# Church Times — user reviews > 42 indexed App Store user reviews of Church Times by Hymns Ancient and Modern Ltd, rated 4.90/5 from 37 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/church-times/id938087502/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/church-times/id938087502.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 34 · 4★ 2 · 3★ 1 · 2★ 0 · 1★ 0 ## Newest reviews (15 of 42) ### 2/5 — Inadequate *2025-05-16, version 2.2.2* Given how much you’re paying to subscribe, this is a very poor experience. Church Times is theoretically published on a Friday but who knows when and how the app will decide to download the latest issue. I have recently got a new device with up to date os but the experience is the same. Interface: If you hold your finger even a split second too long on an article it scrolls right back to the top. All the job ads say they were published on 1st Jan, regardless of the true date. I may go back to paper subscription. ### 1/5 — Clunky and Unreliable App *2025-03-21* I am an ordinand and as such I receive the CT for which I am very grateful. The app did work fairly well until the recent updates and now it fails to update to the latest issue rendering it unreliable. ### 1/5 — New app is terrible *2025-03-16* The old app worked much better and was easier to navigate. Trying to access current issue is impossible and only way to even see the latest date and download is to uninstall and reinstall the app. This is on an up to date 2024 iPadAir. I often end up trying to read it on the website which I dislike as current issue is nowhere to be seen On the app. This needs correcting or preferably reverting to old app. As a digital subscriber only, the app really does not work. ### 1/5 — Getting Worse *2025-03-15* iPad version (Spring 2025) seems to be much worse than previous versions. Does not update on Friday - whereas iPhone version mostly does. Deleting app and starting again helps only once, then issue repeats. It worked before so why are users beta testing a poor replacement? Obvs my own experiences. ### 1/5 — Bad to worse *2025-03-14* The recent “upgrades” to the app have broken it to the point where it’s now unusable. Log in not retained, forced log out to access new editions, and now taking for ever just to download copies that are already on the account. Would be 0 stars if that were an option. ### 2/5 — Doesn’t work *2025-03-07* For several weeks now the App has not worked on my iPhone running IOS 18.3. The app is stuck on the latest issue being 7 February. Today’s issue has also not appeared. ### 1/5 — Useless since redesign *2025-03-07* I used to love this app but since the redesign it’s useless. It refuses to download the latest issue, or even the one before that. I’ve tried deleting the app and reinstalling but that has made no difference. The result: I’m paying a subscription but can’t read the publication. The latest quirk is that the app now won’t even let me sign in, after I deleted/reinstalled in hope of coaxing it to work. Design fail. ### 1/5 — This App isn’t working at the moment *2025-03-01* It used to be great but since the format changed it is really slow and does t automatically update with the new edition. So I have to keep deleting and reinstalling the app … nearly ready to ask for my money back. ### 1/5 — Could be good *2025-03-01, version 2.1.7* Doesn’t load reliably, not as easy to read as it should be given the recent revamp. Slow and unhelpful tech support. ### 2/5 — I’d rather see the latest news than a prettier version of old news. *2025-02-15* Latest refresh looks nice but takes ages to load and the ‘Latest Issue’ is out of date! Tested on both iPhone and iPad. ### 1/5 — It should be good but….. *2025-02-09* As a Church Times subscriber with sight issues I had hoped the app would save me struggling with the print edition. However, it is so unreliable - regularly crashes, needs password entering several times a week, downloads issues when I open the app which takes ages and they’ve already been downloaded….. layout is difficult to understand. I know the CofE isn’t exactly modern, but come on, an app can and should be better than this ### 1/5 — The App crashes and will not show past issues *2023-11-23* The app is very disappointing. It needs an update. It regularly crashes when you search for previous issues further than five months back. If you can reach the older issues, it then crashes when downloading them. Really poor when you have bought a subscription. ### 1/5 — Unusable *2022-10-28, version 2.1.2* On my iPad the app is constantly frozen however many times I remove and reinstall. ### 1/5 — Below CT standard of excellence *2022-08-08* The newspaper is five stars. The app does not deserve a star. When it loads it then constantly freezes. Most days it fails to load. Push a button and wait….extremely frustrating experience. I subscribed to the paper for over 40 years before shifting to the Apple store Ap. Nothing but frustration since. Even cancelling the subscription took over an hour on the phone with Apple reps trying to figure out the problem. Do not get this App. Order directly from Church times and see whether they will take some responsibility. They pointed me to Apple and took no responsibility because I did not purchase directly from them. ### 2/5 — Not a reflection on the content *2022-04-08* Whenever I open the app, I am asked to download the latest content manually. It downloads so slowly, and as soon as I switch to another app, the download fails and I have to start again. So far, I have been unable to download a single issue or podcast. All I can open are the latest articles. The actual content of the newspaper is great, but the app doesn’t really work. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Unusable *2025-08-15, version 2.2.3* Looking to get my money back. So tired of articles jumping up to the top when trying to scroll. ### 1/5 — Useless App *2025-06-27, version 2.2.3* My experience is much the same as others here. It simply barely works, is late and today refuses to let me in as a digital subscriber. Son after months of this I will not be renewing my subscription in August. DH ### 1/5 — Disappointed *2025-06-26, version 2.2.3* I am finding it impossible to access through the App. I’ve tried and tried. The previous App was so easy. ### 1/5 — Sad *2025-05-30, version 2.2.3* The new app is terrible, I have to reinstall it weekly to read the latest edition. It is harder to navigate and has made me return to the print edition ### 1/5 — Why? *2025-05-03* This was a good app but now I don’t get the new edition until Monday, I can’t read the up to date edition straight away, I have to download each section to read everything when I used to be able to pick some and leave others for later without going back through the process. I subscribe to The Tablet and it is there on Thursday, an email lets me know it’s there, it downloads and is available to read like the hard copy. Seems clear to me, use the same system for the CT. ### 1/5 — Illegible *2025-04-16* The decision to change the font from a good, clear option to a cramped, greyed-out one is baffling. It’s not even stylish. Clearly no thought has been given to those with visual impairments. I’m regretting my decision to switch from a print to a digital subscription, which was based on how readable the app previously was. ### 1/5 — Latest version of this app is incompetent *2025-04-14, version 2.2.0* The CT app worked perfectly well until the 'updates' of this calendar year. Since then, each week's edition will not download unless I laboriously log out and then log back in to my account. This applies to up to date Apple devices that should be compatible with the app, e.g., the latest 2024 11 inch iPad M2. Once downloaded, the app takes much longer to open each edition: the earlier version was much quicker to open. These issues are an example of incompetence and need to be rectified. Users are not currently getting the quality of service for which they have paid. I have now started logging into the CT website in preference to the app. Please correct these issues. ### 1/5 — New app unusable *2025-04-13, version 2.2.0* As others have said, the only way to read a new issue is to delete and reinstall the app. The old version worked ok, the new one is terrible. One lost subscriber here. ### 1/5 — Can’t use my log in *2025-04-11* Sorry but I can’t log in. Used to work just fine. ### 1/5 — New app still broken on 4th April *2025-04-04, version 2.1.9* Still crashes when attempting to read latest issue. Other issues as well on ipqd OS. 18.3. Useless in its present state ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Church Times Lovely! *2020-06-05* The Church Times is wonderful news about the Church. Highly recommended! ### 5/5 — Rev’d Bruce Petfield *2020-06-04* Helps me quickly identify what I want to read. The Font usedis easier t read than the hard hard copy. The role ofas a Carer to my spouse. Provides less time or opportunity to read compared with when I first retired and the new status arrived in my life hence very appreciative of the summary layout of contents. ### 5/5 — Awkward .... *2020-04-02* The five stars awarded to the app don’t tell the true story - all five ‘lit up’ before I could make a correction. I like the app, but not that much! I find navigating the pages clumsy - they don’t flow. I’m also a digital subscriber to the Daily Telegraph and recommend your app designers have a look at it and see if they can’t improve on the ease of navigation. Don’t be ‘precious’ - see how the app might be improved .... ### 4/5 — Please sort this out *2017-03-19, version 1.0.6* Just paid for a months subs and stuck with an edition of 2015. Please sort this out asap. ### 3/5 — Not working properly since update? *2025-02-24* Pay a quarterly subscription for this but since recent updates not working properly. Still showing last issue as 7 February but today is 24 February! Feel like I am paying for a service I’m not receiving. ### 3/5 — Functional, but frustrating *2023-01-31* The App allows you to read the CT. However, it closes down every time you leave (not close) the App, and then takes an age to re-load. So, functional, but needs work. ### 3/5 — Problem after iOS upgrade *2023-01-25* The app will not load the latest edition nor display news articles after the iOS 16.3 update. ### 3/5 — Waiting for update *2015-06-17, version 1.0* I also have a Church Times subscription but Apple shows it as not valid so waiting for the update which Church Times had notified to Apple. Have purchased an Apple subscription for a month. Hope they fix it by then! ### 2/5 — Church Times App. *2025-12-13* Paper is fine. However app continues to have major problems and crashes most of the time. ### 2/5 — Inadequate *2025-06-13* UPDATED June 2025 App seems to have been recently improved and if it works consistently I would upgrade to 3 or 4 stars. ——— May 2025 Given how much you’re paying to subscribe, this is a very poor experience. Church Times is theoretically published on a Friday but who knows when and how the app will decide to download the latest issue. I have recently got a new device with up to date os but the experience is the same. Interface: If you hold your finger even a split second too long on an article it scrolls right back to the top. All the job ads say they were published on 1st Jan, regardless of the true date. I may go back to paper subscription. --- *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 2026-08-30.*