Magicgirl Teen Period Tracker

This app is designed for young girls and tweens in mind. It has a 12+ rating but girls as young as 11 years of age who have started their periods could use it. It helps girls become aware and prepared for their periods. It has information including 'When Will I Get My First Period?', 'What if I get my first period at school?', 'Why do I have period cramps?' It also links to very practical videos especially for young people who are starting their periods, eg, 'How to be prepared; types of pads; how to apply them, carry them and dispose of them.'

The app has a period tracker and symptom diary with great graphics which help record symptoms for the month eg, mood, acne, fatigue, bloating, cramps, muscle pain or breast tenderness.

There is some content (eg, fertility) which isn't suitable for this age group but there are parental controls to silence some of the advanced notifications.

Adults can use this app as well. There's a fertility tracker for an older audience planning to conceive. The app provides pill (contraception) reminders if you're using contraception. It tracks other features including your mood, symptoms around your periods – eg, acne, cramps, breast tenderness, and cervical mucous changes.
It's useful for your overall well-being in that you can also track your sleep, weight and exercise. The app provides the option of adding extra information in the diary notes.

For the complete app description, go to the app website(external link), Google Play(external link), App Store(external link) or, for a more detailed review, see reviews below.

Clinical review

Reviewer: Dr Gillian Musuka, GP
Date of review: July 2024
Platform: Apple, Google Play Android
Version: 1.4.3
Comments: This is a really good app with practical information presented in attractive graphics and easy to understand language for young girls. Most features are free and it provides a fully functional period tracker app. On the app you can track other health features such as sleep, mood and exercise. It has a pill notifications for those on contraception pills. It helps young girls learn about period products and has good links to videos which have very practical hacks. 
Safety concerns: Suggested treatment options for period pains-drugs are American names, eg, Advil or Motrin. In New Zealand they are commonly known as Ibuprofen.
New Zealand relevance: Yes.
Concerns: Target audience is young girls so pregnancy and fertile period topics are not relevant. It does have parental locks where some notifications can be locked.

Clinical review

Reviewer: Elizabeth Brookbanks, Pharmacist
Date of review: June 2024
Platform: Apple
Version: 1.4.3
Comments: The app enables teens to track their menstrual cycle by keeping a diary and also allows them to keep track of their symptoms. The icons used in the app for recording symptoms are really good.  When I downloaded the app the app community section was disabled; not sure if this part of premium content or whether this is because we are in New Zealand. It does connect to magicgirl.me on Tiktok for a global video community – parents may wish to know about this if they don't want their teen on Tiktok. 
Overall the app is good for young teens to learn more about their period, how to manage blood flow, what sorts of symptoms are common when menstruating. The information is at a very easy level to understand there isn't a lot of scientific information within the app.
Safety concerns: The app is free but it has a system where you buy coins to unlock premium content. I was a bit concerned that young teens might download the app and end up spending money accessing more information. The app is designed for teens it says 12 plus but would be appropriate for any girl who has just started getting her period so could be 11 plus.
New Zealand relevance:  The app is very American – the videos on the app are very American, quite old – most 8 or 9 years old – and the girls in the videos advertise pads and tampons not available in New Zealand. Quite a few suggest taking Midol which is not available in NZ but despite this the information is really helpful for a young teen just starting menstruation.