# Curio - Trusted News Companion — user reviews > 227 indexed App Store user reviews of Curio by Curio Labs Limited, rated 4.00/5 from 643 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/curio-trusted-news-companion/id1203729853/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/curio-trusted-news-companion/id1203729853.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 420 · 4★ 45 · 3★ 32 · 2★ 31 · 1★ 115 ## What do users think of Curio? Overall sentiment: negative **Pros** - 🚀 Excellent content curation - 🔊 High-quality narration - 🗓️ Convenient for commutes and daily routines - 📚 Broad range of topics and publications **Cons** - 🐛 Buggy app performance - 🤖 Robotic AI narration - 💰 Expensive subscription - 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find content **Commonly reported bugs** - App crashes and freezes - Unreliable content updates - Subscription management issues **Most requested features** - Ability to customize content preferences - Offline listening and download options - Integration with CarPlay and other platforms - More diverse narrator voices ## Newest reviews (20 of 227) ### 1/5 — App doesn’t start *2025-03-16, version 9.1.7* Stuck at the white screen with orange circle ### 1/5 — Lag? *2025-03-08, version 9.1.7* The app only shows the red dot pulsing and it says hello I’m curio, but nothing happens past that. It just pulses and it never changes to the home page ### 1/5 — Lost Hope *2025-02-24, version 9.1.7* It’s unfortunate that this was my number 1 app of interest since 2023.. I had the best use of it and recommended to everyone I knew.. the moment it tuned to AI it stopped working and there are no more options to receive the latest on your interests or download your favorites for when your flying. I live in Saudi Arabia and the is was App really was the best I’ve had in years until this unfortunate issues started rising. Now am paying on monthly basis and it’s not longer working all together. ### 1/5 — Broken *2025-02-16, version 9.1.7* App just shows a red dot "hello I'm curio" and doesn't progress past that point. Seems very broken. ### 1/5 — Steer clear *2025-02-12, version 9.1.7* New version is AI powered. Not everything with AI is better for users. Definitely not this. Miss the original. ### 1/5 — No customer support *2025-02-06, version 9.1.7* My app has been stuck on outdated news for a month, and there is no customer support to resolve the issue (have submitted multiple times through the app). ### 1/5 — Used to love this app; now it's unusable *2025-02-05, version 9.1.7* We don't all want to be quizzed by a bot. I just wanted great journalism, well curated, read beautifully. Now the app is dead. Pointless. Soulless. Just wish I could get my subscription back for this year. ### 1/5 — Is this typical AI Performance *2025-01-31, version 9.1.7* The bots don’t even answer my questions. All I get are headlines from a month ago. I ask for customer support. There is none. Curio seems to have committed suicide. ### 3/5 — Unresponsive *2025-01-29, version 9.1.7* Looks nice and all. But tapping things does nothing. I also don’t like how it’s trying to feel like a social media app. Just give me news. ### 1/5 — Clunky *2025-01-27, version 9.1.7* Roll back to traditional discovery UI/UX and chat for those with too much time on their hand…no one has time to chat to listen to content. I chat to get succinct answers…you’ve strayed; now don’t stray till you’ve lost all your customers. Already cancelled…I’m asking you to win me back! ### 1/5 — App NOT Functional *2025-01-24, version 9.1.7* I’ve downloaded the app 4 times over the last week on my updated iPhone 16, and it just shows a pulsating orange circle and never advances to the next screen… it is completely not functional, at least on the latest iPhone with the most recent public software update (I’m not using beta updates). What is the deal? ### 1/5 — So disappointing *2025-01-18, version 9.1.7* What used to be a great app has been turned to something I simply didn’t want. It is glitchy; slow; and lacks the range of sources it used to have. I do not understand why this was done but suffice it to say I’ll not be subscribing having been a subscriber for years. ### 1/5 — No longer works *2025-01-12, version 9.1.7* No longer works ### 1/5 — New AI version is horrible *2025-01-08, version 9.1.7* I really liked curio! But this new version with AI is terrible! It is not working! And not every thing needs to be AI chatbot! I liked being able to explore the articles and choose the ones I like in a matter of seconds! I don’t like to talk to a chatbot! Plus the chatbot that crashes and not work! Very disappointed! ### 1/5 — Used to be amazing- now awful *2025-01-08, version 9.1.7* I’ve been a subscriber for years. This used to be an amazing app that I used to listen to interesting articles while walking the dog etc. I especially liked browsing for interesting articles including the health, lifestyle, psychology-based ones as well as current affairs. The narrators were great. The new version is really awful. It’s so difficult to search for the type of article you want and it mainly just seems to be the news. It’s now read by AI which was mis-pronouncing certain words. The speed is also wrong. 1x is too fast for me to concentrate and process what’s being said, but 0.75 x is too slow. How to take a fantastic app and ruin it. I’ve cancelled my subscription ### 1/5 — Every new version gets worse and worse *2025-01-02* How Not to Use AI 101: Replace every functional feature with a less functional, impersonal AI. I used to love this app for its simple interface that made it easy to navigate topics, categories, and sources. It enabled me to seek out topics I was actually interested in learning more about with intentional and was a nice reprieve from the mindless nature of other media apps. Now, it’s bloated with half-baked AI features that completely undermine its usability, charm, and value. The UI is no longer functional, and the AI-generated article readings are some of the most robotic and unnatural voices I’ve heard in 2024. Disappointed and ending my subscription. **Developer response:** Hello Austin, we are so sorry to hear you are not a fan of our new AI feature. The feature is currently in Beta so we are looking at ways we can improve the app experience. Please can you drop us an email at listen@curio.io? We'd love to hear your thought about this. Thank you! ### 1/5 — Disappointed *2024-12-28, version 9.1.7* The app interface is frustrating and most of the articles are AI voices which is beyond annoying. Articles are hardly curated. I’m paying way too much for what the offer today. I liked the previous interface and article selection. ### 1/5 — An app made by dumb people, performed by robots *2024-12-26, version 9.1.7* Wasn’t sure how much worse Curio could have been to Audm, and have been awarded with this: the single greatest performance in Dumb-Infuriating-Silicon Valley Inventions. It’s so dumb you should download it, show it to your kids, and tell them this is why everything is dumb now. ### 1/5 — robot readers *2024-11-29, version 9.1.4* When I paid for an annual subscription last year, this service was pretty awesome. Now I guess to save money they have ingested the AI Kool-Aid. There is no way to download content for off-line listening. There is no way to search through recent article releases. Worst of all, instead of the illustrious and familiar narrators with human personalities, the narrator is now a generative AI that pauses randomly at punctuation. Definitely not worth renewing to me. ### 1/5 — Ruined by AI chatbot *2024-11-20* The application has been updated recently, changing it from an explorable page to a chatbot interaction. The change reminds me of a grocery store that locked every valuable item in a store. Sure, one can still buy everything. But why do I need to ask to get access to the goods? I come to explore and check news/opinions that I’m not familiar with. All I want are good articles, view different curations and top trends. Yes, I can access them in the small portion in the bottom of the screen. I don’t want to chat with the bot at all. Why is it not an optional interface? Why can’t I just scroll through different headlines and outlets when I open the application? **Developer response:** Hello, Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We’re truly sorry to hear that you’re not enjoying the new Curio experience. We understand your concerns and want you to know that improving your experience is our top priority. To show our commitment, we’ve frozen all subscriptions for three months, ensuring no charges while we work on enhancements to better meet your needs. In response to your comments about browsability and curated, personalised content, we’ve recently introduced a new feature called The Daily Edit. This feature is designed to simplify your experience by delivering a curated selection of stories tailored to your interests—no searching required. To set up your Daily Edit, simply use the chat function to “Set your preferences” followed by the topics you’re most interested in. From there, Curio will create a personalised selection of stories for you every day. If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to use at listen@curio.io. We’re here to help. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Simply not working *2025-07-18, version 9.1.7* Can’t even signup. Ask to join waitlist at gibran.ai. ### 1/5 — They’re closed, this should be taken down. *2025-06-10, version 9.1.7* Curio doesn’t work, take it down. ### 1/5 — Doesn’t Work *2025-06-10, version 9.1.7* Once you download this the app literally doesn’t work. Aren’t developers paying Apple a monthly fee to keep this running? They gotta save money and shut the app down as this app hasn’t functioned for YEARS now according to Reddit. ### 1/5 — Is this typical AI Performance *2025-05-13, version 9.1.7* The bots don’t even answer my questions. All I get are headlines from a month ago. I ask for customer support. There is none. Curio seems to have committed suicide. Still no life. It’s dead. ### 1/5 — I hate it now! *2025-05-05, version 9.1.7* Update: it doesn’t even open now. It’s stuck. Tried to delete and download again. Such a shame. I’ll not renew my subscription ofc! I used to love this app. The idea and the interface and the human voices telling me news and interesting facts, story telling. Now it’s a cold ugly interface, where AI asks something, and is read by a cold voice which is probably AI too. I hate it so much, I would want a refund. But probably AI is the only one that reads this too. ### 1/5 — Terrible service *2025-04-06, version 9.1.7* I have been being charged for the app with no access via the app. This is terrible service. Now you have to join a waitlist. You can get news other ways. ### 1/5 — What happened to Curio *2025-03-31, version 9.1.7* Curio used to be a brilliant app of curated, narrated news articles. Now it no longer works on IPad. Just a red floating dot. No way of communicating with the developers or obvious means of obtaining a subscription refund. The reviews here are clearly be answered by AI. Do not subscribe. ### 1/5 — Why did you ruin this? *2025-03-28, version 9.1.7* I used to love listening to the intelligent hosts, the well curated and trusted information, now it’s useless. Why did you ruin such a good product? It’s not like it was free… ### 1/5 — Just an angry red ball *2025-03-25, version 9.1.7* This was a great app, but now it’s literally just an angry, pulsing red ball. No content, no buttons, just existential angst. ### 1/5 — This app doesn’t load *2025-03-24, version 9.1.7* Title says it all. I’m giving it a 1 star. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Brilliant App *2024-02-17, version 8.8.1* Great articles, beautifully read. ### 5/5 — Nice to have things in one place *2023-11-13, version 8.8.1* Although I have subscriptions to some of the publications in the curio app already, I enjoyed the way that I can listen to them in a more selective way and in a single app, compared to switching between apps during my driving ### 5/5 — Great curating app *2023-07-09, version 8.3.1* Selection of articles is broad and of quality and the article readers are excellent. Would be great to have even more European and Worldwide renown newspapers ### 5/5 — Amazing app *2023-07-04, version 8.3.1* This app is a brilliant ### 5/5 — High quality audio journalism in one place *2023-05-09, version 7.27.0* I absolutely love Curio! This app is a must-have for anyone who wants to stay informed about current events, but also wants a break from reading. I typically use Curio on commutes to work, walks, and whilst running. The human-narrated and curated audio content is top-notch, and having all of the best publications in one place is incredibly convenient. I particularly enjoy the short-form daily news analysis which provides me with a quick rundown of the day’s most important stories. But what really sets Curio apart is the longer-form content, which allows me to dive deeper into topics that interest me from many popular publications. The human touch in the analyses is incredibly refreshing, especially in a world with rapid advancements in AI, I can only see human generated content getting more valuable. The app has quickly become one of the favourites, and I can’t wait to see what improvements they make to the product. ### 5/5 — The world in my ears *2023-04-22, version 7.25.2* This is by far the best app i have found for keeping up with current affairs - the fact i get to hear perspectives across multiple sources is tremendously valuable to me and makes me feel far more aware of what’s happening. A few years ago i had been completely sucked in by terrible news sites like the Daily Mail (awful to admit) but i now feel genuinely happier and less anxious about what’s happening in the world. Thank you so much Curio, sincerely! ### 5/5 — Love it for my commute *2023-04-22, version 7.25.2* Perfect for driving to work and much better than the radio - love the Informed show with Manish ### 5/5 — Informative & Fun *2023-04-19, version 7.25.2* Absolutely love this app! I listen every day to some wonderful articles, with excellent voice actors that really hold my attention. ### 5/5 — Screen free bliss *2023-04-18, version 7.25.1* Curio has been a game-changer for me, giving me the chance to keep up with the world and learn something new almost every day. I listen all the time on my commute, when doing the washing up or even in the car. It’s really refreshing not only to have the very best journalism curated for me, but also to have it read to me by actual human beings, rather than AI. The presentation is fantastic, the narration is professional and very slick and the whole experience just makes it easy to find something new and fascinating each time I come back. ### 5/5 — Great app for in-depth news coverage *2023-04-15, version 7.25.0* I was feeling exhausted from constantly scrolling through doom and clickbait news when I discovered Curio. This app offers over 30 premium and trusted publications to explore. In today's polarized world, it's incredibly helpful to listen to viewpoints from both the right and left wings on various topics. Thanks to Curio, I now have a better understanding of the world and can identify trends early, which is beneficial both personally and professionally. It provides in-depth news coverage that equips me to better understand the most critical factors shaping the world. I highly recommend Curio if you want to improve your understanding of the world but are short on time. The narrators are excellent and you can listen to thoughtful analysis while walking or commuting. --- *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 2026-06-10.*