# Bookshelf Scanner: Spines — user reviews

> 7 indexed App Store user reviews of Bookshelf Scanner by True Story Limited.

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf-scanner-spines/id6757425414/reviews
- App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelf-scanner-spines/id6757425414.md

## Most critical reviews (7 lowest-rated)

### 1/5 — Unable to update

*2026-07-19*

Open and it directed me to AppStore for an update, then nothing happened and no subsequent action indicated.

**Developer response:** Sorry about that! A server change on our side sent the app looking for an update that hadn't been released yet — completely our fault. It's fixed now, so if you reopen Spines it should work normally (a force-quit and reopen will clear it if not). We'd really appreciate a second chance — and if you hit any other issues, we're at support@spinesapp.com. Thanks!

### 1/5 — Not worth it

*2026-07-17*

So the concept is an app that helps you find books more easily when sorting through large amount of books.  Sounds good until you see it’s $50 a year?  I don’t want another subscription.  There’s gotta be a better way to monetize this service.  Maybe like a one time $10 price for full access but I cannot get behind paying for another subscription

**Developer response:** Thanks for the honest feedback — we know another subscription is a hard sell. Just so you know, you don't have to pay to use Spines: the free tier gives you scans every month at no cost, so you can keep using it as-is. We're also actively looking at our pricing options, and feedback like this directly shapes that. Hope you'll stick with the free version in the meantime!

### 2/5 — Flash required

*2026-07-25*

I appreciate the developers addressed an update glitch reported earlier. However, my iPad doesn’t have a flash so it’s said the camera can’t be enabled for the app.

**Developer response:** Thanks for the follow-up. Spines is built for iPhone, but it can be installed on iPad in compatibility mode — and you've hit a bug there: on iPads without a flash, our camera setup fails when it shouldn't, since the camera doesn't actually need one. A fix is going into the next update. In the meantime, if you try it on an iPhone it should work great — let us know if not.

### 2/5 — A bit steep

*2026-07-01*

£5/month for a book scanning app. Maybe if it was £1, was expecting free with ads. Neat idea, but over monetised.

**Developer response:** Thanks for the honest feedback — glad the idea landed even if the price didn't! Worth knowing: there's a free tier (3 scans a month, with personalised "For You" matches), and the yearly plan works out around £2.90/month. We went subscription instead of ads because each scan runs AI processing that costs us per use, and we didn't want to clutter a cosy book-hunting app with adverts. Happy hunting either way!

### 5/5 — Gem finder 💎

*2026-08-31*

Such a great concept! There's no way I would have even NOTICED some of the great books its recommended to me

### 5/5 — I love this app

*2026-08-27*

Many days I’ve spent trawling through book shelves in charity shops wishing for an easier way to find the books I’m looking for. This app is amazing. It cuts the time down so I can spend more time reading and visiting other shops.

### 5/5 — Outstanding

*2026-04-26*

An indispensable app in my library, whilst I enjoy perusing through a book shelf I find myself tiring very quickly. This app has enabled me to source a number of titles on my personal wishlist which I’d initially failed to spot on the shelf! A brilliant idea and super easy to use. Five stars.

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*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 2026-09-06.*