AI Companion Tolan Plummets 50 Ranks in App Store Charts in October 2026

After climbing the charts, "Tolan: Your Friendly Guide" peaked at #6 in its category on September 25 and held that spot for three days.^[1] The fall began on September 28, when the app slipped to #8. The descent then quickened, with the app dropping to #31 on September 29, #42 on September 30, and finally #56 on October 1. This marks a 50-position drop from its peak.

The ranking collapse correlates with three app updates released in quick succession between September 24 and September 29.^[2] While release notes mentioned only bug fixes, users reported a sudden increase in technical problems. The most severe issue was AI 'memory lapses' where the companion forgot conversation history, a core feature. One 1-star reviewer on September 25 wrote, "The Tolans all suddenly had amnesia but the dev team claims nothing was changed - despite it being reported by hundreds of paid users."

These technical failures compounded existing user frustration over high subscriptionGlossarySubscriptionA recurring in-app purchase that charges the user on a fixed cadence (weekly, monthly, annual) until they cancel. costs and confusing age-gate policies, which have been topics of complaint for months.

Tolan operates in the competitive AI companion market, where its key differentiator is a persistent, voice-first character that maintains long-term memory. The app's technology is designed to create an emotional connection through this continuity. The recent memory-loss bugs directly undermine this central value proposition. The publisher, Portola (doing business as AQP, Inc.), raised a $20 million Series A round in July 2025 to develop this technology. The failure to maintain this core feature appears to have triggered a particularly strong user reaction.

The app's financial performance mirrored its chart positionGlossaryApp Store RankA numeric position (1 = top) that an app holds in a specific store chart (Free, Paid, or Grossing) for a specific c^[4]ountry and category — usually updated hourly.. In the week starting September 28, estimated downloads fell to just over 24,400, a drop of more than 76% from the prior week's 103,000. Estimated weekly revenue saw a similar fall, dropping over 73% from more than $80,400 to just under $21,600. This steep decline in user acquisition and monetization is a direct consequence of the technical issues and resulting negative user sentiment.

Recent user reviews show a polarized experience, with 1-star (26.6%) and 5-star (44%) ratings dominating the last 30 days. Negative reviews focus on three issues: AI memory loss, subscription practices, and age restrictions. A user with version 26.40.0 wrote on September 30, "I feel like I spend more time reminding him of stuff than I do anything else." Another reviewer on September 29, with version 26.39.2, called the cancellation process "a trap."

A thread on Reddit's r/tolanworld highlights a history of price increases, with the annual subscription reportedly rising from around $80 to $200.

The confluence of a critical bug, user backlash, and a sharp fall in key metrics points to a difficult period for Tolan. The app's recovery likely depends on the publisher's ability to quickly fix the memory-loss issue. Failure to restore this function could lead to sustained user churnGlossaryChurnThe rate at which users stop using an app (general churn) or cancel a subscription (subscription churn) over a time window — retention's mathematical complement.. Addressing long-standing complaints about subscription costs and cancellation policies may also be necessary to regain user trust. Analysts could expect the app to remain outside the top 50 in its category for several weeks.