I think we are basically accustomed to having an app for everything by now. I actually don’t even have a smart phone (I know, what the hell, right?) and have come up with plenty of my own app ideas. Just a couple of weeks ago I was daydreaming about this perfect app for spacing out your book loans from the library. I’m a die hard library fan, ok? But I digress…
So, you may naturally wonder if there is an app for natural birth control. Can you use one of those period tracking things and go off of what it tells you?
Let me answer the question first: No. Do not expect a period tracking app to tell you when you are fertile. Take it from me – They don’t know crap, they’re just making guesses based off “regular” cycle lengths. Even if they are going by your cycles, they still only have past cycles to go off of. You want to know what is happening in this cycle. After all, that’s when you would get pregnant, right?
But there are apps. And apps that can actually help you use the sympto-thermal method of fertility awareness (since, it’s actually effective). They aren’t all created equal, and you can see more on my views about whether you should be using them at all here. Today, though I want to tell you about some of the specific apps you may want to use or encounter if you have already started using the sympto-thermal method of fertility awareness and just want somewhere better than paper to store your information.
First, the information you want to store is at least 2 fertility signs, cervical fluid and basal body temperature. If your app doesn’t have that.. Oh, girl, trash that thing so fast.
Next, find an app that does not tell you when you are going to be fertile. It’s trying to bullsh*t you into believing it, but you are a sly dog and this app ain’t pulling one over on you.
Finally, make sure that if you are using an app it’s because you have already learned the sympto-thermal method of fertility awareness through another source (like me, your friendly neighborhood fertility awareness educator), because I have never seen a complete education coming from an app. Even if they are supposed to educate you. I know it sounds seductive, but invest in the long term and you will thank yourself later.
So, how ’bout an app round up? Want to know which apps are actually worth using if you are wanting to keep track of your cycle information? There are a couple that I recommend using, but remember my advice from above. An app is meant to be used to store your information, not to determine your fertility for you.
Kindara: Kindara is a app without any kind of interpretation of your data (unless you indicate you are trying to get pregnant, because you don’t need to be quite as precise if that is the case). You can put in cervical fluid, temperature, and cervical position. You can also make notes about other things that you may be keeping track of.
Groove: Groove is a new app that I like the looks of because it’s not pink. Again, I like that they don’t predict when you will be fertile or interpret your fertility signs for you. I know this sounds like a major bummer, but believe me, I have seen so many cycles that have been misinterpreted by apps that you do not want to put your birth control in the hands of an app. Groove is also owned by a lovely lady that wants to help more women love and tune into their cycles. They have the biggies for inputting the data you need.
Sympto: Sympto doesn’t predict when you will be fertile, but it does tell you when you have entered the fertile time and when you have exited it. I tolerate this from sympto because they use cute phrases like calling cervical fluid “life elixer”. Plus, I am acquainted with the creators of sympto and they take their jobs very seriously. They just love fertility awareness and helping women be more in tune with their bodies. They also get bonus points for having an android app.
OvuView: I personally like this app better for the cervical fluid inputs, but it will act almost however you want it. You can enter in different rules and all kinds of things.
So, I want to hear from you? Do you use an app and which is your favorite? Why?
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Apps are fantastic. Here’s my thoughts on the ones I’ve looked at.
Kindara is the most feature rich of the iOS apps that I’ve seen, but it looks horrible in iOS 7. Hopefully, they’ll get that fixed.
Groove is the best looking and has incredible user help. Looking forward to more. (The unrelated music app of the same name is pretty cool too. )
Sympto is a Swiss app. It has a lot “Anglais” in the English version. I found it a bit awkward to use.
OvuView is the queen of the Android apps. Loaded with features. You can customize it to do pretty much anything you want. Does cycle interpretation and prediction based on the Kippley/CCL algorithms, but you can turn this feature off by selecting “Simple Menstrual Calendar” in the preferences.
NFPCharting is good for Billings (and Creighton) users. Basically it’s an electronic version of the paper stamps.
Thanks for the comment, James. I have tried OvuView and didn’t like it, but I like that at least you can turn off predictions! Maybe I’ll have to give it another look.
I love using ovuview just because it is so easily customized. You can add in or take out any symptom you are or aren’t tracking. You can change the colors (I hate pink too, lol). and you can select which “rules” you are following (dry day rules, Billings, Doring, etc.), and it allows you to see good detailed history of past cycles (for health patterns; I’ve used this info to show my Dr, since I’ve been having issues with Secondary Infertility).
I have been looking into Glow and Ovia, but I don’t like them as much. And I don’t use iOS, so that’s limiting as well unfortunately :\
From what I have heard glow is absolutely terrible. When you put in cervical fluid it doesn’t even change what it tells you even if it should. I think that app might be my mortal enemy ;)
I really, really like OvuView! I’m still in the process of learning FAM (it can be quite challenging, especially since I am not taking courses) and I know that you’d best interpret your chart on your own and not rely on an app to do that, so I have chosen the setting “simple menstrual calendar”, it completely turns off any ovulation predictions and other predictions. It has a nice interface, really simple and cool. And hey, it doesn’t need to be pink either :) You can choose from a range of colors in the settings! I happen to like pink but I think it’s really important that the user can choose whatever color they’d like. In the meantime, before I’ve gotten the hang of FAM completely, I’m relying on FemCap + Contragel + withdrawal in conjunction. It is estimated that the FemCap can be up to 98% effective if used correctly every time (the effiacy rate of 92% on the American FemCap website entails women who have NOT used the method correctly at all times). It is an environmentally-safe method, not wasteful at all and it has an unjustified bad rep. When I get the hang of FAM and can establish a pattern and am confident in where I’m at in my cycle, I plan to ditch contraceptives altogether during the luteal phase. It saves me money (Contragel Green). Sorry for going off-topic but I feel like this needs to be heard (how good the FemCap actually is) and since I was already commenting I figured your blog was a good platform to reach out.
Nice. I like that ovuview has that. I have played around w/ ovuview and charted a couple cycles and I think it’s ok, but I don’t like the way that the charts look (plus, I like using paper and don’t think I’d switch).
FemCap seems neat but I was only able to get really shoddy info about effectiveness from them. All of the studies seemed to have that same “we estimate” quality to them rather than giving the real life efficacy. I’m sure with withdrawal it’s very very effective, though.
What don’t you like about the way the charts look? Just wondering if you think they are BAD for any reason (like, is the coverline harder to define?). I’m charting on the online TCOYF software as well.
Nope, just personal preference. I find it kind of crowded, I guess. But I have to deal with the way they all look even if I don’t chart with them bc clients all use various programs. That’s the reason I test a lot out so I can be familiar with what means what on the different charting platforms.
First, love your website! I learned on my own with Taking Charge of your Fertility, but love what you have going here!
Second, I use an app called Selene (on iOS). It has lots of features and has the option of predicting or not, and even if it does predict you can change it yourself to when YOU know you ovulated. It looks great, too! You can also enter customized secondary symptoms, or the ones they already include. I have been using it for about 6 months now and still love it.
PS A cool feature is it shows the phase of the moon :)
Christine, Thanks for the comment and the compliment. I have seen selene, as well. I like that it isn’t pink ;)
It seems to be a pretty good one. I just can;t get over hating the predictive features. I like that people can take it out, though.
Thanks for the blog, Hannah! I’d like to add that Kindara was developed by an amazing woman (too!) and that the woman who developed Kindara studied in a Fertility Awareness Teacher Training program in New York City with some of the best FAM mentors in the country.
Yes, they are all amazing people!