How we score apps
Every scored app gets 1–5 on five dimensions. Whole numbers only, so reviewers have to commit. A dimension left empty is simply not shown.
Overall score: the average of the scored dimensions, to one decimal place.
Faithful gate: if Faithful is 2 or lower, the app can’t be an Editor’s Pick, can’t appear on seasonal shelves, and the review opens with a clear caution. We still review it, because people search for these apps and deserve an honest answer.
How scores are made: each score is based on the app’s content, its publisher, its App Store listing and screenshots, and Apple’s privacy label. Our editor reviews the scores, and any app that scores 2 or lower on Faithful is checked by hand. Where one of us has used an app hands-on for a long stretch, the review says so. Scores are updated when an app changes.
1. Faithful to Church teaching
| Score | Means |
|---|---|
| 5 | The Church’s own texts (Missal, Liturgy of the Hours, Catechism, approved Bible translations), or content from clearly Catholic sources with nothing contrary to teaching. |
| 4 | Catholic in intent and content. Minor gaps, such as loose wording or an unattributed prayer, but nothing contrary to teaching. |
| 3 | Mostly sound but mixed. Generic Christian material alongside Catholic content, or AI-generated answers that are usually right but unchecked. |
| 2 | Contains material that conflicts with Church teaching, or presents non-Catholic practice as Catholic. |
| 1 | Contrary to Church teaching, or misrepresents the Church. |
2. Prayer and spiritual value
| Score | Means |
|---|---|
| 5 | Actually helps people pray or grow, day after day. It’s built for habit, not novelty. |
| 4 | Solid help with one or two kinds of prayer or study. |
| 3 | Useful reference or occasional aid, but not something you’d open daily. |
| 2 | Thin: a handful of prayers you could find anywhere. |
| 1 | Little spiritual value. Faith is branding on an otherwise unrelated app. |
3. Ease of use
| Score | Means |
|---|---|
| 5 | A first-time user finds today’s prayer or reading in under 30 seconds. Clean, fast, readable text. |
| 4 | Easy once you’ve learned it. Minor clutter. |
| 3 | Works, but the menus or settings take real effort. |
| 2 | Confusing, buggy or dated enough that many people will give up. |
| 1 | Barely usable. |
4. Family friendly
This dimension looks at what a parent needs to know: ads, contact with strangers, links out, and spending.
| Score | Means |
|---|---|
| 5 | No ads, no open chat, no surprise purchases. Safe to hand to a child. |
| 4 | One manageable issue, such as a subscription prompt or links to outside websites. |
| 3 | Ads (Google Play’s “Contains ads” flag) or frequent purchase prompts, but no contact with strangers. |
| 2 | Open community features or third-party ads a parent can’t control. |
| 1 | Not appropriate for children. |
5. Privacy
The store sync sets this automatically from the App Store privacy label. The reviewer can override it.
| Score | Label says |
|---|---|
| 5 | Data not collected, or only “Data Not Linked to You” |
| 4 | Data linked to you, limited to account basics (email, name) and app functionality |
| 3 | Data linked to you, used for analytics or personalization |
| 2 | Data linked to you, used for third-party advertising |
| 1 | “Data Used to Track You” |
Rules for reviewers
- Score the app as it is today, not as it was when first reviewed.
- If the app hasn’t been updated in 2+ years, say so in the review, but don’t lower the score for that alone. The store sync shows its own freshness flag.
- Sponsored placement never changes a score. A developer who buys a sponsored slot gets the same review as everyone else.
- When unsure between two scores, pick the lower one and say why in “What could be better”.
