# California Crime Finder-Phone — user reviews > 76 indexed App Store user reviews of California Crime Finder by The PlacerGroup, rated 4.40/5 from 141 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/california-crime-finder-phone/id447498678/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/california-crime-finder-phone/id447498678.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 108 · 4★ 12 · 3★ 2 · 2★ 3 · 1★ 16 ## What do users think of California Crime Finder? Overall sentiment: negative **Pros** - 👍 Extremely helpful for legal research - 👍 Great for criminal attorneys - 👍 Useful for law students - 👍 Easy to navigate when working - 👍 Excellent reference for laws - 👍 Handy for court use - 👍 Clean and easy interface - 👍 Works offline - 👍 Replaces hard copy codes - 👍 Breaks down crime elements **Cons** - 🐛 App crashes on launch - 🐛 App stops working - 🐛 Subscription issues - 🐛 Expensive subscription - 🐛 Errors in legal details - 🐛 Search function limitations - 🐛 GUI is difficult to read - 🐛 Black screen on launch - 🐛 Charged twice without access - 🐛 Not worth the cost **Commonly reported bugs** - App crashes every time it opens - App shuts off immediately upon opening - App stopped working for months - App crashes when opening - App won't open after update - Subscription expired message despite payment - App crashes when signing in - App crashes when searching with keywords - App restarts when typing certain penal codes - Black screen on iPhone 6+ - App freezes and goes to black screen on launch - App says no subscription despite payment - App freezes - App won't open at all - New app doesn't open - App keeps saying invalid subscription - App won't open after update - App kicked out of subscription after update - App can't open at all after upgrade - App does not stay open - App crashes after update - App won't open - New version crashes immediately - App shuts off and disappears on opening - App crashes making it useless - App crashes every single time you want to go one step back **Most requested features** - Improve search function - Update for new laws/props - Add keyword search - Make search more flexible - Add juvenile court info - Improve search capabilities - Add more elements to crimes - Include citable case law - Correct moral turpitude determinations - Improve search for sex crimes ## Newest reviews (17 of 76) ### 2/5 — App Stopped Working *2022-06-01* When the app works it’s actually good and easy to navigate. However, the app just stopped working one day. It has been months since I’ve been able to open it. ### 4/5 — Great for law students on criminal externships *2018-05-22* Get familiar with all the common criminal statutes and elements so you can understand your new colleagues and jump into your work with a helpful tool! ### 4/5 — Necessary *2017-04-26* After having the app for a while I don't know what I'd do without it. Supper helpful to look things up. Price is a little steep but I've come to rely on the app. The new features are great but there is a mistake. For misdo sentencing it's currently at -5 days which is wrong ### 4/5 — Almost perfect *2016-05-22, version 4.6* Would be a 5 star if the app didn't require you to type the exact term (that the app designers programmed into the app) in. It makes it hard to find PC that you're unsure of. Other than that, I love it. ### 2/5 — Crashes *2015-07-22, version 4.3* The app crashes every time i try to sign in. Garbage please fix ### 4/5 — Not worth $20 *2015-06-16, version 4.3* I sucked it up and paid the $20 be the app is insanely useful for criminal attorneys (both prosecution and defense). There are quite a few errors, however. Several crimes are attached to the wrong details (law text, etc). ### 4/5 — Great app but.... *2014-12-03, version 4.1* Downloaded this app a few weeks ago. Works great when you know the PC or VC number but when you search with key words, it crashes. It needs to be updated to reflect the passing of prop 47 also. ### 2/5 — Crashes *2014-11-30, version 4.1* App keeps crashing when opened and a PC code or description is entered into search function. ### 2/5 — Update has bugs again *2014-11-10, version 4.1* When I type in certain penal codes it restarts the app. For example 1222 ### 3/5 — Update *2014-11-09, version 4.1* Was curious if you guys are planning on updating your app according to the new prop 47 the past. ### 1/5 — Black screen on iPhone 6+ *2014-10-28, version 4.0* I tried to install this on my new iPhone 6+. I had previously purchased it for my iPhone 5, and it worked fine on that phone. I had paid for the year subscription renewal. Today, all I get is a black screen. Absolutely nothing. I have deleted and reinstalled it five times with the same result. I don't know what to do. ### 1/5 — needs update fix (iPhone 6 Plus) *2014-10-25, version 4.0* this app freezes and goes to black screen when i launch the app. tried deleting the app and reinstalling it. Same issue. needs to be fixed. ### 1/5 — Horrible *2014-10-21, version 4.0* I got the iPhone 6 Plus. Now when I open the app, I get the black screen of death ### 1/5 — Charged Twice, won't open. *2014-10-08, version 4.0* The app supposedly said I didn't pay the $20. When I "renewed" it charged me twice. I've now been charged 3 times for this application and it still won't open. Every time it opens, it says I have no subscription. Or it freezes. ### 1/5 — Won't open at all! *2014-10-07, version 4.0* I used to love this app I'm in criminal justice and I need this app but I upgraded to a iphone 6plus and it won't open at all it's just a black screen! Fix asap please!! ### 1/5 — New App *2014-10-04, version 4.0* The new app doesn't open. I bought it about 3 months ago. For what I/ we paid, the developers need to fix the app ASAP!!! ### 1/5 — From great to ridiculous !!!! *2014-10-01, version 4.0* Used to be a great app! 19.99 a year?!!! REALLY! Are you serious? Cannot open app with new IOS operating system; keeps saying I do not have a valid subscription- BUT I DO!!! And keeps asking my to pay; payment goes through and then says I do not have a valid subscription!!!! I BETTER NOT HAVE MULTIPLE CHARGES FOR AN APP THAT WONT EVEN LOAD!!!!! ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — App Malfunctions Every Time Despite Paid Subscription *2024-07-31* I have reached out to support numerous times. The app simply does not work for me and crashes each time I try to launch it. I tried deleting the app and reinstalling it, but nothing works. The support team has been unable to assist me and I was not refunded. ### 1/5 — Fix it or refund please. *2022-06-30* App shuts off as soon as you open it. When it works it’s great and with the money. Right now I’m paying for literally nothing. ### 1/5 — App Does not Work *2022-06-08* This app was heaven sent. One day, the app stoppped working. It will not even open. This app has been broken for several months. Did I forget to mention that this is a PAID service? ### 1/5 — app crashing *2022-05-05* this app just crashes every time i try to open it. ### 1/5 — Crashes when opening *2022-04-29* I was a frequent user of this app. Now it just crashes every time it opens. I emailed the company, but I have received no response. ### 1/5 — Was great until didn’t work anymore! *2022-04-20* This app is great! As a criminal defense attorney I use this quickly in researching charges but starting at the beginning of April the app won’t even open! Fix please! ### 1/5 — APP CRASHING WHEN OPENING! HELP PLEASE! *2022-04-09* I am a district attorney and I have used this app since I started. Almost everyone I know - DAs and defense (and some judges) - use this. however, since the last update, THE APP CRASHES EVERY TIME I TRY TO OPEN IT! I wrote and email to their “help line” 2 weeks ago about this and have heard nothing back. I can’t even cancel my payments bc I’d need to be able to log into the app to do that! I need to be able to use this — PLEASE FIX ASAP!! Note - I would give this app 5 stars if I could use it. It was a life saver. ### 1/5 — App Crashes and Won’t Open after recent update *2022-04-05* In hopes of getting the app developer’s attention, I am writing this review. Since the most recent update, the app crashes immediately upon opening. I am a paying subscriber who uses the app regularly for work. I even left a comment on the PlacerGroup contact form to fix this bug ASAP but nothing has been done. Please patch this bug or give me a refund. Thank you. ### 1/5 — Terrible App and Support *2017-01-20, version 4.6* This app has great features when you can access it. Every time I try to use the app, it tells me my subscription has expired even though it has been paid. Support offers nothing but excuses and, of course, no recourse for the money wasted. If I could give less than a star, I would. ### 1/5 — THIS VERSION WILL NOT OPEN *2014-10-29, version 4.0* Good app when it works but this version won't open. Doesn't work to delete and reinstall. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Refresh is Great *2024-05-27* They recently refreshed the app, and now have CalCrims for many statutes, which is super helpful. Extremely niche app, but excellent at what it is designed to do. More than happy to put up with some bugs as the app is highly functional despite the occasional issue. ### 5/5 — Excellent app *2017-02-02, version 4.6* Please update Make search function better ### 5/5 — Buggy: delete and reinstall! *2014-10-06* I've used this app daily for the last six months and love it. I was distraught when I installed the update a couple of days ago and the app would not open! I followed the advice of another reviewer and deleted and reinstalled the app. It is now working again. ### 5/5 — Thank you!! *2014-09-25, version 4.0* Thanks for getting the 2014 changes released. I love the new design! ### 5/5 — Delete and reinstall if you are crashing *2014-09-23* The app was crashing for me but not for some coworkers. A delete and reinstall fixed the crash but then I had a subscription expiration message. I emailed the developer and got it straightened out. Works fine now. ### 5/5 — Love it. *2013-11-10* Had a problem with the last update. Was working fine (no pun intended) until the update today. Now the app crashed making it useless now. Sad. I hope this gets fixed. I had to delete the app and then reload to clear up the problem. As far as a good reference to the laws that bind us. If a person cares to learn about a given law and defend themselves, this app is worthy of arming you with the facts. Kudos! ### 5/5 — Works well. *2013-08-19, version 3.0.6* Not to shabby, penal codes in my pocket. ### 5/5 — Use it all the time *2013-05-14, version 3.0.3* I love this app. I use it all the time in court. ### 5/5 — Whiners *2013-04-12* You all claim that $20 a year is too much. Are you guys kidding. That's no more than the price of lunch or paying for court parking these days. This App is the best, quickest and most convenient way to look up a crime, elements of the crime and whether or not it's a strike offense and lots more. If you whiners can't afford $20 a year for all of that then you are in the wrong profession. ### 5/5 — I would have paid $10 for this App *2012-12-21, version 2.1.30* This is a must have for all criminal defense attorneys --- *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 2026-09-05.*