My Experience with Coin Sort
I gave Coin Sort a four-star rating because it genuinely solved a problem for our family. For weeks, a big plastic tub of coins sat on our kitchen counter, a total eyesore. My kids would dump their piggy banks into it, and it became this massive, intimidating mess. Last Saturday morning, I decided to tackle it. I cleared the kitchen table, laid down a plain white placemat like the app suggested, and poured a small pile out. My eight-year-old was fascinated. We pointed my OnePlus 11 at the coins, and it started picking them out, making this little “cha-ching” sound with each one. It wasn’t perfect—we had to nudge a few coins apart and correct a dime it thought was a penny—but in about ten minutes, we had counted what used to take me half an hour of squinting. Seeing the total pop up ($17.32!) felt like a win. The kids immediately started debating what our “coin fund” should save for, which was a nice bonus.
Features Worth Noting
The automatic scanning is the whole reason this app exists, and when it works, it’s great. You don’t need to be a tech person to use it. The interface is clean with big buttons, so I didn’t have to hand my phone over to the kids and worry they’d tap something weird. I really like the “jars” or savings goals feature. We set up one for “Pizza Night” and another for “Ice Cream Fund.” It’s a visual way to teach the kids about saving for something specific, and watching the little jar fill up with digital coins is more exciting than just looking at numbers. The app also keeps a simple history, so you can see your past sorting sessions. It’s not loaded with complicated financial tools, which for a free coin counter is exactly what I wanted.
What Needs Work
My main gripe is the ads. They pop up as full-screen videos right after you finish a scan. It’s disruptive, especially when you’re trying to keep a child’s attention on the task. I once had an ad for a noisy mobile game play at full volume, which was not ideal. The scanning itself can be finicky. It needs good, even light. Under our kitchen lights at night, it made more mistakes than in the daytime by the window. If coins are stacked or touching, it often just sees them as one big blob. You have to spread them out neatly, which takes a bit of setup time. It’s not a magic wand you can just wave over a pile.
Pricing
The app is free, which is a big plus for trying it out. They make money from those video ads I mentioned. After a few uses, I found the ads annoying enough that I looked for a way to remove them. There is an in-app purchase to do that. I haven’t bought it yet, but I’m considering it because we plan to use the app every few months. For a casual user who just has one jar to sort, the free version is perfectly fine. You just need a little patience.
Developer Notes
I had one issue where the app froze after scanning a particularly large pile. I used the “Contact Support” option from the menu. I got an automated email right away acknowledging my ticket. A real person got back to me about three days later. They asked for a screenshot of my phone model and the Android version, which I sent. Their follow-up was helpful—they suggested clearing the app cache—and it fixed the problem. It wasn’t instant help, but they did resolve it. Looking at the update history in the Play Store, they seem to put out small updates every month or two, which suggests they’re at least maintaining it.
Security & Privacy
This was a big one for me. I don’t want a coin counter app having access to my photos or contacts. I checked the permissions carefully when I installed it. It only asks for camera access, which makes sense because that’s its main function. I didn’t have to create an account or give an email to use the basic features. The privacy policy states they collect some anonymous usage data for ads, which is standard. I feel comfortable that it’s not accessing my family’s personal information. The app works completely offline for the scanning, which is a good sign. My financial totals are just stored locally on my phone.
How does the automatic coin scanning feature work?
You just point your phone's camera at a pile of coins on a plain surface, like a white placemat, and the app automatically identifies and counts them with a fun 'cha-ching' sound. It's simple enough for kids to use, though you may need to nudge overlapping coins apart or correct an occasional misidentification, like a dime mistaken for a penny.
What are the 'jars' or savings goals feature?
The 'jars' feature lets you set up visual savings goals, like 'Pizza Night' or 'Ice Cream Fund,' and watch a digital jar fill up with coins as you sort. It's a great way to teach kids about saving for something specific and makes the process more engaging than just looking at a number.
Why does the app show full-screen video ads after scanning, and can I avoid them?
The free version displays full-screen video ads right after you finish a scan, which can be disruptive, especially with kids. You can't avoid them in the free version, but they're a trade-off for the app being free, and you might consider looking for a paid version if the interruptions bother you.
The app misidentified a coin. How can I fix this?
If the app misidentifies a coin, like calling a dime a penny, simply tap on the incorrect coin in the results to manually correct it. The app is generally accurate with well-separated coins on a contrasting background, so spreading coins out and using a plain placemat helps reduce errors.
How does Coin Sort compare to other coin counting apps like Coinoscope?
Coin Sort focuses on quickly counting a mixed pile of coins and tracking savings goals, while Coinoscope is more about identifying rare or foreign coins. Coin Sort's interface is simpler for families and kids, but it lacks Coinoscope's detailed coin catalog and identification features for collectors.
