# LivePen — user reviews > 38 indexed App Store user reviews of LivePen by Livescribe Inc., rated 3.00/5 from 34 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/livepen/id6467809022/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/livepen/id6467809022.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 9 · 4★ 4 · 3★ 7 · 2★ 5 · 1★ 9 ## Newest reviews (17 of 38) ### 3/5 — App funktioniert nicht, wie dargestellt *2025-05-13, version 1.11.0* Das Teilen und Drucken von Notizen ist nicht möglich. Somit ist das letzte Bild im Appstore falsch. Auch das Transkribieren in Druckschrift ist nicht möglich. Somit bleibt nur, dass auf dem Livescribe-Papier erfasste Notizen auch in der LivePen- App erscheinen. Auf den Seiten von Livescribe findet man nicht die geringste Hilfe zu diesem Problem. Update: Ich habe per Zufall herausgefunden, wie es funktioniert. Intuitive Bedienung geht aber anders und die Anleitung im Netz ist immer noch nicht hilfreich. ### 2/5 — Good start but cannot maintain *2025-05-13, version 1.11.0* Started we’ll, and have used these before; now the app won’t open (yes I’ve freed up memory) and before that I had to constantly recap the pen then reconnect it for it to record. Was really hoping for better results. ### 2/5 — Terrific start followed by problems *2025-04-05, version 1.9.0* Initially the pen and the sync to the app and the web app worked flawlessly and I was happy. Then the sync became unreliable because some part of the notes would not appear. Tech support promised a fix soon but that was now several days ago and tech support fails to respond to my messages. The pen was promising and I hope there will be follow up and a response to me soon ### 3/5 — The App Needs Work *2025-03-24, version 1.8.0* I've been using Livescribe smartpens since at least 2011. I love my Echo smarten but just purchased the livepen. Nice for the price but the app is bare bones. And the pen seems to not display all of my notes, as I am missing certain writing sessions. It's as if the pen doesn't always connect to my phone, despite being very close to it. ### 2/5 — Low quality software *2025-03-21, version 1.8.0* These guys had a nice concept for over a decade, but always let down by software and pens that don’t talk to each other reliably. So this is a fun concept, but a time sucking, productivity destroying nightmare to use on a daily basis. Guess I will throw the pen away and maybe try again in ten years. ### 3/5 — Not what I expected *2025-03-13, version 1.7.0* I’ve own just about every pen LiveScribe has sold and most worked OK. With the Symphony, the form factor was finally slim enough to actually write well with, but unfortunately it died. Thought I’d try the much less expensive LivePen. Works ok but still clicks constantly (as they all have) as you write since the ink cartridge is slightly smaller a than the ‘tube’ it sits in - very distracting to me. Conversion to text is great. Very surprised it’s not compatible with the LiveScribe+ app. The LivePen app doesn’t do much. Apparently you can’t delete or edit any of your notes in the app, so don’t jot down anything that you don’t want there to be a permanent record of. This pen is a good value, but it’s not going to save LiveScribe. Dumbing-down a product that is too expensive to the point of being almost useless is not a good business strategy. ### 3/5 — Not for iPad *2025-02-21, version 1.5.2* The app is fine for iPhone but does not support landscape mode on the iPad. This really a pain for iPad Pro with keyboard. ### 2/5 — LivePen not working *2025-02-19, version 1.5.2* I decided to try livescribe live pen. Very difficult to set up. Finally after weeks it was working now the writing is intermittently working. Sometimes one or two partial words will show up but mostly nothing is showing on app. Spent 45 minutes troubleshooting. ### 3/5 — Pen not syncing *2025-01-22, version 1.5.1* I was impressed at first- especially when the transcription feature debuted, but less than 2 months into using the pen/notebook/app and it's not connecting and syncing. ### 3/5 — Pen doest work properly with 50% charge. *2025-01-07, version 1.3.1* I lost a lot of functionality when pen was 50% charged. Recharging fixed it. Also be wary of automatic app updates. I lost all my saved data for some time after an app update. Somehow it eventually got restored. Dont know how. ??? ### 3/5 — No Audio Recording *2024-12-28, version 1.3.1* I’ve been in the Livescribe community since the beginning. This is the first pen/app combo that won’t record audio. This pen is much like the Aegir, but the Aegir will use the Livescribe+ app (which will record simultaneous audio), and the LivePen will not. This app will not record audio. Like the Livescribe+ app it will record and display instantly what you write, translate your writing into text, but that’s it. This app does about 20% what the other app does. Bummer. I was so confident in Livescribe that I assumed this pen would just talk to the better app by default. ### 4/5 — Validation email doesn’t work. Pen useless. *2024-12-27, version 1.3.1* When signing up, the validation email has a bad link. It is not possible to actually set up these pens. As it is, they are useless. I had a previous bad experience with two very expensive, $300-plus, Livescribe pens, that both failed prematurely. (But not so prematurely that they were covered by a warranty.) I decided to give the company another try. Not impressed. ### 2/5 — Special Paper Needed *2024-12-26, version 1.3.1* Wasn’t aware of the requirement for specifically made paper. Received the pen not knowing this and was disappointed. Not feasible to continuously purchase special paper just for this pen. ### 3/5 — Just received. Upgrade from Livescribe from 10+ years ago… *2024-12-24, version 1.3.1* I’m just setting it up. I got a bundle for me, my girlfriend and my 25 year-old son. I thought the original pen was pretty cool, so for $50, this makes a great gift. It is truly magical how handwritten words appear on my iPhone/ipad screen in real time. Since this is a very new app, I won’t be too nitpicky, but here are some issues I found so far: 1) No way to zoom in on the page. It’s fine on my 13” iPad, but on a smaller iPhone screen, it is very difficult to read. Zoom capability is a must for the future. 2) No landscape feature for iPad (or iPhone). Landscape is my preferred orientation and I’m guessing that it is for most people. 3) voice recording feature is currently unavailable. Hopefully, this will arrive soon. 4) No way to change the name of my pen. Under “pen management “, my pen is named “LivePen” and I should be able to rename it, but the app will not allow me to. Hopefully, this bug will be addressed shortly as well. 5) Maybe I’m missing something, but there doesn’t seem to be any instructions on how to replace the ink cartridge on Livescribe’s website. I am gently trying to pull out the cartridge from the tip, but I don’t want to accidentally break anything. 6) Y’all need to get some word of mouth/youtube/tiktok, etc. promotion going. There is literally NOTHING about LivePen anywhere on the internet or social media. It’s a great product that very few people know about. I’d like to see Livescribe succeed (selfishly- so I can buy more notepads in the future.) You need better (or SOME) marketing to achieve success… ### 4/5 — Pretty Good *2024-12-19, version 1.3.1* Pen is a good value. Syncs with app well. Transcription of notes and handwriting recognition works well. Of course editing needed. Sorely needed is the ability to organize group and export multiple pages. ### 3/5 — Doesn’t work - Updated *2024-12-03, version 1.2.1* Ordered 4 pens that have not arrived yet, went to download both apple and android app but on the apple app it does not let you agree to the terms. You can check the boxes but no button to agree so it stays frozen on the screen and will not let you continue while using on IPad. The app for android is non existent. The apps were supposed to be on the App Store on Nov 25th then changed to the 29th. I originally had a few of the echo pens that the screens failed and decided to now order the newest model. After seeing the reviews on the previous model I wonder if it was a mistake to order this. Will keep updating. I also noticed that on the website it shows in the notebook picture it seems to also have the ability to record as the old models did but I now see there is no mention of it in any of the literature online. Hope I didn’t make a wrong decision on this. ———————————————————————Updated 12/3/24 Pens received and app does work on android. On App Store for Ipad it does list as it works. I have figured out the problem. If your font size on the iPad is too large it does not display all of the screen and the part containing the button to accept. Workaround is to make the font size smaller on the iPad so the whole screen appears. Still not sure about the voice recording that shows in the book but does not seem to work. Also no quick start guide or any literature in the box or online manual other than a few questions answered in the app. Will update as more info comes available. ### 4/5 — Pretty impressive app! *2024-12-03, version 1.2.1* I’m impressed by how quickly the notes sync to the app—it's in real-time! I received my LivePen today and have been using the app all day. I rated it 4 out of 5 stars because there’s always room for improvement. For instance, I would love for the developers to add a feature that allows for automatic syncing of transcripts to other apps, such as Apple Notes or Google Keep. This would make sharing my notes with others so much easier and convenient! ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — LivePen fail *2025-10-16, version 1.15.1* Worst Livescribe pen experience ever. Have been a client from inception. The lens with their own memory are gems and I still use them. The fail in this “LivePen” has been the need to be on the cloud. Huge lag and past a few pages intermittent processing Very unreliable. Also what a pain initially to even use with the sign on needing to sent a link. Ridiculous. ### 1/5 — Hopeless *2025-08-23, version 1.14.0* I’ve just bought the one and downloaded the software but it insists on ‘sending’ you an email that never arrives. ### 1/5 — App crash *2025-06-21, version 1.14.0* App was ok for a few weeks then it won't open! iPhone update and app update all current. App still will not open. So much for that ! Back to old school notebook! ### 1/5 — My first 1 star review *2025-03-09, version 1.7.0* Incredible how this software got shipped. I work in the software industry and my expectations are realistic. But this software doesn’t work to retrieve from the pen more than 50%, and it rarely provides access to the historical pages. It’s like my previous pages never existed. In other words, it fails at its primary purpose. So, I have 5 notebooks that I can use with an everyday pen because the LivePen cannot be trusted. This is my experience. Your mileage may vary. ### 1/5 — Completely broken *2025-03-05, version 1.6.1* This feel and works like a coding project written by a sloppy intern. The sync is slow and hangs all the time. The UX is unbearable. The realtime sync is a gimmick. ### 1/5 — Having trouble *2024-12-13, version 1.3.0* Recently purchased a pen and it worked at first, but now it does not work. ### 1/5 — Bad privacy policy *2024-12-12, version 1.2.1* After over 20 rounds of opening the app to login and then getting a message that a link was sent then going to the mail app and clicking on the link and then a browser opening with an immediate pop-up to open the app then getting the same message about link sent to my email … one time I finally held my finger right clicking on the link, the stars aligned and the app actually opened. That privacy policy stuff you usually zoom right past … don’t pass it up. Open the policy and just start reading. They can access content you’ve written and use it to analyze what users are using the app / pen for … screeching halt!! Seriously? Then there’s the part about all the other info that is captured about your device, the apps on it, the cookies, the …. Seriously … you need to read it before going any further. Then you will want to package up your shiny new pen and ship it right back. It’s a good deal because of all the data they’re going to harvest about you. Deleting account once I’m able to get thru the cycle of click, email open, click, click, click … same message. Resend email. Shut phone down, and the books don’t specifically support livepen. Lots of controls in back cover but only the pairing one works. Do not buy the pen and if you did be aware of all you’re setting free for the company to gather about you. Sad. It used to be good when livescribe started out 10 years ago or so. But no audio recording, iffy transcription that keeps rewriting itself every time you touch the screen. Just … no. ### 1/5 — Don’t waste your money. *2024-12-03, version 1.2.1* Nothing works: the ball point pen writes and paper is paper. Otherwise nothing works, least of all the app. ### 1/5 — Unable to Sign In to the app. *2024-12-02, version 1.2.1* Neither the Sign-up or Sign-in functions work. Error message is “Redirection to a URL scheme that is not HTTPS” ### 1/5 — Can’t get into the software… *2024-06-18, version 1.0.0* Downloaded this app as an alternative to Livescribe+. Opened it up and faced with a request for a passcode. No idea what that would be. I’ve never heard of LivePen until just now so why would I have a passcode for it. There’s no instruction/hints and no “Forgot password” option either. As this is written by Livescribe, I don’t hold out any hope of getting assistance, they’ve pretty much ignored all my other requests for help on both my pens. If anyone has any suggestion (clean ones please) I’d be most grateful. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Great product & support team *2025-01-31, version 1.5.2* I had a problem connecting pen to my iPad but not iPhone or laptop. After contacting support 😊 the next day I was contacted. They suggested turning off the VPN and using Google/Apple sign in 🥰 it worked perfectly with Apple sign in. I turn on VPN and never had problem! I purchased the ECHO pen for niece because in college audio function is important. ### 5/5 — Update… *2025-01-20, version 1.5.1* I received my new LivePen today and could finish my evaluation of the app with a pen… It is working perfectly well, was easy to setup, and I am now using it both with an iPad and an iPhone. Now, the more functions the app will have, the more I will happy ;-) ### 5/5 — Works like a charm *2024-12-03, version 1.2.1* Just got my Livepen today and watched as my notes were being transferred to the app on my iPhone. The notes were in my handwriting (of course), but it was able to transcribe my notes into text almost flawlessly. When I included some programming code, it added closing parentheses and braces as needed! Impressive! ### 5/5 — Up to standard *2024-12-02, version 1.2.1* Pen arrived today. On time and packaged well. Pen fully charged. Pairing a breeze. No delay and immediately available. Transcription flawless with my worst and best penmanship. Immediately registered with a 7 year old notebook without any extra effort. GOOD JOB ### 5/5 — It’s Live and Working Well *2024-12-02, version 1.2.1* After charging the LivePen which took no time and opened the notebook started writing. The notes appeared automatically. I’ll test the recording features and plan to have fun with this writing instrument. ### 5/5 — Works well *2024-12-02, version 1.2.1* Easy pairing and sync’ing. Works as expected. Converted written text perfectly to text too. Customer Support was helpful when I had a question. ### 5/5 — Functions after a brief stumble *2024-12-02, version 1.2.1* I used the older gen of LiveScribe for teaching and loved them. I have since moved to writing directly on OneNote and recording with Zoom, but missed using the LiveScribe/Paper ecosystem. The main issue was with sharing the “live” pdf files the system created. Less tech-saavy students had trouble figuring how to open the files to enable audio. The new LivePen doesn’t record audio, which is a bit of a bummer, but the app does work. The hardware does seem smooth and the pen feels like a regular pen. I had issues getting the app running, as you must open the link from your mobile device where you installed the app and not from your desktop or another device. Customer support was quick to solve the problem. Also, the Android version is missing. ### 4/5 — Wird immer besser *2025-06-07, version 1.14.0* Ich habe ein Paar Verbesserungsvorschläge eingereicht und es wurden zwei davon umgesetzt. Die Transkription funktioniert derzeit nur in englischer Sprache und nur bei kurzen Aufnahmen aber dafür sehr genau. Bin gespannt auf weitere Updates. ### 4/5 — Good app *2025-05-27, version 1.13.0* Once signed in and writing in the book, app is great. The transcript is near perfect, and is pretty quick at grasping what you are writing. Though I found signing in to your account and getting started was more difficult than most apps, and not entirely user friendly. ### 4/5 — Getting Better *2025-04-20* LivePen has far better handwriting recognition but I still use Livescribe+ regularly for fast USB transfers, automatic cloud backup, using my older papers, and reliability. Still, the last update greatly improved LivePen data transferability. Longer journals nearing the 100 page mark used to choke the software. Each update they make shows a stronger and stronger app with new and improved features. My latest wish is for screen rotation when used with an iPad. **Developer response:** Thank you for your thoughtful review! We're thrilled to hear that you've noticed the improvements in handwriting recognition and data transferability with our latest updates. We appreciate your continued support and are always working to refine the LivePen app. Screen rotation for iPad is a great suggestion, and we’ll be sure to pass it along to our development team for future consideration. Your feedback helps us improve with every update—thanks for being part of the LivePen community! --- *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 2026-06-08.*