# A&E Crime Central — user reviews > 48 indexed App Store user reviews of A&E Crime Central by A+E Global Media, rated 3.40/5 from 185 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-and-e-crime-central/id1534755973/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-and-e-crime-central/id1534755973.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 84 · 4★ 20 · 3★ 20 · 2★ 15 · 1★ 46 ## What do users think of A&E Crime Central? Overall sentiment: negative **Pros** - 👍 Good content for true crime fans - 👍 Some users enjoy the shows - 👍 App has some bingeable shows **Cons** - 🐛 App frequently crashes - 🐛 Login issues and errors - 🐛 Subscription not recognized - 🐛 Content is outdated and limited - 🐛 Missing many episodes/seasons - 🐛 Poor user interface - 🐛 Playback issues (resetting, skipping) - 🐛 No background playback - 🐛 No picture-in-picture - 🐛 Videos don't play with screen locked - 🐛 Doesn't work with adapters/AirPlay - 🐛 Slow loading times - 🐛 Not available on all devices (e.g., Samsung TVs) - 🐛 Search function is limited - 🐛 Episodes out of order - 🐛 Not current with new episodes - 🐛 Misleading app title (free shows) **Commonly reported bugs** - App crashes constantly - App freezes and won't open - Subscription status not recognized - Login/sign-in issues - Videos reset or skip in the middle of playback - App won't work with lightning adapter/AirPlay - No audio when screen is locked - Stop playing timer doesn't work - App not available on Samsung TVs - Episodes not marking as watched - Search function not working for keywords - Play button not working - App not working with VPN activation - App crashes after a few episodes - Shows are shuffled and out of order - Content restricted to US only **Most requested features** - Add fast forward/rewind options - Implement picture-in-picture (PIP) - Improve background playback functionality - Update app content with current episodes - Make search more robust (keywords, episode names) - Improve accessibility for blind users - Add ability to save playback spot - Allow casting to TVs - Add dark mode - Fix issues with episodes not marking as played ## Newest reviews (13 of 48) ### 2/5 — No current episodes… *2025-05-28* First of all, I literally have to sign into my account on my Fire TV app EVERY TIME I select the app - drives me crazy! Secondly, all of the content (Shows & episodes) are extremely outdated - NO new episodes shown here. I have to log into my A&E app just to watch the latest episodes of anything. Very frustrating and disappointing since you have to pay for the A&E Crime Central subscription. Thirdly, most of the shows on this app have only a few episodes to even watch. Also, I signed into the app (once again) 5 minutes ago and it still hasn’t opened up on my TV. It’s just “spinning”! Developers: Please take more pride in the app content and show current episodes of the shows, especially since we pay for this subscription! I can literally watch 90% of the shows on this app for free on Tubi! BTW…the app still hasn’t opened the spinning wheel and won’t open. Considering canceling. **Developer response:** Hi there - We're sorry to hear about the trouble you're experiencing. Please reach out to us directly at help@aecrimecentral.com so that we can assist you. ### 2/5 — Lacks basic functionality *2025-03-13, version 9.1.0* The app plays videos, I’ll give it that. However, two fatal flaws: it won’t play audio if the screen is locked, and the “stop playing” timer in iOS doesn’t actually stop it. I want to go to sleep listening to crime shows — don’t judge me — and even though I paid for this app I wind up watching sketchy episodes posted on YouTube. ### 2/5 — Very old style missing current recent important features *2024-12-17, version 9.0.1* It literally doesn’t hold in the background outside the app so you can’t watch on the screen unless in app like youtube’s free version. It also doesn’t let you skip back and if you press the button to go back manually it doesn’t show screen clips so you’ll end up at some random point but re wind and fast forward. I appreciate the free trial but will not be renewing. I’ve only used this for an hour so far and can’t believe how outdated some things are. The shows are great but please update this version and i’ll re-subscribe. ### 2/5 — App doesn’t recognize my subscription *2024-07-07, version 8.7.0* I subscribed to the seven day free trial today. I’m watching this on my Roku TV but I can’t get the app to recognize my subscription - says I need to purchase a subscription. Seriously, it’s 2024 and they can’t sync subscriptions across devices yet at A&E? ### 2/5 — Playback Problems *2023-10-27, version 8.4* I could not get an episode of “After the First 48” to stream, so I downloaded it. As I played it back, it would randomly hop over to different episodes. After trying several things, I still can’t get the episode to finish. What’s more, I had started watching a different episode originally, which switched to the episode I mentioned above. Very frustrating. I’m about to decide the app is too flawed to work. I won’t spend 30 minutes watching a episode I can’t finish, especially if I went to the trouble to download it. ### 2/5 — Hardly ever loads and content is lacking *2023-03-22, version 8.0.0* It takes me hours sometimes to be able to log into this app. And they only carry a few seasons of each show. It’s pretty pathetic and not was I was hoping it would be. ### 2/5 — Disappointed *2023-02-02, version 7.3.8* The only reason I am keeping this app is it has the old First 48 episodes and I like the old detectives. And I go to sleep to this shoe every single night. And most of the time the time like tonight the A&E app doesn’t work. It is the biggest joke and is completely useless and laughable. Thank goodness this one isn’t like that one. Obviously the same idiot didn’t build it. There is also not enough available decent programming on here. I am so utterly and completely disappointed ### 1/5 — Don't Bother, Limited Content *2022-12-14, version 7.3.7* Very dissatisfied with this app. Why would any service provider offer a paid for app and not have the majority of their content available? On some shows it's not even half the seasons or complete seasons at that! Big FAIL by A&E. ### 2/5 — Navigating in a dark tunnel. *2022-09-18, version 7.3.5* There is no way to see a series episodes. It is so frustrating. ### 1/5 — Streaming Services are not for everyone *2022-08-30, version 7.3.5* This app launched back in 2020 and it seems to still have the same problems how are you going to make a paid streaming service and LITERALLY NOT HAVE ALL SEASONS AND ALL EPISODES OF YOUR SHOWS on the service. First I downloaded the A&E app just so I could watch the first 48 and it had all seasons and all episodes but commercials so I decided to get crime central you gotta pay but hey no commercials. I open the app go to the first 48 and there are only 8 out of the 22 seasons and maybe a couple of them are a full season like come on. Also what kind of streaming service doesn’t allow you to steam to what ever tv you like why do I have to download the app on my tv. I going to use the full extent of my 7 day trial enjoy my no commercials then I’m going back to the FREE A&E app ### 3/5 — Not allowed to see a full season *2022-08-18, version 7.3.5* Really we’re not allowed to watch a full season? Just a few episodes of a series is all we can watch and people pay for that? No thanks ### 3/5 — Mediocre Accessibility with voice over for blind users *2022-07-10, version 7.3.3* I love true crime however I believe you need more episodes the series are shuffled when they play and I would really appreciate it if fast forwarding through episodes with something easily done I see the correct episodeic order with some series however that is not the case with many that is a very very disappointing aspect of an app which we pay for ### 1/5 — Why do I have to pay? *2022-06-14, version 7.3.2* Why do I have to pay when I got u-verse? I’m not paying for this! ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — REFUND MY MONEY *2025-08-10, version 9.5.0* I paid for the year understanding that would eliminate ads, but that’s a lie. So refund my money. The app does not allow me to even get in, so I may have to go through my bank. SHAME ON YOU‼️‼️‼️ ### 1/5 — Paid for it and it won’t work *2025-07-26, version 9.5.0* I paid for this app and it just keeps saying my subscription is inactive even though I literally just paid for it. Emailed help email and have yet to hear anything back👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽 ### 1/5 — Buggy *2025-06-28, version 9.4.1* I want to purchase a sub then watch it through the app every time I do that it glitches saying no inactive videos playing please sub which I did still doesn’t work it just crashes out constantly but when you sign up through prime it works ### 1/5 — Worthless app *2025-02-28, version 9.1.0* It works very rarely and now it wants me to sign in when I have a paid account! It freezes up and I can’t get in. I give up, not worth it. ### 1/5 — What a joke *2025-01-10, version 9.0.2* Nothing works, broken links, can’t sign in, very few networks actively try for you to not be a customer. Embarrassing. ### 1/5 — Will not work with lightning adapter and I assume air play *2024-08-01, version 8.8.1* Complete waste of time signing up/creating an account, and creating a watch list. The app will not work with the Apple lightening adapter/air play even though your paying. There is a decent amount of content from what I saw. You would think as popular as A&E is, they would offer a better app. I’ll go back to the free apps. ### 1/5 — The app is junk! *2024-04-21, version 8.6.0* You pay a subscription for an app that locks up and content you can’t view, waste of money ### 1/5 — Horrible *2024-02-21, version 8.5.2* You would think after all of these crappy reviews, something would’ve been fixed by now. I attempted to see what was available before I paid for the app and I wasn’t able to so I paid my $30 for the entire year which was a huge mistake. You would think that what is available on the free A&E app would be available on this one but that’s not the case. On some shows there’s more on the free A&E app then there is in this one. And let’s not forget to mention that the entire season of the shows isn’t available. What makes it even worse is Hulu has some episodes that aren’t even in this app. I’m also not able to watch this on my TV because for some reason this app isn’t available on Samsung TVs so if I want to watch some thing I have to cast it from my phone to my TV. I wouldn’t mind watching this on my iPad, but the developers didn’t add the picture in picture feature. This app isn’t even worth the $30. I paid. Too bad I can’t get my money back. ### 1/5 — Need repair *2023-11-19, version 8.4* Dude I’m not paying for this no more until y’all fix it. Episodes of first 48 literally resetting in the middle of the episode this is ridiculous. ### 1/5 — Won’t load *2023-03-22, version 8.0.0* It was working but now it won’t load None of the A&E apps work Even the website won’t load ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Survival *2023-01-27, version 7.3.8* I enjoy the different series, these are not actors, they are actually sharing their stories ### 5/5 — A&E rating *2022-10-09, version 7.3.7* I am blind before the episodes I try to find it is easy to fine sometimes it’s not even when I search if you made the search more accessible for someone that’s blind like myself it would be great and a lot easier to use. ### 5/5 — Love! *2022-07-22, version 7.3.5* I am new to the subscription. I really love it but it is not saving my spot where I previously watched. I literally have to do a screenshot to know what episode, what minute I am on… More needs to be done on saving your spot on episodes. If I am wrong, please let me know! Like I said, I am new! But I love love love the shows! ### 5/5 — True Crime *2022-04-28, version 7.3.0* I like to see how detectives figure things out. Sometimes cameras tell them everything. It’s sad that these are real cases and people are dead. It’s hard for that to sink in sometimes. One young man killed his girlfriend because she wouldn’t give his 8$ back!! The I Survived is really wild. A girl got shot three times and was run over twice. These true crimes make me feel afraid of a lot of people. ### 5/5 — Everything a true crime fanatic could dream of *2021-03-02, version 1.0.0* Lots of great content with amazingly bingeable shows and docs. Love me some cold case files, and if you need me I’ll be binging that for the next few days. ### 4/5 — It’s an ok channel *2022-07-03, version 7.3.3* Some of the content is very good. However the content is very limited and not very new. Very few new items however a lot of older content. ### 4/5 — Got this to watch I survived *2022-02-23, version 1.0.8* Actually a good app. The I survived episodes are kinda mixed up and out of order, but as long as I can watch them, that’s all I care about. Wish they would revive the series. ### 3/5 — Very Outdated Interface *2023-08-04, version 8.2.1* I decided to subscribe to CC after The First 48 was **finally** added, even though several episodes from almost every season are still missing. However, the user interface on the app is HORRIBLE. It feels clunky and isn’t at all intuitive. —————— 1. The search function only works for series’ names and doesn’t pick up any other keywords. You can’t even search by an episode name, episode number, or season number. —————— 2. There’s no fast forward option similar to the 10-second playback button, which is such a silly oversight. Even so, an obviously better, more user friendly and accessible option for fast forwarding/rewinding would be the ability to double tap on either side of the screen, but that doesn’t exist. —————— 3. Additionally, and this particularly weird, when you open up a particular series to see all available seasons and episodes, tapping on the little yellow play button on any episode does… nothing. You have to tap everywhere else EXCEPT the little yellow button that obviously means play in order for the video to play. HUH?! —————— 4. I can’t swipe up/down to open the control center or read a notification on my device (iPad primarily) without whatever video I’m watching on the app pausing. Why can’t the app continue playing in the background like literally every other streaming service? —————— 5. There’s no picture-in-picture option that allows you to either minimize the video within the app to browse around (think YouTube), or exit the app and do literally anything else on your device (think Netflix). —————— 6. It takes forever to load sometimes. The app was clearly built on whatever the cheapest, most outdated software currently available is, and it’s truly a shame because the user experience is lacking and far beneath what I, and others, expect from a network like A&E. —————— 7. Content is restricted to the U.S. and only works outside of the States with a VPN, which makes little sense since it’s all original programming and licensing shouldn’t be an issue. Even then, the exact same episodes on the app are shown on cable in other countries/markets so I further can’t understand the limitation. —————— As much as I love The First 48 and Cold Case Files, I doubt I’m going to end up keeping this subscription long-term because the app just doesn’t deliver any kind of a quality experience. I’ll just go back to catching the episodes on cable when I can. ### 3/5 — Aged application? *2023-01-26, version 7.3.8* I along with apparently many other reviewer’s originally had the A&E app and was disappointed with the show selections but the app is free however I did connect my cable provider to the app I still wasn’t able to access all of the shows and/or episodes I wanted and relented, payingFor yet another monthly subscription streamer. However the playback features at least for the iPhone and iPad version are horrendous there’s no fast forward 10 second or however long button, it doesn’t have Picture in Picture, allowing you to still listen while switching to another app like every single other streaming service app I have. It seems a little disorganized and difficult to browse unless you know what you’re actually searching for. and then of course as other people have stated as well to make matters worse it’s still does it have all of the seasons or episodes of each show although you’re paying it’s supposed to be you’re paying for the library of content this provider has that is not the case apparently with this one if it weren’t for all the episodes of cold Case files I would have canceled the subscription already and I’m sure once I go through all these, I will. Unless of course they could update the app to at least be in the same ballpark as most other comparable apps. It’s a shame as I love most of the content 🤷🏻‍♀️ ### 3/5 — Crime Central *2022-11-10, version 7.3.7* I am new to the app. I am enjoying the content but feel there needs to be more episodes or at least a full season. Having some technical issues with the episodes repeating themselves and not showing they have already been watched. I hope for improvement and and more content in the future. I do love what is offered but just not in the same league as Netflix or Hulu where you get entire seasons. Can and wait awhile to see if this improves. --- *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 2026-09-04.*