# Cambridge Spiral > Digital textbook reader for Cambridge University Press Higher Education content. (iPhone/iPad app by Cambridge University Press & Assessment (App).) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cambridge-spiral/id1526644662 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Cambridge University Press & Assessment (App)](https://appshunter.io/developer/345571525) - Category: Education, Books - Price: Free - Rating: 1.00/5 from 11 App Store ratings · 19 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 13.0 · 91 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2020-09-08 - Data updated: 2026-08-29 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cambridge-spiral/id1526644662/reviews.md ## What is Cambridge Spiral? Cambridge Spiral gives you access to textbooks from your institution’s subscription to Higher Education from Cambridge University Press. Install the app to access the content on your iOS device. With Cambridge Spiral, you can: • Download Cambridge University Press textbook content to your iOS device (subject to a valid institutional subscription) • Read the content online or offline, anytime and anywhere • Add bookmarks and personal annotations, making it easy to go back to key sections • Find topics quickly with the full text search ## Key features - Download textbooks for offline access - Online and offline reading - Add bookmarks - Personal annotations - Full-text search ## Recent user reviews (10 of 19) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cambridge-spiral/id1526644662/reviews.md ### 1/5 — Scam *2026-06-08* DO NOT BUY AN E-TEXTBOOK THAT OPERATES THROUGH THIS APP. I purchased a $140 textbook for university through this app. I was able to open it exactly ONCE, not a single line was able to be copy-pasted for the sake of note keeping, nothing can be printed or even highlighted, so you just have to absorb every word and internalise it. And the cherry on top is that every time since my first time attempting to open the textbook the app has ‘quit unexpectedly’ before I even was able to open it. This has happened to multiple other people in my course too. So I have been able to read 13 pages of a 1000 page textbook, spent a significant amount of my savings on this, and am now too far progressed in the semester to order a physical copy. Disappointed doesn’t come close to covering how I feel. Please save yourself the stress, money and frustration and just buy a physical textbook or go through a different ebook provider. **Developer response:** Thank you for the review.  We are sorry to hear that you are not happy with the experience you have been getting from the Cambridge Spiral application.  Please use the "Contact Us" button on the application itself to discuss your issue with one of our support agents. ### 2/5 — OK but out of date and not well implemented *2026-03-13* This app is fine; it allows reading textbooks. But it’s clunky and feels out of date. The windowing is not really compatible with iPadOS 26, not filling the screen and resizing itself awkwardly. Scrolling between pages is awkward. When I leave the app it forgets which page I was on, so I have to find the page again. All in all disappointing. **Developer response:** Thank you for the review. We are sorry to hear that you are not happy with the experience you have been getting from the Cambridge Spiral application. Please us the "Contact Us" button on the application itself to discuss your issue with one of our support agents. ### 1/5 — Redirection cycle *2026-02-05* Can’t open anything. You are directed to the App Store even if you have the app already. And then when you click open, it opens the app but gets stuck saying “redirecting”. Would rather just open the book as a pdf. No hassle that way. **Developer response:** Thank you for your feedback. We are sorry to hear that your experience with the App has not been the best. Please use the Contact Us button within the App so we can provide assistance to this problem. ### 1/5 — Poor *2026-01-28* Literally unusable. Cannot even sign in to use. **Developer response:** Thank you for the review. We are sorry to hear that you are not happy with the experience you have been getting from the Cambridge Spiral application. Please us the "Contact Us" button on the application itself to discuss your issue with one of our support agents. ### 2/5 — Problematic for texts including Formulars *2025-11-30* Reading texts in which formulas are an important component is not pleasant. Formulas are often displayed much larger than the main text, which causes the formatting of the book to be lost. This is unfortunate. I would prefer to read a PDF file or, for that matter, photos of a physical edition in which the typesetting is the same as in a physical book. **Developer response:** Thank you for the review. We are sorry to hear that you are not happy with the experience you have been getting from the Cambridge Spiral application. Please us the "Contact Us" button on the application itself to discuss your issue with one of our support agents. ### 1/5 — Has the privilege of being the most depressing e-reader app ever made. *2025-11-13* You try to download a book. Access is only through this app. You try to open the app. It takes you to the app store. You have already downloaded the app. It still takes you to the app store. You open the app at last. Redirecting. Will it ever stop redirecting? Unlikely. It has never directed me anywhere. The only way in which you can read anything on this app is by fighting it tooth and nail. Click the side arrows? Instantly teleported to the next chapter, page abandoned. Try to access your bookmarks? Laggy loading that's more trouble than scrolling through manually. It's all heartbreaking. Reading is now a chore. **Developer response:** Thank you for the review. We are sorry to hear that you are not happy with the experience you have been getting from the Cambridge Spiral application. Please us the "Contact Us" button on the application itself or via the Cambridge Aspire "Contact and Help" page to discuss your issue with one of our support agents. ### 1/5 — Worse than Nothing *2025-08-17* As others notice, this proprietary app has no purpose other than frustrating any attempt to use it. Bad on a laptop, worse on an iPad. We recommend using you own PDF screenshots, which won’t need a 5 second delay to load per page. Making notes is a multi step process nobody wants. Cambridge seems to underestimate the capabilities of every user to bypass its authoritarian corporate barriers. Here’s an example of a corporation doing something sleazy to save a penny and ruin its entire lineup of products. Authors beware of publishing with Cambridge. ### 1/5 — Please let me use a proper e-reader instead *2025-05-26* Make no mistake, this app exists not to satisfy user needs but so your access to textbooks can be managed (and withdrawn after you leave education). Which would be disappointing even were the app of good quality. It is not. It is dismal. No dark mode, not even the most rudimentary controls over reading - font, line spacing, alignment. Really feels phoned in. A bare minimum. The experience is so much worse than either Books or Kindle - neither of which, frankly, sets a high bar - it is shamerful. **Developer response:** We appreciate the provided review. We are sorry to hear that you have not had the best experience from the Cambridge Spiral application. To discuss your issue with one of our support agents, please click the "Contact Us" button within the application. ### 1/5 — Useless *2025-04-07* Cambridge is meant to be home of the smartest people in this country and they cant even make an app that works properly 🤬 **Developer response:** Thank you for the review. We are sorry to hear that you are unhappy with the experience you have been getting from the Cambridge Spiral application. Please us the "Contact Us" button on the application itself if you wish to discuss your issue with one of our support agents. ### 1/5 — frustrating to use *2024-12-26, version 281.2* When I click to borrow a title, it redirects me to the App Store to download the app instead of taking me to the app itself which is already installed on my phone. So then I click open and it opens the app but just gets stuck on a page saying “Redirecting”. ## Frequently asked questions about Cambridge Spiral ### What is Cambridge Spiral? Cambridge Spiral is an application that provides access to textbooks from Cambridge University Press's Higher Education subscription. It allows users to download and read content on their iOS devices. ### How do I access textbooks with Cambridge Spiral? Access to textbooks requires your institution to have a valid subscription to Higher Education from Cambridge University Press. Once confirmed, you can install the app to access the content. ### Can I read textbooks offline with Cambridge Spiral? Yes, Cambridge Spiral allows you to download textbook content to your iOS device, enabling you to read it online or offline anytime and anywhere. ### Does Cambridge Spiral support annotations? Yes, Cambridge Spiral allows you to add personal annotations and bookmarks to textbook content. This feature helps you easily revisit key sections and important topics. ### How can I find specific topics within textbooks? Cambridge Spiral includes a full-text search function. This allows you to quickly find specific topics or keywords within the downloaded textbook content. ### What devices is Cambridge Spiral compatible with? Cambridge Spiral is compatible with iOS devices, including iPhone, iPad, and iPod. It was last updated on August 8, 2025, with version 312.3. ### What is the age rating for Cambridge Spiral? Cambridge Spiral has an age rating of 4+. This indicates it is suitable for users aged 4 and above. ### Does Cambridge Spiral have ads? No, Cambridge Spiral does not contain advertisements. It is a free application focused solely on providing access to educational content. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 312.3 — 2025-08-08 Print Pagination Toggle and Captioning TTS Enhancements TTS Auto Play TTS Playback speed iOS 18 support ### 297.1 — 2025-03-10 Help Overlay Feature Various improvements to accessibility Updates to MathML handling ### 281.2 — 2024-08-19 • Flashcard Addons • 3rd Level TOC Changes • Inline file widget ### 250.1 — 2023-04-17 • Bug with annotations functionality fixed • Text to Speech now available for reflowable titles • Bugs and Accessibility fixes ### 233.1 — 2022-06-29 Background fixes to improve book handling. ## Apps similar to Cambridge Spiral | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [MyOxford University](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/myoxford-university/id6636474788) | 5.0 (1) | Free | Education | | [MyUoB](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/myuob/id1462294596) | 1.0 (3) | Free | Education | | [LSE Student Hub](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lse-student-hub/id1373813651) | 5.0 (1) | Free | Education | | [Reading Buddy](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reading-buddy/id1474204907) | 3.4 (5) | Free | Education | | [Military Ethics](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/military-ethics/id1503360618) | 5.0 (4) | Free | Education | | [Oxford English Vocab Trainer 2](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oxford-english-vocab-trainer-2/id1540287960) | 4.6 (146) | Free | Education | ## More apps by Cambridge University Press & Assessment (App) - [Adv. 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Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-29.*