NYC Compost
NYC Smart Compost is used to find & unlock curbside compost drop-off bin in NYC
Total ratings
2.37
(Rating count:
150)Review summary
These summaries are automatically generated weekly using AI based on recent user reviews.
Google Play Store does not verify user reviews, so some user reviews may be inaccurate,
spammy, or outdated. Pros
- App provides information about bin locations and allowed products.
- Some users appreciate the intention behind the composting program.
- App design is considered visually appealing by some users.
Cons
- App frequently fails to unlock bins for Android users.
- GPS accuracy issues lead to difficulties in bin access.
- Lack of effective customer support and feedback mechanisms.
- App relies solely on smartphone access, excluding those without devices.
Most mentioned
- Issues with the app not unlocking bins, especially for Android users.
- Frustration with GPS inaccuracies preventing access.
- Desire for alternative bin access methods, such as physical cards.
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User reviews
Recent rating average:
1.50
All time rating average:
2.37
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| Date | Author | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-09-11 |  | | Yeah it is almost unbelievable to me that when I downloaded this app using the QR code on the bin it did not work at all. It does not open any of the Bins at all, Anywhere. Then I read others reviews, and it says that since January of last year that others have complained about the same thing! I mean, it's a year and a half later!! Seriously, to both App Development, and NYC, What in the Actual 🤬?! SMH |
| 2023-07-09 |  | | The app's performance may vary with the NFC features of your phone, but for me it seems to know when I'm standing in front of a bin, and it lets me unlock the bin. The one thing it doesn't do at the moment is recognize when it has succeeded in unlocking the bin. There's no visual or audio feedback from the bin itself (not even a click), so you have to just try the door and if it doesn't work press "unlock" on the app again. |
| 2023-06-21 |  | | It works, but... I had to align the GPS to where the app thinks the bin is before pressing the "unlock bin" button. This location was around 100 feet away down the block. Once I was there, I could unlock the bin. I then had to run to the bin quickly before the bin locked again. As other users have pointed out, relaxing the tight GPS range a little bit could go a long way in solving this particular problem. |
| 2023-06-19 |  | | This app has never worked for me on my Pixel 6. My wife has an iPhone and can open the bins every time, but when she uses my phone it doesn't work. I am a very technical user, and I've enabled location and Bluetooth permissions. I've uninstalled and reinstalled the app. Please fix this app. It's inexcusable that it has been broken for this long. |
| 2023-06-10 |  | | The app almost never opens the bins, either through Bluetooth or via the Unlock button. The app also doesn't properly recognize location or have the correct grocery if the bins, so the Unlock button itself doesn't always allow you to use the unlock button, even if you're right next to the bin. Total fail in implementation. I have to ask my friends that have an iPhone to unlock, clearly where all the time and testing was spent, since that works. |
| 2023-06-07 |  | | App is pretty simple but has worked well in the past, but lately I'm having the same problem as many of the other reviews. I can't get any bin to open under any circumstances. I've done all the common trouble shooting steps with no success. Standing on the street corner with a smelly bag of compost failing to open this bin is the definition of a bad user experience. Adding this to the recent curbed article about what happens to the compost makes the whole thing very disheartening. |
| 2023-05-22 |  | | Was working fine until yesterday. Claims that my device is offline (even when I'm standing right next to the bin and can theoretically still open it). Reinstalling the app does nothing. Turning on and off bluetooth, making sure wifi is connected, still does nothing. The bins should have a manual option so it still works without a phone. I was composting at least twice a week, but I guess my scraps are going back into the trash. |
| 2023-05-20 |  | | As with many other Android (Pixel) users, I can attest that this app stopped working sometime in early/mid April and hasn't worked since. Until someone announces they've done an update to fix the problem, I won't be using it anymore. It doesn't open the bins. It's a pity that neither the city nor the developer seem to understand this problem despite repeated emails and feedback or be doing anything about it. |
| 2023-05-09 |  | | Love that the city is expanding this program, but it is failing more than android users with this app. It worked for the first few weeks, and as of the last month has been unable to unlock any bins. Having an app be the only way to unlock the bins in the first place is inefficient, and also assumes everyone has smartphones. Clearly even if you do, it doesnt serve its purpose either! Please fix this app asap or provide alternatives for unlocking before this program is rendered useless, thank you! |
| 2023-05-09 |  | | I want to support composting, but the app is terrible. Basically it's only purpose is to unlock bins, and it fails to do so more often than not. It either incorrectly thinks that I'm not close enough to a bin, or simply doesn't do anything when it allows me to press the unlock button. Having an app to open a bin seems useless to begin with, but the frustration is doubled when the app doesn't even achieve that. |
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