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

Cluster

55
User verdict / 100 High confidence Divided

Cluster is a well-liked app for private photo sharing among family and friends, but recent reviews indicate significant issues with photo uploads, app stability, and notifications, contradicting the app's previously high lifetime rating.

4.8★ lifetime (21,844) Free + in-app purchases since 2013 by Cluster Labs, Inc. updated 0.6 mo ago recent negative 42% 120 reviews across 4 regions
Photo Uploads App Stability Private Sharing Notifications & Invites Missing Features Customer Support
5★137
4★33
3★29
2★39
1★105
recent reviews across 4 regions, vs the 4.8★ lifetime average

Cluster by Cluster Labs, Inc. is a social networking app designed for private photo and video sharing within groups, often used by families. While many users appreciate its concept for keeping memories off public social media, recent feedback highlights persistent problems with photo uploads, app crashes, and unreliable notifications.

What users like

  • Excellent for private photo and video sharing with family and friends, offering an alternative to public social media.R1R3R5R6
  • Easy to use interface, making it accessible for a wide range of ages.R3R28R29R38
  • Offers the ability to create and order high-quality photo books.R3R22R28R53

What users complain about

  • Frequent and severe issues with photo and video uploads, including slow loading, failures, and accidental duplicates.R2R4R7R9
  • The app frequently freezes, crashes, or fails to open, especially on iOS devices.R7R13R19R32
  • Notifications for new posts, comments, or likes are often delayed or do not work at all.R31R65R67R82
  • Lack of essential features like search functionality, categories/folders, and the ability to reorder photos.R6R18R23R46
  • Poor or non-existent customer support, with users reporting no responses to inquiries about issues or account problems.R60R61R62R64
  • Login issues, including problems with Facebook login and email verification, leading to inability to access accounts.R21R70R73R83
  • Inconsistent support for Android devices, with some users unable to download the app or experiencing compatibility issues.R20R31R44
  • Concerns about privacy and data security, with reports of pornographic text messages after using the app.R57
  • Some users received emails indicating the app was shutting down, causing confusion and concern about losing memories.R55R56R61R62

Latest update · v4.3.4

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

* Bug fix for using up too much disk space with finished photo uploads. * Cluster Club subscription fixes!

Recurring themes

Photo Uploads negative
Many users report significant problems with uploading photos and videos, including extreme slowness, uploads failing entirely, or photos not appearing in albums. Some also experience duplicate uploads or the app freezing during the process.R2R4R7R9
App Stability negative
The app frequently crashes, freezes, or fails to open, making it unusable for many. This issue is reported across different devices, including various iPhone models.R7R13R19R32
Notifications & Invites negative
Users consistently report that notifications for new posts, comments, or likes are unreliable, often delayed by hours or days, or simply not received at all. Sending invites to new users also proves problematic, with recipients not receiving them or links not working.R31R36R65R67
Missing Features negative
Reviewers frequently request basic features such as search functionality for photos or comments, the ability to organize photos into categories or folders, and options to reorder photos within albums. The current lack of these features makes managing large photo collections difficult.R6R18R23R46
Customer Support negative
A recurring complaint is the complete lack of response from customer support regarding technical issues, account problems, or general inquiries. Users feel abandoned and unable to resolve critical problems.R60R61R62R64
Private Sharing positive
Many users highly value Cluster for its ability to provide a private space for sharing photos and videos with a select group of family and friends, away from public social media platforms. This is a primary reason for its appeal.R1R3R5R6

Who it's for

Cluster is for individuals and families looking for a private platform to share photos and videos with a select group of people, away from mainstream social media R6R16R29. It is not for users who require reliable photo uploads, consistent app performance, responsive customer support, or advanced organizational features like search and categorization R4R7R10R13.

Evidence note: The recent reviews skew heavily negative, focusing on critical bugs and lack of support, which contrasts sharply with the lifetime 4.8-star rating. The developer's release notes mention 'Bug fix for using up too much disk space with finished photo uploads' and 'Cluster Club subscription fixes!', but recent reviews continue to report severe upload issues R4R7R10 and app crashes R7R13R19R32, suggesting the fixes were either ineffective or did not address the full scope of problems.

Frequently asked

Does Cluster allow private photo sharing?
Yes, Cluster is highly praised for its ability to create private groups for sharing photos and videos exclusively with invited family and friends, serving as a good alternative to public social media R1R3R6R16.
Can I order photo books through Cluster?
Yes, users can create and order photo books directly through the app, with several reviewers commending the quality of the hardbound and softcover books R3R22R28R53.
Are there issues with photo uploads on Cluster?
Many recent reviews indicate significant problems with photo uploads, including slow loading times, uploads failing to complete, and photos not appearing in albums R2R4R7R10.
Does Cluster have good customer support?
Based on recent reviews, Cluster's customer support is largely unresponsive, with many users reporting no replies to their inquiries about technical issues, account problems, or concerns about the app's status R60R61R62R70.
Is Cluster compatible with Android devices?
Compatibility with Android devices is inconsistent; some users report that the app works fine, while others, particularly those with newer Android phones, state they cannot download or use the app due to software updates or crashing issues R20R31R44R87.

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 app: So much sharing can be done
  2. [R3] 5/5 · US Photo Books are Great: Just like the other reviewers, I too am very impressed with the Cluster App. Very easy to use and to interact with the current 25 users in our group. What these reviews don’t mention is the ability to create photo books. I have created 2,12x12 and 1, 8x8 hardbound books as well as 4, 5x5 soft cover books. The quality of the prints is fantastic. And the is no difference in
  3. [R5] 5/5 · US Awesome: I love the app! It’s where you can put your photos in and everything! So fun! 5 stars for sure!
  4. [R6] 4/5 · US LOVE this app but needs category system: Loving the concept to share photos away from social media! However, with the amount of photos my family uploads, many photos are getting lost. Having categories or folders would be helpful to find photos for specific events instead of scrolling through thousands of photos.
  5. [R28] 5/5 · US exactly what I was looking for: This app delivers! It’s easy to upload photos and videos. I love that the Feed is more like a feed and not tied to a calendar which makes it user friendly. My family members also say they prefer it to other photo sharing apps. I’ve been using it for a couple years and am very happy, and the photo books are a nice touch!
  6. [R29] 5/5 · US Exactly What We Needed: My family used to use an app called Path where it was a closed community and all we saw was each other’s posts. That app was discontinued over 5 years ago and we’ve been looking for a solution since. This app is EXACTLY what we’ve been looking for. We now have close to 30 family members - cousins, uncles, grandparents, in-laws - connecting across the US from Hawaii to Mai
  7. [R38] 5/5 · US So easy!: So easy to navigate and share pics together with your friends and family! Love it !
  8. [R22] 5/5 · US Fabulous photo sharing app: Also does beautiful photo books
  9. [R53] 5/5 · US Keeping Memories!: I love using Cluster as a place to share memorable photos with friends and family. It’s easy to invite others to contribute and I like the ability to add comments. I like that they are now offering a way to print photos and make photo books.
  10. [R2] 2/5 · US Love it but slow: I love this app but pictures load very slow or don’t finish loading
  11. [R4] 1/5 · US Photos: It will not let me upload any photos
  12. [R7] 1/5 · US Photos don’t upload: Couldn’t get the app to work, kept freezing, had to reinstall, the photos wouldn’t upload very frustrating waste of time
  13. [R9] 3/5 · US Works for what I use it for: I take the photos for our towns youth football league. 4 age divisions and I can have a cluster group for each division. I wish I could have a QR code for each group, it would make sign ups for parents SO much easier! The link is ok but not as efficient, I would even go premium if that was an option because I use this app weekly from July-November for hundreds of kids
  14. [R13] 1/5 · US Needs Update: App constantly freezes. I can't view or upload any photos. Please update!
  15. [R19] 1/5 · US Constantly Crashes: - Constantly crashes - Too time consuming to upload videos - have to so one at a time if on free version - When adding large pictures it will not bring you back to where you left off in your camera reel - you will have ro scroll back to find ur place Was a decent app when 1st introduced but nearer and better options available now
  16. [R32] 1/5 · US Super Finiky: This needs to not crap out every time I try to use it.
  17. [R31] 3/5 · US Glitchy: This app has constant glitches. Some days I can’t post at all. Now it’s not notifying people when I do post even though they were getting notifications before. Sending invites is a pain - sometimes people get them sometimes they don’t. Sometimes the link works, other times it doesn’t open anything. Also only some android users can use it. Some with newer androids tell me they can’t get th
  18. [R65] 4/5 · US Love this but…: We don’t generally put photos of our children on social media, but Cluster allows us to easily share photos privately with people who live far away. The only complaint we have about it is that it’s glitchy- uploading photos can be very glitchy sometimes, especially if you’re trying to do multiple at once. Also, notifications don’t work. I don’t get push notifications when someone l
  19. [R67] 3/5 · US Nice app with a few things to keep in mind: The app has a nice feel and has worked nicely for sharing different albums with different audiences. The only downsides are a.) the notifications don’t work well. Despite setting up the app to have me notified when comments are added or photos are liked, I still don’t get the notifications. Other users in my family have said the same thing. It would b
  20. [R82] 1/5 · US Don’t bother downloading: I started using Cluster almost two years ago when my child was born. It was great at first. But nearly two years later, uploads don’t work, notifications don’t go out so no one knows when to login to see new photos. It’s totally pointless. I have reached out to the company every way that I can figure out and I NEVER hear back. It’s as if no one runs it anymore. Don’t down
  21. [R18] 2/5 · US No search?: We rated this a two, but I will say that it has been dependable so far. It just doesn’t appear that there is a search feature so you can search for somebody’s name and possibly see all of the pictures that have been posted with their name. Or, adding a hashtag specific to topics that we select in advance. I went to their product support page and it doesn’t appear there are any instruct
  22. [R23] 4/5 · US Close but need more Functionality: Your apps are just what I was looking for but I want them combined and enhanced slightly I love the subscription ability to archive in Cluster but wish it could create a PDF or document with all of the content not just photos. I love the add a map function in TripCast but wish it was in Cluster. I wish there was an option in TripCast to purchase a PDF instea
  23. [R46] 4/5 · US Really enjoyed the Cluster app: We use the Cluster app. Lots in my family. One feature I wish it had is the ability to search within an album. usually when I add a picture, I put a little bit of text to help identify the picture. Later, I would love to be able to search for a keyword and locate that entry, including the picture.
  24. [R60] 1/5 · US Downloading Photos: I have made multiple requests to download my photos and get absolutely zero response and when I send a message that I never received their email my download was complete they never respond to my message. Absolutely worthless!!!
  25. [R61] 2/5 · US Shutting down: Apparently this is shutting down which is too bad because my family loves this. However getting the archives of my albums isn’t working which is concerning as there is about a month left to figure out how to save everything so it doesn’t get lost. HOPING customer service gets its act together for the final month so no one loses their memories
  26. [R62] 1/5 · US Shutting Down!?: Got an email saying that Cluster was shutting down at end of June. Emailed customer service and tried to find verification of this. Is this true?
  27. [R64] 5/5 · US Cluster Shutting Down?: Received an email from Tripcast Team saying Cluster is shutting down the end of June; can have photo books printed or save an archived version of the albums. I am attempting to verify the truth of this email or learn if it is just a phishing scam. Our family has loved using Cluster to share photos over the years!
  28. [R21] 3/5 · US Logging in issues: I cannot view my groups and I logged out to attempt to fix it but now I can’t log back in. Please advise on what to do to or if anyone else is experiencing issues as well.
  29. [R70] 1/5 · US AVOID!!!!: Cannot reach any support. Many have tried. I have thousands of images and the facebook login feature is no longer functional. Meaning i cannot login and Ive permanently lost tons of memories
  30. [R73] 1/5 · US Can’t login!: I can’t login because Facebook login doesn’t work right now. Fix this!!! 😡🤬😠👎🏻
  31. [R83] 1/5 · US Emails not working: Just got this app today because a fellow baseball mom uploaded a bunch of season pictures but I cannot access the album because I need to verify my email address, no matter how many times I resend the email, I never get one!!!! Would loveeee to see those pics :/
  32. [R20] 3/5 · US Help I have a Android: My husband and my brother, both have androids and when they try to download your app, it says the software is updated for Android phones.
  33. [R44] 2/5 · US New name, same problems: My family still has problems getting the app to download and open. The latest is saying it can’t be downloaded because it was “made for an older version of android” 🤨 Also the app still bugs and closes when accessing contacts
  34. [R57] 1/5 · US Porn Text Messages: So I thought this was going to be a good app for all my family to shares pictures from my wedding. Unfortunately, all of my male family members started to get pornographic text messages from ”women” ask if they were wanted to “chat” on their private website. I guess this app is more interested in selling our information to 3rd parties than respecting their customers. Having my
  35. [R55] 5/5 · US Love this app- quirk + needs better user communication: I have been using this app for 4 years and love it. One weird quirk is that sometimes when I upload multiple pictures it uploads them then a few hours later when I open the app again it uploaded them for a second time. I just delete them so it’s not a big deal, just a quirk. Mid May 2022 I got an email saying Cluster was shutting down and
  36. [R56] 5/5 · US Is Cluster Really shutting down this month?: It would be great to get verification-as another person had requested as well! Are there any other good sites to use, if they are closing it down?
  37. [R36] 1/5 · US Doesn’t work: I created 2 groups and invited everyone but not one person received the invite, even when I resent it.
  38. [R16] 4/5 · US Great FB alternative: Between family issues, moving, and a LOT of loving church members, babysitters, and relatives, this app has been AMAZING for posting updates on our niece. As legal guardians, we wanted to keep her pictures private and separate from social media, give everyone simultaneous access to the same pictures/updates, allow them to add their own pics, and the notification system tells
  39. [R10] 2/5 · US Stopped uploading: I love this app but it no longer allows me to upload anything. It just fails every time no matter what I do. Please fix it!
  40. [R87] 5/5 · US Amazing app!! 10/10: I love this app, it allows me to share and receive photos with my friends. Works well with IOS and Android! I love that I can see photos from both IOS and Android! Glad to have this wonderful app!! So far nothing has upset me or made me want to change my review!!

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