# Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) — user reviews > 81 indexed App Store user reviews of Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) by CalMac Ferries Limited, rated 5.00/5 from 1 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caledonian-macbrayne-calmac/id1621523538/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caledonian-macbrayne-calmac/id1621523538.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 1 · 4★ 0 · 3★ 0 · 2★ 0 · 1★ 0 ## What do users think of Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac)? Overall sentiment: negative **Pros** - 👍 Useful and improved app - 🚀 Sleek and modern design - 💡 Ability to save favorite routes **Cons** - 🐛 Unreliable and outdated information - 🤔 Confusing and difficult to navigate - 🔍 Harder to find information compared to old app - 🔁 Requires frequent reinstallation **Commonly reported bugs** - App crashes frequently - Login process is buggy - Inconsistent and contradictory information **Most requested features** - Ability to view route information in both directions - Improved real-time service updates - Better integration with website and booking process ## Newest reviews (15 of 81) ### 1/5 — CalMac App *2025-06-22, version 1.3.3* Keeps freezing. You then have to remove and reinstall. Very poor!! ### 1/5 — Terrible app! *2025-05-06, version 1.3.3* Awful , awful , awful ! Why change something that was not broken! Please revert back to the old app. ### 1/5 — Just keep going round in circles *2025-04-25, version 1.3.3* Continually sticks and every page it wants you to accept cookies again. I still haven’t got it to give me updates on Stornoway to Ullapool ### 1/5 — Counter intuitive *2025-04-19, version 1.3.3* Terrible counter intuitive app only beaten by the incompetent ferry service. No live updates, incomprehensible to navigate, app freezes sporadically, very frustrating to use. I feel sorry for staff who are in the front line for such a poorly run service. The customers, locals and public deserve better. I would give it zero stars but that doesn’t seem to be an option. ### 1/5 — Useless *2025-04-19* I don’t think you can book tickets through this app. Or I couldn’t. It just takes you off the app to the website which is a useless booking site. As soon as you log in to book tickets it comes up with some sort of warning message ‘please complete all mandatory fields in the passenger info’ - this is before you even select your sailing and it’s telling you that. Pointless. If I have already booked a ticket I can’t change it in the app. If I’ve booked a return and travelled one portion of it then I can’t change the return online and have to phone up. Useless. ### 1/5 — Cal Mac *2025-04-15, version 1.3.3* Poor version of an app, was it ever tested from a user point of view? Old App was better and easier to get the info you needed. ### 1/5 — Gun fheum *2025-03-09, version 1.1.8* Used to be able to see all ferry status on one screen. Now clicking backward and forward trying to find relevant crossings. This app is very poor. Even trying to find a timetable is difficult. This is not a service improvement. ### 1/5 — Keeps freezing *2025-02-21, version 1.1.8* Worst app I have ever used, constantly having to reset phone as it freezes. ### 1/5 — App hangs on iPhone *2025-02-20, version 1.1.8* Too many times this app hangs on my iPhone (15+). Never used to do so with the old app. Ability to buy tickets via the new app is good in theory but unless the basics work, trying to do so is a frustrating experience usually ending up with a visit to the website. ### 2/5 — Super glitchy *2025-01-30, version 1.1.8* Looks nice and informative but have had to delete and redownload multiple times in the last week alone. Gets stuck over and over. PDF timetables don’t download. Pages won’t allow you out of them. Hopefully just teething troubles. ### 1/5 — Shambolic *2025-01-23, version 1.1.8* This app is genuinely shambolic. Confusing, very poorly designed, and you can’t even book a ticket on the app. It’s utterly incomprehensible someone thought this was fit for release. Also utterly incomprehensible that someone was paid to produce this rubbish. At least it would be if it wasn’t the Calmac quangos involved. ### 1/5 — Doesn’t Work *2025-01-20, version 1.1.8* Well I tried it as a first time user. Wasted 20 minutes of my life trying to make a booking. Kept freezing and I got nowhere in the end. Will speak to a real person at the port and get a proper ticket instead. Needs looking at tbh. Doesn’t anyone from CalMac read these reviews? ### 1/5 — No Ferries and now this *2025-01-18, version 1.1.8* How much did the Scottish taxpayer pay for this junk… ? we had a great app so why introduce this nearly impossible app. Again the people who use Calmac as a lifeline service have been sold short. Discraceful Tiree resident. ### 1/5 — Poor *2025-01-14, version 1.1.8* Gets confused between Ardrossan and Troon for updates and adding favourites ### 1/5 — Rubbish *2025-01-06, version 1.1.8* Absolutely useless. Totally confused by everything on this App. Go back to the old version please. Sack the management that paid for this shambles. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Does not work correctly *2026-05-11, version 1.8.19* Every time the phone shuts down you have to log bag in. Challange when poor signal some places. Vehicle details are incorrect and have to be corrected every time so what is the point in saving your details Ticket should be saved in the Wallet on your phone. ### 1/5 — Can’t log in on iOS *2026-05-04, version 1.8.19* Stupid app. Try to log in and it takes you to the webpage. You log in there but it doesn’t log in on the app. So app is useless if you have an account ### 1/5 — Utterly useless *2026-03-07, version 1.7.25* Don’t bother trying to find your tickets on here you get redirected to their totally useless website, and good luck finding them there. Even ScotRail manage to show your tickets on their app and they are completely useless. ### 1/5 — Rubbish *2025-11-25, version 1.6.157* Totally useless and keeps freezing. The old one was great, now I have to go to the webpage instead ### 1/5 — Incorrect Update Routes. *2025-09-24, version 1.5.11* You save a route you have booked for updates on and when you click on info for that route you have saved in the app it then gives you more info on a totally different route of no interest… ### 1/5 — Rubbish *2025-09-11, version 1.5.11* Rubbish app. Always freezes. Surely Calmac could do better ### 1/5 — Mr *2025-08-31, version 1.5.11* The worst app I have ever used. Circular linking returns to start... without actually giving requested information. Be better hiring a new IT department ### 1/5 — Awful app *2025-08-10, version 1.5.11* You can’t even complete account set up without it freezing ### 1/5 — Awful *2025-07-22, version 1.4.88* Like the ferry service provided the App is useless. Easily the worst App I have used. Hard to navigate with exceptionally poor layout it’s hard to believe that it got signed off for public use. Frankly the whole bloated and incompetent CalMac empire needs to be broken up and replaced by people who know what they are doing. ### 1/5 — Just dreadful *2025-06-30, version 1.4.88* One of the most frustrating and un-user friendly apps I’ve ever used. Seems impossible to view return timetables from the service status section. No ability to buy or view tickets or access account via the app which just redirects you to the web page. Pretty pointless. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — DO NOT LISTEN TO THE OTHER IDIOTS IN REVIEWS *2026-01-02, version 1.7.25* This app is a huge improvement from the legacy Calmac Status app. This has many more features and useful tools than its predecessor . Sure, it is not perfect, as with any app, but gosh, people are so over critical here (probably because they do not know how to use it ;) ) ### 5/5 — Useful App Now *2024-12-22* The previous CalMac app was ok, but only gave you status information. Definitely prefer this newer version. Works very well and seems easy to use. I see a lot of early negative reviews - possibly from very early buggy/slow initial release? Don’t be put off give it a try and see. ### 5/5 — New & Improved *2024-12-20* I don’t understand all these complaints - the last app was completely outdated, folk just got used to it. This new app is sleek and modern! You can save routes so you’re not scrolling to find out if your boat is liable to cancellation or not, much easier and quicker to use. 👍🏼 ### 5/5 — A welcome improvement *2024-12-05* I think generally people are over-critical of this new app just because it is ‘new’. Personally (as a software developer) I think this is a welcome improvement on the previous. The old app was just a window into the service status on the CalMac website. This new one is much more interactive and the UI is much more modern and user-friendly. The best feature is the route map with service status indications (which could be much more obvious - make this front & centre of the new app!). ### 4/5 — Ideal for some things *2025-09-07, version 1.5.11* Great for status updates and timetables ### 3/5 — Could be better *2025-01-19, version 1.1.8* Always crashes half way through trying to book tickets, slow and a bit clunky, still can’t add ticket /pass to apple wallet! ### 3/5 — CalMac *2024-12-04, version 1.0.2* Like the look of new app some of the things are good but things like the travel issues section is worse than old app. In future update can you please make sections that are used most are made easy to use and clear. ### 3/5 — Promising but flawed *2024-11-27* This new app looks promising and is certainly a step up from the old CalMac Status app, but despite using four different browsers, the account login process fails each time, giving nothing more than a non-specific “Error Message” banner to hint at what the problem might be. Until this is fixed, the app is fatally flawed. ### 2/5 — Freezing and Lagging *2025-10-29, version 1.6.157* App constantly lags and have to constantly delete app and re-install. Please address these issues. ### 2/5 — Constantly crashes *2025-02-21, version 1.1.8* Can’t compare routes and best times and fares without losing all your saved details , can’t book the multi island trip I wanted without phoning and getting stuck in a queue by which time the sailing you want has filled up and unavailable --- *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.*