Realm Connect - For Our Church

I really enjoy the Realm ecosystem and I’m so thankful that there’s an app like this that helps build and maintain a community. A few meaningful updates would be INCREDIBLE: - Better local database storage of posts and events: the app continuously needing to reach APIs for data that’s easily stored for rapid recall is frustrating - Include admin functions in this app instead of deferring to the web app. This would be HUGE for helping community members without having to switch between the app and a browser -The chat functionality seems flip-flopped. I might be the only one, but the I rarely get updates to my Inbox but always have chats updating. Even just having the option to specify tab order in the chat section would be helpful. I LOVE Realm and think it’s a wonderful resource. Thank you for everything you’ve done thus far! I’m excited to see what else you all implement in the future!

I appreciate the convenience of Realm access on my phone. I use it every week to mark worship attendance, and our small group leaders mark weekly group attendance as well. The app is also great when I want to get a quick word out to the community, and I like having the ability to post a photo with the announcement. It helps a lot when it comes to lost & found items! My only gripe is that occasionally I have to delete and re-download the app before changes made in the system will register in the app. And also sometimes the notifications badge stays on after I’ve opened and read all messages. No big deal! Overall, Realm Connect is a great app and ACSTechnologies is a wonderful partner in ministry.

One of the least intuitive apps I’ve ever used on desktop and mobile. Given that the audience of church members includes people who may not be comfortable with technology, this company should invest in product design. Right now, it’s not meeting the needs of its users, which really slows adoption and creates challenges for the customers who are forced to purchase it as one of the only solutions on the market. Product flows don’t make sense (just one example, why are photo posts different from regular posts?) and permissions are hard to understand or don’t make a lot of sense (e.g. you can’t leave a group yourself, you have to email the leader to be removed). The documentation is nearly un-googleable, not designed around user needs, and doesn’t include common information people need. Another area that is really important to invest in given the audience.

Realm has a very tight browser restriction for some reason—for example with Firefox they only support the latest version or the one previous to latest. I have one church member who doesn’t own a computer, she uses her computer at work to access Realm. At least she used to. After 4 months of successfully using Realm, she’s now blocked due to an unsupported browser. Her work computer is “locked down” so she can’t update her browser. Realm can offer no workarounds. I didn’t detect this restriction when initially evaluating the system or we never would have chosen it. Their browser restriction is, IMO, unnecessarily restrictive. We’ll have to evaluate whether we want to continue paying for a system that not everyone can use. And Realm is awfully buggy to boot. I’m sorry to say I can’t recommend Realm.

Though I appreciate and often utilize the services that Realm provides, it consistently shows badge notifications after I’ve opened the application. I’ve had a badge notification on the Realm icon for weeks now, and the last time the app offered an update was in late April. I understand the times can limit fixes to things like this, but this isn’t new. The app has proven to be buggy since its inception, including limitations on posting. If you try to make a post that fills the visible area of your screen above the keyboard, the screen will not follow the cursor once it gets too big. Therefore, you lose visibility on your typing, which is dangerous for devices that like to autocorrect! Three stars is probably being generous.

Our parish uses this app and it has potential but there are so many things that don’t feel user-friendly or obvious. First is that everything is set up the most restrictive privacy and communication settings that you don’t realize you’re not getting access to conversations until it’s too late. I’m doing some training with a more experienced user but even so, not everyone in the parish will complete such intensive training to increase use—so again, so much here that’s not intuitive. In an age of Apple products, widespread Facebook and other social media use, I am frustrated by the difficulty navigating this app whether as a regular parishioner or an an authorized leader.

I cannot sign-in on my IPhone 7 Plus with software version 15.7.3. The option to skip the two factor ID did not appear on my phone and I’ve tried changing passwords, deleting the app and reloading, and even deleting the app on both phone and IPad. I can access the Realm with the IPad using my device’s security, but I have had no success with the iPhone and have deleted the app on the phone. I have heard of others in my church having the same issue and I understand that our church pays a subscription fee for the use of the app. Is this a known issue that is being corrected? Are there suggestions or steps to fix this? Your help is deeply appreciated!

I am blind and use voiceover on my iPhone to access realm. If the buttons are labeled and you tap on them nothing happens, you have to turn voiceover off and hopefully whatever you want comes on the screen. After tapping and turning voiceover off and back on you might be where you want to be. Our pastor posted an article and the only way to see this was to try that trick. Our church website is semi accessible making finding realm on the web difficult, once I did still could not navigate using Safari with voiceover. People disabilities are often excluded from church because elements are inaccessible. I am disappointed that is a person who is blind that this app which could otherwise connect me with people is another opportunity to exclude me.

I would like to be able to switch between this and other apps, copy from another email and paste here. If I’m in the middle of typing something and I have to switch to another app, I lose what I’ve typed, even though I left the app still open. I use it with my group all the time, and I like that if someone doesn’t have the app, they will still receive the message as an email. It would be nicer if they could receive it as a text instead.

The app has been pretty good so far except for recently (maybe post April 19 release?). Every time I open app I have to log in even though I have checked the option to keep me logged in. When I try to find info about this in Help section there isn’t any (just three general Help items that are helpful when first using app). When I tap support in this platform it takes me to a product page for this company that states the page doesn’t exist. There is no contact info to share issues with developer so I’m having to share it here. Your ‘See known issues’ link redirects to the same page instead of to a page that lists known issues. Hoping to get a solution. Thanks.

This app makes church management so easy and to be able to have this tool in the palm of your hand is wonderful! Our pastor and group leaders love it! I did have some problems with the app on a droid but it is smooth sailing on an iPhone! (In fairness those problems were several months ago so the bugs might be worked out.) Realm Connect enhances the ability to communicate quickly in throughout our church and we love that!

While the app doesn’t actually require re-entering of login credentials constantly, it does require them too often. In addition, it is currently impossible to login using the app. Logging in via the web portal goes off without a hitch, but the app just gives the “Incorrect credentials” notification regardless of the fact that I’m using the same credentials I just used to login via web. Also, resetting the password doesn’t work as an email is never sent (spam folder remains empty). Aside from the login woes, it’s a decent app for church communication, although a little clunky.

For this user this app makes no sense in how it works. Example: if I want to send a note to my group, I select News then click post (a pencil/paper icon). I don’t click on communications. But before I select news I need to find settings to ensure my post will also go to their regular email address as well as Realm because nobody looks at Realm otherwise. And if we need a reply to just me or to the whole group I need to ensure it’s selected. Looking everywhere. ZLeeClarke Too many things in too many places. What I do like is the directory of church members.

App has potential and could be very useful. However after waiting and waiting for bug fixes, updates and more. To be honest, seems ACS Team is not interested in a better user experience with this mobile app. One key issue, the badge notification does not update after you read all msgs or clear them. Also, my members continue to get app crash while in Chat...random occurrences from simple things like website links, file attachments, etc. Lastly the experience on iPad is the same if not worse.

Realm connect is great for helping to stay on the same page, but there are still some hurdles. If you start to write a post, but then to need to look up some thing else on your phone, don’t click out of the app or it will delete the post and you have to start all over again. Make sure everything is the way you want it on your post, once you click “post” anyone with email settings will get an email. You can go back and edit the post later, but if the emails have already gone out, they won’t see the edits.

We’ve had this app at our congregation now for over a year, and it has been helpful in many ways, such as getting info out quicker to members and online giving. However, there are bugs and issues with the app frequently. It’s also way too difficult for the average person to navigate and use. It could be simplified a ton. Also, there are some features that need to be updated and added. It’s a good app, but it needs some work.

Realm is a great way to keep up with events at church. Our class uses it for updates and information. The only complaint I have is every so often it kicks me off. I then have to sign in. It doesn’t have a save the login information like some apps do. If I don’t have my password handy I can’t sign in until I get the password. Other than that I like it.

I mostly enjoy this app and how useful it is for church organization, but it is very annoying to have to log in to it nearly every time I open it! That level of security makes sense for a banking app but is completely unnecessary in this app. It makes me open the app much less frequently “just because” to see what else is happening in the church. I end up just using it when I have a specific message in my inbox or a question for someone else.

The functionality provided by Realm is great but this app is quite disappointing. The numerical indicator on the app icon never represents actual new things and almost never clears, even when I’ve read everything. Posting information with the app is extremely difficult due to the fact that switching to something else momentarily will almost always clear whatever was entered. Any of the things that fall under the communications section of the app are nearly useless due to the notification issues and the lack of timeliness of things coming in.

The app is far easier to use than web interface. Unfortunately, I have to use the church’s web to send long messages. Sometimes I’ll spend quite a long time preparing my message just to have it vanish. This usually happens when I need to look up something from an email, etc. my new workaround is to prepare the memo in Word & copy & paste to Realm once I’m satisfied with the message. Linda Sarratt Buncombe Street UMC

Stand by my original rating but have downgraded. Because there hasn’t been any updates to the app at all. And many of my members(including myself) often experience app crashes or times where we are unable to upload content for the membership. Strongly considering finding another source to partner with.

Realm has been a great upgrade for our church communication and online giving. The only issue I’ve ever had with it is that the auto-withdrawal for tithe stopped for some reason. I’m excited to see what new features they come out with in the future that makes this app something you can’t live without.

This app is consistently impossible for me to log in from different devices, except my IPhone. I have exhausted all avenues to get this problem corrected fir the last three weeks. I have contacted ASBC about the issue and still experience the same frustration when trying to log in on any other devices that I have. I am somehow ended up stuck in a loop even resetting my password. . It then constantly sends back to verify my email address to verify, then go back to the log in screen and it starts all over again. Very frustrating.

We’ve been using Realm for a few years now. This app is so good for our members. Social media is so heavily used today and this app capitalizes on some of the good qualities of that. You can stay connected and in the know about everything going on at your church. It’s easy to navigate too. I highly encourage churches to consider using Realm.

We’ve used REALM for over two years and it serves us well. The Groups feature lets us focus on small group communication without having everyone in church wading through posts that don’t apply to them. Features have been added as time has gone by and they’ve been helpful.

My church uses this app for its compatibility with our data management system. Try as we might to adopt it as our default communication software, it often proves too clunky for our purposes. For example, files attached to news posts can’t be sorted or listed in any way other than chronological. Push notifications don’t always work, so comment threads to news posts don’t always get widespread response.

It is ridiculous that we have to sign in with user name and password every 2 weeks or so. Most of us already have too many to remember. It always seems to happen when away from home where I record all my passwords. Security is one thing, but nothing recorded on Realm is of a security concern because name, address, phone number etc. are easily available to anyone with only a little effort. PLEASE STOP THIS HIDEOUSNESS!!

This app has been super helpful in visiting church members, keeping track of attendance for our meetings, and keeping track of people. I love that I can keep track of who hasn’t attended in While. I wish there was an option to remind you of birthdays in certain groups. That would make the app perfect.

My main concern is trying to send an e-mail through Realm. I found it was easier to compose the message on another app and copy and paste into a group e-mail. I also tried to attach a picture, but it was so large, it wasn’t viewable. Perhaps I just need some training… And… it constantly requires signing in but says the PW is incorrect. I have to change my PW-but really put the same one in-crazy!!

If I go to the website, things work the way they should. Often on iPad or iPhone, I get strange or no result. For example, just this week when I went to mark attendance for my class, the roll had brought in all these people who haven’t been on our roll in years! On the website, the roll is correct. If I email my class with an attachment, it will not download on iPad or iPhone. If you go to the website, it works.

We are a church in a rural setting and we started really using realm connect during the pandemic for folks to give. As folks have adopted it’s used for all kinds of communication, accounting and helping to connect people. Love how easy and fast it is.

I love having this app. It provides a great way to share information with people in the church. Sometimes I have trouble figuring out how to post or find information though. I don’t think it is as intuitive as it could be. Many church members are not very tech savvy, so it needs to be very simple to use.

Awesome app that helps me stay connected with my church family. Getting to see my giving history, register for events, and stay up to date with church/group communication is awesome! I’ve struggled with feeling connected to my church family before through the week and this helps a ton

I like the convenience of having the Connect App on my phone! It’s great to view to newsfeed, register for events or to check my giving. There are a number of communication modes with terminology that gets a little confusing, like a message is really an email, but overall it’s easy to use.

I really enjoy using Realm Connect for churches. It's so easy to use. I can use the app to locate the address of a church member and tap the address and it'll give me directions to their home. That's just one of the great features of Realm Connect.

The app has great potential was often glitches. News items aren’t showing up and I often have issue with the chat feature where I can’t search people to message and also my previous chats not showing up.

We use this app as the main source of communication for our church - prayer requests, small groups, weekly updates, etc. We love it! It’s convenient to use, easily to navigate and customer support is amazing in the event of an issue. I highly recommend!

This is the best App for our church! It is easy to connect with other church members and keep track of events happening at the church. I love being able to get prayer requests and also to be able to give through the App. Highly recommend!

Amazed that a social media app for a church is missing the most important feature/function church members need: an active prayer list function. Sure you can post a prayer in the news feed, but it soon scrolls way off your viewable timeline. If you’re wondering if there are any new replies or updates on a weeks-old prayer request, your only choice is to scroll back and back until you find it. Even keeping prayer requests in a separate feed would help greatly.

I really appreciate the ease of use and privacy! The only drawback I have is that when I sign in with my new password, the “update password” page doesn’t stay up long enough for me to update it 😧

I really appreciate this app and love how it enables me to connect to my Parish and know what’s going on. Unfortunately it continually signs me out at random intervals. With all the different accounts and passwords I have to deal with, it becomes a large chore to have to recall and then log back in to the app continually. I’ve stopped logging in as it has become discouraging.

Love how easy it is to search and retrieve member information. We really like how it integrates our online giving directly into the member’s record for annual reports! We don’t use all of the features but it does everything we need.

The communication is great between people but the make a gift app makes me log in multiple times and check my email. Then I have to find a safari page when I go back to complete my gift. I wish I did t have to verify my email to log in and then have to sign in again to make a gift and then verify my email again. Too many log ins.

This app is one of a class that is an interface for a website. The website has several capabilities not available in the app. Also, although the website is not well organized, the app is harder to navigate. It is a credible rough draft.

This is going to be a terrific help in keeping all of our class rosters, pictures and videos in one location! Easy to navigate once I figured out the side categories and more options.

The functionality, when it actually functions, is beneficial. But be prepared to repeatedly have to reset the app, and if you are writing a longer post or chat, it’s best to write it in a different app and then cut and paste into Realm or you are likely to lose all your work when the app spontaneously freezes. The app could be good, but it’s instability makes it a major frustration!

I find it hard to go back and read previous messages. The message chain does not open completely and it is hard to re-read the chain without logging in on a computer. The calendar is hard to use, and we have had a challenging time with having to make many group leaders so we can all sign up for events.

This has been an excellent way for our church to communicate. I love that we have the option to communicate with specific groups we are in and do not get notifications that do not concern us.👍

I like that this app connects me to my church folks. However, I do not like having to “sign in” so often and re-enter my password. I also think the app needs a “search for keyword” feature. You can’t look up a previous post without direct scrolling through all the posts.

I like being able to have one place to message our church family. I dislike having to log in every 2-4 days! I dislike that many of our members struggle to get set up and figure out how to use the app. Fix those issues and it will be an awesome app!