Liven App Review: A Wellness Companion or Just Another Subscription Trap?

Liven is an app designed around personal well-being. It provides tools like mood tracking, an AI chat assistant, short reflection exercises, and habit-building check-ins. On paper, it sounds like a simple way to improve mental clarity or daily routine.

After using the app consistently for a week, the experience turned out to be less effective than expected. While the design is clean and some features are accessible, the content lacks depth, and the subscription system raises concerns.

The Interface Works, But There’s Not Much Behind It

Liven opens with a mood check-in and a short list of daily tasks. The layout is minimal and easy to navigate, which makes it approachable. The AI chatbot, “Livie,” asks general reflection questions like how your day went and what could’ve gone better.

However, this simplicity wears thin quickly. The app offers brief learning modules labeled as courses, but they’re often just short paragraphs with generic advice. These sessions don’t adapt based on user input and don’t provide meaningful follow-up. After a few days, they start to feel repetitive.

The chatbot responses are also limited. It doesn’t guide you through any structured mental health method, and the answers often circle back to the same advice.

What Happens When the Trial Ends

Liven offers a 7-day free trial. Once that ends, the subscription renews automatically unless you cancel manually through your app store. There’s no reminder or notification before the charge goes through.

Canceling isn’t hard, but the process isn’t visible inside the app. You need to manage it through your device’s subscription settings:

• Android: Go to Google Play → Subscriptions → Liven → Cancel
• iOS: Go to Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions → Liven → Cancel

Uninstalling the app does not stop billing. This has led to frustration for some users who thought deleting the app would end the trial.

Access and Account Control

Once you’ve signed up, the app keeps your check-in history, chat logs, and mood data. That part works reliably. However, there’s no in-app option to permanently delete your account or clear your data. You have to contact customer support to request deletion, which can take time.

For users who care about data privacy or want clear control over personal information, this lack of direct access is a drawback.

Content That Lacks Practical Use

Most of the material inside Liven feels surface-level. The “courses” are short and read more like summaries than learning tools. There are no detailed frameworks, no progress tracking beyond mood charts, and no system to connect different exercises or reflections into a larger goal.

For users looking to build better habits, manage anxiety, or address procrastination, the app doesn’t provide the structured guidance they might expect.

What People Are Saying Elsewhere

External reviews echo similar points. On platforms like Trustpilot and Reddit, users have pointed out that the app doesn’t deliver enough value for the price, and that automatic billing after the trial is a recurring issue. Some also report slow responses from customer support when asking for refunds or cancellation assistance.

Better Alternatives

If you’re looking for mental wellness tools that are more transparent or offer deeper functionality, here are a few options worth considering:

• Daylio – Mood and habit tracker with long-term trend insights
• Woebot – AI chat based on CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)
• Sanvello – Combines mood tracking with licensed mental health resources
• Youper – AI-guided journaling with emotional analysis

These tools offer either a longer free tier or a more structured mental health approach without the same billing concerns.

Real User Review

• I just started using the Liven app, and it already feels like it understands my struggles. It's been easy to use and has given me a much-needed boost in tackling habits like procrastination.
• I paid $35 expecting a refund if unsatisfied, but after a long setup, it asked for another $8/week to continue. The free trial didn’t work, and I only got a partial refund. It felt misleading.
• I found Liven through Instagram and paid $29.99 to try it. The content was basic—mostly mood logs and generic tips. A week later, I saw it would renew at $60/month. I cancelled immediately.

Conclusion

Liven functions as a basic wellness tracker. It allows users to log moods and receive short motivational messages. However, it does not go much further. The content is limited, the AI interaction is basic, and the subscription model could be more transparent.

For users who want real progress in their habits or emotional awareness, Liven may not be the best option. It's a lightweight tool that might appeal to casual users, but for those expecting depth or therapeutic value, other apps may provide a better experience without the billing risks.