Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
User consensusAlternativesIs it worth it?
The verdict on

charging play

35
User verdict / 100 High confidence In trouble

Charging Play offers custom charging animations, but recent user reviews indicate significant issues with ads, app functionality, and a lack of developer support, despite a positive lifetime rating.

⚠ Not updated in 22 months, this app may be abandoned
4.5★ lifetime (13,526) Free + in-app purchases since 2020 by 妮琳 张 recent negative 52% 120 reviews across 4 regions
Ads Functionality Issues Animation Control Sound Issues Privacy/Deletion Concerns
5★80
4★53
3★68
2★46
1★172
recent reviews across 4 regions, vs the 4.5★ lifetime average

Charging Play allows users to customize their phone's charging animation, with many appreciating the unique visual experience. However, recent reviews highlight pervasive problems including excessive and unskippable ads, frequent app malfunctions, and difficulty changing or even accessing animations after initial setup. The app appears abandoned, with no updates in nearly two years, leading to a decline in user satisfaction.

What users like

  • Offers custom charging animations, including user-uploaded videosR1R3R11R156
  • Instructions for setting up shortcuts are clearR108

What users complain about

  • Excessive and intrusive ads, often unskippable or with inaccessible 'x' buttons, especially on newer iPhone modelsR1R3R8R20
  • Frequent app malfunctions, including getting stuck on screens, failing to apply animations, or crashingR2R4R9R10
  • Users often cannot change animations after initial setup without reinstalling the appR38R40R56R57
  • Animations often require the phone to be unlocked or the app to be open to play, defeating the purpose for many usersR17R52R71R98
  • Some users report inability to delete the app or concerns about privacy and data theftR36R41R42R69
  • Paid 'pro' features sometimes do not work or are not deliveredR14R68
  • Audio for custom video animations frequently does not playR85R87R93R150
  • Lack of updates and developer response to critical bugsR2R9R10R12

Latest update · v6.2

What the developer says changed (the verdict above weighs this against what reviewers report):

-Fix the bug where adding photo albums and videos to the new system crashes -Add multiple practical charging animations -Fixed some known bugs

Recurring themes

Ads negative
Many users complain about an excessive number of ads, which are often unskippable or have 'x' buttons that are impossible to click, especially on newer iPhone models, preventing them from using the app's features.R1R3R8R20
Functionality Issues negative
A large number of users report that the app simply does not work as intended, getting stuck on screens, failing to display animations, or crashing. The latest update notes claim to fix crashes and add animations, but recent reviews contradict this, still reporting crashes and functionality issues.R2R4R9R10
Animation Control negative
Many users struggle to change their charging animations after the initial setup, often finding the app stuck on a previously selected video or unable to access the settings to make changes. Some also note that animations only play if the phone is unlocked or the app is open.R17R38R40R52
Sound Issues negative
Several users report that the audio for their custom video animations does not play, even after working initially or trying different clips.R85R87R93R150
Privacy/Deletion Concerns negative
A few users express concerns about the app's inability to be deleted, potential for data theft, or sending inappropriate messages.R14R25R36R41

Who it's for

This app is for users who want to customize their phone's charging animation and are willing to tolerate frequent ads and potential functionality issues R1R3R11. It is NOT for users who expect a seamless, ad-free experience, reliable performance, or responsive developer support R2.

Evidence note: The recent reviews skew heavily negative, contradicting the lifetime 4.45-star rating. This suggests a significant decline in app quality or user experience over time, possibly due to the lack of updates and increasing ad intrusiveness. The developer's notes for the latest update (22.1 months ago) claim bug fixes, but recent reviews indicate these issues persist.

Frequently asked

Does Charging Play have ads?
Yes, Charging Play has many ads, and users frequently report that these ads are intrusive, unskippable, or have 'x' buttons that are impossible to click, preventing them from using the app R1R3R8R20.
Can I change my charging animation after setting it?
Many users report significant difficulty changing their charging animation after the initial setup, often finding the app stuck on a previously selected video or unable to access the settings to make changes without reinstalling the app R38R40R56R57.
Do charging animations play when my phone is locked?
According to user reviews, charging animations often require the phone to be unlocked or the app to be open to play, which many find inconvenient and defeats the purpose of the app R17R52R71R98.
Does the app have sound with custom video animations?
Users frequently report that the audio for their custom video animations does not play, even if it initially worked or after trying different clips R85R87R93R150.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R1] 5/5 · US Great but…: It’s a great app and great set up but if I didn’t have to unlock my phone and didn’t have ads it would be top tier
  2. [R3] 5/5 · US Great but: Too many ads but cool features
  3. [R11] 5/5 · US Yes sir it works: When I downloaded I thought it was fake but when I clicked on settings and then tutorial I clicked on it, It showed me how then when I copied what it did I tried to charge my phone IT WORKED.
  4. [R156] 3/5 · US Okay, so the app is good and all, and I like that you can add your own animation, but I dislike that your phone/device needs to be on and that it needs to open the app first... But other than that, all good! ❤️ · translated
  5. [R108] 3/5 · US Almost perfect: The instructions for creating a shortcut are very good. There is a lovely selection of animations, but I can’t find a way for the chosen application to start when I plug the phone into charge. I have to swipe down several animations until I find the one I wanted.
  6. [R8] 2/5 · US Charging play has ads: There is ads
  7. [R20] 1/5 · US Horrible🤬🤬🤮: This game is horrible it supposed to charge your phone but ads pop up every 5 seconds delete this app if you have it
  8. [R2] 1/5 · US Your mobile player: Honestly, I had a lot of faith in this game until I actually tried it out first off with the ads and stuff. It didn’t say anything about ads in the description. Maybe I haven’t looked at it right now. I saw what I saw it personally it was even working. I had to put my charger in to make a charge and then it started saying how it was helping my phone charge one about portable ch
  9. [R4] 1/5 · US What did I do wrong?: I opened the app… it only shows me my battery percentage and when I try to click on the screen it goes black… explain
  10. [R9] 3/5 · US Custom: When I wanted to do my own custom charging animation after I pressed set it would just keep loading and not actually setting my custom charging animation
  11. [R10] 2/5 · US It’s not working: It just shows what my battery is at and I’m trying to do the charging animation for Mha but I can’t get out of the charging thing fix it pls before it worries so you can do it am again
  12. [R38] 4/5 · US Pretty good!: I have used this app for a little over seven months now. The only thing I wish they could change is that whenever I open the app it just plays the video I inserted and won’t let me change the video. but overall, the app is pretty nice.
  13. [R40] 5/5 · US Why can’t I change the background?: I don’t know what’s going on all of a sudden but I tried changing the animation and it wouldn’t let me. It just kept playing what I had previously set, so I deleted the app and redownloaded it to see if it would work then and it hasn’t. It was enjoyable while it lasted.
  14. [R56] 5/5 · US I need help: So basically it’s a really good app I have been using it for a while and I like it but I wanted to change the video but when I open the app it just plays the video I already have then closes the app and I know how to change the video I just don’t know how to get there
  15. [R57] 3/5 · US Great app: It’s a really great app it’s just that once I’m done with video and click on the app it’s just black and I can’t change my animations.
  16. [R17] 1/5 · US I don’t like this app: So for some reason it when I go to my homes when I go on my walk screen, it’s not there or my iPad screen. It says it supposed to show up on my watch screen but it’s not. Also it didn’t show up even though my iPad is plugged in.
  17. [R52] 1/5 · US Charger video: You can’t put a video as the background and it won’t let your phone play the video on its own u have to unlock the phone ur self and go on the app just to see the video
  18. [R71] 4/5 · US A good app: This app is good it’s just that after a couple hours it stops going automatically and it makes you put your password in
  19. [R98] 4/5 · US Pretty good, but there’s one thing: I love this app! It’s great and I love the decimals, so I know how close it is to full more precisely, but I wish it didn’t require you to put in your passcode, because I would like to leave my phone charging while I do work at school, but then someone could get into my phone. The developers should add a passcode feature, so you can’t exit the app without the pa
  20. [R36] 1/5 · US This app is perfectly fine but I tried to delete it and it wouldn’t delete: I’ve tried everything and nothing will work please fix it
  21. [R41] 1/5 · US Hate it: i got and it was good at first but i started getting annoying and i tried deleting the app and i still got the notification when i charged my phone so i looked up on how to delete it and it said it was a virus. i’m still getting the notification.
  22. [R42] 1/5 · US Bad: I can’t charge my phone and I can’t delete this app because it will charge me 9$
  23. [R69] 1/5 · US Info stealing app: This app is created to steal all your info and sell to 3rd party.
  24. [R14] 1/5 · US Scammed me and sent inappropriate messages to my friends: I was using this app normally and paid for the “+” features, and didn’t get anything, then all of my friends got messages saying cuss words and death threats, this seemed connected to this app because the message couldn’t be traced back to my phone, if you are smart at all, and don’t want to get spoofed, then don’t buy this app.
  25. [R68] 1/5 · US Doesn’t work: I saw this on TikTok for a Melanie Martinez edit and I wanted it so I watched a tutorial and I paid for no ads and it doesn’t even work!
  26. [R85] 3/5 · US Please fix this bug in the app: I love this app but I do wish it would play the audio with the videos I selected. When I first got the app it worked perfectly but over time I would upload a new video and it plays silent with no sound no matter what I try and I even messed with the settings and nothing. Is there a way to fix this feature?
  27. [R87] 4/5 · US Help: I used this app for a few months no problem. I could change the animation no issue but recently, I tried to change the animation and the sound won’t play. I tried this with various clips and it won’t play. Maybe it’s something with the clips I am choosing but please help…
  28. [R93] 4/5 · US Eh: I loved it but I ran into a problem we’re it did not add the sound with the video.
  29. [R150] 3/5 · US I really like the app but...: I really liked the app at first but somehow it stopped working and I can't hear the sound but I can see the animation I don't know if it's my phone or the app in general but I hope it can be fixed or there's a way to fix this
  30. [R12] 3/5 · US Stuck on screen: Everytime I open the app it has the MagSafe charging screen and I even re-installed it and it won’t take me off the screen I’ve used this app before when I was younger but I have no clue why it isn’t working unless my app is glitched ?
  31. [R25] 1/5 · US 😡: It doesn’t let me delete the app I don’t like it becuase every time when I’m playing Roblox and I’m charging my phone it automatically appears 😡😡😡

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store