# Kiwix — user reviews

> 378 indexed App Store user reviews of Kiwix by Wikimedia CH, rated 4.20/5 from 418 ratings.

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kiwix/id997079563/reviews
- App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kiwix/id997079563.md
- Rating breakdown: 5★ 288 · 4★ 45 · 3★ 16 · 2★ 18 · 1★ 51

## What do users think of Kiwix?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 🚀 Offline access to vast knowledge
- 👍 Comprehensive content coverage
- 🎉 Excellent resource for travelers
- 💡 Innovative concept

**Cons**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔍 Subpar search functionality
- 🌃 Lack of dark mode
- 🎥 Video playback problems

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Crashes when searching
- Downloads getting stuck or disappearing
- Formatting issues with some content

**Most requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to update/refresh downloaded content
- Improved video support
- Better search and navigation

## Newest reviews (18 of 378)

### 4/5 — App Icon Not Adaptive

*2026-05-28, version 3.15.1*

The static icon needs an update. It should adapt to user preference for Light Mode, Dark Mode, and Tinted. Please check out the Apple Developer best practices for icons when you get a chance.

### 4/5 — Real dark mode

*2026-05-16, version 3.15.1*

Thank you for this wonderful all. 

Could you change in dark mode the color of  texts in Wikipedia articles from dark to white and also the background from white to dark (exactly as is now possible in the Wikipedia app dark mode for iPhone) making it a REAL dark mode?
Also the catalog can not be updated

Thanks

### 2/5 — Needs a Home Screen!

*2026-05-13, version 3.15.0*

Please make it easier to view all downloaded libraries with a single tap

### 3/5 — Help

*2026-02-06, version 3.12.0*

I keep getting an SSL error when attempting to download from the catalogs. Any help would be greatly appreciated

### 5/5 — Weiterhin ein toller Begleiter für Nerds

*2026-01-22*

Wirklich tolle App, die ohne Werbung vieles richtig macht.  

(OK, OK vielleicht etwas umständlich und hakelig… aber dennoch tausend Herzen!)

Umständlich ist das UI. Die beiden Lupen, was macht die eine, was die andere? Erschließt sich nicht sofort. 

Es gibt auch ein Dreipunktmenu, dort könnten auch Einstellungen sein, dafür gibt es aber auch einen eigenen Button. Wie ich eine Startseite festlege… keine Ahnung, wie ich ein Lesezeichen setze… keine Ahnung. Aber hinter dem Ordner-Icon sind Kategorien, die wiederum auf verschiedene Wikis zeigen, was ich einmal alle 5 Jahre brauche. Häufig genutzte Funktionen sind einfach versteckt und obskure Features prominent im Main UI hinterlegt. Das ist umständlich. 

Vielen Dank!

**Developer response:** Danke! Zum Beispiel, was is umständlich?

### 4/5 — Want to like it

*2026-01-22, version 3.11.0*

It won’t let me download anything.   (Update). It worked after giving up for a while

### 4/5 — 検索機能が惜しい

*2026-01-08*

日本語Wikipediaのzim ファイルを読み込んで検索を開始すると「結果なし」と表示される。しかし実際は裏側で検索処理が開始されており、数十秒間待つと検索結果が期待した通りに表示される。「結果なし」の代わりにローディング中であることを示すアイコンを表示してほしい。

### 5/5 — Really nice

*2025-12-25, version 3.11.0*

It’s a really nice way to have wikipedia with you at all times. The search is very quick and useful. It’s really useful to have, and easy to use.
       My only note is that there isn’t a lot of detail regarding specifications of downloads and their versions. For instance, I had to look up what Wikipedia 0.8 was. There is some basic information, like number of articles and type of details in the download, however.

### 5/5 — Pretty good

*2025-12-16, version 3.11.0*

Very good app, a option to backup data to iCloud file storage and other cloud storage providers would be great.

### 3/5 — Проблемы после обновления

*2025-12-14*

После обновления 3.11.0 приложение стало вылетать. Также перестали открываться многие статьи.
iOS 18.2

**Developer response:** We believe to have fixed the problem in the latest release. Do you confirm?

### 5/5 — best wiki

*2025-12-14, version 3.11.0*

Good

### 4/5 — Great app; just having problems

*2025-12-02, version 3.11.0*

Many of the ZIM files are stuck at 0% downloading and won’t download at all. The ZIM files of the wikimedia projects all have been working and are able to be downloaded, but other files like the XKCD comics, rationalwiki, and stanford encyclopedia of philosophy wouldn’t download at all. So yeah. I love this idea so much and it has been cool to use but I wish I could download those and hope it gets fixed soon.

### 3/5 — Lots of crashes in newest release

*2025-11-21, version 3.11.0*

Many many crashes on iOS 26.1 on a standard iPhone 14. Hopefully this can be fixed soon.

### 4/5 — New vs updated content?

*2025-11-18, version 3.10.1*

In the Categories section, when browsing the “newest” content, please distinguish between content that has been added for the first time, vs content that has simply been updated! That would be super useful!

### 5/5 — Beste

*2025-11-17*

Einer meiner Lieblings Apps. Fehlt noch Bilderkennung und ne paar KI Stuff dann hätte man das Pad von Per Anhalter durch die Galaxis 😉😁

### 5/5 — Feedback loop 2

*2025-11-16, version 3.10.1*

No guidance received from Kiwix

### 2/5 — Videos?

*2025-11-13, version 3.10.1*

No videos for you, reader is nice for text only

### 5/5 — オフラインWikipedia

*2025-11-05*

アプリにデータをダウンロードすることで、オフラインでWikipediaを閲覧できるアプリです。
画像ありのデータセットが27.33GB、画像なしのデータセットは13.3GB、ミニサイズのデータセットは2.82GBでした。医療版データセットもあるようです。
UIも使いやすいと思います。

## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated)

### 1/5 — Lacks discoverability

*2026-06-08, version 3.15.1*

Ironically, users of this offline knowledge library are left needing a built-in ZIM help file to locate, access, navigate, and manage downloaded ZIM files. Until this changes, asking users to donate feels premature.

Update in response to the developers question as to what difficulty do I face? The difficulties have been adequately described and are self-evident on iPad.

### 1/5 — How to logout

*2026-03-26*

Never

**Developer response:** To use Kiwix, you don't have to login (or logout) anywhere.

### 1/5 — 中文搜索爛透了

*2025-08-19, version 3.9.0*

僅支持2個字查詢，失去了搜索的價值

### 1/5 — Gute App

*2025-04-03, version 3.8.0*

Leider kein Dunkelmodus ansonsten prima App , Danke.

### 1/5 — Chinese search is not available.

*2025-02-27, version 3.7.1*

Chinese search

### 1/5 — 中文无法搜索的问题依旧没有解决！

*2025-02-01, version 3.7.1*

中文无法搜索了，并且目前还未解决。

### 1/5 — Unworkable.

*2024-12-27, version 3.6.0*

Everything takes two months to install. Just don't download it, for my sanity and yours.

### 1/5 — Broken

*2024-12-15, version 3.6.0*

App is broken!! Won’t even open it’s own zim files!

### 1/5 — Katalog Daten

*2024-11-09, version 3.5.2*

Mit ios 18.1 werden keine Katalog Daten mehr aktualisiert ! Bitte Fehler beheben !

### 1/5 — Deleted right after finishing

*2024-11-02, version 3.5.2*

I just spent several hours downloading Wikipedia just for it to delete itself immediately after finishing

## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated)

### 5/5 — Amazing

*2026-07-19, version 3.15.1*

This is such a useful tool thank you for making it!

### 5/5 — Appreciate the easy access to specific catalogues

*2026-07-02*

Amazing how volunteers have done so much and made knowledge easier to download based on your needs.

### 5/5 — GOD BLESS YOU!

*2026-06-08, version 3.15.1*

Whoever made this, you are well wished.

### 5/5 — Perfect app

*2026-05-02, version 3.14.0*

Worthy of every star.

### 5/5 — All of Wikipedia

*2026-04-04, version 3.13.0*

Allows you to download all of Wikipedia

### 5/5 — Kiwix experience

*2026-03-23, version 3.13.0*

Very nice!

### 5/5 — Prepared

*2026-03-15, version 3.13.0*

Disaster prep docs downloaded. Thank you!

### 5/5 — Get rich in the apocalypse

*2026-03-11, version 3.13.0*

You’ll see some valuable hard drives filled w these in the future 😉

### 5/5 — Opino

*2026-03-04, version 3.13.0*

Excelente para comprobar la certeza de lo q haya visto en las diferentes búsquedas. Kiwix es una selección hecha muy profesionalmente q me confirma o hace evaluar nuevamente, lo que he estado buscando.
Honestamente, creo q todos los inquietos del saber, debían llevarla consigo como si fuera el profesor que aprueba nuestra búsqueda.
GRACIAS

### 5/5 — dark mode plz

*2026-03-01, version 3.13.0*

dark mode plz

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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 2026-09-01.*