You’re lethargic. Overcome with ravenous hunger. And if anyone in your path does something even remotely irritating? Let’s just say that you might not react with your usual patience. You glance at your phone and a notification glows on the screen: your period tracking app is reminding you that, yes, you’re in the luteal phase. Suddenly it all makes sense.
Millions of women around the world are using apps to track and make sense of their menstrual cycle; some of them will turn to these platforms to discover when they are most fertile, to try to conceive. One 2024 study estimated that downloads for three popular apps – Clue, Flo and Period Tracker – have surpassed 250 million. They’ve become a handy way for users to record and keep tabs on changes to their mood or any physical symptoms throughout the month.
