# BBC Science Focus Magazine — user reviews > 179 indexed App Store user reviews of BBC Science Focus Magazine by Our Media Limited, rated 4.70/5 from 78 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bbc-science-focus-magazine/id458036083/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bbc-science-focus-magazine/id458036083.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 64 · 4★ 8 · 3★ 3 · 2★ 1 · 1★ 2 ## What do users think of BBC Science Focus Magazine? Overall sentiment: negative **Pros** - ⭐ Excellent magazine - 💡 Great interactive features - 👍 Informative and well-presented content **Cons** - 🐛 Crashes and stability issues - 🔍 Poor user interface and navigation - 💸 Subscription and purchase problems **Commonly reported bugs** - Inability to access purchased content - Frequent crashes and freezes - Compatibility issues with iOS updates **Most requested features** - Dark mode option - Offline reading support - Better optimization for newer devices ## Newest reviews (13 of 179) ### 1/5 — The Big Question Answered *2022-03-21, version 7.0.0* The answer being how can anyone have the right to change money for an app that is so hopeless and useless. The desire to track data being so strong that it actually blocks the user from accessing the product. If this is where the BBC is going then perhaps it is better to privatize as that way they are commercially measured and on the evidence here it won’t last long. I am sure there will be the normal, we did lots of testing (clearly not) and please contact us with more feedback. Here’s the point it is your product and you don’t care enough to use it. ### 1/5 — A real backward step *2022-03-18* The old app was much better. The pages jump around when reading. Moving from one page to the next sometimes skips pages. The ‘you may like also’ at the bottom of each page is annoying and not very useful. The only good thing is that I can now sheer the magazine with my wife who was unable to see it via the old app. **Developer response:** Hi there, thanks for your feedback, we’re sorry to hear of the problems you're experiencing within the new app. Please email us at appsupport@immediate.co.uk with further details so we can investigate. Many thanks. ### 1/5 — Not worth the money - biased reporting *2022-03-18, version 7.0.0* Obviously biased reporting, Blatantly Biased Corporation in the laps of whichever is the current Government party line. I won’t be paying for this dross. I’m out. ### 1/5 — An amazing magazine terribly stripped down *2021-12-22* Very disappointing how limited the amount of articles were. You have to buy each magazine and there is probably a tenth of the articles from the actual magazine. This would be amazing if you just made it an encyclopaedic news feed of all of your articles from day one with hourly features of facts and stories automatically cycled. In fact it would be my favourite app. Instead it harks back to worrying over customers purchases of actual magazines and displays them in a limited and badly laid out pdf, which isn’t reminiscent of the magazines at all. It’s stripped down and in an actual magazine would only take up around 5 pages. Come into the modern age and make people want to pay for this! ### 1/5 — Magazine is good app is poor *2021-12-09* I have been a subscriber via Apple subscription for a while, the magazine itself is great but the app is poor, it keeps losing my subscription despite various methods of deleting, reinstalling and restoring purchases… incredibly frustrating experience especially as I was looking forward to catching up on a few issues over the Xmas break! ### 1/5 — Very poor experience *2021-04-12* Firstly let me be clear - this is a review of this app, not the content. I enjoy the content of this magazine and have been reading it for decades. But this app is awful. In fact it’s fundamentally broken and not for for purpose. The problem is that you can only use it when online, which makes it effectively a website. Downloading a new issue takes forever, and it can’t be downloaded in the background. This means you can’t use your iPad while it’s downloading. And then once it has eventually downloaded, you have to be online to read it. Want to download an issue or two to read on a flight? Forget it. Never mind that this is something people would almost certainly want with a magazine. The developers have known about these issues for years and have chosen not to fix them. If you want access to this content then don’t let this review put you off. But if you subscribe I just want you to do so knowing what you will be in for. And I want the developers to be called to task. ### 2/5 — Can’t get any support *2020-11-27* App support link not working. App not working for me and can’t get any support. ### 3/5 — Why no Dark mode? *2020-11-07, version 5.6.4* No dark mode ### 1/5 — Will not download content *2020-03-26, version 5.6.2* I have joined today and linked my subscription. Tried to download March magazine, and it’s been trying all day. Still not download. ### 4/5 — Magazine is good - app is clunky *2020-01-02* I've enjoyed Focus for many years and been a digital subscriber since the app first appeared. Happy to say the mag is still great value and, while the level seems to be pitched at the average 16 year old, it does lead me on to searching for stuff on the web. I'm sorry to say the app is not as good now as the initial release was and it's very unreliable. **Developer response:** Thank you for your review. We are sorry to hear that you find the app to be clunky. Please consider contacting us at apps@immediate.co.uk with more information so we can look at ways to improve the app. ### 3/5 — Can’t buy Specials deal *2019-08-26, version 5.5.0* App advertises buying all Specials back issues for low price but app won’t let me! ### 1/5 — Old issues were not downloaded *2019-07-27* I bought the entire collection and downloaded all a couple of months ago. Now although it shows downloaded each issue has 0 Bytes and cannot be open. Even more, it crashes the app. ### 1/5 — Need to uninstall and install every time i want to read an issue *2019-06-26* I bought heaps magazines issued for last few years and was very excited. But I’ve got an iPhone and after downloading an issue and click on read - the application just disappears. If I open the app again and trying to open new issue again the same thing happens over and over. The same happens on my iPad. Can’t get to read anything, wish I never bought it 😞 ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Bad UI/UX *2025-12-16* This app is terrible. Dark mode is really a grey mode, not that dark. White text on medium grey does not offer enough contrast. Neither does white on mustard, and certainly not white on light grey, both of which also make appearances. Also when in dark mode you still get bright white loading screens. The reading experience is better in Apple News, it has better typography for their articles and a better dark mode. ### 1/5 — Deny subscription *2024-06-18* I am having no help from the developer as they deny I have a subscription even though I have sent a copy of the receipt from apple showing I have bought an annual subscription Apple cannot understand what their problem is ### 1/5 — Atrocious *2023-09-13* Hiding educational means behind paywall is an epitome of a late stage capitalism. ### 1/5 — BBC is great…this app isn’t *2023-02-16* I’ve read pieces from the BBC Science magazine on the BBC’s website. Solid content, and I’ve long considered the BBC to be one of the world’d best news gathering organizations. I subscribe to many digital magazines. The user interface of this site is poor. I’d prefer to download a magazine, then be forced to deal with this ad-heavy thing. Pity, because the coverage is solid. **Developer response:** Thank you for getting in touch. Apologies you're having trouble using your App, if you would get in touch via this form https://www.immediateapps.co.uk/digital-contact-form/ we can help you with this issue. Many thanks ### 1/5 — Bug with login *2023-01-21* I cannot login into the app though new version is supposed to fix it!? **Developer response:** Thank you for getting in touch. Apologies you're having trouble using your App, if you would get in touch via this form https://www.immediateapps.co.uk/digital-contact-form/ we can help you this issue. Many thanks ### 1/5 — No refunds *2022-12-22, version 8.0* I accidentally paid £45 for a year subscription that I didn’t want. They use a third party support company that have zero control and Apple also refused to refund me. I think the customer service is shocking! This app is not worth the hassle! ### 1/5 — Really poor UI, and ads?? *2022-07-20* Sorry but the UI is pretty horrible, and once you manage to navigate to the content it’s just some lifeless text, not at all what it could be. Also serving ads to someone who just bought the magazine is pretty ridiculous.. **Developer response:** Thank you for getting in touch. Apologies you're having trouble with your App, if you would get in touch via this form https://www.immediateapps.co.uk/digital-contact-form/ we can troubleshoot this issue. Many thanks ### 1/5 — Unusable *2022-05-14, version 7.0.0* Simply doesn’t work any more. Constant loading wheel. Waste of purchase. Won’t be renewing ### 1/5 — Nicht kostenlos *2022-04-01* Nur wenige Artikeln sind frei verfügbar. Man wird ständig zur Kasse gebeten. **Developer response:** Hi, thanks for your feedback. If you have anything further you'd like to look into please email us at appsupport@immediate.co.uk. Many thanks ### 1/5 — Login? *2022-03-23, version 7.0.0* Why is the app asking me to login. Why can’t I just look at the issues I have bought ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Excellent Magazine *2025-08-07* Having been a subscriber to this fine publication for many years, it has never failed to deliver. The quality of the graphic images, and the consistently high level of journalism, is exceptional. Further to this, it keeps one abreast with latest scientific developments. Highly recommended publication ### 5/5 — Brilliant magazine *2024-04-24, version 8.7* I have this on subscription wonderful articles I recycle by giving it to my Doctor who is a fabulous doctor right on the ball using this wonderful mag. To educate and help patients and Colleagues ### 5/5 — New app is faulty *2021-05-05* Since the app update I have not been able to access my science Focus magazine library issues. Instead I have been given access to MATCH OF THE DAY magazines. Numerous phone calls and hours on the app help link has got me nowhere. 0 it of 10 from me Since I am unable to give 0 stars had to put one. ### 5/5 — No degree required. *2020-07-31* Science Focus has been my go to magazine read for years now. The articles are all well written and easy to understand. I mean, you need to be interested in science and engineering but you don’t need a degree to understand the articles. Now I’ve switched to digital it’s even better as the back catalogue takes up no physical space. Imagine that! N NI it every article is up my alley as it were but each magazine is, there is something for everyone in it. ### 5/5 — In depth and easy to assimilate *2019-12-27* Enjoy the depth of explanation and the simple presentation But...my mum recently had a stroke and can’t make sense of written words - she can type just fine So I was thinking could you add an option to read the narrative ? **Developer response:** Thank you for your review. We are sorry to hear about your mum. We will be releasing a new version soon with a truly responsive design that should be compatible with "screen readers". There is a screen reader built in to iPad/iPhone that you can find in Settings > Accessibilty ### 5/5 — a goldmine of science info *2019-10-25* certainly the best general science publication out there . i amaze my friends and family with all of the data research presented . only minus is the high cost . publishers seem to forget that digital mags are way cheaper to produce than paper **Developer response:** Thank you for your review. We are very glad you like the app! ### 5/5 — BBC & Science... *2019-09-21, version 5.5.2* It’s the BBC and science and it’s fun to read, this is the present for that child or adult you don’t know what to buy. My children love it and okay its at a high level but if it interest you google the science paper! ### 5/5 — Great read *2019-02-25* First read this magazine in local doctors..very pleased to find it on iPad.. Would recommend.. I wrote the first part of review some 8 years ago..I’m still reading it in 2019..love it.. ### 5/5 — New version, good look but gone backwards *2019-01-23, version 5.3.7* I like the look of this latest app version. However it never remembers the page I was on. The old version even if the app was closed did remember. A simple but vital feature gone. Sort it out BBC Focus ### 5/5 — Good range of topics, written by a bevy of contributors. *2018-11-04* Great articles in every issue, always something that sparks interest. Thanks for keeping my brain sparking. --- *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 2026-08-27.*