Visible: Pacing for illness

What it does

Visible is a specialized health app designed to help people manage energy-limiting chronic illnesses like Long Covid, ME/CFS, and Fibromyalgia. The core function is to help users understand the relationship between their daily activities and their symptoms through a practice called pacing. It does this by combining self-reported data (symptoms, exertion) with biometric measurements (Heart Rate Variability, Resting Heart Rate) to provide a daily stability score.

Where it shines

Visible excels at making users with complex, often misunderstood conditions feel seen and understood. The onboarding quiz (00:22) isn't generic. It asks for specific conditions and allows for detailed symptom selection, immediately signaling that the app is built by people who get it. Another standout moment is the morning check-in (01:51), which cleverly uses the phone's camera to measure HRV, making a powerful biometric accessible without needing an expensive wearable. Finally, the monthly functional capacity questionnaire (04:20) provides a structured way to quantify and track the real-world impact of the illness over time, translating an often invisible struggle into concrete data.

UX highlights

Camera-based HRV: The app's ability to measure Heart Rate Variability using just the phone's camera (02:03) is a huge accessibility win. It provides clear visual feedback during the measurement process to ensure accuracy.
Granular Exertion Tracking: Visible understands that exertion isn't just physical. During onboarding (00:46) and daily check-ins, it prompts users to log cognitive, emotional, and social exertion, a critical nuance for its target audience.
Structured Self-Assessment: The integration of the FUNCAP27 questionnaire (04:22) for a monthly check-in is a powerful tool. It gives users a validated score for their functional capacity, which is invaluable for tracking long-term progress and communicating with healthcare providers.
Clear Data for Research: When users opt into research studies (07:42), the app explicitly shows what data is shared (anonymized) and what is kept private (07:57). This transparency is crucial for building trust.
Data-Driven Dashboard: The main screen focuses on actionable tasks like 'Morning check-in' and 'Evening check-in', guiding the user through the core data collection loop necessary for the app to provide value.

Monetization & growth

No monetization mechanics such as paywalls or subscription prompts are visible in this screen recording. The app appears to be entirely free at the point of use. Growth seems to be driven by community and research. The app encourages users to enroll in studies (07:42) and provides blog content and reading lists (07:04), positioning itself as a central resource and partner in understanding these illnesses. There is also a 'Share with a friend' prompt after completing a research enrollment (08:19).

Who it’s for

This app is clearly for individuals living with energy-limiting chronic illnesses. The language, features, and tracking categories are all highly specific to the experience of conditions like Long Covid, ME/CFS, POTS, and Fibromyalgia. It's designed for users who need to carefully manage their energy levels (a practice known as 'pacing') and want to identify patterns between their activities, symptoms, and overall stability.

Notes & opportunities

The onboarding flow is quite long, which could be a point of friction for users experiencing brain fog or fatigue, common symptoms of these conditions. While comprehensive, breaking it into smaller, saveable chunks might improve completion rates. The home screen after the first check-in (03:18) also has a lot of information, and a more guided tour of the 'Morning Stability' score and what it means on the first day could be beneficial. The app also heavily relies on the user building a habit of daily check-ins for it to be useful, a challenge for any app, but especially one for this user base.