The Greatest Dictionary, a Pretty Good App
I recognize the virtues of other dictionaries and own many hard copies of different publishers, but I really believe the American Heritage is the best. So, I would have none other than the AH as my dictionary app.
The app works perfectly, but hardly achieves its potential for the year 2026. It neither needs an absurd list of new, hi-tech features nor can it be said to completely satisfy basic requirements.
Relatedly, I'm not sure this app has offline access, which means it's significantly less useful than it ought to be. Especially for the current price. For those who must have the AH, only this app will do. Others should consider another provider (Collins? Chambers?) whose app is more well considered.
The app works perfectly, but hardly achieves its potential for the year 2026. It neither needs an absurd list of new, hi-tech features nor can it be said to completely satisfy basic requirements.
Relatedly, I'm not sure this app has offline access, which means it's significantly less useful than it ought to be. Especially for the current price. For those who must have the AH, only this app will do. Others should consider another provider (Collins? Chambers?) whose app is more well considered.
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Formatting Broken
With the upgrade to macOS Tahoe 26.5 The dictionary lost its formatting.
Literally no support
I purchased this app a few years ago and after updating my phone it didn’t work and asked to purchase it again. I don’t know how many times I have emailed the support team to solve this issue but an automated email is sent to me every time. Literally no answer or support. It’s disappointing that this team has no respect for the customer 👎🏻
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DEVIL
DEMON
Worse with each upgrade.
Why must perfectly apps be broken?
Request payment after installation
This app requires payment after installation to work. It's a trap!
音声が聴き取りにくい
内容は問題なくインターフェースも使いやすいのですが、音声の声が低すぎてとても聴き取りづらく、2,200円払いましたが別の時点を利用することにしました。
Crashes on Opening
I cannot get to the step of paying the in app purchase before the app crashes.
New search interface is homely and hard to read
The new edition of the app interface is not an improvement. The layout and ease of use seems to come from circa 1994. It feels like they did research on how best to make it difficult to read.
Crashes Before I Can Activate
App crashes before I can do anything with it. Will stay open for about 6-8 seconds and then close. Tried deleting, repowering the phone, doing both, reloading the app, etc. using the latest iPhone model, and fully up-to-date on the operating system. Will check back later and see if you get any updates that will keep the app open long enough to be able to activate it.
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Can’t even open app
The app crashes a few seconds after opening and I can’t even read through a full screen without having to reopen it. Apparently the app can’t even be used unless you buy their service too. I deleted this a few minutes after the download since I can’t seem to get through the login and set up without it crashing.
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It tends to crash
I like that I can look words up quickly. I do not like that it is buggy and crashes when I am looking up several words in a row.
Freezes
This app is unreliable. It always freezes then I have to force quit out of the app. It is way more hassle and less of a useful tool.
American Heritage Dictionary
They’ve forced an upgrade and are demanding nearly $14.00 to access it, even if you’re already bought the app. There’s a free version online that works just fine for anything most people would want.
Crashes
Crashes about 7 seconds after opening. Every. Single. Time.
Outdated and clunky UI
AHD is an excellent resource for everyone. However, the app needs a major update, as it continues to crash on my iPhone 15 Pro running iOS 18.0.1 and, overall, is not very pleasant to use. I would prefer to pay a yearly subscription fee if it meant receiving updates. Thank you.
Still the best!
At the age of 21 in 1971, I bought my first American Heritage Dictionary. It was huge and very heavy in its original paper format. But I loved its derivations, including its Indo-European roots, which were a unique feature. I am now 74, and the AHD has been a constant companion in my life’s journey of the pursuit of knowledge, albeit the second-hand knowledge of others related through their words. Language is the symbolization of effort, and knowing the respective meanings of those symbols has made all the difference!
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Download is Free !
Download is free, however after downloading the first screen you are greeted with is a "Pay Me" Screen. I believe it should be stated on the page before the download. In App purchase is Ok but not for the base product.
Unusable - Crashes every time
I can’t get past the first screen. Before I tap OK the app crashes. It’s not even in the App Switcher and I have to actually reopen the app from the Home Screen to try again.
App no longer works at all
I have enjoyed using the American Heritage Dictionary app daily for many years and suddenly it does not work at all. It disappears when I tap on it. I've deleted it and restored it and nothing changes.
