# Detroit Free Press: Freep — user reviews > 296 indexed App Store user reviews of Detroit Free Press by Gannett, rated 4.60/5 from 12,647 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/detroit-free-press-freep/id904023476/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/detroit-free-press-freep/id904023476.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 9,188 · 4★ 2,410 · 3★ 517 · 2★ 166 · 1★ 366 ## What do users think of Detroit Free Press? Overall sentiment: neutral **Pros** - 💻 Excellent local news coverage - 📰 Great for sports updates - 🔍 Easy to navigate app - 🌐 Keeps expats connected to Detroit - 🔖 Helpful for tracking local teams **Cons** - 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes - 🔄 Automatic page refreshes disrupt reading - 💰 Too many ads for paid subscribers - 🔒 Difficulty accessing subscriber content - 🔍 Poor search functionality **Commonly reported bugs** - Unrelated photos displayed with articles - Inability to access archived editions - Inconsistent performance on iOS 13+ - Subscription issues and billing problems - Unreliable push notification delivery **Most requested features** - Ability to download and read offline - Option to adjust article refresh rate - Improved compatibility with screen readers - Smoother transition when locking screen - Better organization of sports sections ## Newest reviews (12 of 296) ### 3/5 — Too Many Horrible Add *2026-08-26, version 8.11.0* As a new paying subscriber, I thought I’d get less ads. Unfortunately, about every 3-4 sentences, I have to scroll through another low quality, repetitive, click-tricking ad. I’m canceling after only a week because the ads are overwhelming. It’s hard to find actual news with all the distraction. ### 5/5 — CR *2026-06-21, version 8.10.2* I like it very much. ### 5/5 — Love eNewspaper Layout *2026-06-20, version 8.10.2* I am old school and miss holding, reading and folding a paper newspaper every morning. I love the eNewspaper layout on my iPad because it’s as close to my old morning routine as I can get and the Detroit Free Press offers diverse coverage. ### 2/5 — Meh *2026-06-16, version 8.10.2* Too many subscribers only articles - and they don't bother to label all of them, so you think you can read an article only to click on it and it be blocked. Latest update, not a fan ### 5/5 — Observer *2026-05-30, version 8.10.2* Always the truth whether I like it or not. ### 4/5 — Love it, but *2026-05-15, version 8.10.1* I love the on line newspaper and read it 6 days a week. The only thing I don’t like are the ads for the paper that interrupt me when I’m reading it! ### 5/5 — Detroit free press *2026-05-14, version 8.9.0* 02-03-25 I didn’t assign the one Star Rating I enjoy reading the Free Press, but nothing has changed, it constantly reboots and jumps back to page one; plus I still can’t read the paper waiting in the car. Since the App was update about a month ago, it is constantly updating & constantly taking me to a different page. I have been a scriber to the D F P for over 50 years and started reading it on line when my kids gave me an iPad 5 years ago for my 80th birthday. Up until about a month ago I could read the D F P where there was not a WIFI connection. Now if I try to read it without out a WIFI connection it locks up after about 2 or 3 minutes. I tried changing to the Airplane mode but it still tries to update an I am unable to read it after a few minutes. Any suggestions ? Tom Hacker Sr. 05-13-26 I’m 87 years old - I have sent several Emails saying the cost is now unaffordable - if I don’t get a discount I will cancel my subscription when it comes due this fall ### 5/5 — True news *2026-05-09, version 8.9.0* Accessable, affordable, balanced real news. ### 5/5 — Stories *2026-04-13, version 8.9.0* Elrick, Ms PWHoward, Rubin, always make my day! ### 5/5 — The Detroit Free Press APP is easy to use. *2026-04-08, version 8.9.0* As for the news paper itself, I have always enjoyed the informative articles. They keep me up to date on happenings at the local, national and international levels. I have been maintaining a subscription for many years. ### 5/5 — Love the Freep *2026-04-07, version 8.9.0* Thorough, thoughtful and fulsome coverage of the news, local and national. ### 2/5 — Too many popups *2026-03-27, version 8.9.0* I have been using this app for several years and generally like it, but recently there have been an awful lot of popups advertising newsletters and other things. They happen when you first open the app and when you are reading articles. They interrupt your reading and are incredibly annoying. I can’t recommend this app because of this. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Can’t read anything *2026-07-10, version 8.10.2* The app doesn’t allow you to read any articles. Everything needs a subscription, including breaking news, which is free everywhere else. ### 1/5 — Bad app *2026-05-12, version 8.9.0* Nearly everything posted in this app needs a script to view the article. I can see a few but nearly every article is like this. ### 1/5 — Doesn’t work in Europe *2026-05-12, version 8.9.0* Works fine back home in US. Cannot read for more than 30 seconds when in Europe. There’s a Sign In link but it doesn’t work. Very frustrating! ### 1/5 — Bad *2026-05-10, version 8.9.0* It stinks ! I have been an avid Free Press reader for many years. I used to love holding and reading the paper every day. Even since on line news started, I have still been an everyday reader. Now, it’s seems the Free Press doesn’t want anyone reading them any longer. I have never seen an app that blocks out articles more than the Free Press. I am close to deleting this app ### 1/5 — Too many pop up ads *2026-04-02, version 8.9.0* I love the Freep. I delivered the Freep as a kid. I downloaded this app a year ago, looking to enjoy my favorite newspaper. The app is a failure. Every 10 to 60 seconds a FULL PAGE ad will pop up that promotes a different section of the newspaper. You have to click a tiny “x” in the upper right hand corner to hit rid of it. I have had to clear 5-6 of these annoying ads while trying to read an article. It’s like having someone snatch the newspaper out of your hand and scream in your face. There is no way to turn this function off, even though I pay the for the full subscription. There is no “help” or support page to alert the Freep to cut this out. I am now forced to cancel my subscription. This app makes the paper unreadable. What a shame… ### 1/5 — Too many popup ads for a paid subscription *2026-03-28, version 8.9.0* Too many popup ads for a paid subscription ### 1/5 — Pop up Advertisments *2026-03-28, version 8.9.0* Pop ups keep interrupting the content ### 1/5 — FULL SIZE POP UP ADS FOR SUBSCRIBERS! *2026-03-25, version 8.9.0* I am a subscriber to the digital version. Using the app tonight, a pop-up appeared FOUR SEPARATE TIMES that was very difficult to close! They take over the entire screen and you cannot clear them unless you stab your finger repeatedly on a tablet. Please tell your programmers of the app that people are allowed to read a story slowly without ads appearing anytime they “pause” for a second. ESPECIALLY if they are logged in on a paid account! ### 1/5 — Not happy! *2026-03-22, version 8.9.0* I am a long-time paid subscriber who reads the “e newspaper” Free Press daily using the app. My first criticism is that the app has become “jumpy” when zooming in on the text. Not sure exactly when this started happening (was not an issue in the recent past), but it is such that I can completely lose my place in the article when doing so. I then have to spend time trying to recover my place in the article to begin reading again. Secondly - and most annoyingly - an ad for the Free Press taking up he whole screen will pop up randomly while reading the newspaper. I already subscribe - I do not need an ad - what is the point except to interrupt my reading? As to the latter, I will be obliged to cancel my subscription if the behavior does not cease. The whole thing becomes a waste of my time. I hope you can correct these issues… I really don’t want to cancel. ### 1/5 — Disgusted *2026-03-14, version 8.9.0* Free press app took my $70 but the app doesn’t give me access. Keeps asking me to sign in but I get none of the subscriber content. I’ve changed password multiple times. Horrible, horrible horrible online experience. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — DFP *2026-08-27, version 8.11.0* I enjoy the history on page 2 and the coverage of sports, especially MSU basketball. ### 5/5 — Great Source of News *2026-08-26, version 8.11.0* Hard to beat the digital version, but I do miss the paper one. I get this one, though. No reliable delivery persons left! This online version has the great reporting, politics, sports, columnists…in short, it is the Freep. I’m just glad I could get good input on topics about which I care. ### 5/5 — Exceptional coverage *2026-08-16, version 8.11.0* Love my daily dose of info ### 5/5 — CR *2026-08-09, version 8.11.0* I like it very much. ### 5/5 — Good user experience *2026-08-03, version 8.11.0* The Free Press app has matured to a level that it is very pleasant to use on a smart phone. I never thought I'd see it, but even an old guy can go beyond paper. ### 5/5 — Stories *2026-07-24, version 8.10.2* Elrick, Ms PWHoward, Rubin, always make my day! ### 5/5 — Nice paper *2026-07-18, version 8.9.0* Well written paper, like the time line on page 2 and sports section is top notch ### 5/5 — Convert *2026-07-15, version 8.10.2* I did not think I’d like the e-newspaper, but I was wrong. I love having my Freep with me anywhere I go! ### 5/5 — Miss Local Printing *2026-07-13, version 8.10.2* I am a huge sports fan. Getting day-old results and stories almost makes my old Free Press another lost childhood memory. I am afraid the paper is trying to kill itself with current publishing policy. Sad. Craig Thomson ### 5/5 — Nice paper *2026-07-04, version 8.10.2* Well written paper, like the time line on page 2 and sports section is top notch --- *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 2026-09-10.*