# LibrariesWest — user reviews > 78 indexed App Store user reviews of LibrariesWest by Somerset County Council Library Service. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/librarieswest/id935637390/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/librarieswest/id935637390.md ## Newest reviews (16 of 78) ### 1/5 — Awful app *2025-06-06, version 2025.22* The worst app I’ve ever used. Since it was spun off from a more global version to a more local one, it’s gone from bad to worse. I raised a complaint about it losing linked accounts and then had many follow ups where they said the problem was fixed. I must have gone back to them ten times to say it hadn’t. I think it has finally been fixed. Main issue now is that I cannot refresh, so I see my borrowings from weeks ago. If I try to refresh then it wants my user & pin but then gets stuck in some loop and I end up going on circles. The commissioning council(s) as well as the app developers should be ashamed. It annoys me that my council tax is paying people to develop and amend this heap of rubbish. ### 1/5 — Worse than useless *2025-05-24, version 2025.20* A few years ago this app was functional and allowed me to log in. Now I can’t even do that. Utterly useless. ### 1/5 — Almost unusable *2025-05-05, version 2025.1* Like many other reviewers, I can no longer use this app reliably. I’m regularly logged out, losing mine and my family’s details, and it’s not always possible to log back in. When you can log in it’s incredibly slow. The app developers should refund their costs to the library service as it’s not fit for purpose. ### 1/5 — Useless since the update *2025-05-03, version 2025.1* The app was working great until the recent IT change. Since the the app is completely useless. It keeps logging out, removes the linked accounts, sends no notifications whatsoever. Very disappointing. ### 1/5 — Unusable *2025-03-31, version 2024.17* Has been ‘unable to connect to server’ for a fortnight now, if not longer. Previously there were occasional issues with that, but could be fixed by signing out and in again, or even uninstalling and reinstalling the app. Now even after doing that, it’s not connecting to its server - completely defunct ### 1/5 — Upgrades made it unusable *2025-03-22, version 2024.17* Have always used this app to reserve books for our 4 children. Since the ‘upgrade’ last year, the app is unusable. Takes forever load, constantly dropping one of more linked accounts, no longer getting reminders. Please change it back!! ### 1/5 — Erratic and unreliable *2025-03-13, version 2024.17* Soooo clunky, search is not intuitive, app doesn’t seem to work at night, often throws me out. Total rubbish really - the only improvement is that it tells you which books cannot be renewed without you having to renew them all. Assuming you can get it to tell you what you have out on loan in the first place. ### 1/5 — Please fix this app :( *2025-03-06, version 2024.17* It used to be great until the library system update last year. Now it repeatedly unlinks my son’s account from mine. Additionally every time I have opened it up to use in my local library recently it has decided to sign me out ### 1/5 — Horrific *2025-02-13, version 2024.17* This is just the worst app. Worse than it was before! How could they get it so wrong. Has anyone called Solus out? It’s your one business 🤯 literally your tag line on your website is #1 library app. It’s not fit for purpose! ### 2/5 — Very poor *2025-02-10, version 2024.17* I’ve only used library services for the past 2.5 years and the app seemed to work fine before they updated their IT system last year. I no longer receive email reminders and what annoys me the most is that I have to re-link my child’s account into the app every month or even more often, as it keeps disappearing. It’s so frustrating since I use the service mostly for her. ### 1/5 — New Update - still awful *2025-02-09, version 2024.17* Slow, slow, slow. It takes forever to open, I have top open the app about 2 minutes before I need it. Reserving books is a slow and painful process, it often doesn’t work at night time. I assume the hamster that runs the server is busy with something else overnight Edit - still awful. Very slow. the app doesn’t work the majority of the time which means you cannot reserve items. It seems to stop working at night time then comes back online in the morning. I really wish they would revert back to the old version as this one has no benefit and is waste of tax payers money! After waiting a long time with no app as it was been “developed” (usually these things happen in the background, then the apps are switched to the new one) the new app is pretty much the same just less useable. I also cannot reserve books as I have “invalid date” when I click reserve. 2 steps backwards, well done ### 3/5 — Keeps freezing… at night?? *2025-02-07, version 2024.17* I’ve used the app to reserve books for my kids and we can have all our barcodes on there which is great. I can also copy and paste the barcodes into borrow box to log into our separate accounts. BUT I am now trying at 10:30pm and it won’t open. Reading other reviews is this a night time problem?? ### 1/5 — Not fit for purpose *2025-02-04, version 2024.17* This app does not deserve one star. Charges appear on retuned books, no reminders sent out. ‘Glitches’ not resolved. Old app much better. I shall stop using it. Very disappointing. ### 1/5 — So slow and doesn’t work *2025-02-03, version 2024.17* Ever since a risk to libraries closed online access to move to a new platform the app has been AWFUL. It takes ages to log in, gets stuck constantly and takes ages to load anything. Useless! Was much better before. ### 1/5 — Stops working *2025-02-01, version 2024.17* This app is ok - when it works. Which is not very often. It’s really frustrating and almost completely redundant. ### 1/5 — Failed to open *2025-01-22* Have been using this app for years but now it’s suddenly stopped working. Tried uninstalling and reinstalling but now it won’t even install. It seems to think it’s installed already as there a generic icon but no app exists! Weird. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Can’t even login *2026-07-17, version 2026.22* Doesn’t even matter how many times I enter my PIN, says it’s wrong. Reset it. Tells me it doesn’t recognise it. Wait 10mins. Recognises it. Two days later, I’m logged out and the cycle repeats. Used to work alright 5 years ago ### 1/5 — Not working….AGAIN *2026-04-26, version 2026.10* Once more can’t sign in to check/renew. Useless. ### 1/5 — Worst App in the World *2026-04-07, version 2026.10* Once again unable to sign into the App, send an e mail eventually it works again for a short period, rinse and repeat, a two year old could do better. ### 1/5 — Useless! *2026-03-28, version 2026.10* Keeps freezing and becoming unusable. Asks me to verify my account but refuses to let me use the camera to identify my membership. I need to delete it and start over. But it's now lodged itself within the AppStore and I don't know how to put it back on the desktop, for me to delete it there, and then reboot it. What's its problem?!Does Libraries West hate all its readers? ### 1/5 — Unreliable *2026-03-23, version 2026.10* After a good few months of actually working this blasted app is once again not recognising my log in. If you can’t rely on it what, really, is the point? ### 1/5 — More changes = broken app *2025-11-24, version 2025.44* A few years ago this app used to be great, if not a bit basic. We were promised big changes which in actuality was just chaos in app form!! More recently it had finally been working again but they go and change it again and now it’s not working!! Very frustrating. Please fix it! ### 1/5 — Rubbish *2025-08-13, version 2025.24* So slow, always logs me out and my linked accounts. Says my pin is wrong even though it’s not. ### 1/5 — App not working *2025-08-09, version 2025.24* App won’t open unless opening through the App Store, but then not working anyway. The support page doesn’t have anything helpful and no contact details. ### 1/5 — They broke it *2025-06-12, version 2025.22* This app used to be brilliant and I loved ordering books from my home whenever I liked. It was so easy to renew things and I was always sent notifications when I had books due back. Then they updated the library software and since then it’s got worse and worse. Now I can’t even get in the app. I have no idea when my book is due back as they stopped sending reminders, and I’ve stopped ordering more. Such a shame. ### 1/5 — Abysmal *2025-06-07, version 2025.22* Terrible, so slow. Repeatedly asks you to log in, then fails to log in. Absolutely not fit for purpose. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — New app *2018-04-29, version 4.0.4* The new/updated app fixes (to date) all the issues for searches, reservations, renewals etc. I don’t find items on the app and then google the main site to reserve for example. Also, history is back - yes it is, look carefully! 5 star. ### 5/5 — Very useful *2017-07-07, version 3.9.6* Good to renew your loan.I Had a book for a year and didn't pay a penny :) ### 4/5 — Very Useful *2026-03-19, version 2026.10* Search the Catalogue, reserve, renew and more. This app has enabled me to use the Library service again. I live in a rural environment and this enables me to do all I need when using the Library. ‘Use it, or lose it.’ ### 4/5 — Works fine, mostly *2025-12-19, version 2025.44* This app works fine for me, with only one real issue (I’ve tried reporting a bug or cr but this is unavailable). When the app is launched, it grabs the phone’s sound. If I’m using the phone’s music app at the time, the music is stopped and I have to manually restart it, even if the Library app is closed again. The library app doesn’t need the sound, so this needs fixing. ### 4/5 — Works fine *2025-09-23, version 2025.38* This app works fine for me and I’ve had no issues at all with it. I would like to see a “loan history” section, as exists in the Libraries West BorrowBox app (for eBooks). I know there’s a reading list section, but why manually manage a list when the app should be able to store that data? ### 4/5 — Generally good but with flaws *2025-08-05, version 2025.24* Update: now very slow, presumably reading data from server. The time it needs to be quick is when checking out and you need the bar code. As this is local information I suggest that it is displayed while the server request is happening. The renewal problem may have gone away. Original: Very handy for checking return dates and renewing but some annoying bugs. E.g. When trying to renew a FastBack it doesn't say you can't, it just comes up with an error. ### 4/5 — Request for loans history improvement *2023-08-04, version 2022.2.2* A pretty good app. I use it a lot to search for books that I want to reserve which I can also do through the app. I have two requests which would make this app so much more useful Could you add a title and author search filter to the loans history please? I borrow a lot of books and it’s just too cumbersome to search an entire list of loans history to see if I’ve read a book before. Is there any way you can indicate the size of font in the book information? I often reserve books only to find when they arrive that the Print is too small for me to comfortably read. The large print books are too large for me. I just want the regular font size in the books I borrow. ### 4/5 — Wish list? *2019-04-21, version 2018.09* Please can there be a wish list option so that I can add things to my list without necessarily having to order them at that time? Otherwise, it’s all pretty good, thanks ### 4/5 — Now works fine *2018-09-25, version 4.1.0* You can search for titles and authors and get a sensible response, reserve books, and see what you have out on loan. Vast improvement over previous version that didn’t work at all. Well worth downloading. ### 4/5 — Generally good as long as you know what you want *2018-05-29, version 4.0.4* If you know the title of what you want it’s great, but there’s no facility for browsing categories which would be good. Personally I think a notes area would be good --- *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 2026-08-11.*