# Chessify - Magic Chess Tools — user reviews > 78 indexed App Store user reviews of Chessify by Chessify Inc., rated 4.40/5 from 396 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessify-magic-chess-tools/id1397066775/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chessify-magic-chess-tools/id1397066775.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 307 · 4★ 32 · 3★ 11 · 2★ 9 · 1★ 37 ## What do users think of Chessify? Overall sentiment: mixed **Pros** - 📸 Accurate chess board scanning from photos - 🚀 Fast and efficient position analysis - ☁️ Cloud-based powerful chess engine (Stockfish) - 💾 Easy PGN export and saving functionality - 📚 Perfect for studying chess books - ⏱️ Saves time setting up board positions - 🎯 Intuitive and user-friendly interface - 📊 Comprehensive game database included - 🔄 Live tournament streaming feature **Cons** - 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezes - 📸 Inconsistent scanning accuracy - ❌ App doesn't work on iOS 18 and older versions - 💰 Expensive paywall with limited free features - 🔥 Device overheating issues reported - ⚠️ Poor customer support and unresponsive developers - 🔌 Analysis runs continuously, draining subscription time - 📱 iPad compatibility issues - 🎮 Game loading failures **Commonly reported bugs** - Black screen in camera view during scanning - Scanning omits first or last rank of board - App crashes when loading images - Buttons not clickable on certain iOS versions - Position not recognized from screenshots - App closes immediately after opening - Board rotation lock resets to landscape - Analysis not visible unless switching apps - Scanning fails 3 out of 5 times - Subscription billing issues (wrong tier shown) - App doesn't load past starting screen - Photo library order reversed for board photos **Most requested features** - Add move comments and annotations capability - Board flip option during gameplay - Auto-save functionality to prevent position loss - Ability to edit and extend saved games - Tactics puzzle mode with move verification - Automatic analysis on position scan - Lc0 engine option - iPad version support - Lichess app integration - Move sound toggle persistence - Better indication of which side has advantage - Depth control for analysis (stop at specific depth) ## Newest reviews (16 of 78) ### 3/5 — Devs need iPhones *2026-05-28* Opening a photo from the iPhone has always been buggy and the newest update just shows “LOADING…” when it gets to the photo library. Seems like non of these devs have an iPhone or at least one with many photos to test against. Great app but needs better testing. **Developer response:** Hello! We’re very sorry about the issues you’ve experienced. Please make sure you’ve updated the app to the latest available version, as it already has several important fixes, including reading the photos and not the files. The latest update unified it with the Chessify website, which required major changes throughout the app. Unfortunately, some issues appeared during this transition. We’re actively working through all reported problems and releasing fixes as quickly as possible to bring the app back to the stable experience you expect. We hope for your understanding. ### 1/5 — They destroyed it *2026-05-16, version 7.0.10* After the last update they killed this app now it is useless. If they don’t fix it by next week, it is going to garbage. Apparently their moto If it ain’t broken break it ### 1/5 — App is broken *2026-04-29, version 6.4.2* Move analysis doesn’t even work anymore. Useless and clunky UI. Used to work fine but now it’s stuck on “Analysing”. ### 2/5 — Great when it actually works *2026-04-18, version 6.4.2* So buggy. Doesn’t even load most days. ### 2/5 — Broken *2025-04-15, version 6.4.2* It WAS a great app when it worked. Now I just get a message that says “something went wrong try again later”. It didn’t have any problem taking money from me for more time but still didn’t work. I’ve written twice to the developers without the courtesy of any reply. ### 1/5 — Very nice *2025-03-30, version 6.4.2* Keep getting an error message, that something went wrong, when I try to scan. Fix!!!! The Scan function alone would make this app a must-have. The other features are more than icing. Thanks! ### 1/5 — Broken *2025-01-01, version 6.4.2* Doesn't work in iOS 18. ### 4/5 — Very nice *2024-07-07* Major issue with the latest update. It is heating my iPhone 12 Pro. The Scan function alone would make this app a must-have. The other features are more than icing. Thanks! ### 1/5 — Crashes all the time. *2023-12-27, version 6.4.1* This app crashes whenever I try to load an image. ### 2/5 — This used to be good *2023-05-11* This used to be great: cloud chess engine much more powerful than a good PC, on your phone, for a reasonable price. Now the speed (nps) of ‘Superfast’ analysis is abysmal - my phone czn fo same or better, for free. In addition, very often the app does bot even get past the starting screen, basically does not work at all. This is unfortunate because they website , separate from this app subscription, is still great (they need to optimize their interface, but analysis speed is excellent). **Developer response:** Hi, we're sorry to know that you encountered such problems and thank you for bringing these issues to our attention. We're already working to fix this asap. ### 4/5 — Great but two hitches *2023-05-01, version 6.3.8* Love being able to use this to scan in a position from a book, the main reason for buying it Two things: after you have chosen options and begin playing over, you can’t flip the board, only at start. This is small but annoying And w Every time you open the app it selects move click sound, so I have to turn it off. No biggie, this app is great! ### 2/5 — Not working on iPad *2022-12-07, version 6.3.7* This paid subscription App does not work on iPad Pro IOS 15.1 or 16.1. The App will not recognise chess pieces from photos taken within the Chessify App. Approaches to the Chessify support team have yet to result in a meaningful response, mainly ignoring the problem or no response at all. This is very disappointing from an Apple App store App and entirely unexpected! ### 1/5 — program does not open *2022-06-10, version 6.3.4* developers do not respond for help. create a game does not open. it is dead. the first time used was ok, but then when trying to play machine again, the program goes limbo ### 1/5 — App no longer works and now has a paywall *2022-05-14* App used to scan positions and have analysis. Now the scanning functionality doesn’t render correctly. They also added a paywall. I don’t mind supporting developers, but adding a paywall for an app where it’s most basic functionality doesn’t work is ridiculous. **Developer response:** Dear user, we are sorry for the inconvenience. We value your feedback and appreciate you bringing these issues to our attention. The issues are already fixed with our last update. We would love it if you could update your review to reflect the improvements we've made. If you have any further feedback or suggestions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at support@chessify.me. ### 1/5 — Not working at all *2022-05-04, version 6.3.1* Gave totally inaccurate picture , not even a normal chess board . ### 4/5 — Was working and now it never works! *2022-03-10, version 6.3.0* The subject says it all. Boards are no longer scanned successfully. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Not worth it *2026-08-21* Was okay though buggy and laggy before but now you can’t even use the scanner without making an account which is the entire point of the app. There is no reason you actually should need an account to use the app except for them wanting to collect your data ### 1/5 — Worst update ever. I delete this thing. You literally kill the app. *2026-08-05, version 7.0.18* Hope nobody gives you money ### 1/5 — Was good now terrible *2026-07-25, version 7.0.17* This is such a poor update. The previous app was so easy to use. This is so confusing now. Just creating a board position is so difficult . I don’t know what they were thinking but it needs a full blown instruction manual to use it now ### 1/5 — Awful update *2026-07-07, version 7.0.17* Sad that you used AI to make your app pretty, but it’s completely useless now, used to be something so simple to use, now it doesn’t even work properly and takes ages to even do what’s it’s asked, way to go guys ### 1/5 — How turn on engine on new app version? *2026-06-05, version 7.0.10* ???? ### 1/5 — modern culture ruined chessify *2026-06-03, version 7.0.10* the new app update is broken. the engine doesn't work, neither do any of the databases. its practically unusable. by the way, it says "Sing In" instead of Sign in ### 1/5 — Many issues *2026-05-31, version 7.0.10* Since last upgrade not able to scan from iPhones. Also app crashes and suddenly quits. Used to be a great app but not anymore ### 1/5 — New update *2026-05-31, version 7.0.10* Loved this app before the most recent update. Now, nothing works—the image selector goes to files as opposed to camera roll meaning I can’t upload screenshots and other images to the engine, and the engine doesn’t even produce any results in this update, even if I set up the board manually. Really upsetting. ### 1/5 — You ruined it *2026-05-29, version 7.0.10* This app used to be great for analysis of a game from a photo. Now it can’t find photos on my phone! Then I set a board up manually and the analysis button doesn’t work. Revert back to the previous version. It’s broken ### 1/5 — Malfunction *2026-05-25, version 7.0.10* At this moment, the app is uncapable to scan a chess board ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Great app for chess *2026-08-01* Recent update breaks analysis. Analysis path doesn’t move figures anymore and a slight accidental finger move throws figures off the board. App became useless. Time to move to another analyzer. Previous review: A simple access to stockfish. Great analyser ### 5/5 — Great app for chess *2025-11-01, version 6.4.2* A simple access to stockfish. Great analyser ### 5/5 — Brilliant *2025-05-10, version 6.4.2* What a piece of kit to help and anylyze and develop your chess ### 5/5 — Time saver *2024-09-17* I read a lot of chess books and spend too much time setting up all the positions they are going over. I got this app so I can take a picture of the board in the book, and play out the position easily without spending time on setup. This app is perfect for that and seems to do other stuff too . ### 5/5 — Works just as I’d hoped *2021-07-27* This app makes it so much easier to study chess! I much prefer to study with books and this app makes that process much more efficient, saving me the time from setting up a position. **Developer response:** Thank you very much for the review. Please also be informed that we have a PDF scanner which allows you to upload a book into the app and scan the needed puzzles. Also some great news about the scanner are coming soon. So stay tuned :) ### 5/5 — Wonderful tool *2021-04-28, version 6.1.1* Excellent tool for chess players to study from books.It is accurate to scan the diagram and so convenient to save as PGN to analyze on the mobile or PC. ### 5/5 — Thanks for this great app !! I have a request *2021-03-25* This is the only app I found for iOS to scan image and recognizes the position accurately. Can you please make it able to share position to Lichess app? Edit : yes it does work , I forgot to edit my review . Great app! Thanks. **Developer response:** Hi, thank you so much for your review. The share function should work with Lichess. Please tap on the top right button of the analysis mode and choose "share fen", then select Lichess from the app list. If this doesn't work, please let us know. You can also copy the FEN and then paste it on Lichess. ### 5/5 — At last an iPad version. It’s great. *2021-01-29, version 6.0.0* One of the best all round chess programs for the iPad. ### 5/5 — awesome app! *2020-08-01* the ability to scan printed chess positions and have the app convert to playable positions with ability to export to any program opens up a new universe: the connection of printed chess books to ChessBase and similar programs. Well played, developers!! **Developer response:** Thank you so much for your support. We're happy to learn that our scanner is helpful to you. Should you have any questions, please let us know at info@chessify.me. ### 5/5 — Genius app *2020-07-18, version 5.0.1* I really think this app is gonna help take my game to a new level. --- *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.*