Frustrating User Experience
Similar to what others have said (3+ years on and they still haven’t fixed it), an e-textbook is interactive with highlighted words that have definitions when you click on them, etc. Half the time when you tap on a word for a definition, the app jumps you forward multiple pages. Same with trying to close the definition. Same with trying to scroll to the next page, etc. Give how much Macmillan is charging us just to rent their e-textbooks, it’s despicable that they won’t hire the right engineers to create a well-built, easy to use app.
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Would not recommend.
It is difficult to create an account on the app even if your account works online. You will waste plenty of time flipping through webpages to create a second account for your account to even use the app.
Beyond the app, the website is problematic and completely unreliable on iPhone. The menu glitches constantly and will not give access to the table of contents to access the required reading for assignments. Adaptive quizzes also do not work often on the website on iPhone.
Customer service will send you in loops if you do not have screenshots of everything, and you can’t take screenshots of a menu that is glitching open and closed, so they pretty much won’t help with some things. I have had 1/4 issues resolved and some not even addresses.
In summary:
This should not be your only source for a textbook unless you are planning on using your laptop consistently and not your phone. The website is more reliable than the app, and it still has consistent issues that aren’t being resolved. Customer service is hard to communicate with unless you have plenty of time and screenshots of everything.
Beyond the app, the website is problematic and completely unreliable on iPhone. The menu glitches constantly and will not give access to the table of contents to access the required reading for assignments. Adaptive quizzes also do not work often on the website on iPhone.
Customer service will send you in loops if you do not have screenshots of everything, and you can’t take screenshots of a menu that is glitching open and closed, so they pretty much won’t help with some things. I have had 1/4 issues resolved and some not even addresses.
In summary:
This should not be your only source for a textbook unless you are planning on using your laptop consistently and not your phone. The website is more reliable than the app, and it still has consistent issues that aren’t being resolved. Customer service is hard to communicate with unless you have plenty of time and screenshots of everything.
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Dont
I got this app thinking it’d be convenient access for the ~$60 ebook I purchased. Little did I know just how frustrated I’d become with this thing…
1. The log-in is basically impossible. You create an account on the website, buy the book, then when you get the app and try to login it tells you your account doesn’t exist. Website works fine. What?
2. If you try to access the book on an app like Safari you get pulled into an inescapable loop of sites that does not let you access your book. By far the most frustrating experience personally. Also, sometimes on the actual website, through a laptop/computer, it can still be difficult to get to your book.
It is a massive disservice to students who just want to *use* the book they paid for! Keep your money and look elsewhere, because judging by the other reviews they’re not going to improve nor help.
1. The log-in is basically impossible. You create an account on the website, buy the book, then when you get the app and try to login it tells you your account doesn’t exist. Website works fine. What?
2. If you try to access the book on an app like Safari you get pulled into an inescapable loop of sites that does not let you access your book. By far the most frustrating experience personally. Also, sometimes on the actual website, through a laptop/computer, it can still be difficult to get to your book.
It is a massive disservice to students who just want to *use* the book they paid for! Keep your money and look elsewhere, because judging by the other reviews they’re not going to improve nor help.
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Log in to app impossible
I can’t log into the app despite my information being correct and working on the browser log in. There is no helpful customer support, only an unhelpful chat bot and no way to contact actual IT support on their website. I need this textbook for a class and do not want to spend an hour that was supposed to be for studying just trying to log in instead. Waste of my time app doesn’t work.
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Log in issue
I just got the app and I’ve logged in on my laptop my safari on my iPad but on the downloaded app it says my log in information is incorrect. I know my password so I hope this issue is resolved because I am seeing other people have this same issue.
what if you worked
what if a book I payed 100 dollars for was fully inaccessible
Log in and Ebook down
The ebook was down on the website and tried to access through the app, but surely when I tried to log in, it says my password or email is incorrect so I try to reset it and the reset email says my account does not exist. Maybe it’s because it’s a school email but $45 for an ebook that isn’t reliable is a scam. I can’t even study.
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Logging in issues
Just like every other review it is impossible to log into your account on the app it says a sign in doesn’t exist but logging in on a computer is so fine
Issue with log in
I can access my textbook on my school chromebook but cannot on my iPhone??
Won’t work
Will not let you log in this app is horrible
Cannot log-in
Tried to log-in using my student id, it did not work. Created a vitalsource acc, did not also work. Don’t waste ur time, and just access the ebook on their website.
All my annotations were deleted
This was right before my biochem exam and when I opened the app it made me download the book again and none of my annotations were saved
Keeps crashing after iPadOS 26 update
Before the update, book would open just fine. Now the app crashed each time I try to open it.
It’s so RIGID
There’s no way to annotate or write on the ebook like a normal PDF. The highlighting is so unstable. It connects incorrectly. It doesn’t follow the pointer efficiently. The only thing you could do, is highlight, which doesn’t help with studying at all. These ebooks are almost $200 ,yet both the website and the app are so slow in even loading the information to read also. It’s coupled with the FACT that you don’t keep this copy at all. So you spend $200, not have your own copy, NOT have access to it after 1 term, can’t highlight efficiently, doesn’t load promptly, and cannot annotate or write on the book. Not everyone can just type their thoughts. It’s easier to write as soon as the idea is there. Everyone learns differently. Im at a loss cause it’s so difficult to maneuver.
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Login issues
I can access Macmillan perfectly fine on my computer and my professor told us we can use the app to study on the go if we want. However I am unable to login and when I send a reset password email, the email that I get says my account doesn’t exist. I don’t understand how I can access it on my computer but not my phone. I’ve also tried creating an account on my phone but it says my account already exists?? I’ve contacted support and they haven’t been able to help me whatsoever. Very disappointed.
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Doesn’t work
Doesn’t work
Worthless app
There is no way to download anything from the app. Useless
Please Note (2025)
The reviews made me hesitant to download, but latest is from 2 years ago as of writing, possibly when the app wasn’t working. It’s working for me now, you just need to follow the instructions from the official Achieve Macmillan website. Go to the Support page > “E-book” and go from there. By then you can be the judge whether this app is a scam or not. Besides, change your password(s) if you’re in doubt.
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Trash
I wish I could give this app negative stars. They updated the day before my test, while I’m studying and I don’t have a book. The library is empty. This is why I usually spend double to buy an outdated book on Amazon. At least their tech support works and you don’t lose your book when you need it the most.
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Easy access
I have easy access to my textbook, to all the saved notes, highlights and more. When is the time to take the exam it makes it easier to understand and find answers.
