# Flipster – Digital Magazines — user reviews > 145 indexed App Store user reviews of Flipster by EBSCO Publishing, rated 2.20/5 from 211 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flipster-digital-magazines/id797106282/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flipster-digital-magazines/id797106282.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 37 · 4★ 14 · 3★ 14 · 2★ 31 · 1★ 115 ## 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'service unavailable' errors - 🐛 Inability to change text size - 🐛 Crashing and not working on certain devices - 🐛 Outdated magazine selection - 🐛 Inconsistent user experience **Commonly reported bugs** - Login issues and credential errors - Frequent crashes and service unavailability - Incompatibility with newer OS versions - Inability to exit full-screen mode - Outdated magazine content **Most requested features** - Ability to bookmark specific publishers or categories - Adjustable font sizes and text view options -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 ## Newest reviews (18 of 145) ### 3/5 — Late updates; missing issues *2026-08-25, version 5.7.3* this app is used by a lot of libraries in the country. But they are delayed when it comes to updating the newest issues. Libby Updates way faster. They also will go months with no new issues and you have to reach out to the Library and have the Library reach out to them to find out what’s going on. You would think that they would have somebody on staff that would check things periodically from time to time just to make sure they’re working correctly. But that does not seem to happen. I’m sure every Library pays a lot of money for the subscriptions and issues that get. It’s a shame that the support is what it is. ### 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. ### 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. ### 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 ### 4/5 — Solid and functional, with a suggestion *2025-10-01* While I was previously been writing a longer review for this app, the App Store crashed and deleted my progress, so I will simply give a summary of my original review: The app does not appear flashy or overtly modern, yet successfully achieves what it advertises with simplicity and minimalism. Despite the poor reviews of Flipster on the App Store, it is clear that this app is still being actively maintained and feedback is still heard. However, I have a suggestion regarding bookmarks. While I am aware that bookmarking is a feature to an extent, I think that it would be helpful to have the functionality of bookmarking specific publishers (e.g. Newsweek) or categories for speed. I personally read a narrower range of magazines, so having to repeatedly relocate the same few magazines that I actually have interest in everytime I want to examine/download new issues does feel somewhat redundant. Overall, the app is solidly functional and achieves it's mission effectively. While it's interface isn't exactly stylish, it still allows you to access magazines and read them with relative ease. Sincerely, I do hope that the general reviews of this app improve over time, as for one, I'm sure that many people may avoid the app simply because of the ratings, and two, because I genuinely like Flipster. Thank you very much. ### 4/5 — Mostly works now *2025-10-01, version 5.7.3* The covers of magazines still don’t update. But the service bug is fixed. ### 2/5 — Great idea, poor application *2025-08-22, version 5.7.1* I love getting magazines to download and read at my leisure, but the app works about once a month. Once I’ve downloaded stuff the interface is fine and it works perfectly well, but 9 out of 10 times I just get the error message “service unavailable”. Just don’t know why that is. ### 2/5 — Rarely works. But when it does, it’s amazing. *2025-08-07, version 5.7.1* I wish this app would work because I rely on it when I travel or when I’m in need of a silly break and would like to catch up on recipes or health articles or an essay in a literary magazine. But the app rarely works and I have to remove it from my phone, download it again, etc, maybe two or three times a year. I hope the app developers will fix the bugs of this really useful magazine app.. ### 1/5 — When was the last time this app was updated? *2025-07-29, version 5.7.1* Update: Doesn’t seem as if anyone cares if this app ever becomes fully functional ever again. The libraries should move their association to a different, better built app, this one is a disgrace. Stopped working. Is this a temporary situation? Will this be fixed? And when will this be fixed? ### 1/5 — Never works first time *2025-07-13, version 5.7.1* This app is awful. It never works when I open it. It says service currently unavailable. Try again later. Stop wasting our time. ### 1/5 — Embarrassing *2025-06-29, version 5.7.1* Looks and feels like a homebuilt app. The text is blurry when zoomed in. ### 1/5 — INOPERATIVE *2025-06-24, version 5.7.1* Over last few months app says Come back later. ### 1/5 — Worst app ever *2025-06-03, version 5.7.1* No progress or update. The problem remains same. Service is always unavailable. Many public libraries associate with Flipster but this app is the worst. How could this be? ### 1/5 — Great App *2025-05-23, version 5.7.1* Love this app. Clean and Simple. Free and No Ads. This app is a True Gem. Thank you ### 1/5 — Completely broken *2025-05-21, version 5.7.1* App does not work at all on iOS 12. There should be a warning in the App Store or the app should be patched. ### 2/5 — Still not working properly *2025-05-17, version 5.7.1* Constantly have to reopen app to look at magazine selection. When it works, it shows magazines from 2 months ago as the most current. ### 1/5 — The website works but not the app *2025-04-25, version 5.7.1* I tried to login to the app using my San Diego public library ID and also San Diego County Library ID. In both cases the app says I am logged in but still stays on the login page! I have no access to the app. Later i tried to use my University of San Diego login. It allowed me to login but it just showed one magazine! The app really needs to be fixed. ### 1/5 — Needs upgrade! *2025-04-21, version 5.7.1* App requires closing and reopening to refresh magazine selections view. The app should be revised to correct this. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Free (and current) Consumer Reports *2026-08-31, version 5.7.3* The only thing I have found to recommend this largely useless app is that it shows Consumer Reports magazine for the current months as well as back numbers. There are very few other magazines, and what there are are hopelessly out of date. ### 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. ### 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 ### 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. ### 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 ### 1/5 — Never woks *2025-08-28, version 5.7.1* Worst app by far. Always unavailable. I wish public libraries could partner with someone else. ### 1/5 — Service Unavailable-Try Again Later *2025-08-24, version 5.7.1* Why do i always see the Service Unavailable message? My library IS a member! No contact information for EBSCO - what’s a user to do?? Now i have to access the service via the library website, and the reading enjoyment is greatly diminished. Would appreciate some help here!! ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Solid and functional, with a suggestion *2025-10-07* While I was previously writing a longer review for this app, the App Store crashed and deleted my progress, so I will simply give a summary of my original review: The app does not appear flashy or overtly modern, yet successfully achieves what it advertises with simplicity and minimalism. Despite the poor reviews of Flipster on the App Store, it is clear that this app is still being actively maintained and feedback is still heard. However, I have a suggestion regarding bookmarks. While I am aware that bookmarking is a feature to an extent, I think that it would be helpful to have the functionality of bookmarking specific publishers (e.g. Newsweek) or categories for speed. I personally read a narrower range of magazines, so having to repeatedly relocate the same few magazines that I actually have interest in everytime I want to examine/download new issues does feel somewhat redundant. Overall, the app is solidly functional and achieves it's mission effectively. While it's interface isn't exactly stylish, it still allows you to access magazines and read them with relative ease. Sincerely, I do hope that the general reviews of this app improve over time, as for one, I'm sure that many people may avoid the app simply because of the ratings, and two, because I genuinely like Flipster. Thank you very much. ### 5/5 — So far so good *2025-08-29, version 5.7.1* So far, I really like this app I’m not sure why it has such a low rating. I like reading the People magazine, and a few of the other fun magazines. Plus I get breaking news stories from some of the periodicals. ### 5/5 — Reading magazines *2024-08-20, version 5.6.6* Magazines are one of my guilty pleasures & I love this app! ### 5/5 — First timer *2022-02-02, version 5.6.3* Took a while to figure out but love the options of magazines. Open and flip and expand pages. Cool! ### 5/5 — Love my library! *2020-05-21, version 5.6.0* Great selection and able to access my selection for days!! ### 5/5 — Cannot open after 12.4 *2019-07-24, version 5.4.1* Dear supporter, I am not able to open your application when my iPad updated to 12.4. Would you please fix this problem. Thank you ### 5/5 — Table of Contents *2019-04-25, version 5.3.9* Would love to see an issue’s table of contents without having to download the entire issue first. ### 5/5 — New version works perfectly!! *2019-03-27, version 5.3.8* In latest version it finally works perfectly for my iPhone, and it is an incredible resource for reading magazines through my libraries. I am impressed by the ease and speed with which I just downloaded my five favorite magazines through the app. ### 5/5 — Cannot open under iOS 12.2 *2019-03-27, version 5.3.8* Dear support, I cannot use it after my iPhone 8 Plus upgraded to ios12.2, the app just automatically quite after just opened. I tried reinstall and whatever suggestions by apple, just doesn’t work. ### 5/5 — Looks great *2017-05-24, version 5.2* Update: back to 5 stars thanks to devs bringing back full screen mode. Would be better without the icon to exit full screen being constantly on screen, devs can you find a solution without the icon always there? Update: changing from 5 stars to 3 after they removed full screen mode. Please get rid of those top and bottom panels and let me just read magazine full screen without visual distractions. I don't understand all the negative reviews. I saw a magazine via my library website and was able to view it in web browser. From there I saw option to view it in this app and it opened it perfectly. On iPad I was viewing two pages at a time in landscape orientation. I tried rotating screen to portrait and saw full screen one page of magazine. Looks fantastic. --- *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 2026-09-07.*