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

athenaText

40
User verdict / 100 High confidence Divided

athenaText is a secure communication app for healthcare professionals that, despite being praised for its convenience and HIPAA compliance, is currently plagued by severe stability issues, frequent crashes, and persistent login problems, especially after recent updates.

3.9★ lifetime (377) Free to download since 2014 by athenahealth, Inc. updated 0.2 mo ago recent negative 44% 120 reviews across 1 regions
Stability & Crashes Login & Access Issues Communication Efficiency Notifications Outdated Functionality
5★61
4★9
3★4
2★12
1★47
recent reviews across 1 regions, vs the 3.9★ lifetime average

athenaText is designed to facilitate secure and efficient communication among healthcare staff, offering a mobile solution for messaging and coordination. While many users appreciate its convenience and HIPAA compliance for daily operations, recent updates have introduced significant technical problems, including frequent crashes and login difficulties, hindering its reliability.

What users like

  • Facilitates efficient and secure communication among healthcare staff, improving workflow and patient care.R4R9R11R13
  • Allows communication on the go, making it convenient for staff outside the office or making rounds.R9R13R14R16
  • HIPAA compliant, ensuring secure handling of patient-related information.R24R28R31R43

What users complain about

  • Frequent crashes and freezing, especially after recent updates, make the app unreliable and often unusable.R91R92R94R96
  • Users are constantly logged out or required to sign in every time the app is opened, which is time-consuming due to verification methods and load times.R2R3R108R126
  • Notifications are inconsistent or do not work, leading to missed messages and delayed communication.R35R47R66R83
  • Issues with updating the app, including being stuck in an update loop or being unable to update at all.R60R61R62R63
  • Inability to log in or use the app after updates, requiring frequent reinstallation or rendering it unusable.R93R95R97R99
  • Some basic functionalities are missing or problematic, such as attaching patient charts, group messaging, dictation, or Face ID support.R1R29R45R56
  • Poor customer support and difficulty submitting feedback within the app.R59R74R90R116

Latest update · v19.7.93

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

Bug Fixes and Stability Changes

Recurring themes

Stability & Crashes negative
Many recent reviews report the app frequently crashes, freezes, or becomes unresponsive, especially after updates. Users often have to delete and reinstall the app to get it working temporarily, if at all. This directly contradicts the developer's notes about 'Bug Fixes and Stability Changes'.R91R92R94R96
Login & Access Issues negative
A significant number of users report being constantly logged out, requiring frequent sign-ins with lengthy verification processes, or being unable to log in at all after updates. This makes the app inconvenient and often unusable.R2R3R95R99
Notifications negative
Users frequently complain about inconsistent or non-existent notifications for new messages, leading to missed communications and workflow disruptions.R35R47R66R83
Communication Efficiency positive
When the app works, users highly value its ability to provide secure, HIPAA-compliant, and efficient communication among staff, both in and out of the office. It's seen as essential for coordinating care and improving workflow.R9R13R19R28
Outdated Functionality negative
Some reviews point out that the app feels clunky and lacks modern features like attaching patient charts, robust group messaging, dictation capabilities, or proper Face ID support, making it feel 'a decade behind'.R1R29R45R56

Who it's for

athenaText is for healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, and medical assistants, who use athenahealth's EMR system and need a HIPAA-compliant mobile solution for secure team communication R9R28R31. It is particularly useful for those who need to communicate with colleagues while away from their desk or outside the office R13. However, given the current widespread issues, it is not recommended for anyone who relies on consistent, stable, and timely communication for critical patient care R47.

Evidence note: The recent reviews skew heavily negative, with many users reporting critical bugs and usability issues that contradict the developer's general 'bug fixes and stability changes' notes. While there are positive reviews praising the app's concept and utility, these are often overshadowed by the severity and recurrence of technical problems, suggesting a significant decline in user experience recently. The confidence in the negative points is high due to the sheer volume and consistency of complaints across many users.

Frequently asked

Is athenaText reliable for urgent communication?
Based on recent reviews, athenaText is currently unreliable for urgent communication due to frequent crashes, login issues, and inconsistent notifications, which can lead to delayed provider notification and missed messages R47R83R86R97.
Does athenaText support Face ID for login?
No, athenaText does not consistently support Face ID; some users report the app still refers to Touch ID on newer iPhones with Face ID, indicating outdated security integration R92R109.
Can I attach patient charts or use group messaging in the athenaText iPhone app?
The iPhone app does not appear to support attaching patient charts or finding groups for messaging, unlike the version embedded in AthenaOne R1.
Is athenaText HIPAA compliant?
Yes, athenaText is praised by users for being HIPAA compliant, allowing secure communication of sensitive patient information R24R28R31R43.

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. [R4] 5/5 · US APN review: Excellent tool for staff communication!
  2. [R9] 5/5 · US Use daily: Our office uses AthenaText to update the entire team efficiently and confidentially. The app makes it easy for me to send a text from the hospital as I make rounds.
  3. [R11] 5/5 · US Efficient way to communicate: Easy to use across platforms. Can utilize on iPad, laptop and phone quickly
  4. [R13] 5/5 · US Love It: I Love Love Love Athena text because its so easy and convenient. I can send and receive messages on my cell phone and don't have to worry about pulling out my laptop or getting on a desk top computer. Thank you so much for this app!
  5. [R14] 5/5 · US Versatile: I can’t believe it allows me to do so much on my phone . Easy, practical and very effective. All the beauty of Athena in the palm of your hand! The updates improve flow in ways I didn’t think possible!
  6. [R16] 5/5 · US AthenaText: Outstanding feature of athenanet! It allows in office communication separate from patient records. Using the app allows use on the go! I love it!! Easy documentation real-time.
  7. [R24] 5/5 · US Athenatext: Works great HIPAA compliant!
  8. [R28] 5/5 · US Great software!!: Communication in healthcare is instrumental to meeting any organizational Mission. AthenaText helps healthcare teams communicate with efficiency and accuracy. The integration with the EMR adds great value, information security and eliminates the need for 3rd party vendors that may not be HIPAA compliant.
  9. [R31] 5/5 · US Incredible app: The Athena messenger app is incredible. It allows me to communicate quickly and efficiency with my clinic staff under HIPPA compliance. I cannot overstate how important this app is to my vascular surgery practice. I strongly recommend this app to all health care providers that use Athena services.
  10. [R43] 5/5 · US Does the job and Hippa compliant.: That’s it.
  11. [R91] 1/5 · US Crashes almost every time: Subject says it all. Have had to reinstall it multiple times - essentially useless with current glitches.
  12. [R92] 1/5 · US Crashy, very crashy, please fix: You guys need to update your apps and make it stabler, we rely on this to keep in contact within the clinic on the go. You are still referring to security as Touch ID on my iPhone XS that uses Face ID? Are you serious? Get your act together, please.
  13. [R94] 1/5 · US Update made the app unusable: The app crashes or I can’t log in. Please undo the upgrades so that we can use this app.
  14. [R96] 1/5 · US App shuts down immediately after opening: The Athena app is completely worthless. I shuts down immediately after I open it. I’ve deleted and reinstalled many times. Using iphone10 with latest version of iOS 13.
  15. [R2] 1/5 · US Logs out all the time.: Logs out all the time.
  16. [R3] 1/5 · US Have to sign in everytime you open app: This app used to stay signed in everytime I needed to open it with the occasional re sign in every so often. Now, it requires to sign in everytime you open the app. Not sure what the point of that was as it takes away the convenience of the app and takes time to sign in everytime I need to use the app. Pretty pointless app now since it takes 10 min to sign i
  17. [R108] 1/5 · US Useless: It crashes constantly, hard to access to , always have to put in a password!
  18. [R126] 2/5 · US App is buggy!!: Great idea. App keeps making me log in and create a passcode. I'm getting really annoyed. Sometimes app will not let me enter username and password which leaves me without my messages while on the go.
  19. [R35] 3/5 · US App needs work: The concept of this app is great but it needs work. Every time I make a comment about it, I’m told to remove the app and redownload it. No other app do I have to do that with. It works for a while and then the notifications stop coming, it won’t show new employees, and it will sometimes give you a notification but won’t load the new message. I have to close out several times to get
  20. [R47] 1/5 · US Dangerous game: Due to continues issues last year with app not notifying is risking delaying provider notification when staff tries to reach provider. Have told Athena support almost monthly, yet no fix
  21. [R66] 1/5 · US Not refreshing: App is not refreshing. I’m getting alerts, but in the app. No messages.
  22. [R83] 2/5 · US Docjoseandres: We have just started using AthenaText. The premise sounds awesome but for some reason the app does not notify the user when we have a message.. So unless I continuously check this app - I won’t know I have messages Is there a setting we have missed that will allow a notification? Thanks
  23. [R60] 1/5 · US Update issue: I’m constantly getting this message when I open the Athena app. I click on the update link and it takes me to the App Store and it shows the Athena app and the link to “open”. I open the app and in circles I go. When I change my pass code, it’ll work until I open the app again. What’s going on? “App Update Required! The current app version you are using is obsolete. To continue us
  24. [R61] 2/5 · US Athenatext: Smh Athenatext continues to go in and out whether in office or if you’re trying to use the app. Attempting to use the app I keep getting an update message when the app has already updated. Please fix this is annoying.
  25. [R62] 1/5 · US Updating app: Trying to up date app but don’t see anywhere to update.
  26. [R63] 1/5 · US Keeps saying I need an update but doesn’t update: When I log in says I have to update but it just takes me to the App Store and does not provide an option to update. I even tried deleting and reinstalling the app
  27. [R93] 1/5 · US Update fail: I can’t send or receive messages since the new update. I’ve removed and reinstalled.
  28. [R95] 1/5 · US Cannot Log In: Ever since update I cannot log in
  29. [R97] 1/5 · US App Not Working: I have been unable to use this app for the last 2-3 weeks. It used to work beautifully, but now it is not functional. I have deleted the app several times and re-installed it. I can login, but then I get an error message stating AthenaText is not working at this time. Try again later. Meanwhile, I’m missing important messages from my office.
  30. [R99] 2/5 · US Great but I can’t get in: Agree with the previous review, I can’t get in despite deleting and downloading it new. Please make it work!
  31. [R1] 3/5 · US Clunky: The new version of the app that’s embedded in AthenaOne works well. But the iPhone app doesn’t and never has. You cannot attach a patient chart. While the version in athena one supports groups, the iPhone app doesn’t appear to - I can’t find my groups when I type the group name. And when typing individual recipient names, it often double- enters the name after selecting from matches, then
  32. [R29] 2/5 · US OBGYN: The reason for me to rate this at 3 is because neither can I dictate nor can I enter info through texting in my encounters - hence I cannot sign off on charts on my phone
  33. [R45] 3/5 · US Where is the watch app?: Am I missing something?
  34. [R56] 4/5 · US Pretty good app: Good app. Pretty easy to use. Would benefit from option to dictate notes in app, since Apple Siri dictation isn’t HIPAA compliant. A number of ways easier to use than web based input
  35. [R59] 1/5 · US Nightmare: The app constantly asks me how I like the app. Every single time, I select it needs improvement. Then it asks me if I'd like to share feedback, which I say yes. Then it tells me that an error occurred and that I’m unable to submit a Feedback response. So if you’re looking to fix anything, try fixing the feedback option so that users can give you accurate feedback about how much this app
  36. [R74] 1/5 · US Poor support: Garbage, buggy app. I’m a physician and I’ve tried giving them helpful feedback on bugs numerous times. Each update seems to make it worse and break basic functionality. The responses were lame, and they often just closed out my tickets without resolving the app problems.
  37. [R90] 1/5 · US Impossible to use if you ever had Epocrates account!: I wish I could give it a negative rating. Not sure a “zero” would be captured... do I gave it 1 star. I have a current Epocrates account that I started when I was with another organization, therefore different email. I am unable to change that email to my current organization. When I try setting this up with current credentials, “athenaText is
  38. [R116] 1/5 · US Good in theory: Terrible in practice. No functionality and constantly crashes. No customer service for the amount of money you spend when you have Athena as your platform.
  39. [R19] 5/5 · US AthenaText saves me!: The athenaText app saved me time in so many ways! Communicating with staff for add-ons, cancellations, changes in schedule, communication with colleagues and improving workflow.
  40. [R86] 2/5 · US Great in concept, but glitchy: Invaluable for communicating with my staff when I’m out of the office. Unfortunately every time I leave the app and need to read a message I have to log back in. Also will take a while to show me a new message. I’ll get a notification but when I log in no message appears and I have to force close the app and re open to read the message.
  41. [R109] 2/5 · US Crashes and no Face ID support: Keeps on crashing. Text don’t go through and not receiving at times. No Face ID support. Please fix

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