# LINKcat Mobile — user reviews

> 70 indexed App Store user reviews of LINKcat Mobile by South Central Library System, rated 2.80/5 from 40 ratings.

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/linkcat-mobile/id496788016/reviews
- App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/linkcat-mobile/id496788016.md
- Rating breakdown: 5★ 12 · 4★ 3 · 3★ 6 · 2★ 4 · 1★ 15

## What do users think of LINKcat Mobile?

Overall sentiment: negative

**Pros**

- 👍 Easy to place books on hold
- 👍 Linked accounts for family
- 👍 App is handy for mobile access
- 👍 Can renew books
- 👍 App works for requesting books

**Cons**

- 🐛 Constantly logs out
- 🐛 Freezes and crashes
- 🐛 Unable to load data
- 🐛 Login issues
- 🐛 Slow loading times
- 🐛 Unintuitive wishlist adding
- 🐛 Limited search options
- 🐛 No way to contact developer
- 🐛 App is glitchy
- 🐛 Useless when not working
- 🐛 Clunky interface
- 🐛 Outdated UI
- 🐛 Randomly boots users off
- 🐛 Requires multiple logins
- 🐛 Search function glitches
- 🐛 Cannot renew items
- 🐛 Terrible search feature
- 🐛 App is non-functional
- 🐛 Barely works
- 🐛 Cumbersome to use
- 🐛 Poorly designed

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Won't stay logged in
- Randomly boots out
- Freezes
- Unable to load data
- Cannot automatically pull up saved passwords
- Adding books to wishlist freezes the app
- Search options are shaved down
- No way to contact developer
- Keeps you logged in sometimes, or randomly boots you off
- Constant log in issues
- Super glitchy
- App keeps you logged in sometimes, or randomly boots you off
- Works sometimes, but not always
- Update has some improvements, but still doesn't stay logged in
- Logging in requires more steps
- Unusable
- Error message or nothing happens
- Doesn't work 99% of the time
- Can't place items on hold
- Update does not work
- Cannot use Place Hold button
- Recent update breaks it for iPhone 14
- Rarely shows checkouts
- Actions like renewals result in glitches and crashes
- Constantly log in & out to be able to search
- Not recognizing login at all
- Always full of bugs
- More of a pain to use than anything
- Slowest app ever used
- Takes forever to load
- Makes you resign in almost every time
- Claims username or password are incorrect every other time
- User lists missing
- UI feels like it was developed a decade ago
- Weird and unintuitive transition when opening activity
- Takes too many taps to see holds
- Renew button visible but item cannot be renewed
- Keep signed in checkbox only intermittently effective
- Linked accounts make life easier
- App is still a little on the slow side
- Lots of issues logging in
- Keeps kicking me out
- Unsaved all my saved books
- Login broken after update
- Useless after update
- Can't login since latest update
- Uncertainty is not a good feature
- Unable to show checkouts or holds
- Timeout error message
- Same issue with search function
- Horrible
- Can't renew
- Trouble logging in or won't stay logged in
- Terrible search feature
- Stopped working
- Puts you into a log into my account loop
- Still unreliable
- Never works
- Worthless
- Truly terrible
- Never seems to work
- Frustrating
- Libraries not open, need app for curbside pickup
- Reserving books online is the only option
- Please update!
- Many deficiencies
- SO slow
- Keep getting notified it won't work after iOS update
- A nightmare
- Slow, terrible, barely functioning
- Doesn't work anymore
- Non functional
- Terrible app
- Basically nonfunctional
- An all around terrible app
- Does almost nothing you want it to do
- Slower than a turtle with a hangover
- It works, sort of
- Clunky and very slow
- Doesn't maintain login
- Searching is painful
- Unusable
- Stuck with last search results
- Can't get to checked out items to renew
- Please fix
- Terrible after update
- Can't search or place holds
- Terrible App
- Useless
- Doesn't load
- Search function glitches
- Can't easily renew books
- Fix it please
- Upgraded only to ruin it
- Frustratingly glitch-prone
- Search results not accurate
- Keyboard commands return incorrect characters
- Forced re-authentication
- A real mess
- Holds aren’t working anymore
- Placing a hold via the app doesn't work
- Worst app I have
- Useful concept but barely works
- Shocking that this is the best the library can come up with
- Clumsy, awkward, unreliable
- Half the time it won't load search page
- Fails to bring up item
- Keyboard doesn't have a space bar
- Delete button added random letters
- Recent update made it unusable
- Almost impossible to see checked out items
- Have to log out and try to log back in
- Logging back in takes several tries
- Constantly redirects back to home page
- Won't work
- Need an updated version
- Miss being able to manage library account from phone
- Unusable
- Made an update in Dec 2019 and now it doesn't work
- Wish this app worked
- Some days it does, most of the time it doesn't
- Won't log in
- Errors most of the time
- It had issues, now it is unusable
- Can't even get into account
- Holds don't show up on account
- Horrible
- Super super slow
- Won't load checked out/hold items
- Searches come up blank since update
- Time to Update
- 5 years since last update
- Many improvements necessary
- Really needs updating
- Desperately needs to be updated
- What WHY HOW
- Can't perform basic functions
- Awful
- Slow
- Need to keep logging back on
- Can't find what you need
- Hard to figure out how to renew
- Outdated and poorly constructed
- Polarized
- Does not work right even after reinstall
- Used to work okay, now broken
- App won't load checkout/hold lists
- Half the time page won't load
- Error pops up
- Have to scroll all the way down to local library
- Come on.
- Incredibly slow
- Functionality not quicker
- Every function takes about 30 seconds
- Log in - 30 seconds
- Type search - wait 30 seconds
- Hit hold button - wait 30 seconds
- Finalize hold - 30 more seconds
- Incredibly unreliable
- HATE it
- Slow as dial-up
- Runs as slowly as dial-up
- Terrible
- Constantly freezing up
- Extremely slow
- Doesn't work. Please fix!
- Works less than half the time
- Shows old cached list
- Throws an error
- Unreliable
- Okay when it works, but no telling when
- Very slow and glitchy
- Different types of errors
- Loads but only loads back to home screen
- Rarely updates checked out/on hold
- Broken
- App worked great until past week
- All I get is an error message
- Tried deleting and re-downloading, didn't help
- Need to go through web browser
- Very frustrating
- Broken!
- App has been broken for about a month
- All I can get are error messages
- Try refresh page messages
- Really poor
- As bad of an app as I have seen
- Terrible interface
- Search is all but useless
- Worked great for about 2 weeks, then stopped working completely
- Unknown error
- Tried re-downloading with no success
- Running terrible
- Times out constantly
- Need a Passbook interface
- Technology doesn't always win
- Difficult to navigate
- Hard to find results
- Uninspiring, poor UI/UX
- Simple wrapper app around mobile website
- Mobile website is poorly designed
- Not pretty, but it works.
- Works fine on iPad 3 iOS 6.01
- Not a "beautiful" app
- Ok folks, who can do better?!
- Wish this app worked reliably
- Rarely works
- Fails to come up with response to search
- Says to try again later
- Finding results unrelated to search terms
- Missing an important feature
- Prioritizing a sort for checked out items
- Show up in random order
- Good start I suppose
- Nice to have
- Convenient to have mobile access
- Navigation isn't the best
- Takes more tapping around than it should
- Downloads from Overdrive don't seem to be working
- Couldn't get barcode scan to work
- Disappointing Functionality!
- Renewing items requires lots of scrolling
- Much easier to use full LinkCat site on iPhone
- Need same functionality of full site in mobile app

**Most requested features**

- Add user lists
- Improve UI/UX
- Implement tab bar navigation
- Add dark mode
- Allow searching by language
- Provide a way to contact developers
- Improve search filters
- Add Passbook interface for membership card
- Sort checked out list by due date
- Make search results more accurate
- Improve keyboard for searches with spaces

## Newest reviews (15 of 70)

### 3/5 — Update has some improvements

*2024-10-02*

I like that holds in transit and ready for pickup are now at the top of the list. 
Still doesn’t stay logged in very often and logging in requires more steps.

### 3/5 — Not so great

*2022-03-28*

It's fine when it's working, which is rare. I've had to constantly log in & out to be able to search. Now today it's not recognizing my login at all. Using the website via desktop is fine. This app is always full of bugs. More of a pain to use it than anything.

### 3/5 — Painful

*2021-09-21, version 2021.1*

I love the features of LINKCat— obviously can search and place books on hold, renew material, save me an extra trip to the library, etc. However, it is the slowest app I have ever used. It takes forever to load, it makes me resign in almost every time I use it, and it claims my username or password are incorrect every other time.

### 3/5 — Still needs modernization

*2021-07-27*

The app has most of the basic features users would expect, except for user lists being completely missing. However, the UI feels like it was developed a decade ago. A couple examples: When opening an activity from the dashboard, there’s a very weird and unintuitive transition as a navigation controller appears, and when we press back to return to the dashboard. Also, it takes one tap from the homepage to open local newspaper indexes, and two taps to see what books I have on hold, even though seeing what books I have on hold is a *way* more common activity for an average library user. Finally, if an item is on hold and can’t be renewed, the renew button is still visible, but when it is clicked an alert pops up saying that the item can’t be renewed. Why show this button in the first place? It makes no sense. In general, this would be better laid out as a tab bar application, with the dashboard being a tab (or even some dashboard activities having their own tabs, like checked out and holds) and the other activities on the home screen that are most commonly used as other tabs. Also, the “keep signed in” checkbox is only intermittently effective, I’m sometimes logged out after I use the app.

### 2/5 — Can’t login since latest update

*2021-03-22*

I like the app and have been using it a lot during quarantine in order to get books on hold for curbside pickup. I have not been able to login for about a week, coincident with the last update to the app. Just checked again for the third time today and was able to login. The uncertainty is not a good feature. After successful login, the app was unable to show me my checkouts or hold—I got a time out error message. I had the same issue with the search function. Help!

### 1/5 — Stopped working

*2021-02-14, version 1.93*

While it worked poorly it used to work. Now it just puts you into a log into my account loop regardless of what you press and doesn’t let you login or do anything.

### 1/5 — Still unreliable

*2021-02-12, version 1.93*

Last update was 6 years ago at this point. Never works. Just use the website.

### 1/5 — Worthless

*2021-02-03, version 1.93*

Is zero stars an option? This app is truly terrible. It used to be glitchy and kind of annoying, but would seem to fix itself within the day. Now it never seems to work. I find it particularly frustrating these days as the libraries in our area are not open to the public, but will do curbside pickup. Reserving books online is literally the only option.

### 2/5 — Please update!

*2021-02-02, version 1.93*

This app has so many deficiencies and is SO slow...and now I keep getting notified that it won’t work after another iOS update if it isn’t updated... There has to be a way to improve this experience. I hope it’s being worked on as this is the way my library system has chosen for reserving books...  please fix!!

### 1/5 — A nightmare

*2020-08-23, version 1.93*

Slow, terrible, barely functioning

### 1/5 — Doesn’t work

*2020-08-16, version 1.93*

The app flat out doesn’t work anymore

### 1/5 — Non functional

*2020-03-10, version 1.93*

This app is terrible. It’s basically nonfunctional and there are other better public library apps out there. I hope my library switches soon.

### 2/5 — An all around terrible app

*2020-03-09, version 1.93*

If you want a frustrating experience then check out this app! It does almost nothing you want it to do. The times it does work it’s slower than a turtle with a hangover. Boo. Terrible. I wouldn’t bother using it or reviewing it but it’s the only way I have to request books.

### 2/5 — It works, sort of

*2020-03-03, version 1.93*

Clunky and very slow.  Doesn’t maintain your login from once use to the next. Searching is painful.  That said, I can usually accomplish what I want to do, just much less easily than it could be.

### 1/5 — Unusable

*2020-02-24, version 1.93*

This app used to work fine to find books, place holds, and renew items. Now I’m stuck with my last search results and a login screen - I can’t get to my checked out items to do a renewal. 

Maybe my overdue fines will help pay someone to fix the app...

## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated)

### 1/5 — Won’t stay logged in

*2026-01-29*

There’s no point in using this app if I have to log in every single time I open it. At least my browser will autofill my card number and PIN

### 1/5 — Boots you off

*2025-04-29*

The app keeps you logged in sometimes, or randomly boots you off. Much easier with saved ID and password to go to the library website itself. Time for a major update.

### 1/5 — Constant log in issues

*2025-02-05*

Super glitchy

### 1/5 — Unusable

*2023-06-27*

It worked for a while and I could at least see my holds and checked out items.  Now I can’t do anything.  Either there is an error message or literally nothing happens at all when I click on the main page sections.

### 1/5 — Doesn’t work 99% of the time

*2023-03-12*

This is the worst app I’ve ever used. If it’s not one issue, it’s a dozen others. It literally doesn’t work - EVER.

### 1/5 — Can’t place items on hold

*2023-01-16*

Update does not work. Cannot use Place Hold button. Useless.

### 1/5 — Recent update breaks it for iPhone 14

*2022-12-18*

Been pretty flawless for years until a few weeks ago. Now it rarely if ever shows my checkouts and any actions like renewals result in glitches and crashes. Please fix!!

### 1/5 — Can’t login- keep getting kicked out

*2021-05-26, version 2.23*

Since last update having lots of issues logging in, keeps kicking me out and unsaved all my saved books very frustrating

### 1/5 — Login Broken

*2021-03-25, version 2.23*

I can no longer log in after it updated.  It’s now useless.

### 1/5 — Horrible.

*2021-03-15, version 2.23*

There’s so such wrong with the app. Can’t renew. Trouble logging in or won’t stay logged in. Terrible search feature. 

Just look at the CountyCat app and adapt.

## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated)

### 5/5 — App

*2024-10-06*

Wanted something like this for a while

### 5/5 — Finally

*2021-06-01*

Thank you

### 5/5 — Love it

*2019-04-03, version 1.93*

Always go here to request a book from my library.  Very reliable

### 5/5 — I love this app!

*2017-03-23, version 1.93*

I've never had a problem with this app. I use it to keep a list of books I want to read and then request them from the library. I like that I can renew books, too.

### 5/5 — Not pretty, but it works.

*2012-11-11, version 1.5*

Works fine on iPad 3 iOS 6.01. Not a "beautiful" app, but it works well and is a great way to check books out on-line and see the status of your: holds, fines, books out, etc.

### 4/5 — Why 17+?

*2024-09-22*

I like this app well enough. I prefer to use a PC to navigate my library catalog, but this works fine. However, when my 13 year old took over responsibility for their own library account, I had them get the app. I had to change the content and privacy restrictions on their phone from 12+ to 17+ and the LinkCat app goes away if I switch it back down. Why is this app 17+?! 🙄

### 4/5 — Much better!

*2021-06-14*

The app is so much better with the recent update. I love the linked accounts - makes my life as a mom much easier. The app is still a little on the slow side, but I can deal with that.

### 4/5 — Handy app

*2012-06-08, version 1.5*

Much quicker than using the website on the go.  Please make a sort for my checked out list!  I want to see what is due when and what may need to be renewed.

### 4/5 — nice to have

*2012-06-02*

Convenient to have mobile access to put holds on books, browse, and check due dates.

Navigation isn't the best. Takes more tapping around than it should to find things. Also, downloads from Overdrive don't seem to be working. Couldn't get the barcode scan to work, either (cool idea, though!) But, hey, it's free, and much easier than trying to use the regular web interface on a tiny screen.

### 3/5 — Good …. when it works

*2025-09-06*

When it’s not randomly booting me out, freezing, or unable to load data, it’s not bad. Unlike other apps, when you need to log back in, you can’t automatically pull up your saved passwords, so I’m cursing the app at least monthly for that. Putting books on hold is easy; I really appreciate that. But adding books to a wishlist is unintuitive and complicated. (I see there is now a little bookmark symbol at the top of the screen for adding books to a wishlist, but it freezes the app and requires closing & reopening the app.) The search options are also shaved down; you can’t search for titles in a specific language, for example. And to top it all off, there is no way within the app to contact the developer to report bugs or request improvements.

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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 2026-08-23.*