# 8player — user reviews > 99 indexed App Store user reviews of 8player by Oleksandr Smeshkov, rated 4.30/5 from 33 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/8player/id622191019/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/8player/id622191019.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 26 · 4★ 1 · 3★ 1 · 2★ 0 · 1★ 5 ## What do users think of 8player? Overall sentiment: mixed **Pros** - 👍 User-friendly interface and easy setup - 🎬 Plays multiple video formats including MKV files - 🌐 Excellent DLNA/UPnP network streaming capability - 📱 Works well with NAS devices and home servers - ⚡ Fast buffering and smooth playback - 💾 Can download media files to device - 🎵 Subtitle and audio track selection - 📺 Streams to various devices and AVRs **Cons** - 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues - 🚫 SMB connection problems and failures - 💰 Aggressive paywall and limited free version - 🔒 Artificial file limitations in free/lite versions - 🔊 Audio codec support issues (AC3/DTS) - 🎬 Inconsistent video format support - 📊 Poor file sorting and browsing functions - 🔌 Cannot control volume with phone buttons - 🌐 Device switching requires stopping playback - 📉 Updates often break existing functionality - 🔋 High battery consumption - ⚠️ Misleading feature descriptions **Commonly reported bugs** - App stops detecting servers/NAS devices - SMB share connection failures - Photos not displaying correctly - Internet radio streaming not working - Video playback from iPhone not functioning - App crashes when resuming playback - Audio missing or not playing - Video codec decoder unavailable errors - Initialization failed errors - Ads appearing in wrong language - File playback order incorrect for audiobooks - Track numbers not displayed - App freezes iPad requiring hard reset - Update removes previously supported codecs - In-app purchase functionality broken **Most requested features** - List view mode for file browsing - Advanced file sorting options (by date, ascending/descending) - Music file format support - Auto-load subtitles feature - Play-next random feature - Volume control via phone buttons - Device switching without stopping playback - SFTP protocol support - Better network caching for 1080p video - AirPlay to DLNA TV support - External network access for server files ## Newest reviews (11 of 99) ### 2/5 — Annoying time wasting on bugs *2026-02-04, version 7.5.1* Suddenly it stopped seeing any of my servers/ NAS. Reset all h/w, s/w routers etc. Others app can see it fine, not this, it just stopped. Now useless to me. ### 3/5 — Not too bad, needs a bit of work. *2023-04-15* Basic features work, but it has lots of quirks. The GUI is OK, lacks some basic sorting and browsing functions, you can not control the volume from the volume buttons on the phone, you can not switch devices without stoping the media, little things, that add up. But, it does play my DLNA library to my AVR. ### 3/5 — Good, but not functional *2023-01-08, version 6.1.4* The player does not take track number into account and plays a nonsense order when playing from upnp. Also does not displays track number to see where in the audiobook you are. Not great if all files start with the string. ### 2/5 — Limitations not obvious *2019-01-29, version 4.4.3* There are 3 8player apps, Basic (?), Lite and Pro. Although it doesn’t say it anywhere in the descriptions, but the both non-pro versions have been crippled in so far that they only give access to the first 5 files in a folder, the rest are locked out, so basically not fit for purpose. It should be clearly stated as to what limitations exist, then you know if you'll have to stump up the money for the pro version to get full functionality. Other than that it seems to work during the very little use I made of it. ### 3/5 — Wrong price *2018-11-19, version 4.2.5* I dont understand I paid £7.79 for pro version and price is £4.99 more then price, somebody can me explain that ### 3/5 — Nearly perfect *2018-08-27, version 4.1* Lovely interface, and good functionality. Would get 5 stars if it were possible to log in to a Windows 10 (SMB) server. A lot of apps have this issue, but then others, eg Player Xtreme don’t, so it must be fixable. ### 4/5 — Good, but room for improvement *2018-02-09* The player is good. But no sorting function such as sorting by date when browsing the SMB server files even though you set sort by date and no option to choose ascending or descending. ### 1/5 — Artificially crippled software *2017-04-16, version 3.2.1* I'm sorry but accessing all files in a folder isn't an "advanced feature". Works great until you need to actually access all files in a folder ### 3/5 — Ok I Guess *2017-02-26, version 3.2.1* Errors when connecting to local servers. Developer's other video app, which is seemingly identical, connects successfully. ### 1/5 — WARNING!!! *2016-11-10, version 3.1.1* This app locks and holds your media files hostage without telling you in advance. You cannot play your media without paying to "unlock" them. DO NOT USE!!! ### 1/5 — Warning May 25th Update Removes Codecs *2016-05-29, version 2.3.3* Many files I had now longer supported. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Free Version Is Very Limited! *2025-12-09* 4 photo limit on free version. Seriously?! So, like a dummy, I went and bought the “Pro” version only to find it doesn’t display certain photos correctly so the app is useless to me. . Ya got me. Waste of money and time! Buyer Beware!!! ### 1/5 — Did not stream to Arcam CDS50 *2025-11-23* This is a great little player app, but again another app that can’t stream Internet radio streams to the Arcam CDS50, since MusicLife died after iOS 26.1. It can stream local server files, but no Internet streams (it only plays on the iOS phone speaker), I don’t know what the big deal is and why only MusicLife can do this which doesn’t work anymore, but it’s really annoying. ### 1/5 — It doesn’t work *2025-04-08, version 7.3.1* No videos can be played from iPhone . This app is useless ### 1/5 — Not free player, Limited use *2024-10-27, version 7.3* I was binge watching a series on my iPad then it stopped working because of pop-up asked me to pay for the pro. I can no longer use it to watch any videos. ### 1/5 — Useless *2021-10-12* Can’t play my own videos. ### 1/5 — Stoped working *2021-07-09* Stoped working. Now just shows an ad in another language. ### 1/5 — Don’t Bother *2020-02-10, version 5.3.3* Stick with VLC! That is totally free works beautifully, smoothly and never fails. Using exactly the same login credentials 8Player charges for an app that fails every time! Why would anyone sane choose this?! ### 1/5 — Not working *2019-12-23, version 5.3* Music player not working ### 1/5 — MOSTLY BROKEN and abandoned. *2019-08-10* August 2019 update claims to fix SMB issues, but the app just crashes whenever I want to pickup where I left off. Maybe an issue relating to its retention bookmark ability. Anyway, nothing’s better, just worse. Update as of May 7th, 2019. Still having atrocious smb connection problems. I have other apps which make these same connections instantaneously and without trouble, using the same protocols. There’s no justification for this failure to be prevalent for months and months on end with no resolution. Avoid this app; my feeling is that the developer has moved on mostly, and there are plenty of competing apps that are better now. Very sad. I don’t know what fixes are being applied, but the updates should never create a new problem! Serves me right for updating at all. Never update anything unless a problem exists to warrant it! ### 1/5 — Lg smart tv *2018-05-19* The app detect my lg smart tv but not casting at my smart tv ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Excellent app! Does everything i need it to! *2025-07-24* Excellent app! Does everything i need it to! ### 5/5 — Works great *2024-10-28* I’m really liking your app. It’s very user-friendly. I’m not too good with technology, but this is good for me. Thank you for making quality product. ### 5/5 — Yay a Dlna controller that works for my tv *2022-11-27, version 6.1.3* Awesome ### 5/5 — Yes *2022-04-17* Awesome App Thank You ### 5/5 — Best UNpN app tried so far *2020-03-21, version 5.4* Brilliant app liked my music sources and players without and difficulty. I have tried many apps so far and this is the best. ### 5/5 — fereydoun1979 *2019-09-01* 😍😘😘😘😘😘👌 ### 5/5 — Ax *2019-02-01* Ok ### 5/5 — سهراب کریمی *2018-12-23, version 4.4* 09214369054 ### 5/5 — A *2017-02-17, version 3.2.1* Nice ### 5/5 — Updating removes features- DO Update! *2016-03-15, version 2.3.2* It works! Support got back to me within a day. "Settings" / "In-App Purchases" is the trick. A bit finicky, but works. Btw ViPlay is the best music/video app I have seen, that's why I was peeved earlier. Go for it & sorry for the earlier -ve comment. --- *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 2026-06-10.*