vpnandprivacy

iOS app analysis · #10 of 17

TunnelBear on iPhone: what 2,500 recent reviews actually say

By The VPN and Privacy team Updated 6 Sept 2026 Facts re-checked 6 Sept 2026
63
4.67★84,811 ratings, all time
3.45★mean of the 2,500 recent reviews sampled
19.5%raise a critical problem
v4.16.0released 2026-08-11 · iOS 13.0+
90-day sentiment worsening (-0.11)

How the score is built

Store rating (shrunk) 35%
91
Recent sentiment 25%
29
Complaint rate (inverse) 20%
69
Update cadence 10%
100
Our device test 10%
0

Our device test sits at 0 until we run one; the weight is reserved so scores do not shift when it lands. Method.

Star distribution in the sample

5★
50%
4★
8%
3★
7%
2★
5%
1★
29%

Recent reviewers of any large app skew negative compared with all-time ratings; compare the sample mean with the listing rating above to see the gap.

Monthly mean rating, last 12 months

12345 2025-10: 3.32★ from 25 reviews2025-102025-11: 3.95★ from 19 reviews2025-12: 2.38★ from 55 reviews2026-01: 1.85★ from 62 reviews2026-012026-02: 1.72★ from 32 reviews2026-03: 2.11★ from 54 reviews2026-04: 2.52★ from 21 reviews2026-042026-05: 2.82★ from 28 reviews2026-06: 1.96★ from 23 reviews2026-07: 1.83★ from 18 reviews2026-072026-08: 2.92★ from 12 reviews2026-09: 5★ from 1 reviews2026-09

What reviewers complain about

Billing & auto-renew
5.6%▲ rising
Crashes & bugs
5.4%▲ rising
iOS integration
4.8%— steady
Connection drops
4.7%▲ rising
Streaming blocked
3.7%▼ falling
Slow speeds
3%— steady
Privacy concerns
2.8%— steady
Interface & usability
2.7%▲ rising
Customer support
2.5%— steady
China / censorship
2.1%▲ rising
Refund problems
1%— steady
Ads / misleading
0.7%— steady
Battery drain
0.6%▲ rising
Kill switch
0.2%— steady

What they praise

Praised: speed
4.5%
Praised: reliability
4.1%
Praised: value
0.8%

Percentages are the share of sampled reviews mentioning the theme; a review can carry several. "Rising" compares the last 90 days with the whole sample.

In their words

Latest release notes (v4.16.0)

What's new in TunnelBear 4.16.0! - Memory exercises have had a long lasting impact. Bear can now remember up to 3 favourite countries to make changing your location faster and more seamless. - Ate some bugs. - 6% more bears.

Frequently asked

Is the TunnelBear iPhone app any good?

Its App Store score this month is 63/100, ranking #10 of 17 VPN apps we track. The listing rating is 4.67 stars from 84,811 ratings; among the 2,500 most recent reviews we analysed, 19.5% raised a critical problem, most often billing & auto-renew (5.6%).

What do people complain about most in TunnelBear reviews?

Billing & auto-renew (5.6% of reviews), Crashes & bugs (5.4% of reviews), iOS integration (4.8% of reviews). See the theme breakdown above for the full list and how each has moved over the last 90 days.

Does TunnelBear have billing or auto-renew problems on iOS?

Not at a level we flag: 6.3% of sampled reviews mention billing or renewal, below our 8% threshold. Still, App Store subscriptions cancel in iOS Settings, not in the app.

Is this the same as your overall review?

No. This page measures the iOS app as its users experience it. The full TunnelBear review covers ownership, jurisdiction, audits, pricing after renewal and the service as a whole.