# 12 Steps Companion AA Big Book — user reviews > 72 indexed App Store user reviews of 12 Steps Companion AA Big Book by Dean Huff, rated 4.50/5 from 143 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/12-steps-companion-aa-big-book/id295775656/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/12-steps-companion-aa-big-book/id295775656.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 104 · 4★ 19 · 3★ 10 · 2★ 3 · 1★ 7 ## What do users think of 12 Steps Companion AA Big Book? Overall sentiment: mixed **Pros** - 👍 Easy to use and navigate - 📚 Comprehensive AA literature - 📱 Convenient mobile access - ✨ Sobriety calculator included - 🔍 Effective search feature (when working) - 💖 Long-time user loyalty - 🌟 Highly recommended by users - 💡 Quick access to key topics - 🔒 No email or personal info required - ✅ Works well with meetings - 📝 Ability to highlight passages - 🚀 Fast performance (historically) - 🔄 Developer responsiveness (historical) **Cons** - 🐛 Search feature often crashes app - outdated content (older editions) - 📚 Missing specific stories/prayers - 🐛 Data loss after reinstallation/updates - 🐛 Sobriety calculator inaccuracies - 🐛 Page number issues - 🐛 Typos in text - 🐛 Inconsistent highlighting/deletion - 🐛 App not working on newer OS versions - 🐛 Re-purchase required on new devices - 🐛 Font size issues - 🐛 Notes not saving/syncing - 🐛 App appearance changes disliked - 🐛 Deceptive cover page (12x12) - 🐛 Incorrect wording in Traditions **Commonly reported bugs** - Search feature kicks user off the app - App crashes after using search feature - Lost bookmarks after deleting and reinstalling - Lost all data after deleting and reinstalling - Sobriety counter is off by a day or more - Page numbers do not correspond to the printed Big Book - Table of contents does not list page numbers - Highlighting a passage sometimes deletes it - App not working in newer iOS versions - Sobriety date changes by mistake when changing time zones - Notes do not save or travel between devices - Text resizing not working - Calculator not calculating correctly - App does not save sobriety date on new installations - Search by page number not working - Typographical errors in the text - Incorrect wording in the 5th Tradition **Most requested features** - Add newer editions of AA literature - Include specific missing stories (e.g., acceptance prayer, resentment prayer, Dr. Paul's story, Acceptance is the Answer) - Update preamble and conference-approved material - Include the 12x12 text - Add the AA World Service Manual - Add the Concepts - Add push notifications for morning/evening prompts - Add page numbers to the index - Make page numbers match the printed Big Book - Allow text resizing/font adjustment - Improve notes functionality (saving, syncing, visibility) - Add different highlight colors - Allow notes within the text (e.g., word definitions) - Add the Preface and Forewords from newer editions - Update the app for current OS versions - Allow annotation of text with notes - Enable multitasking feature or disable splash screen - Add contacts for areas, intergroups, and hotlines - Include other appendices, specifically the Traditions appendix - Add Dr. Paul's story from the third edition - Add the 12x12 book - Add the 24 book - Improve the sobriety calculator accuracy and appearance - Allow multiple, named bookmarks - Add highlighting feature - Landscape book reading - Central office contacts linked to apps ## Newest reviews (16 of 72) ### 4/5 — Almost perfect *2026-01-25* I wish Dean would add the additional stories from the newer additions. The stories that are significant for me include acceptance prayer and the resentment prayer. I thought these used to be included but I guess not. An update to add these stories would be wonderful. ### 3/5 — Please update! *2025-09-11, version 2.5.9.6* I wish that some tech-savvy recovering Friend could find a way to update this app. Mine is no longer searchable. ### 3/5 — Old Edtion *2024-10-20* I’ve used this app for many years and when I tried to go fully digital at meetings, I soon realized this was a second edition version. I can only rate this higher if I have content that is read at big book meetings. ### 4/5 — Love this app but… *2024-09-23* Would be great if this were the fourth edition and included the Preface, all Forewords and stories from the fourth edition. Also there are a lot of typos in the Forewords. I love that you can highlight passages and the day count is great too! ### 3/5 — Disappointed *2022-10-20* Very disappointed that, Acceptance is the Answer , is not included in the stories . how could this be left out? **Developer response:** Unfortunately, because of international copyright restrictions, there is no legal way for this story to be included in any third party apps on the App Store. If there was any option to include it, we would have back in 2008 when we first launched the 12 Steps Companion. We apologize and understand your disappointment but our hands are tied. We did try to be as clear as possible in the App Store description to prevent this type of issue. Thank you for your support! If you have any questions or need any help, feel free to contact us at support@deanhuff.com ### 4/5 — No Acceptance is the Answer *2022-04-28, version 2.5.9.6* This app is great and been around years but would love a dev update to include fourth edition stories. ### 4/5 — Good app *2022-02-24* This has been a helpful app. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because you cannot see the page numbers on the index where the chapters are listed. Those page numbers would be helpful if they are added. However, you can see the page numbers once you click into the chapter. ### 4/5 — Adding push notifications for morning/evening would make this 5 stars *2022-02-14* This is a great app and I’ve really enjoyed using it. One thing that would make it five stars for me would be to add the ability to turn on push notifications both in the morning and in the evening to prompt meditation and reflection. ### 4/5 — 5th Tradition, short form, is Incorrect *2021-08-22* I used the app today to read the Traditions for my Home Group Zoom meeting while traveling. I stopped momentarily while reading the 5th Traditions… it was wrong! It reads “to carry the message” rather than “to carry its message”; as shown in the 12 and 12 and Alcoholics Anonymous. I remember this from hearing Clancy reading the Traditions at a meeting in Waukesha, WI. He stopped, corrected the wording, and went on to explain the difference and why it is important in typical Clancy style. ### 3/5 — Not the book *2021-07-19, version 2.5.9.6* It is not the 12 step 12 tradition book ### 3/5 — Missing story *2020-10-26, version 2.5.9.6* Missing “Acceptance was the answer” in the story section. Which is a big disappointment. ### 3/5 — Useful app *2019-10-28, version 2.5.9.4* Good to track years in the program ### 3/5 — Up to date? *2019-09-19* I’ve been checking my app for the last few days for my seven year anniversary and every time I check it doesn’t seem like the hours are moving at all, it finally did jump them one more day but doesn’t look like it’s working right ### 4/5 — Nice app, but has a glitch **FIXED *2018-12-19* *** Update *** Messaged developer Dean, and he walked me through how to do a no-cost “delete and re-download.” Works fine, glitch was during the first download and not the app itself. Dean responded quickly, professionally, and even did a follow-up to be sure I was happy. Well done, and I AM happy with the app now! I recently downloaded this app, and it seems to be everything I wanted. But sometimes when you select a sentence or passage to highlight, when you actually hit Highlight, sometimes it works, but sometimes it DELETES the selection! **Developer response:** I am glad we were able to help you resolve the issue via email. Feel free to contact us anytime at support@deanhuff.com if you run into any problems. Thank you for your support! ### 3/5 — Needs update *2018-11-18, version 2.5.9.4* Pretty nice app but it unfortunately does not have the 4th edition of the Big Book ### 5/5 — Easy and convenient! *2018-08-04* I have all these apps and I found this one was the easiest to navigate! Always love the sobriety calculator. Easy to use, if you are in a book study and forgot your book, its all there on the phone. **Developer response:** We appreciate the amazing comment. Thank you for your support! ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — So disappointed *2020-03-10, version 2.5.9.6* I lost all my info on this app. I couldn’t open the app so I off loaded it to reinstall and none of my information for the past 8 years is there! I am so disappointed and discouraged! ### 1/5 — BlakityBlake *2019-09-14, version 2.5.9.4* I have had this app for all of my 8 1/2 years of sobriety. I upgraded my iPhone to the iPhone X two weeks ago and now I’m told that I have to rebuy the app. It just doesn’t seem right. Why must I repurchase an app I’ve already paid for just because I got a new telephone? ### 1/5 — Absolute crap *2019-09-02, version 2.5.9.4* Absolute Crap ### 1/5 — Page numbers *2018-07-17* It would be extremely helpful if the table of contents listed at the minimum the starting page numbers of each chapter. The alternative is to guess which chapter I think has a specific page and go in and out of eChchapter until I find the chapter which contains the page I’m looking for. It is frustrating to have to go through this process all the time. I have gone back to my paper B.B. frequently instead of using the app. **Developer response:** To jump directly to a page, you can tap the “page” button in the upper right corner of the index and type in any page number you’re looking for. This was an early feature we included to make it quick and easy for any user to go to any page they’d like. Feel free to contact us at support@deanhuff.com if we can help in any way. ### 1/5 — Inaccurate *2017-02-07, version 2.5.9.1* Love having the Big Book on my phone but the sobriety counter is always off. Every month has read a day early and now my 1 year shows me celebrating 2 days early. Would be nice to have it accurate so I can share with family and friends. ### 1/5 — Deceiving Cover Page - Falsely Presented! *2016-11-17, version 2.5.9.1* I thought I was purchasing the AA 12 X 12 book. What I received was the Big Book with the short versions of the Steps & Traditions. You shouldn't use the 12 X 12s cover when I only received the short versions. I already have a FREE version of the Big Book which includes the same as your plus much more. I feel ripped off! ### 2/5 — Search feature *2026-07-03* I’ve had this app since 2009, the update yesterday disabled my beloved search feature. It will pull up the search, but kicks me off the app when I go to the page. Bummer!!!! And yes I tried the restore button, deleted and reinstalled the app (losing all my bookmarks). Dang! **Developer response:** I apologize for the search bug that caused the crashing. A new update to fix this is now available on the App Store for download. ### 2/5 — Disappointed! *2017-07-17, version 2.5.9.2* The app photo shows content from the 12&12 but it's only the big book. I already had a big book app and it was free. Wish I could get my money back. ### 2/5 — sobriety calculator glitch *2016-03-05, version 2.5.5* love everything about this app. but half the time the calculator is off by a day: seems a simple fix, after which i'd give it 5stars ### 2/5 — Good content, doesn't save notes *2016-02-01, version 2.5.5* I wrote my first two personal notes on my journey to sobriety and it didn't save them. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Latest update *2026-07-03* Love this app. The latest update seems to kick you out after the word search. **Developer response:** I apologize for the search bug that caused the crashing. A new update to fix this is now available on the App Store for download. ### 5/5 — Functionality *2026-01-16* This is by far my most favorite AA app. I had somehow deleted a few word from a sentence and cannot figure out how to update/fix my error. Page 42. "I saw that will power and self-knowledge would not help in those strange" how I deleted this I do not know. I want to fix it but have some many things highlighted that I do not want do delete and reinstall as I do not want to loose my years of work. Can you help? **Developer response:** We’ve just released and update with a subtle “Restore” button at the bottom of the table of contents which will restore all of the book’s text while preserving your highlights. ### 5/5 — Great but… *2025-08-02* It would be really nice if you could add the concepts. And the AA world service manual. Also, you might want to update the preamble and anything else that’s conference approved. ### 5/5 — Include the 12x12 text *2025-07-07, version 2.5.9.6* I am probably not the first to say this but PLEASE include the 12x12 to consolidate apps. ### 5/5 — High Tech Recovery *2023-09-02* I’ve had this app for ten+ years. Over the years, I can’t count how many times this has saved my day!! **Developer response:** Thank you for the support and great review! ### 5/5 — Perfect *2020-09-18, version 2.5.9.6* Simple, easy to use, all the basic literature you need... and BEST of all THEY DON’T ASK FOR EMAIL or other personal info!!! ### 5/5 — Great app, but one request *2018-12-14* Love the app, but would love Dr. Paul’s story from the third edition (page 449). He talks about acceptance. Would love to read that daily on the app. Thank you for your service! **Developer response:** Thank you for your support. Unfortunately, because of copyright restrictions, the Acceptance was the Answer story can not be included in the app but we have used every story that can possibly be used. ### 5/5 — True Companion *2018-11-14, version 2.5.9.4* Today I celebrate 4 years sober and this app has been with me since Day 1! What a gift. ### 5/5 — Excellent Design, User-Friendly, Comprehensive! *2018-10-24* Well-thought design with sobriety calculator and quick, easy, access to the every day Big Book components you’ll need for meeting readings, shares, prayers and more. You can quickly access topics like The Promises, so you’re expertly ‘on topic’ if you don’t have passages memorized. I also love the ability to zoom from the screen. I highly recommend this app for your sobriety toolbox! **Developer response:** Thank you for your support! ### 5/5 — Not working in IOS 12, NOW FIXED *2018-10-17* This App has been a favorite of mine for over 10 years. This beautiful software was nonfunctional in iOS 12. IOS 12.1 fixed it. Thanks. **Developer response:** I have not heard of any issues from other users about incompatibility with iOS12 but am glad to hear the issue was able to be resolved. Please feel free to email us directly at support@deanhuff.com if you experience any further issues. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-02.*