# London Review of Books — user reviews > 179 indexed App Store user reviews of London Review of Books by LRB Limited, rated 4.90/5 from 3,207 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/london-review-of-books/id895291232/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/london-review-of-books/id895291232.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 2,937 · 4★ 190 · 3★ 32 · 2★ 11 · 1★ 37 ## What do users think of London Review of Books? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 🌟 Excellent publication - 🌟 Wonderful writing - 🌟 Insightful content - 👍 Simple and clean interface - 👍 Easy to navigate - 🚀 Fast downloads **Cons** - 🐛 Crashes and freezes - 🔍 Limited search functionality - 📚 Incomplete access to archive - 🔧 Lacking customization options - 💾 Issues with offline reading and bookmarking **Commonly reported bugs** - Frequent crashes when using dictionary lookup - Issues with downloading and accessing new issues - Problems with syncing progress across devices **Most requested features** - Add search function - Improve offline reading capabilities - Implement bookmarking and progress tracking - Provide more font and theme options - Integrate with web subscription for full archive access ## Newest reviews (13 of 179) ### 4/5 — Love it! *2026-08-19, version 4.4* I really enjoy this subscription, but it’s a little blinky. IRight now I can’t figure out how to view any issue except the current one- what happened to the archive? Update: I searched the question online and see that the archive has a separate web address. So no problems, perfectly happy. I also got a response from the developer on this- they are very helpful. ### 3/5 — Please enable immersive reading option *2026-07-03, version 4.4* The app works great but with this caveat - When reversing the scrolling direction of Saved articles, The 'Saved' ribbon and the back button appear on top and vanish, once resuming the normal scrolling direction. This affects the reading experience. If the 'Saved' ribbon and the back button will only come up upon tapping or some such control, it would result in a seemless reading experience. Kindly consider to include this feature. ### 3/5 — Inaccurate App Store Description for In-App Purchases *2025-08-09, version 4.2* According to the App Store, in-app purchases are supported, including 1 year subscriptions. Pretty sure that’s not the case. LRB doesn’t seem to have figured out that reducing friction is good for business… ### 5/5 — Buggy and basic *2024-06-25, version 4.1* I download back issues and mark favourites and they disappear. I get numerous errors when launching on 4G or if the app is backgrounded for any length of time. Not sure why there isn’t a remote server user profile that stores more about my use and bookmarks than just account info. It’s a shame, the content is magnificent. ### 5/5 — No offline reading *2024-06-17, version 4.1* Please make downloaded content available offline ### 5/5 — Fabulous writing. *2024-06-09, version 4.1* Thanks for the good work. ### 2/5 — Can’t swipe to the next article anymore *2024-05-04, version 4.1* It has improved very slowly over the years , but following the last update it no longer lets you swipe right to go to the next article, after reading for a while. Most random, bizarre error. You have to exit the current issue, then try and find the issue again, which isn’t easy, if you’re a little behind. Also, it does not let you load the ToC for some reason. The Back button takes you straight to the list of issues, not the ToC. Very annoying. Usability is down again. ### 5/5 — And it's a bargain too *2024-04-03, version 4.0* Such a great, stimulating journal. The app is pretty good, especially when you compare it to the NYRB one. Works very well and looks good. ### 3/5 — BRING BACK WORD COUNT! *2024-03-23, version 4.0* Bring back word count! ### 5/5 — Ecclesiastical! *2024-01-19, version 4.0* Always provides a triggers on philosophical reflections on the uncertainties of human existence. Seriously and tongue in cheek. ### 4/5 — Content good - app currently annoying *2024-01-13, version 4.0* Major complaint is annoying inability to swipe between articles once you start reading them. Otherwise works fine. ### 2/5 — Incomplete application *2024-01-03, version 4.0* There is no digital version of the print edition. It is unfortunate, reading experience is incomplete. ### 5/5 — Thank you for fixing text sizing issues. *2023-12-29, version 4.0* Great publication, good app. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Appalling subscriber support *2026-07-22, version 4.4* The paper is great and the app is very good, but customer service is appalling. It proved impossible to renew a gift subscription. They charged me three times (eventually refunded). Then they locked me out of the app before my sub had ended. Finally sorted out (with an entirely new subscription); hopefully no more problems. ### 1/5 — Great writing, awful app *2025-12-08, version 4.4* The LRB has some of the best writing in the UK, no doubt, but the app is dreadful - even if you can get it to recognise your subscription number, which will likely involve a battle, it’s very poorly designed. There are no options to increase font size or boldness (the text colour looks very cool, but is not good for those with poorer eyesight), nor any other options that readers might enjoy to make the best use of the technology. It’s still worth subscribing, but prepare to wait a long time for a response from technical support when the app won’t let you sign in. ### 1/5 — Appalling subscriber support *2025-12-05, version 4.4* The paper is great and the app will s very good, but customer service is appalling. It proved impossible to renew a gift subscription. They charged me three times (eventually refunded). Now they’ve locked me out of the app before my sub has ended. ### 1/5 — Can’t access my subscription *2025-07-28, version 4.2* I paid for a subscription but keep getting a message that I don’t have a subscription. I’m going to pursue a chargeback with my credit card company ### 1/5 — Not good *2025-01-14, version 4.2* I love the LRB and have subscribed to print edition for 20 years. But app seems pretty useless. Search function is hopeless. ### 1/5 — Infuriating keeps failing to work offline *2024-03-14, version 4.0* I mainly want to read on the tube. Unfortunately most times you try and open this offline it will either fail to open the feed at all of it will have deleted all the issues you downloaded before. ### 1/5 — Needs more work *2024-01-25, version 4.0* This app is pretty frustrating - settings are limited, font size, scrolling and other features don’t quite work as you would expect them to ### 1/5 — I really wanted this app, but... *2023-01-27, version 3.2* I'm a new subscriber to LRB. Love the content, but the small font in the print edition is not very readable to my macular-degenerated eyes unless I have unusually good light. I was so happy to see that there is now an app I can run on my iPad Pro M2. I downloaded the issue I'm currently reading, January 5. Nice reading on my big bright screen! But just for the first few articles - then on the "Magpies" piece, the app crashes immediately. Whenever I go back in, even if I clear memory, "Magpies" comes up and the app crashes again. I am unable to navigate away from it. So it's back to the eyestrain print until this is fixed. ### 1/5 — Made purposefully hard to just search and read? *2022-12-17, version 3.2* Why not like rest of internet? ### 1/5 — Arrrrgh, so bloody frustrating!!! *2022-06-29, version 3.2* Attempting to look up word meaning in dictionary definition on iPad freezes the app with no (apparent) means to escape aside from a nasty uninstall and reinstall. For me, getting past the first paragraph of any article in LRB is therefore pretty much impossible. Emailed support, but no response for last couple’f weeks. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Eye Candy *2026-05-27, version 4.4* My eyes are not assaulted by ads. Best reading experience of any news app. ### 5/5 — Approve *2026-04-20, version 4.4* Love that the app has a dark mode and zero distractions whilst reading. ### 5/5 — Get it. Read it. *2025-12-28, version 4.4* Best combination of essays available today on what’s new in books and on what’s new (or old) in culture, in art, and in politics. Endlessly sharp and entertaining. ### 5/5 — Great App *2025-12-18, version 4.4* I love the LRB. The App is easy to search and find articles and save them. I wish it still had a dedicated space for saving the ones you want to read later. ### 5/5 — A publication you cannot afford to be withou *2025-10-15, version 4.3* A totally indispensable fortnightly arrival - the breadth of its subject matter never fails to amaze (and instruct). ### 5/5 — Larger type please *2025-07-26, version 4.2* Make your typeface much larger. ### 5/5 — Thanks. *2025-01-23, version 4.2* Brilliant! Every issue. Thank you. ### 5/5 — It is always a pleasure to read *2024-12-02, version 4.2* I can always count on the writing skill of the reviewers to make reading the LRB a pleasure to read but the more often than not the depth of their knowledge and insight keeps me subscribing ### 5/5 — The best periodical *2024-11-29, version 4.2* The LRB is my favorite reading material, being more diverse in both its subjects and writers than any other. It has managed to print important work in spite of controversies that intimidated better known journals. I’ve saved more of its stories, both for the content and the quality of the writing, and found that when other publications aged into annoyances, the LRB continues to hold my attention and to satisfy my insatiable curiosity about the only world I inhabit. ### 5/5 — Please shorten the app name to ‘LRB’ *2024-09-01, version 4.2* Currently the title underneath the app icon cuts off ‘LondonReview…’ as it is too long. I realise this is a niche request, however the issue triggers my OCD. --- *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 2026-08-28.*