# iA Writer: Get Focused — user reviews

> 1,017 indexed App Store user reviews of iA Writer by Information Architects AG, rated 4.60/5 from 1,543 ratings.

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ia-writer-get-focused/id775737172/reviews
- App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ia-writer-get-focused/id775737172.md
- Rating breakdown: 5★ 1,256 · 4★ 108 · 3★ 52 · 2★ 37 · 1★ 90

## Is iA Writer safe?

iA Writer: Get Focused appears safe based on user ratings. The AppsHunter Safety Score for iA Writer is 92 out of 100. This assessment is based on 1,543 user ratings, with an App Store average of 4.6 out of 5. Of 1,543 App Store ratings, 88.4% point to a safe experience, 3.4% suggest some concerns, and 8.2% point to a risky experience.

## Is iA Writer legit?

iA Writer: Get Focused appears to be a legitimate app. The AppsHunter Legitimacy Score for iA Writer is 100 out of 100 points across 7 verification signals from App Store and developer data.

## What do users think of iA Writer?

Reviews of iA Writer are mostly positive: the Productivity app is rated 4.6/5 from 1.5K App Store ratings. What users like most: distraction-free writing experience, elegant and minimalist design. Top complaints: occasional crashes and sync issues, limited cloud storage integration options. Summarized from real user reviews.

**Pros**

- 🚀 Distraction-free writing experience
- 👍 Elegant and minimalist design
- 💡 Helpful syntax highlighting and formatting tools
- 🚀 Seamless sync across devices
- 👍 Reliable and stable performance
- 👍 Excellent customer support
- 💡 Useful features like focus mode and typewriter mode
- 👍 No subscription model, one-time purchase

**Cons**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and sync issues
- 🔒 Limited cloud storage integration options
- 👎 Lack of advanced organization and navigation features
- 👎 Subpar text selection and cursor control
- 👎 Dated app icon and visual design

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Crashes when opening certain files
- Sync issues leading to data loss
- Formatting problems when exporting to other formats

**Most requested features**

- Improved cloud storage integration (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.)
- Enhanced file management and organization tools
- Better text selection and cursor control
- More customization options for appearance and layout
- Integrated outline/table of contents view
- Collaborative editing features

## Newest reviews (15 of 1,017)

### 2/5 — 日本語にバグがあり、長期間直っていない

*2026-10-20*

タイプライターモードで文ごとにハイライトするよう設定している際、日本語だと頻繁にテキストが上下に飛ぶような動きをします。文章が若干上に上がり、日本語の変換をエンターキーで確定すると文章が元の位置に戻ります。これは日本語特有の問題で、英語を書いている時には起こりません。なので開発者はそれを認識していないのだと思います。

**Developer response:** いつも大変お世話になっております。

この度は、タイプライターモードにおける日本語入力時の挙動につきまして、貴重なフィードバックをいただき誠にありがとうございます。

ご指摘いただきました現象について、開発チームでも詳細な調査を進めたいと考えております。大変お手数をおかけいたしますが、詳細（ご利用のOSのバージョンなど）につきまして、サポート窓口までご連絡をいただけますと幸いでございます。

より快適に弊社アプリをご利用いただけるよう、精一杯サポートさせていただきます。

今後ともどうぞよろしくお願い申し上げます。

### 2/5 — 自動インデントをオフにさせて

*2026-10-14*

タイトルのとおり。
前の行で行頭にスペースを入れて改行すると、自動でスペースが入って非常に使いにくい。

### 3/5 — Improving iA Writer for Writers

*2026-09-28, version 8.0.9*

This app needs an "index card view”, similar to Scrivener’s Cork Board or Notion’s Gallery so we can rearrange chapters, scenes, or comedy bits with simple drag-and-drop, like flash cards.

This will allow us to zoom out and see the structure and flow of our work. It will allow this app to be THE app for writers everywhere.

Edit: we need a LIBRARY or HOME button on iPhone & iPad to press at any moment. Swiping a half dozen times is exhausting and makes me not want to use the app.

### 2/5 — Latest version not usable

*2026-09-24, version 8.0.8*

Too many bugs to count in the latest app version. Vibe coding at its worst.

### 2/5 — Paid for features that I’m not getting.

*2026-08-03, version 8.0.5*

With this app being so highly rated and I want it to be useful—the app doesn’t do what it’s saying it will for me. I purchased this app on my iPad as I believe the features would be really convenient to use, however none of the syntax features work at all on my iPad. This is an iPad Pro that is only a few years old. The app works perfectly fine on my iPhone but I didn’t pay for it to be used on there. Please fix this issue as I’m certain I’m probably not the only person experiencing this.

### 5/5 — Impact

*2026-08-01, version 8.0.5*

Been using since first IA writer then iA writer classic and pro and then the modern mastered iA writer. This is by far the best implementation of what i’ll call a text editor for any outcomes

### 5/5 — 便利です

*2026-07-29*

便利に使っていますが、最近の仕様変更で検索がわけがわからなくなってしまい、使用に耐えません。探しているメモに辿り着けません。日本語だけなのかもしれませんが、検索語の最初の文字しか探せていなかったり。

-----------
MacでもiOSでもシームレスに使えて、ノートの数が増えても重くならないし、ファイルの状態がオープンなので手動でバックアップする事もできるのがいい。中身がただのテキストファイルなので階層を入れ替えたり他のエディタで編集したりしても問題がおこらない。

**Developer response:** いつもiA Writerをご利用いただき、誠にありがとうございます。この度の検索に関する不具合につきまして、詳細を伺いたく存じます。恐れ入りますが、サポートチームまで詳しい状況をお知らせいただけますでしょうか。どうぞよろしくお願い申し上げます。📧: support+ios@ia.net

### 5/5 — yes

*2026-07-28, version 8.0.5*

yes

### 5/5 — Thanks for the recent highlight features!

*2026-07-21, version 8.0.5*

That’s so important to distinguish AI-generated texts and to remind humans humanize them. Thanks!

### 5/5 — great

*2026-07-12, version 8.0.4*

bought this app when it was $9.99 however developer decided jack up price significantly. it’s a shame

### 5/5 — Great!

*2026-07-08, version 8.0.3*

I have this on Mac and iOS. The outline navigation is a great new feature. It’s free of bloat, opens quickly, and syncs perfectly. If even Ulysses has too much to distract you, you’ll be at home with version 8 of iA Writer. Plus, it’s great to have all my writing in plain text markdown files, rather than locked away in a database and held hostage by a subscription.

### 5/5 — Estupenda app

*2026-07-08, version 8.0.3*

Estupenda app sea que escribas o simplemente la uses para tus notas, fácil de usar aunque los cambios en la interfase son menos intuitivos. Pero igualmente muy buena. Tengo muchos años usándola.

### 3/5 — Unhappy from version 8

*2026-07-08, version 8.0.3*

The latest version 8 made me really unhappy. Chiefly due to merging the former command palette with the lighting menu. The palette’s tiles were very handy and configurable also for writing characters hard to find on keyboard - very useful when you write multilingual documents. Such a pity…

### 3/5 — 設定消失

*2026-07-07, version 8.0.2*

原本設定很久的直覺方式功能，一個更新全部設定消失⋯⋯ 希望有備份設定⋯
這次更新讓人失望

### 3/5 — Exceptional Tool For Writers, BUT…

*2026-07-05, version 8.0.2*

I am using Scrivener for organizing the memoir I’m writing, but it hasn’t been an easy app for me to write in. iA Writer is the easiest app I’ve found for writing, but its templates for printing are almost non-existent. The type sizes are too small and the margins are too wide. There is no way to reset margins, fonts, or type sizes within the app and the templates are difficult to change for non-technical users. I’m disappointed.

## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated)

### 1/5 — Interfering with file association on iPad Os

*2026-10-06, version 8.0.9*

There is a bug. Installing iA Writer on iPadOS causes DNG files in Files/removable storage to open in iA Writer instead of Preview; uninstalling iA Writer immediately restores correct Preview behavior.

### 1/5 — Keyboard issues

*2026-08-22, version 8.0.6*

This app used to work nicely on my iPad Pro 12in using the official keyboard. Unfortunately, right now the app doesn’t show the suggestions on the bottom bar, or even highlight typos or misspellings. Force to show the touch-keyboard, making impossible to use Grammarly. Stage manager is disabled, and the keyboard works perfectly in many other apps. Looks like a small issue, but it completely destroys my workflow. I hope the developers fix this issue ASAP.

### 1/5 — Horrible support with files opened from other apps

*2026-08-12, version 8.0.6*

The editor is great but opening and editing files from other apps is tedious at best and sometimes constantly shows a status of updating, overwriting edits from other devices or various of other kinds of bad and unpredictable behavior that makes the app extremely difficult to work on documents. When it works it is great but when it doesn’t it will make you want to delete the app.

### 1/5 — Freeze with icloud

*2026-08-06, version 8.0.5*

Unusable lately. Open a file in iCloud. Leave the open, reopen the app hours later and try to “exit” current file by tapping the back button to “iCloud”. App freezes entirely and never recovers.

### 1/5 — Terrible customer service

*2026-07-19, version 8.0.5*

I found a bug that renders this app useless for me. (Constant pop up "File not found" while editing files.) Submitted a bug report. Was politely told that it’s not gonna be fixed, while actually being a known problem. After I replied, suggesting that the app for a fee has to provide some service and fix issues, I did not even get a reply. Not a worthy investment of money at all.  I switched to free Runestone app for my markdown editing and it’s great!

### 1/5 — Impossible to find support so trying this instead

*2026-04-25*

Adding folders doesn’t add files from said folder adding files from other apps is unintuitive since + on right side makes new files elsewhere while in that part of the side tree adds files and still when selecting multiple files nothing is added. Not interested in adding files one at a time. Furthermore, when deleting files just move them to recently deleted. Somewhere in there the + on the left pane adds folders instead of files or making new files just cancel the whole operation if people tap out of it. Somewhere in this ridiculous process adding a folder also moves the open in focus file to that folder, why?

**Developer response:** We recommend checking our Support and How-To pages linked here:   
- https://ia.net/writer/support/library/organize   
- https://ia.net/writer/how-to

### 1/5 — Not enough, no free trial and disappointing experience

*2026-03-02*

At times, you test several apps before deciding which one delivers the best experience. That was my situation. This app did not meet my needs, and the absence of a free trial made the experience worse. I paid and lost my money. It feels misleading.

**Developer response:** We’re sorry to hear that our app wasn’t a good match for your workflow. We always recommend using the trial version before purchasing, but due to App Store regulations, we’re unable to offer a free trial for the iOS and iPadOS versions.

### 1/5 — Awful

*2026-02-14, version 7.3.4*

Don’t get it.

### 1/5 — Add copy and pasting from Grok

*2025-12-25, version 7.3.3*

The AI setting should make Grok writing in color. I don’t know why it doesn’t.

### 1/5 — Dropbox folders stopped working

*2025-12-10, version 7.3.2*

My main location in the "Library" is a Dropbox folder. After today's update to 7.3.1, the folder disappeared and I had to re-add it. It worked exactly once, after which it disappeared again, and it was no longer possible to add any Dropbox location. This app is now unusable. Update: still broken in 7.3.2.

## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated)

### 5/5 — The Best Markdown App I have used

*2026-10-28*

My only regret is it is not available for Linux. Otherwise this is exactly the app I needed. I plan to write my thesis using this.

UPDATE (28.10.2026)

If anything, my appreciation has only grown. I am heavily reliant on this product for the iPad which is the only device I use now. Quite bummed that you were forced to pull out support for Android. My rating stands. And I wish the App Store would take ratings separately for customer support because your personal responses to users are really encouraging and honest. Thank you for that too.

**Developer response:** We just caught this update: 🫶 Thank you so much for the shout out to our Support team. In spite of the past experience with Android we are exploring paths to bring Writer to more platforms. Please keep an eye on this space:  ia.net/news

### 5/5 — Great app!

*2026-10-23*

One word: Thanks!

**Developer response:** That you! ☺️

### 5/5 — Exceptional

*2026-10-16, version 8.0.9*

IA Writer is simply one of if not the best writing app across many platforms.  It is sleek, simple, and resourceful while being easy to use.   Also, no subscription BS.  10 out of 10.  I have used it for years and will continue to do so.

### 5/5 — Love IA writer

*2026-10-08*

This app is so useful for writing family history and being able to work on several chapters at a time. I have been using it since before the improvements and appreciate them all. It removes all my excuses to not write! The new improvements are a wonderful addition to app! I realized I needed something like that, but never dreamed an app could do all that. I don’t know what I would do without IA writer. It keeps me going even if I don’t feel like writing!
I haven’t tried all the new updates, and they sound wonderful!  I have used and loved this app for so long, I don’t know what I’d do without it.  
I will work at trying the new updates too.

**Developer response:** We're (still) not sorry about those lost excuses. 😉  We hope our app continues to inspire great writing for a long time to come! Thanks for taking time to rate and share this with us/other writers. 🫶

### 5/5 — Timeless, Simple, The Best!

*2026-09-22*

this app has been serving me for years and years without an extra cost. it’s lightweight as memo app, and still functional for long-form contents such as proposal and scripts. I hope there’d be more template so i can just make any document with this app and markdown files!

**Developer response:** Thank you! We've got a few things in the works we think you'll like. 😉 Please stay tuned: https://ia.net/news

### 5/5 — Great.

*2026-09-21, version 8.0.8*

I prefer the IOS version over the Mac version but they are both great.

### 5/5 — Excelente

*2026-08-21*

iA Writer é um aplicativo que ajuda incrivelmente quando se trata de concentrar-se na escrita em markdown e é projetado especificamente para escritores. É muito útil para moldar, polir, corrigir e desenvolver um texto. Não tem muitos botões, opções de estilo, etc., então o foco fica mesmo no que se quer transmitir. Outro destaque é a simples sincronização com outros programas ou plataformas, como Word, DropBox, iCloud, Drive ou mesmo WordPress ou Medium, para que você possa enviar seus artigos diretamente para o seu site. Mas uma das maiores características é o modelo de negócio, i.e., não cobra uma assinatura, pois não é um serviço e sim um software, isso para mim, ao menos, é definitivo! Parabéns aos desenvolvedores e super recomendo!

**Developer response:** Obrigado pelas amáveis palavras.

### 5/5 — Magnífica aplicación.

*2026-08-07, version 8.0.5*

Es la mejor aplicación de escritura. Simple y con un diseño excelente. Un detalle: la compré hace años y nunca ha dejado de mejorar. Y nunca me han intentado vender una suscripción. Su fidelidad a los clientes es su mejor presentación.

### 5/5 — la mejor app

*2026-08-03, version 8.0.5*

simplemente fantástica

### 5/5 — It’s. Just. Like. This.

*2026-08-03, version 8.0.5*

Bowing to the Buddha nature, iA Writer presents a white space/blank page/tabula rasa that my ADHD brain appreciates. As said in meditation and concept, “It’s just like this.” And iA Writer enables me to write without backspacing, correcting, editing, and just…writing like no one is watching… Freestyle, free flowing, thank you iA Writer for continuing the updates and improvements, after all these years, you are still my number one. ✌🏼🫶🏼✨

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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 2026-11-01.*