# Flipster – Digital Magazines

> Free digital magazine service accessed via participating libraries. (iPhone/iPad app by EBSCO Publishing.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flipster-digital-magazines/id797106282 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [EBSCO Publishing](https://appshunter.io/developer/433269590)
- Category: News
- Price: Free
- Rating: 2.20/5 from 211 App Store ratings · 141 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 12.0 · 16 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2014-01-31
- Data updated: 2026-08-28
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flipster-digital-magazines/id797106282/reviews.md

## What is Flipster?

Flipster is a free digital magazine service provided courtesy of your library. Find libraries near you that offer Flipster, then explore, download, and read magazines any time on your Apple devices.

If you find that your library does not offer Flipster, encourage them to sign up today.

Features:
  - Locate participating libraries
  - Browse, search, and download popular magazines to read offline
  - Access digital table of contents for each magazine
  - Read articles in text view
  - Tap highlighted areas to jump to articles and related websites
  - Track percentage of magazine read

Now it’s time to relax, put your feet up and read your favorite magazines with Flipster!

## Key features

- Locate participating libraries
- Browse and download magazines
- Read magazines offline
- Digital table of contents
- Article text view
- Jump to articles and websites
- Track reading progress

## Chart rankings

- #189 in Top Free · News (US App Store)

## What do users think of Flipster?

Overall sentiment: negative

**Pros**

- 🚀 Solid and functional
- 👍 Simplicity and minimalism
- 👍 Reading magazines with relative ease

**Cons**

- 🐛 Frequent 'service unavailable' errors
- 🐛 Inability to change text size
- 🐛 Crashing and not working on certain devices
- 🐛 Outdated magazine selection
- 🐛 Inconsistent user experience

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Login issues and credential errors
- Frequent crashes and service unavailability
- Incompatibility with newer OS versions
- Inability to exit full-screen mode
- Outdated magazine content

**Most requested features**

- Ability to bookmark specific publishers or categories
- Adjustable font sizes and text view options
- Notifications for expiring magazines
- Dark mode support
- Improved navigation and magazine management

## Recent user reviews (10 of 141)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flipster-digital-magazines/id797106282/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Does not work

*2026-08-14, version 5.7.3*

App won’t load. Entered my library card number and the app crashes.

### 1/5 — Accessibility Features Rudimentary

*2026-07-30, version 5.7.3*

Does not support dynamic fonts of IOS.

### 2/5 — Difficult for reading

*2026-07-18, version 5.7.3*

Please add margins and sizing options to Text View at a minimum. Wish I could access the Atlantic somewhere else.

### 1/5 — Does not work on iPhone!!

*2026-07-11, version 5.7.3*

This app has not worked on either iPhone 14 or 16 for months!!  Please fix - I loved the app when I could actually use it.

### 1/5 — Terrible

*2026-06-11, version 5.7.3*

Can’t sign in with my library card

### 2/5 — Severely limited in features but does work

*2026-05-17, version 5.7.3*

Your available magazines are based on your library’s catalog. Each magazine has a table of contents to skip to specific pages. You can read it in magazine form, or in text-only form, and you get a few days from when you start reading to finish. All in line with a library checkout.

The features basically stop there. Font is tiny? No way to change it. Want to get an alert when a new issue is out? Nothing. Wish you could send it to a Kindle? Dream on. Heaven forbid you wish to save an article or share it, any way at all? Ha, no.

This is the same dictatorial DRM fantasy that is forced on everything else in books and periodicals right now that are killing the industry in the name of corporate profits. And with a shiny coat of no customer or accessibility options in site, to boot.

### 1/5 — Can't login

*2026-02-14, version 5.7.3*

Once library is selected, there's a single input field to supposedly enter library card number and password. Just entering the library card number doesn't prompt a password field, and concatenation doesn't work either.

### 2/5 — Can’t change text size

*2026-01-25, version 5.7.3*

Not having the option to change text size is pretty brutal

### 1/5 — Text to speech

*2025-12-22, version 5.7.3*

Does not work. No way to get help.

### 1/5 — Does not work

*2025-11-09, version 5.7.3*

Last few weeks it has not worked, always giving message,service not available,. Now the few magazines that were there are gone, only 6 magazines from 2022 are showing

## Frequently asked questions about Flipster

### What is Flipster?

Flipster is a free digital magazine service that provides access to a variety of popular magazines. It is offered as a courtesy through participating libraries, allowing users to explore, download, and read magazines on their Apple devices.

### How do I access magazines on Flipster?

To access magazines on Flipster, you first need to find a participating library near you. Once you locate a library that offers Flipster, you can then browse, search, and download magazines to read offline on your Apple device.

### Is Flipster free to use?

Yes, Flipster is a free digital magazine service. The cost is covered by the participating libraries that offer it to their patrons. You do not need to pay any fees to use the service or download magazines.

### What devices can I use Flipster on?

Flipster is designed to be used on Apple devices. This includes iPhones, iPads, and other compatible Apple products, allowing you to read your downloaded magazines anytime and anywhere.

### Can I read magazines offline with Flipster?

Yes, a key feature of Flipster is the ability to download magazines and read them offline. This means you can enjoy your favorite titles even without an internet connection, making it convenient for travel or areas with limited connectivity.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 5.7.3 — 2025-10-01

Fix Service Unavailable bug

### 5.7.2 — 2025-09-22

Accessibility fixes for voiceover

### 5.7.1 — 2024-10-15

Fixed a bug with Full Screen mode.

### 5.7.0 — 2024-09-18

Increased performance for holdings, checkout, and download.

### 5.6.6 — 2023-11-07

Updated to include new Flipster logos to match the redesigned Flipster web interface.

## Apps similar to Flipster

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [PressReader: News & Magazines](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pressreader-news-and-magazines/id313904711) | 4.7 (18,192) | Free | News |
| [WNYC](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wnyc/id470219771) | 4.5 (793) | Free | News |
| [The Boston Globe](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-boston-globe/id632761100) | 4.6 (41,715) | Free | News |
| [NetNewsWire: RSS Reader](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/netnewswire-rss-reader/id1480640210) | 4.8 (877) | Free | News |
| [C-SPAN Now](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/c-span-now/id1575769362) | 3.9 (631) | Free | News |
| [Pocket Casts: Podcast Player](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-casts-podcast-player/id414834813) | 4.5 (15,471) | Free | News |

## More apps by EBSCO Publishing

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- [EBSCO Audiobooks](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ebsco-audiobooks/id1121749366)

All apps by EBSCO Publishing: https://appshunter.io/developer/433269590

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*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 2026-08-28.*