. Lol it certainly takes some of the fun out when I stop a Marco to chat back and then I don’t know where I was in the chat. Thanks Marco for your amazing app. I am into my 2nd year as a plus member because I believe in supporting businesses. I love that you are ad free and don’t sell out information. Providing an app is not free and when I break down the price, it’s totally affordable. Thanks for the plus passes so I can show my friends that they need to upgrade as well!.Suzy-que12345Version: 0.1335.0

Stay at Home Mom Approved!This app has helped this stay at home Mom keep her sanity! It allows me to talk to friends off and on all day so I don’t just feel stuck at home alone. I LOVE being a SAHM but it can get lonely. So it is so nice to be able to talk to someone basically face to face throughout my day. My sister and I live only a few miles a part and yet we’d go weeks without talking to each other bc we were both too busy with our kids. This app has helped us communicate more than we have in years! And it’s so much better than just getting texts or Snapchat. I hate texting now! I’d much rather send someone a Marco Polo bc it’s so much easier and faster, and I can tell them exactly what I want on my own time. I love that we can have a conversation with each other whenever each of us has a chance. Our free time for a conversation doesn’t have to be at the exact time anymore! This app is amazing. My whole family uses it now, and we share a lot through a group chat. It has helped bring our entire family closer. And it’s so much more personal than Snapchat. On Snapchat I’d only send quick little funny messages to friends or a cute video. But this is more for real conversations. And I love that it’s hands free so I can talk to friends while folding laundry!.KAyHam12Version: 0.14.145

Make this app free again!I love Marco Polo! It’s been a critical part of reconnecting with long-lost friends. I was however, very disappointed when you changed your app’s accessibility. I’m no longer able to continue benefitting from most of the features that make this app amazing without paying the annual fee! While I appreciate the ad free experience that you pride yourself in, you essentially made yourselves no longer a free app in doing so. Which, in my opinion, was also something you initially prided yourselves in. It’s disappointing! Especially to so many users who have been on this app since the beginning! We all went from loving the app to being demoted! You held the best features of the app hostage to those of us who were already using those features- requiring us to pay to keep using them. I think you should have kept all current members with the capabilities they were already used to it in the app and only required new users to incur the annual fee to use the features. I know this has been an extraordinary season! Which makes it that much more amazing to have the use of apps like Marco Polo! I hope you continue to find way to make this app better and most of all, cheaper! 😁.ChiefEdwardsVersion: 0.1331.0

Deeper friendshipsI heard about this app and decided to download it and invite the women from my weekly church small group to join. We began a group chat that just has not stopped or slowed down one bit! I didn’t think it would be such a hit or so well used, but everyone loves it. We check in with each other nearly every day. Sometimes for small, funny moments. Sometimes for deeper, longer or more serious reasons. But the overall effect has been a much greater connection than we’ve ever had- and our group has been together for about seven years! There is just something so much more intimate and connective about seeing each other (seeing people in their environment, hearing their inflections and watching them process through thoughts vs. a well composed or edited text message). Compared to texting, which was our most used form of communication before, this goes way beyond. With busy days and conflicting schedules (and boisterous children), it’s almost impossible to have any kind of regular phone conversation. This app makes it feel as though you’re entering the other person’a day and they are a part of yours in a much more fun and dynamic way. I wish we would’ve discovered this sooner!.AshleeOVersion: 0.14.190

Almost PerfectI absolutely love this app! I use it quite often and it comes in handy when I can’t text or want to pair visuals with the message. I feel like this app could be the next platform to blow up, but there is one major problem: On my device, about half the times I try to use Marco Polo, a huge glitch comes up. When I click on a video to watch, it will work for about 1-2 seconds then the screen goes black. The audio still plays but the screen stays black. If I tap the screen nothing changes, but if I press the home button, the video will work for a couple seconds before going black again. Even pressing the power button doesn’t work. The only way I can shut down the app is either waiting for it to crash, or pressing the home button multiple times until the home screen finally appears. I have tried to reinstall the app in case there was a patch or the glitch was a one-off thing on my phone but the issue continued. This is a huge issue that would deter people from using the app. It seems like the customer service here is great so I hope the glitch is taken care of soon if it’s affecting others as well. I have an iPhone by the way, in case that makes a difference. Many thanks for reading my complaint, and good luck with your business. 🙂.PiragyptVersion: 0.14.212

Update Makes Me Want to Stop UsingI’ll start by saying, I’m a pretty huge fan of Marco Polo. It’s the best of FaceTime and text combined. Want to see someone’s face? Send them a polo. Can’t watch it live? It’s saved for later. It’s a godsend for keeping up with my family who live in different parts of the state. That being said, I am SUPER disappointed in the new push for Marco Polo Plus. To create a version to be a paid version, I get, but pulling features that were a part of the free version and now making them paid? Not cool. It’s so obnoxious, that I’m about to stop using the app altogether and most of my friends feel the same. It’s not worth it, and frankly it’s pretty disingenuous of the company to do this as well. If they would have kept MP as is, and then added different features for plus, that might’ve been an incentive, but to go in and pull back on features we’ve already been using free and make us pay for them—NOPE. Plus, they haven’t even removed the features we had from the screen. You’re an app developer. The LEAST you can do if you’re now going to charge for features that were once free is remove them because my natural habit is to go use them and when I do, I get the annoying add to upgrade. Sorry, MP, I understand wanting to make money with your product, but sell banner ads or something. Very disappointed. 👎🏻.Awoods0209Version: 0.14.278

Used to be my favorite app!Went from a 4.8 star app (a few small glitches) to garbage overnight. I‘ve loved this app for YEARS but don’t even want to open it anymore— I actually dread when someone sends me a video now! Not only did they take away 2x speed.... I can no longer scroll through the videos AT ALL, nor jump forward or back 5 seconds. So I have to pay full, undivided attention without missing a word while listening which is impossible for a busy mother. I’d rather FT, or even record videos on my phone to send back and forth because I can at least scroll through those! “Starting at” $5/mo.... ridiculous. UPDATE: For customers who joined before April 29, 2020 the older version of the app can still be used til Aug 1, 2020 by going to Settings> Help & About Us. I understand that Marco Polo needs to make money and I am willing to pay for this app because it’s that good. However, I maintain that $5/mo is absurd to charge for the same features which have always been included. My recommendation is to instead charge a one-time fee for the app, and to make it a reasonable additional $.99/mo for truly *extra* features. Come on, Marco Polo. You’re gauging your loyal customers and it’s not fair..Hatch716Version: 0.14.279

L❤️VE THIS APPI like the app because it allows users to send and receive videos when it’s convenient. It’s hard to FaceTime when people have different schedules and live in different time zones. Besides, I love getting video messages over text messages because I can tune into the persons mood, I love to see their face, it just makes me feel like I’m closer and it’s made all the difference! I have friends who have use this and loved it with their grandchildren! I personally started using it when I was homebound for an extended period of time due to illness and getting video messages from friends was always a highlight! My only suggestion (and reason I gave it four stars instead of five) would be to not make people wait for some of the “bells and whistle’s”. Sometimes it’s the little things make the app much more interactive and fun. Why not give those to everyone so they have a full experience from the beginning? At the time I’m writing this you have to have been a user for 30 days AND have sent at least 50 video messages. I don’t think people view getting to use emojis while watching live as an incentive to keep using it as much as they might see it as a reason to quit using it. The more interactive the two parties can be the better. Otherwise great app..NeversitsstillVersion: 0.14.125

Struggle busWhen I first heard about Marco Polo (MP) I was stoked because it seemed like the perfect app to stay in touch with several longtime friends that I’ve known since middle school that live far away. It took time to get used to the idea, but we caught on quickly and have used MP every day. We couldn’t have been happier with MP until the developers removed all the basic features, at the time, to the paid platform. Even basic features that helped users move through a MP post quicker were removed to the pay platform. For the users that were here before the format change it has been a difficult transition. To be candid we have been looking for a new platform to communicate with one another. I wish the developers would have been more creative and just kept features like fast forward in the free app and moved some of the less important features to the paid version and then developed some unique features to entice users to the free app. Unfortunately, they just gutted the app and left longtime users with a bad taste in their mouth. Also, I realize there are features like emojis and audio/visual modifications, but again those should be the features offered in the paid platform and the basic utility functions like speeding up should be available on the free platform. That’s why I give the developers 3 stars..Akx4Version: 0.14.298

Marco Polo even for the old, but young at heart!!I recently turned 50 and have been using Marco Polo to connect with some other old friends from high school and college. I have never left a review for an app before, but I decided to today because I just left a video for my friends and I realized how long it would have taken me to write it in a text or a phone call to all in the group. You get it all done at one time. You don’t feel like you are getting them at a bad time and they are being polite talking to you. I do not really like FaceTiming not sure I guess it’s that I feel like your still could be interrupting them but now you can see it in their face. With Marco Polo you just send and answer on your time. You still get the facial reaction to what you had to tell them and again it is so much faster than texting and you can get across what you want to say by your facial expression. Oh did I mention it’s easy!!! Anyone should be able to use it young and old, personal or work related. Just try it out. There are fun things you can add and funny voices and if you want you can also respond back by text!! Enjoy have a fantastic day!!.JpapieVersion: 0.14.234

Functionality Became a Commodity & it’s a “Too bad! So sad!” SituationMarco Polo lost more than a star when functionality became a commodity. I’m sad to report I just don’t use the app as much as I used to, since everyday functions such as texts, forwarding, emoji choices, playing video at 2X speed & more are now paid/premium services, only accessible w/the $60 a year Marco Polo plus version. This is everything ever threatened by other types of social media that never occurred; for Marco Polo however, it came to fruition, and it’s rotten. I plan to search for other apps that are as functional as Marco Polo used to be. Have Nots who used to be Haves are worse off than Have Nots who never knew any better. I was excited for a minute, when I read a developer reply to a similar comment (I KNEW there would be a ton of similar comments/reviews!) that one could switch back to the old version, as long as the app was on the phone before April 2020. That is NO LONGER TRUE! Now I’m stuck as a “have not” who used to be a “have”. That’s the worst! I know what I’m missing out on—including the opportunity to go back to the old version. I WILL try kinzoo next, as I know there are enough stupid rich in the US to keep MP developers laughing so loudly, all the way to the bank, that cries of dissatisfaction from former customers will not be heard. SMH..CincinnatianneVersion: 0.14.313

Amazing app...Okay listen, I’ve never written a review on ANYTHING but I just had to write one about Marco Polo. So my friend was like “Get Marco Polo so we can talk more and have fun!” So I got it and was skeptical. I played around sending her(my friend) videos and it was so fun. I love Marco Polo and am now trying to get my cousins to get it. PLEASE NOTE: The reason Marco Polo is getting a four star review from me is because, well, they have some membership think that’s like five bucks a month! And if you don’t have a membership then you can only send videos and you can’t do any of the other cool things like notes, voice messages, live chat, or anything on between. Marco Polo is you are reading this, I am eleven years old and I don’t got membership money! And like heck my parents are going to pay five bucks a month for an app they don’t use! If you maybe had a like a school program where if you entered a valid school email and you got it at a discount or you got it cheaper that would be greatly appreciated! Thanks Marco Polo for being awesome. I even made a funny short film with the filters and voice effects and make and my friend can’t stop laughing! And to you, yes you who read this all the way through, GET MARCO POLO!!! And also have a good day.😁 -A happy Marco Polo user.I wish to remain anonymous plzVersion: 0.14.308

Over 2 years in, here’s my take...I’ve been using Marco Polo to keep in touch with a couple of family members for about two years. In general, it’s a really easy and convenient way to stay in touch and keep track of conversations in a linear way. I’m a little frustrated that they took away some of the features that we used to have in order to add them into the plus/paid version, but I understand that. My biggest gripe is that I have to hold my phone in an upright position the entire time to be able to listen to what my friends are saying. I can’t put it in my pocket and move about my day and listen to them, I can’t let my phone shift position/angle, or I will lose their conversation and have to hit play again. So, in essence, this really is a face-to-face messaging app. That’s fine, as long as your messages are pretty short, but some of our messages back-and-forth are pretty long. It’s really inconvenient to have to hold the phone in a certain way to listen to a message. I have to stop what I’m doing (dishes, walking, etc.) to keep the message playing.I don’t understand the purpose of this, and find it pretty darn frustrating. I am a multiple-Marco-daily kind of person, so this is pretty aggravating. Otherwise, it’s a great app..CrankysopranoVersion: 0.14.313

Great Communication - App and the PeopleUPDATE: Really appreciate that I received a quick response! Times are complicated and many spaces need support, so I understand the need for the subscription service. Since MP is a primary form of communication for me, the upgrade was a bit of jarring shift - I could have missed an email or something that went out that detailed the changes beforehand. I appreciate all your work and I appreciate this app! First Review: I’ve been using Marco Polo for quite a while, as it has been lovely in keeping my college group of friends connected and in my long distance relationship. The simple features of the photo and the 2x fast forwarding are part of what made this free app so wonderful to use. I don’t quite understand why the upgrade would make me pay for features that were once free. I know everyone’s trying to navigate finances, but please don’t make us pay extra for things we already had. Subscription based services usually are for things you didn’t have that you would like to start using m. Would love an option to use an older version for those of us who don’t want to utilize plus. Other than this frustrating upgrade, Marco Polo is pretty good..KhomieVersion: 0.14.279

I hate the new changes! Can you fix them?This app was absolutely phenomenal with the version you had 3 months ago, but I just now stupidly updated the app and I don’t like the changes. Now I have to pay for the ‘Plus’ version of the app to have the extremely basic feature of being able to skip ahead to any part of a message I am watching, and also now when I am looking at myself on my phone when I’m recording a message, there’s something weird about the frame rate of the video where it’s weird to look at now. I would absolutely love it if you could fix that problem. As far as needing to pay for the app, I love using it so I’m happy to pay for it, but having to pay $60/year just to have the feature of being able to skip to any part of a message seems way too much money. Update: the problem I’m having when looking at my screen when I’m recording myself is that there is a delay on the screen. This was not a problem on your version of the app I downloaded 3 months ago. I really, really, regret updating this app tonight to the current version..MindbreatheVersion: 0.14.284

Good, when it worksWTH is up with “this message was interrupted” crap? My mother and 4 sisters have been using this for several months and it’s been a great way to see each other’s faces whereas because of distance we’d not have that opportunity. Other than the fact that too many chicks will ramble on about nothing for too long without the cue of a bored face, its been very enjoyable. What irks me are the times the message just stops because of “so and so was interrupted. We’ll let you know when they’re back”. Well that’s horse crap. That person isn’t leaving the message, it’s the app that’s failing to continue. This has happened a couple of times between the family group and already twice since I got my bf to join. It’s literally been over 24 hrs since she left me a Marco that won’t play all the way through, AND she’s responding to me about her attendance to a function I’m hosting. So I’d like to know if she’s coming or not without having to now TEXT her and ask the question when I know she’s answered me. 🙄 So what’s the deal? One little fluctuation in cell service causes the whole transmission to crumble? Do we all need to do this on a hard wired connection or something?? Yah, great when it works, a super frustrating cliffhanger when it doesn’t..Sarken87Version: 0.14.292

Used to be 100%... not anymoreSo I have been using Marco Polo for years and have always loved this app however now there’s this new update which is prompting us to pay $60 for the year. I wouldn’t mind if it was all new features but one of the features that I have always used most in the free version was the 2X speed. I’m a little annoyed that instead of adding new options that can be paid for they are taking away some of the options that have been free for years. Honestly, I will probably still bite the bullet and get the paid version because I do love this app and I’m excited about some of the new features but I’m seriously annoyed that they are taking away some of our old free features just to make a buck. I used to suggest this app to my friends all the time and everyone would always download it instantly and used it often because for communicating with people around the world it was so convenient. The likelihood that I will suggest it as often now, is slim to none, because it now that it is a very expensive app if you want to use all the features..SunshineNEtimeVersion: 0.14.279

I love this app just don’t like the updateHi thank you for this app it is so much fun , as a home schooler it is great for talking to my friends ! It’s also perf cus I have a hard time getting in contact with some of my friends and this allows me to do that !!! It is my fav app for getting in touch with friends and stuff ! Now this was the best app EVER until the update. It’s not that I don’t like Marco Polo anymore (not at all ) it’s just that it’s to expensive to pay for all the stuff and no one has the money to pay a bunch of money on a app . There was way more to do before the update ☹️.So if it was a slight possibility that maybe the update could get taken away that would be great ! But over all I love this app there is so much to do on it .#1 I love the little voice changers and filters a doodles you can do #2 love that I can see my friends beautiful faces but don’t have to answer the phone (like a face time call ) right there and then I can get back to it when ever . And it’s easy to explain and talk threw .#3 easy to talk threw and fun ! (It would be nice to get a reply ☺️).😁😁😺✌🏿Version: 0.14.281

Greatly disappointing (shift in business model)My wife and I have used this app for quite some time with our family. As pretty much everybody here knows, during the COVID peak time this spring, they shifted from a free model to a paid model. They locked features down that were previously free and are charging an exorbitant amount for their plus subscription. They grandfathered prior users in for a bit, but that went away now as well. While I understand the need to monetize, there’s no way I will be paying $20 a month for my wife and me get this app back to the features we had before. Oh, I know we can pay $120 for the year to bring it down to $10 a month (family plan) but that is still a very steep price for something we won’t get that value back from. (I prefer being able to manage my subscriptions on a month to month basis without doubling the price) If a $5 monthly plan worked for two people we would consider it. The second star is for the great concept, but we are highly disappointed with their monetization strategy..CheddarkopfVersion: 0.14.299

Marco Polo ReviewMarco Polo is great to connect with friends and family without them having to answer the second you call but it allows you to leave your video message and they can respond back when they are able. It’s nice if you’re at work and can get the message when you’re done working or take the time to respond back. It’s a nice way to hear someone’s full message without interruption and then when you respond you too are able to respond with a full message. Marco Polo does have many glitches though. It often cuts off in the middle of the other persons message saying that the “message was interrupted and they’ll let you know when they are back.” The problem is that it often does not let you know they are back or populate the rest of the message. I’ve also noticed that it will populate the interrupted message once the other person has sent a message back. It also does not always have the videos go through immediately. Many instances I receive 5 videos at once from the previous day. Overall 8 still like the app but if they made these necessary changes it would make it even better..Jennaballard3Version: 0.14.270

Needs more privacy and easier delete functionFirst of all, thanks for a free app with a fun concept. That said, I really wish there were a feature to select and delete multiple chats at a time. I didn’t know when I gave the app access to my contacts that it would automatically spam my page with everyone in my phone on the app (including a few I don’t even recognize). I use the app for family and a few close friends only, so I don’t like being spammed with people I didn’t choose. And I don’t want all those people to be able to send me messages. Not everyone in your phone is someone you want to see that much! Please, developers, at least make it optional to automatically upload all your phone contacts who use the app OR part of them (manually). All this, and the fact that it took a while to delete each person from my main page or feed, or group of tiles (whatever it’s called) made me consider deleting the app. I still may if it continues to be a problem. Like I said, it’s a fun concept, but I don’t like the clutter and lack of privacy options. Any plans to work on that? Maybe take a page from the Instagram interface where you choose whom you want to follow/see?.UserluneVersion: 0.14.150

Great for extrovert stay at home momsAs a mom at home with three young kids who can't text or even FaceTime easy without my kids trying to cause the apocalypse in my house because I'm talking to any other humans besides them, Marco Polo is a great alternative for me. I can send or receive short messages with other adult humans that take little effort and I can watch and respond when I'm able to!.JesuslovingmamaVersion: 0.14.110

FURIOUS LONG TIME CLIENTI am absolutely furious and will be canceling any use of Marco Polo moving forward. I have been an advocate and a long-time user of Marco Polo. If anyone has created a buzz about using Marco Polo, advertised about Marco Polo so that their business could grow and more people would use it, it is definitely me. Me and my friends love using Marco Polo because we live far from each other. The other day when I got a new iPhone, it asked me to re-login when I opened the app which happens normally with a lot of apps when you get a new phone. I logged in and the only option Marco Polo gave me was to subscribe toA seven day free trial with a charge of$59.99 there after. There was no option to just keep using the Marco Polo free version. There was no option to not have the Marco Polo plus version. I subscribe to get my seven day free trial so that I could tell all of my friends that we will no longer be using Marco Polo. While I understand that they want to start making money off their app. I would have happily paid even $10 for the app it’s self to continue using the free version. But they did not offer this to us. All they offered was either a subscription that you payFor either yearly or monthly or other various terms but there is no option anymore to have the free version. It is not that great of an app that it is worth paying $60 a year for. There are lots of other options to do FaceTime and video calling with friends abroad. What makes me most furious about this aspect is that I’m not a new client signing up for the first time. Anyone that was already using the free version should obviously get to just keep that and be grandfathered in. And any new clients should be prompted to either get a seven day free trial and a subscription so as far as business practices go, whoever is running Marco Polo is trying to make a fast buck and they are scamming clients that they have already had who have been loyal. I will no longer be one of those clients. I will be taking my mini friends with me and so on and so forth. I’m sure they will also be telling many friends as well what is going on. I am very mad that I was removed from being able to keep the free version just because I switched phones. I had this app already so I find this not only ridiculous but also very underhanded. Is Marco Polo offered the option to re-purchase the app itself for $10 and you could keep the free version, I would buy that. Marco Polo hasn’t even perfected how are you can delete old messages you have to delete each one individually you can’t even press delete all which tells me that there’s not a lot of technology or work going into the app on a daily basis which is another reason why $10 a month or $60 is ludicrous. I will miss Marco Polo to some degree but because there are so many options out there for similar apps and video calling I don’t think I will be stressing about it too much. Goodbye Marco!.Mommy1972Version: 0.14.308

Connection Rules!I’m on Marco Polo as a way to stay emotionally connected to my support network. I’m an introvert and don’t often feel like talking on the phone. But those moments when I do feel chatty I capture on Marco Polo for the people in my world to see. Love, love, love the face to face connection! I’ve laughed. I’ve cried at the videos people send me on Marco Polo. This is my favorite app. It makes communicating by text seem tasteless cardboard as compared to the previous face to face. ❤️.Ws12ed23rf56gf96Version: 0.14.172

Feature limitedGreat app and a fantastic way to stay in touch with people. Unfortunately the free version is heavily crippled now and you can’t fast forward or skip to spots in individual messages. Cost to enable those features is really high. Find myself using it less because the experience is not what it used to be..MS-CanadaVersion: 0.1336.0

Free International Money Transfer 💸Enjoy high maximum transfers into more than 20 currencies while saving up to 90% over local banks! The cheap, fast way to send money abroad. Free transfer up to 500 USD!AdvertorialVersion: 0.1467.1

Marco Polo - Video Messenger Negative Reviews

Free version is suddenly VERY limitedI am a long-time user of Marco Polo, having used it daily for almost two years. Today I received an update that stripped away all of the features I've known and got used to over this time, at the same time the Pro version launched. The features removed from the free version were: 2x speed, sharing photos, text message, emoji and video reactions, and scrolling to a specific point in a polo. I find this to be a very distasteful marketing move, especially at a time when video networking usage has increased due to COVID-19. I don't know the company's historic data on app users or their financial health at a time like this, but it comes off as if the company is looking to capitalize on the demand for people to connect via video; at the same time we see other companys taking the opposite approach of relaxing restrictions and allowing users more features or potential free use of services. To me, the latter are honorable decisions. I have given this app a 2-star review because I think the app with all of the features is a robust, quality app. But I'm very disappointed and conflicted by the company ethics to make a drastic move like this with all appearances of capitalizing on potential new business during a time of international crisis. I think a paid version is absolutely reasonable to have, if handled in a better way - creating new features, rather than removing ones that have been around for years - at a more appropriate time..Katie 1212Version: 0.14.266

Removed features, added paywallI am a long-time user of Marco Polo, having used it daily for almost two years. Today I received an update that stripped away all of the features I've known and got used to over this time, at the same time the Pro version launched. The features removed from the free version were: 2x speed, sharing photos, text message, emoji and video reactions, and scrolling to a specific point in a polo. I find this to be a very distasteful marketing move, especially at a time when video networking usage has increased due to COVID-19. I don't know the company's historic data on app users or their financial health at a time like this, but it comes off as if the company is looking to capitalize on the demand for people to connect via video; at the same time we see other companys taking the opposite approach of relaxing restrictions and allowing users more features or potential free use of services. To me, the latter are honorable decisions. I have given this app a 2-star review because I think the app with all of the features is a robust, quality app. But I'm very disappointed and conflicted by the company ethics to make a drastic move like this with all appearances of capitalizing on potential new business during a time of international crisis. I think a paid version is absolutely reasonable to have, if handled in a better way - creating new features, rather than removing ones that have been around for years - at a more appropriate time..DevavaVersion: 0.14.270

Used to be great, but not worth it anymore.This was great. We used to use this app to talk to family in another country and to send videos of our baby to parents in different states of the U.S. Absolutely loved it. But once they rolled out this premium membership thing it quickly became not worth using. I can’t predict when my kid will do something cute, I take videos and sometimes it happens; but now that I can’t send videos from my camera roll, my relatives just don’t get to see what he does anymore. My dad likes to go on really long explanations about his hobbies, which are great! But they are way easier to watch on 2x speed. Except I can’t do that anymore, so I end up just not watching his Polo’s. The list goes on. Yes the app still has this functionality - if you’re willing to fork over your life savings to them, that is. I get it that developers need income, but a monthly subscription to something that isn’t adding content or regularly updating in major ways is absolutely ridiculous. I would happily watch adds. I would happily pay a one time fee to download. But seeing the developers fall into the growing trend of a monthly subscription just to access 3 or 4 features that used to be standard is sickening, and only goes to show where their priorities really lie. I will continue to use the app because my family doesn’t want to switch to something new; but I will never pay a dime to a company that takes advantage of their consumers..ItsnotaflufieVersion: 0.14.295

Limited options nowMarco Polo was a great tool to keep in touch with distant friends a family. To share memorable moments with them live, for them to either watch along or later at their own time. HOWEVER, since this new paid version, it took away a lot of important FREE features, one of which I appreciated the most which was to be able to fast forward through the Marco. NOW, it’s forcing me to watch the entire Marco or else it’ll just keep the “1” next to it until I watch. I have a Marco that my mom did, and she didn’t realize she was still recording, so I have this hour long Marco of her phone in her pocket and moving around that I can’t just forward through. That’s really annoying. Also, the quick response while watching the Marco was awesome as well. I get it, everyone has to make a $1, but it’s a bit unfair to A. Not even warn us about the changes, or at least I don’t remember getting anything about it. B. Giving us GREAT features for FREE and then saying...”like that huh?? Now give me money for it!!” That’s like inviting guest over for dinner, then after they enjoyed your food, charging them for their plate. I think if you ADDED more features and charged for the NEWEST features but keeping what was initially free FREE then I could give Marco a 5 star rating. But having to pay $60 for this app or $5 a month for features that were freely given initially is a bit unfair..Mooney mooVersion: 0.14.298

New Update/PlusI understand that paid subscribers allow for the free to remain. But, taking away features we’ve been using and putting them into a paid version is just like if snapchat started a paid tier that allowed for written chat and it was taken from the free tier who had been using and loving the feature. It wouldn’t seem like the biggest deal but it would drastically change the experience. Or if Facebook opened a tiered level and only allowed paid users to access messenger and groups. It would ruin Facebook but it would take some vital aspects away. Companies are working hard to give more free features, and “covid times” aren’t ending any time soon, you’ll have business, you’d get investors, someone will ultimately as to buy you out. Why not add different speeds for the paid tier and keep 2x for free? Allow filters and additional length for in Marco Polo responses for the top tier and keep the normal response for free? It seems you’re asking people to pay for what they had and pay for the promise of more to come? Make the more start now and have people pay for expansion of options, taking options from people is like taking the forks from everyone sitting in an Italian restaurant and telling them that the spaghetti in front of them is awesome, but now forks are an extra $5... poor business practices, the spaghetti isn’t good enough to eat with my hands when other restaurants give me a fork for free..FrznwaltVersion: 0.14.279

Not the company I thought it wasI want to start by saying that I have used Marco Polo for years as a way to get in contact with my long distance friends, and outside the occasional technical bug or two, the app has been great. So why am I giving this a one-star rating? Very recently, Marco Polo has decided to run some testing on their updated product, Marco Polo Plus. I was selected as a participant in this marketing research of theirs. And I wouldn’t have an issue with this, except that nearly all features I had previous to Marco Polo Plus have been eliminated. I cannot use the 2x speed button, I cannot drag ahead or behind in a video, the video reaction feature disappeared, and all but two reaction emojis have vanished. If I want any of my old features back, I must pay for the Plus version and get several extras that I never asked for. With this said, I feel highly devalued as a customer. I would have been more than happy to pay $5/month for additional features, such as the ability to take notes and refer back to them when responding, along with more emoji reactions. I use the app every day. And now it is certainly not the “comforting” social app that I remember. It has become a royal pain. There are also more technical issues than before since they decided to make me a participant. Had they gone about this differently, they would have had my business in a heartbeat. Very disappointing to say the least..Seanana37Version: 0.14.274

DisappointedI loved Marco Polo and have been using it to keep in touch with friends all over the country. When the plus package got added months ago I was super disappointed because all the free features we have been using for a long time suddenly disappeared. For some strange reason I was able to use the features anyway up until today. My Marco Polo keeps saying reconnecting even though I’m at home on my wifi with no connection issues and it’s giving error messages to my friends who are trying to watch the videos I sent so I finally updated the app.. and low and behold all the features I’ve grown to love have vanished. I read a review earlier than said I would be able to go back to the old version. It doesn’t seem possible anymore. I wish that Marco Polo would’ve done some more research into the income for their company between people paying the monthly fee and people willing to have ads to have the same features. Would be nice if there were more than one option to have the features. I refuse to pay money for any apps on my phone. No one I know is willing to spend the money on the plus features. I have noticed a decline in many of my friends activity participating on Marco Polo since the change. Do some research Marco Polo, you’ll likely see the attitude about your product changing..Bumbleb5233Version: 0.14.315

Marco Polo Revoked Free FeaturesDuring a public health crisis, an economic downturn, and civil unrest, Marco Polo has decided this is the right time to revoke free features and create a paid version of the app. A wholly unethical response! I understand that times are hard for many of us, including app developers, but charging for basic functionality like rewinding and fast forwarding videos is unjustifiable. It now costs $60 a year to use any feature that was formally free on the app—including rewinding and fast forwarding, which is a free feature on all video and audio platforms. All that remains free is recording/watching videos and emojis. My hope is that the creators and developers will honestly assess this latest move and ask themselves who this supports and who it excludes. Update: I’ve read the other recent reviews and the comments on their IG page and the overwhelming majority of users commenting are dissatisfied with this bait and switch tactic Marco Polo used in this latest update. The responses I’ve read, including the one I received in response to my own review, feel scripted and insincere. This latest update points to the company’s inability to read the market. Even now, as many of us point out how poorly timed this decision was they have refused to change course. It’s disheartening that we who shared the app with our family and friends, increasing the app’s customer base, are having our concerns so blatantly dismissed..HaikuGameLoverVersion: 0.14.279

Using it for 2 years and now wanting us to payI’ve been using Marco Polo with family and friends spread throughout the country for over two years now. I use it primarily with four of my best friends, and despite our distance, we can share our daily lives through moves, babies, and the like with each other without missing a beat. However, one of those best friends can no longer fast forward unless she pays for the “pro” account. I’m disappointed that they are taking away features that were always free and making them only available for the paid account, which is not cheap ($60/yr). I can’t help but wonder if they are trying to capitalize on the pandemic, where millions of people are using the app to stay connected during this quarantine. Unfortunately, for us, that means we are looking for another app to use. It’s just a matter of time before we will all be prompted to pay for the “pro” account. Update: I got a response from the app developers, which echoes the same response they’ve given to everyone who has complained about this switch. However, the friend who was automatically updated didn’t have the option in her settings to switch back to the old account. Instead, she was given 2 months of the old features. But what about after 2 months? I think it’s time to look for a replacement..Ely_rVersion: 0.14.273

They removed free features and force you to pay for themBeen a long time user of a Marco Polo. All the ratings for 5 stars are for what this app USED to be. Then a couple months ago, they were going to force everyone to switch over to a monthly subscription or lose free features. Long time users complained, and the creators said “hey, you can restore to the old Marco Polo if you have been a long time user.” Was so happy that they were allowing long time users to be grandfathered in to having some of those long terms features (like listening at 2x, replying during video play with a short video comment, etc.) while still having the option to upgrade to a subscription for more features (listening at 1.5x or 3x, etc.). But I guess they were not making as much money as they wanted because as of September 1, 2020, when communication via apps like Marco Polo are helping people stay connected and the mental health of others, they decided to force everyone to subscribe for extra features or lose them. Yes, it’s still free, but features we have used for over a year are taken away. The creators should be ashamed of putting profits over long term users. Many long terms users said they would be happy to watch videos to keep the features that they have grown accustomed to using. We understand the creators need to make money. But this was not the way to do it. So disappointed..PaurianVersion: 0.14.292

Can’t afford basic featuresThis is a wonderful app. It’s has helped me connect with friends who do not live close and we have been using it almost daily for the two years. Then the paywall went up. I appreciate that the developers do not want to sell ads or user information, but to strip away basic functionality in order to force the user to buy into a subscription service is disappointing. Specifically they 2x feature and the ability to skip 5 seconds back on a Polo. In group messages, the 2x feature helped you catch up on the conversation, now you’re forced to fall behind or just skip over your friends’ Polos. The 5 second rewind feature is important when you miss something that was said, but with the pay wall up I have to listen to an entire Polo again in order catch what was said. These aren’t bonus features, they are basic functionalities that influenced the way I used the app for two years that were stripped from the service and hidden behind a paywall. I would gladly, joyfully, pay a one time fee for the app or even a annual fee that was significantly lower. But $60 a year ($120 a year considering my wife uses the app) is a big jump even for how valuable this app has been to me. There are other ways to connect with my friends, I’m just bummed it probably won’t be with Marco Polo anymore..Kdub1127Version: 0.14.279

Poor Judgment in Reducing Their OfferingsI’m glad I haven’t downloaded the new update yet, after seeing what MP cut in order to offer their new “premium” service. There are many things wrong with their roll-out of this “new” service, but I’ll highlight the biggest. 1) the “cuts” and the new payment plan AREN’T listed on their “updates” status. That means you would be unknowingly losing these items by updating the app. It’s a big change...why not give people advance warning before they decide to hit the update button. 2) it is a TERRIBLE look for a business to strip away things already offered for free and then CHARGE people $10/month just to get it back. That’s not “premium”. That’s greed. “Premium” is adding to what’s already there...give people MORE reactions than the basic five...add MORE filters...those are additions that some people would willingly pay. And I’ve seen their “stories” link that the developers have posted in response to people’s complaints. Look, no one is faulting a company for wanting to be sustainable. But the timing, method, and application are all backhanded and paint the company in a fashion I’m sure they didn’t intend. They have a good app that works well, but treating your users in this fashion only means they’ll be out looking for other options...and it’s only a matter of time until the next messaging app answers that..CaferiofanVersion: 0.14.274

NO to Marco Polo PlusVery, very disappointed in the pay version PLUS of Marco Polo sold as additional features when really you are reducing the features of the free version. My family has used MC for the past 6 months during this Pandemic to stay in touch with each other from Africa to Asia to US. In one group we have 26 members. We do not all have same OS. At $5 per person this would cost us $130/month. We have used it for grandchildren, children and parents. It has been the most amazing app. It is so unfortunate that we will have to find another solution as the coat for a year of communication would top $1500. Unreasonable. Half of my family are missionaries and make a very low income. While $5 doesn’t seem like a lot for an individual it is a lot to enjoy the features we were already enjoying. Because we were across the world in different time zones there were lots of times we were not camera ready and so the text feature was ideal. Or sharing grandkids video clips of ball games etc was easy and fun. You have certainly taken the wind from our sails as we have sold you to many people over the past 6 months. Now, I am sure you are preparing a response saying we can cut our costs by getting the free membership passes with paid ones but we do not believe this will be enough or easy enough to manage. Thanks for a great 6 months. I am sad about this decision..HurschanglVersion: 0.14.279

Plus version took features away from Free versionI am a long time user of Marco Polo and as a military spouse it has been my most used app for staying in touch with family and friends across the world for years. Yesterday, as I was opening Marco Polo it popped up that there was a new plus version that I would have to pay for to use. First, I am not opposed to paying for a good app, however, I think a monthly subscription is ridiculous. I would absolutely pay a one time $5 fee but I will stop using the app before paying a monthly subscription. Secondly, I found it very distasteful that during a time of crisis and mandatory separation the makers of Marco Polo would try to capitalize on the pandemic when other companies are offering discounts and temporary free service to help struggling Americans. Lastly, the upgraded free version doesn’t just add features it takes away features from the free version! Who does that??! The free version now has the fast forward locked! Why? It feels like Marco Polo is trying to bully you into paying for the plus version by taking away basic features from the free version. I have read how for a limited time I can go back to the old Marco Polo, which I have, however, if this new version becomes permanent I will delete the app and just use free services like FaceTime, Facebook, or Skype..MilitaryMelVersion: 0.14.274

Selling Our Information and Stealing Our MoneyWhere do I even begin. I wrote a review a couple of months ago, which got a response from Marco Polo developers; I appreciated this, but it doesn’t change a thing. My friends and I used to religiously use this app, since many of us live in different time zone. Now it’s just a pain. You’ve stripped away many of the most basic, sensible features, and asked us to pay for them. $60 a year?? In the middle of a pandemic... when everyone is separated from one another. Laughable. You CANNOT convince me that wasn’t on purpose. Oh, and I got this fun pop up today prompting me to buy the full version: “Marco Polo Plus is our way of delivering on a promise to never sell your personal data and to value your privacy.” What does that mean?! If we don’t pay for your subscription, you WILL be selling our data? Fantastic! I cannot believe how incredibly tone deaf this app has become. Are you people even aware of the world right now? Change your app; it is absolutely disgusting to me that these choices have been made, and now you’re practically threatening us to swap to your paid version. But go ahead and respond to this again and try to justify why all of these changes are necessary. “Sustainability,” my god— just give us the free version, will all of its perks it originally had, and if you really need the money, put in ads. Pitiful..TheRealSaraCatttVersion: 0.14.308

The app is less useful nowI started using Marco Polo this year. I was using it back in April (under a different email) to connect with my sister and a group of our friends and it was great! However, the group came to the decision to stop using MP and go to zoom. So, I deleted my MP account then. Now, The group is back on MP and I’ve downloaded the app & started using it again. I have seen other reviews as well so I know about the update now. But When I first started using it again, I was surprised to find I could not scroll forward & backward in a Polo. Some of these Polos are pretty long! So, if I accidentally click out, which happened to me today, I have to start all over! Or if I just want to stop watching and come back later, that isn’t going to work for me anymore. It’s very frustrating. Unfortunately, because I am now signed up under a different email the “switch back to previous version” option isn’t working for me. Although, it sounds like that would be temporary anyway. This was a wonderful app before the change. ***Update Thank you for your response. It was very helpful. When I clicked back into MP and opened a video, scrolling is there again. So, It is working for me now. I’m so glad to have this function back! Please keep it in the free version. Thank you!.Annief46Version: 0.14.282

Money hungryVery annoyed with Marco Polo. I have been using Marco Polo for a very long time. Recently, they decided they were going to force everyone to upgrade their app and then charge a ridiculous amount of money for people to be able to fast forward or scroll through a message. If you accidentally click off the message you are watching, you can no longer just go back to where you left off. You can’t scroll through and pick back up. Instead, you have to start from the beginning of the message and can only jump forward in 10 second increments. What’s worse, is they “upgraded” my app once. I complained and they said “no problem, you can select to go back to the old app by clicking here.” But then a month or so passes and I get notified that I will be upgraded regardless if I want to on September 1, 2020. So they essentially lied. Marco Polo was a way for me to connect with family and friends since I’m active duty military so many times I’ll have messages that are 20-30 minutes long from friends. Since covid, Marco Polo decides to now charge outrageous money for the convenience features to take advantage of people and the fact that people can’t meet up as easily because of COVID. It is absolutely disgusting to me that they would use this in that way. I’ll be leaving Marco Polo and finding another video messaging system..B-ritt87Version: 0.14.293

They took away all basic features to force people into premiumI’ve been using this app for years to stay in touch with friends and family. I understand they need income at this point, however, they’ve gone about it in the worst way. They should aim to be innovative and add NEW features to elevate the user experience and get users to upgrade. Instead, they take away features that have been free for years and now require an expensive subscription. I will delete this app before I pay $5 a month for basic functionality that was previously free. Premium should ADD to the experience, not take away from the free. What an exorbitantly expensive fee, especially in the midst of this crisis. They’re really cruel in taking advantage of people’s need for human contact right now. I can no longer watch at 2x speed - making it impossible to keep up with large group messages where sometimes I am behind by 30 messages! The whole point of this app is to be able to communicate on my time, but now god forbid I fall behind because I’ll never be able to catch up. Photo polos were taken away. I can no longer react to polos live or give any emoji reaction other than a basic smiley face. There is now NO benefit to this app for me, as I might as well be sending video clips in a basic group message..KelizabethsVersion: 0.14.266

Charging me for features that were once freeI loved Marco Polo app until one day almost all the features besides basic chatting were taken away from me - and in order to regain them I would have to pay $60 a year! It’s not like I had not tried a free trial of it and now my trial was up and it was time to start paying. They suddenly removed almost all of the emoji reactions, the camera to record myself for a reaction in the middle of a friend’s video, the 2x playing speed option, the ability to scrub forward to a different point in a long message, and the ability to attach a photo or write out a text message. All I can do now is record a normal message and play my friends’ messages unless I “upgrade” (which hardly seems to have any added features besides the ones that were taken away from me). But the very annoying thing is that I have been singled out as the only one in our Marco Polo group to have these features removed unless I pay $60. It feels like MP app is trying to profit off people’s isolation during covid-19. If the app had started out charging $5/mo that would be one thing, or charging for an upgraded version that contains added features would be fine too! But charging for the features that were once free really rubs me the wrong way and makes me want to discontinue supporting this app altogether..MeskridgeVersion: 0.14.273

GreedyThis must be the most expensive messaging app out there. It’s great if you have a ton of money but I am a school teacher with two children and don’t have the option to spend this much per month on a messaging app. When you send in a low rating complaining about the exorbitant rates ($10 per month) they will reply by saying, “we care very much about you so we have free version and it is totally your choice to upgrade to the plus version.” This is absolutely true. However, the free version is crippled to the extent that you can’t even scroll through a message to get to the middle of it. They have taken away every single convenience feature in an attempt to make it such a difficult version to use that you will pay for the upgrade. There is no “happy medium” where you could happily use the free version and they know that. They have built up their user base by offering an exceptional app and then charged a very high monthly rate in order to get as many yearly sign-ups as possible. Doing that during the pandemic none-the-less. My wife and I haven’t purchased a subscription because we feel like what they have done is morally wrong and though we really like the app and would pay a monthly fee we feel morally obliged not to because of what we believe to be unethical and manipulative practices..Q2iMacVersion: 0.14.306

Business Strategy No GoodWhile I understand and appreciate that Marco Polo isn’t following in the same business model as other social media companies (advertising) this model is not the one I would have liked to see. I am a HUGE fan of “Agenda” and how they work. You pay a one time fee for all the features that currently exist, and any ones that they release within the next year. You then get those features forever. After your year is up they continue to release new features. If I want them I have to pay another set amount that will give me those new features and any new ones they release over the next year. I think their “one year” cycle is pretty long. I’d be fine with a “six month” cycle for Marco Polo. My biggest problem with this strategy is that they took a bunch of features that we’ve all been using forever, and then put it behind a pay wall. What you should be doing is continue to innovate and provide new features that would entice customers into paying (which is what would be required to follow the Agenda strategy). I feel like this was a “we don’t have any other ideas for new features....oh let’s just have them pay for all the ones we’ve already made....that way we don’t have to come up with anything new....”.Wesman555Version: 0.14.295

Everyone is jumping ship due to ridiculous price pointHonestly I could overlook a lot of the problems with this app because it was a simple and fun way to communicate with family and it was free. As a free app, it gets 5 stars. But 60 dollars is ridiculously expensive!!! It’s frustrating to me that they act like they have this noble goal of connecting people, yet this app is NOT accessible to the overwhelming majority of people. 60 dollars is a LOT of money for most families. So now that it is not free, here are the problems with this app. The video quality is terrible and videos are super blurry. Videos often buffer forever and ever if the person filming didn’t have a good connection. The filters are extremely boring compared to the offerings at competitors like snap chat. Why even bother with filters when they’re so bad? The ability to react to polos was a good idea but it is cumbersome to try and find the reaction and play it. I could never figure it out. Without the ability to text, send photos, and play videos at 2x, my whole family has been jumping ship and deleting the app, which makes me so sad. Please bring back the basic features and improve some of the other problems with the app or innovate new options for a paid version. Either that or charge much, much , much, much less for what is a simple video app. Ugh!.BestewiesVersion: 0.14.292

Plus???You took away the features that came with Marco Polo and made them a plus feature?? Speeding up the video 2x, sending texts or photos. Those are now plus features?? WTH. If you were to make a plus app, come up with NEW features. Not take the features that were already available for FREE and make them a plus feature. Very shady of you guys to do that..Marcy72183Version: 0.14.279

Feel cheatedI’ve been using this App for almost a year, I absolutely loved it, but now they want $60/year for the same experience with nothing desirable added. They took away all the features that made this app special, so if you don’t have extra money during a pandemic for yet another subscription service, you’re SOL. Thanks..WhydontyoutellmeVersion: 0.14.279

Great until last updateI live in different countries/states from the rest of my family and we have been using this app for a couple of years now to keep in touch with each other. We have a chat with all 7 of our family members and it’s been the best way for us to all keep in contact. I have recommended this app to everyone I know. That being said, they just took an opportunity to mooch money off of people during a global pandemic and I for one am appalled. I cannot believe they would do this NOW of all times. When people are running low on income. They removed the option of fast forwarding through Marco polos. It makes it impossible for us to use as our main form of communication now because no one has the time. I think they could have charged a one-time fee of like $5-$10 to upgrade to plus without many people getting upset about it, but to have to pay a monthly membership fee for features you once ALREADY HAD is ridiculous. Bring back the fast forward button before we tank this apps ratings..Bri dee cruiserVersion: 0.14.279

Opening Screens are MisleadingBeware: the screens when you open the app mislead you into paying for a subscription by suggesting that the app needs to read your fingerprint to verify purchase when what it is really doing is making a new purchase. The App Store should ban the practice. The fact that this app maker would do it should be enough to warrant avoiding Marco Polo..TheCdnBarristerVersion: 0.1329.0

Terrible after the updatesI have been using this app with the free features for so long and now they’re trying to force people into paying for the premium version but taking away basic functions that have always been free. What a slimy tactic. Marco Polo has lots all of my respect..8)5!373Version: 0.14.279

Rip offI had this app for free and removed it for space on my phone. My wife and son sent me a video when I was at work. Downloaded the app off the cloud cause I had it before. Watched the video and thought nothing of it. Now found out it somehow signed me up for a year subscription to Marco Polo family plus at $136. I don’t even use this app. This is ridiculous and I can’t se a way to get my money back. Total money grab.Alstar45678Version: 0.1318.0

Great until they started trying to force you to upgradeWe were loving the app as a way for the kids in our family to keep in touch with far away relatives (since some couldn’t write yet) but once they moved to a model where there was a premium vs a free version, it all started going downhill. While I can understand and even appreciate an upgraded version that would be paid for, it seems instead they just continue to remove features that were once free and make them “premium features”. It makes more sense to add value than to remove it from the free version. Just frustrating for those Who have been using the app for a while and are all of a sudden unable to use it the way we used to..Gerbil223Version: 0.14.318

Pandemic money grab?I had been using Marco Polo for a long time and I loved it — I recruited so many of my friends to the service. But they’ve recently decided to make even the most basic features only available if you pay — they limited the emoji reactions, you can’t leave a text message, or a photo. It’s just so disappointing for people, like me, who have been long time users. And also it feels like the company is capitalizing on the pandemic — isolation has increased its users, so now people have to pay if they want to stay in touch. It makes me kind of sad to think that’s the reason, and I hope I’m wrong, but I just can’t find another reason. If this was a Marco Polo, I would describe how I feel as 😔 (but of course, you have to pay to use that emoji now)..SbgmgVersion: 0.14.292

Marco Polo wants to charging for free serviceWhat Marco Polo is doing with their once free platform is what Naomi Klein would call ‘disaster capitalism’. In a time of disaster make money from people because their need is greater. Marco Polo became important to people during the forced isolation from the novel Coronavirus pandemic. People are out of work, isolated and frightened. While other companies are offering free communication services. Marco Polo does the opposite. Starts taking away what was once free and trying to charge for it by offering a ‘free’ trial for their supposed upgrade. That is just mean and money grubbing..Tintinnabulation4Version: 0.14.279

Used to loveThis app WAS great to use. A convenient way to stay connect with family and friends. And during a pandemic they decided to take away any basic features from the free app and set an obscenely high subscription fee. This is shady business. I would have been ok paying a one time fee to download the app (like $5). But I am not paying $5/month for a very basic app that doesn’t provide anything new. Took away basic features and slapped an $80 fee on it. I’ll go back to texting for free. Thanks...... I won’t be using the app let alone “upgrading” it..Scotty_79Version: 0.14.279

Money grab.I used to love Marco Polo or at least I did. It has become a cashGrab, they saw opportunity This company’s popularity because of coronavirus they saw an opportunity to start charging for our favourite features.$5 a month is ridiculous that US dollars for Canadians that’s way too much money! I would be willing to pay a one time fee for the app $5 forevermore this is ridiculous! Something new will come out free and I will be using it! With old features gone this app had gone backwards! Bring back 2x free! You can’t claw back features!!!! Scummy..Kimara71Version: 0.14.279

Great until the latest updateLoved using this app with my friends to stay connected, but like a lot of other people find it’s ridiculous to claw back basic features 2X speed for their “pro” paid tier. I understand their looking for ways to monetize, but taking away a basic free feature to do so is NOT the way to do it. Friends and I are looking at alternatives now..AC604ReviewVersion: 0.14.279

GougingMoving 90% of the existing features to a paid version and clawing back nearly all the functionality, rather than adding new extras as an opt-in, is a complete rip-off. Will be looking for a new app..BooToYou2017Version: 0.14.279

So bad I had to write an app reviewI’ve never written an app review before but this made me so mad I had to. This newest update takes everything away that makes Marco Polo different from other apps and gives nothing new in return. Bring back the 2X button 😡.83?(@/75,!4&;!Version: 0.14.279

Better beforeI liked and use the app way more when you could add photos and type. Sometimes I want to reply to a group message in MarcoPolo but I don’t want people to see me..MissraelynVersion: 0.1404.1

Is This Legal?What happened to just the regular Marco? I was billed 119.99 dollars for a app that I thought was free. PLUS I haven’t got a refund for a app I now how cancelled. Plus it forces me to give it one star when it doesn’t deserve even that!.Happy.placeVersion: 0.1391.0

Used to be way betterSince adding the “pro” account, they took away a bunch of features that used to be available. If I could find an alternative for MP I would switch in the heartbeat as the upgrade is ridiculously expensive..OhnoizloloVersion: 0.14.313

Too much moneyI actually really like MP but since they took all the features away on the free version and make you pay in my opinion too much for the pro version it’s not worth it. 😕.Minty beansVersion: 0.14.316

Was goodBasically, unless you want to spend $5 a month (paid in full or $9 monthly) you are essentially getting what every other messaging app out there can already do. The “double speed” feature was the feature that set this app apart, but you can no longer get that unless you’re paying, and all the other paid features aren’t really worth it either. So, unless you have a good amount of disposable income, then this app is pretty much equivalent to whatsapp, iMessage, fb messenger, etc..HudsonWellsVersion: 0.14.297

Paying premium but??I used to love polo. Defended the low video quality... but as soon as I get another option. I am out. I get we need to reward creators and I WANT to.. so I paid- I speak from a paid subscription viewpoint but the way they went about it and then for us that actually pay.. there is no difference. Low video quality- Can’t rewind/fast forward or play polos- or not able to play at all- it seems it is getting worse. And I am paying for it? Only get emails to pay more.. for what? What not ask us- that pay for what works and what does not instead of the sale emails?.TamsRocheVersion: 0.14.308

So disappointedI got my mom to sign up during the pandemic but she said she had to pay. And A LOT. $60 a year for what used to be free. So disappointed. Instead of getting 6 new user they lost a bunch (in my family)..PMC1117Version: 0.14.308

Disappointing downgradeI love what this app does, in regards to the mode of communication. But I really hate the fact that they switched it so that you have to pay for every feature from the previous free version. We are left with the least useful “extras” with filters and voices and have to now pay for basic things like sending a picture. My friends and I are exploring other apps that have more options. Really disheartening that this communication app has made themselves so elite, in a time when connection with people is more important Han ever, and the economy is in the toilet. I hope they bring back some of the other features for free..ShanbananeVersion: 0.14.307

Premium Ruined ItI loved this app until they introduced the paid option. Now you can’t send videos or photos you’ve taken previously. Which takes away a lot of the convenience of this app. Now if I want to send something, I have to do it “live,” which isn’t always possible..Sabshynes555Version: 0.14.295

Outrageous monthly feeI use to LOVE this app and used it to speak with my friends in the US (I’m in 🇨🇦). They took away all the previous free features (2x speed, sharing pictures or text, jumping forward) and suddenly charging $60/year USD for those same features??? That’s insane. I will NOT pay that and I hope no one does. I still enjoy communicating with friends and will still use the app but I will not pay $80 CDN just to fast forward. What a rip off..Chandee15Version: 0.14.293

Annoying to have to Pay Monthly nowI love Marco Polo! I live far from family and friends so it is such a great thing to keep me feeling close to them all. I am confused and frustrated however that all of the features were were accustomed to now have to be paid for. And it is a decent price, yes, but a huge money grab. Most apps you only have to pay a one time fee for, not a monthly subscription. That’s dumb..AmeriCanadian🇺🇸🇨🇦Version: 0.14.292

Stupid money HogsAfter the update it’s basically a paid app for 60$/year. Save yourself the trouble and get Snapchat so you can send text.BobylandoooVersion: 0.14.293

No more features without having to pay for themI loved Marco Polo until they decided to charge you for simple features. No more double time, no more photo messages. It’s really unfortunate that you have to pay monthly for these now. I’d love to give it 5 stars but I just can’t. I don’t really see the incentive to use it over any of the other messaging apps now..Bris doseVersion: 0.14.292

Now we pay to use the features that were free!?!I’ve used this app for years. The recent “upgrade” to their premium version is bogus. All the features that I’ve used and loved for years I now have to pay for! What’s up with that???.TGHSVersion: 0.14.281

“Still Free, Fewer Options”, Marco PoloWas great until they took away features and made a free app expensive. Not worth the money. Will be deleting once the new changes take effect..Jason CanadaVersion: 0.14.291

Boo Paid SubscriptionWas loving this app especially considering our social distant world but I’m so disappointed that every feature is now locked and can’t be opened until you start paying monthly. Would LOVE for it to go back to being wonderfully free and uniting us with loved ones!.Emlou7777777Version: 0.14.290

DisappointedLove this app for keeping in touch with international friends and family. Disappointed they took free features away and now charge for them monthly! I’d rather go back to sending iMessage videos just out of spite..Amc89Version: 0.14.287

MembershipWent to update my app to find out that now you need a membership in order to use a lot of the old features. (Sending pictures, sending text images, recording reactions) No thank you. Will be looking for a different app..Sparkle123455Version: 0.14.285

Tricking users to update and force to pay bad formThat was sneaky you convinced users to upgrade and force them to pay for the same features they used to get for free. Bye marco Ill find another app your not the only game in town.O0JoeCool0oVersion: 0.14.283

Not classyNot classy Marco Polo. Not classy. To charge a subscription without adding any major new features stinks! To claw back features leaving nothing free for playback - stinks. Not impressed with the subscription - my videos keep stopping and I don’t get to finish them. Nothing new and exciting. And seriously - 5$ USD/month? Gimme a break. Not classy..BC MammaVersion: 0.14.283

I’m deleting this app and telling everybody else i know to do the same!What a dick move to pull! Instead of adding features you are simply locking everything behind a paywall. THAT’S JUST EVIL, ESPECIALLY AT A TIME LIKE THIS! What’s next micro transactions??.ITSATRAP2019Version: 0.14.282

Update sucksMarco Polo plus is not worth the money and they removed basic features and hid them behind paywalls..Brendone33Version: 0.14.281

ChangesHi there. Not impressed with the fact that you are now changing it up and there is no way to just have the ordinary not the plus version without trying the plus version for 7 days . Then have to give info. You are hoping that people forget and you get to charge for at least a month. Shame on you. Especially now. I am also wondering why many people I know have not even gotten the message about switching and are able to use all the services that originally came with the app!! I was using this app for team building and now only able to send and receive Polos with all the other stuff taken away doesn’t seem right as we along With so many are partly responsible for making your app so appealing in the first Place!.BentleysmaVersion: 0.14.281

Unfair UpdateLiterally the worst update ever. Everything has been discounted/free to help people stay in touch during quarantine and then Marco updates to lose all features unless you pay to subscribe??? Honestly just unfair and really frustrating. I don’t love the app as much anymore.Sjk15Version: 0.14.279

Update SUCKSYou’ve taken away some of the best features! Now I have to pay $50 for FAST FORWARD and FORWARDING?! Not cool..NoctivagansVersion: 0.14.279

😡😱 omg.... i keep typing in my phone number and it won’t send me the verification code !!!!😤😠😡.JjjjUjjjjUVersion: 0.14.279

Tech issuesI used to love this app (and I still love the concept) but it has been “updating” for months. I have tried many different ways of troubleshooting but it still doesn’t work..KasschVersion: 0.14.279

Marco Polo Plus is a rip offVery disappointed in the most recent upgrade of this app. All the functions that I have been freely using for months are now only available if I pay for Marco Polo Plus. Great app to stay connected with people but sleazy business to take away the basic functions and make me suddenly pay for them..Ccbeckett37Version: 0.14.278

$5 a month.....is that a joke?My friends and I all use this app but with the new update we will probably be finding a new platform. The paid version strips most of the features from the free version. I would have paid for this app outright but I’m for sure not subscribing to it, and literally everyone I’ve talked to about it has said the same. Sad..Adele777777Version: 0.14.278

Used to be good. 🚨GOUGE ALERT 🚨I used to love Marco Polo. Then they went and made a bunch of functions (that are free in virtually every other messaging app) premium aka paid only. Right in the middle of COVID 19 😒 Why didn’t they just make premium options, like HD, downloads, and long videos premium? They said “it’s only the price of a coffee with a friend” ... you know what else is the price of a coffee with a friend? A COFFEE WITH A FRIEND! Goodbye Marco Polo. I’m not sacrificing a coffee with a friend for messaging app that can’t do basic functions like text, photos, without a monthly subscription. Yikes guys. What a huge disappointment..BenjamcgVersion: 0.14.274

Premium is a jokeCan’t believe that a company would “launch” a premium service during a pandemic that only involves converting all of the free options to paid. No originality in premium - they are trying the “bait and switch” marketing method. You want people to pay? Maybe add new features and make something that is actually premium. Add group functions or something but charging for the exact same things that were free without notice to users? Terrible company..RLewReviewVersion: 0.14.274

PaywallWas a great app until they made a premium feature that you had to pay for and blocked some of the previous features behind it. Disappointed they did this during a quarantine time when people are trying to connect.MortusVVersion: 0.14.273

Payoneer 💰Payoneer is an online payment platform that lets you transfer money from any corner of the world! A best and must have payment service for every blogger, traveler, freelancer, affiliate marketer, consultant, virtual assistant, business person, online sellers, and receivers. Earn $25 for free by joining Payoneer. Sign Up Now!AdvertorialVersion: 0.1467.1