# MagicSDR: SDR Radio Receiver — user reviews > 29 indexed App Store user reviews of MagicSDR by Vladyslav Haliuk, rated 3.10/5 from 10 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magicsdr-sdr-radio-receiver/id1563954272/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/magicsdr-sdr-radio-receiver/id1563954272.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 4 · 4★ 0 · 3★ 2 · 2★ 1 · 1★ 3 ## Newest reviews (9 of 29) ### 3/5 — MagicSDR *2025-10-02, version 25.05.2* Don’t work iPhone 7 plus. ### 2/5 — Ottima.. ma migliorabile *2024-11-07, version 23.11* Come da titolo, finalmente posso utilizzare KiwiSdr da iPhone senza tenere attivo il browser. Non metto cinque stelle per incentivare a dei miglioramenti a livello di interfaccia grafica, dei comandi e settaggi vari, attualmente un po’ macchinosi e non intuitivi. Sarebbe molto gradita la gestione dei server KiwiSdr preferiti. Aggiornamento: l’app non viene aggiornata da quasi un anno! ### 2/5 — No more updated *2024-08-23, version 23.11* Bought app, without updates for months, several bugs (crash or frequency drift) and features still missing (like add manually a kiwi). When you buy an app, you have to verify if it’s supported properly. ### 3/5 — Works (kind of) with KiwiSDR *2024-01-19* I have been running a public KiwiSDR receiver for years and always wanted an IOS client for it. Although very limited (see below) this app is an answer to that. The app will connect to KiwiSDR receivers and open a raw IQ stream. It will then proceed to demodulate the received stream within the app itself (AM,FM,SSB,CW are available). This is drastically different from how a KiwiSDR receiver normally works, the biggest difference being that you will only be able to see about 10KHz of spectrum bandwidth instead of 30MHz. The user interface is very, very basic and at times hard to use. Overall, however, this is the only IOS client I know of that works with my KiwiSDR and therefore I will keep using it. Note: I also tried the app with an RTL-SDR dongle but I was unable to do it successfully due to an error about Soapy that shoes in the logs. ### 3/5 — No arm decode? *2023-12-23* It seems no wfm demodulator. ### 2/5 — Does not run in background *2023-10-06* App is working ok on rtl_tcp and spyserver network but is pretty much useless since it does not run in background. If you switch between the apps or do anything else on your phone the app disconnects from server. And no, it is not IOS limit since other SDR apps continue to stream in background just fine. So very limited usability. ### 3/5 — Need help getting MagicLink Server to run *2022-06-04* Bought MagicSDR FOR iOS. Have AirSpyHF Discovery. Have Raspberry Pi 4. Trying to install MagicLink server. Downloaded. Says need a Redhat Platform 5.14 which has been obsolete for more than a year. Tried to install. Looked like it did but when tried to install magiclink.flatpak it couldn’t find it. Spent $9.99 for MagivSDR! What do I do to get this server running. Also where is setting to set up address of the server in the app? ### 4/5 — Ottima grafica e fluidità *2022-02-04, version 21.12.2* App molto bella, unica pecca è che non si può settare il livello dello squelch, mi auguro venga implementato ### 3/5 — Bonne application *2021-08-19* Hello Team MagicSDR. I ‘m a new user of your software on iOS. Congratulation. It’s the only SDR app that works well on iOS. I use it with an RTL key but also with SdrPlay boxes. I would like to deliver my feedback to you following my use. - Missing a SIGNAL METER. (S-Units) - A Noise redactor is missing. - Cannot register multiple "SERVER ADDRESS". We have to change all the time if we have several pieces of equipment. - Cannot save the settings of an "RF FRONT END". For example, you must reset the desired "FREQUENCY STEP" each time. - Cannot use WFM mode on all frequency bands. - Cannot customize the "SAMPLE RATE" - Impossible to put a ". "If you want to put" 121.300 "in" JUMP ". Working on iPad with keyboard but no working on iPhone. - Cannot type a frequency directly on the display. These are the few points that could change the use of this application, which is already in itself very suitable for my use. I also think that choosing "RTL_TCP" can help out for launch but it's not too stable. I tested it on a Raspberry PI4 8G RAM, W10 i7 32G RAM, Server 2012 32G RAM. It's still so unstable. I think you should develop your server on Windows, Apple or Linux. For example, SDR Console Server or Fleradio. SDR console server is the best. See maybe make your application compatible with. Anyway, congratulations on your application and I look forward to the updates to come. There is a big market to be taken in this remote application area for SDR. I hope that my remarks will be of benefit to you ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Fixed getting kiwi SDR? No longer recommended this app… *2026-04-19* Why did you remove the kiwi SDR receivers??? You can turn it off by deselecting kiwi SDR in the “Filter” check box. You just removed the 600+ receivers that you have listed on your feature page. The developer removed the best part of the app. I can no longer recommend this to anyone unless you want to set up your own SDR. “Hardware is now required”. Increasing it complexity. It’s really too bad, I really liked this app, and used to a lot. ### 1/5 — SDR dongles are NOT supported on iOS *2026-02-13* But for some reason it’s not stated on the apps page. You have to set up your dongle through a pc and connect with this app to the server you set up….you can do this for free without this app btw. Don’t let this “developer” scam you ### 1/5 — Won’t connect to Kiwi servers *2026-02-10* I don’t know if this is temporary, but I just paid 13 bucks for a dead app. I don’t have a dongle. I was hoping to connect to public SDR connections… ### 1/5 — How do you get access to the 600 servers??? *2025-05-13* The developer mentioned no special equipment needed? You need a server for this to work. All you get is a wav file for $12.00 bucks. Rip off… ### 1/5 — Nessuna spiegazione *2024-08-10, version 23.11* Non si capisce perché non vede il sample rate dello Spyserver riproducendo la voce e di Paperino. Ma inserire un manuale su sprecava tempo? France potenziale sprecato. ### 1/5 — False description. Need refund *2024-01-04* It said that it didn’t need any additions , like hardware. It DOES need hardware to use. I want refund ### 1/5 — Gut gemeint, aber funktioniert nicht *2023-10-05* Bedienung und Design wären gut. Auch die Stationen lassen sich abrufen und Steuer. Aber das Audio wird nur über das Telefon wiedergegeben und nicht über die AirPods. Auch wenn man Signale in cw hören will, so hört man sie über SSB, aber sobald man auf cw umstellt ist das Signal nicht mehr zu hören. Auch das suchen links und rechts der qrg hat keinen Erfolg gebracht. Schade. Für 16€ hätte ich mehr erwartet. ### 1/5 — Szomorú *2023-07-05, version 22.10.4* Ennyi pénzért azt vártam, hogy a profi software-t kapok, de sajnos nem. Nem megfelelően szól, illetve random kilép az alkalmazás, hibaüzenet nélkül. ### 1/5 — Проблема! *2023-01-07, version 22.10.4* Доброго дня. Приложение хорошее, по tcp протоколу работает исправно, но когда пытаешься подключиться к spyserver, приложение вылетает и окно закрывается! Я оплатил PRO version! И хочу получить полностью работоспособную программу. Прошу в срочном порядке исправить ошибки и выпустить обновление данного приложения. ### 1/5 — No audio on iPad Pro or iPhone 11 *2021-08-24* Great idea. Nice graphics but without audio I can only watch the graphics. Had no trouble connecting to rtl_tcp server. Emailed tech support but no response. Doesn’t work as described. Don’t waste your money on this. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Working Great Again! *2026-04-24* The developer is very responsive and I appreciate that. Thank you. My kiwi SDR’s are up and running again…:) This app is the best out there for listening to the “Ham Radio Nets” ease of use with the book marks to listen to all your favorite broadcasts. I appreciate all you hard work and highly recommend this app for all your SDR needs. John ### 5/5 — Works great with rtl_tcp *2026-02-03* MagicSDR is working perfecting with my rtl_tcp service that is working with an RTL-SDR V4 Blog dongle. I am running rtl_tcp in a podman container on a fedora 43 server and it’s working perfectly with MagicSDR. I really like that I can see the entire 2m HAM band in the spectrum chart and I like that I can bookmark frequencies of my favorite repeaters and double tap on the spectrum to tune into a particular frequency. With this app I actually found a new repeater that I was unaware of doing a morning ragchew. Pretty impressive! ### 5/5 — Started working as described. *2025-08-26, version 25.05.2* Not sure why it didn’t work in the beginning… Thought it was a “rip off…. Changing my review to 5 stars. Works in the background. Use it every day for keeping up with the Nets. The book marks are great and fast for on the go reception and testing of your antennas. Highly recommend. Beats the cost of buying your own Shortwave radio. Plus the cost of an antenna. No other equipment needed. Exactly what I was looking for. ### 5/5 — Highly Recommended *2025-05-28* This app is essential for listening to SDR’s with the ability to turn the screen off. It’s easy to use works great. ### 5/5 — KiwiSDR links stop showing recently *2025-05-15* I’d like the links back, thank you. ### 5/5 — Szuper prg *2024-08-25, version 23.11* Nagyon jó program. Régen kerestem már ilyet. Köszönjük ### 5/5 — Great app *2021-12-09, version 21.12.2* The app works great and allows to listen to your SDR on an iOS device. The developer is extremely supportive. Well done! ### 4/5 — Great app ! *2023-11-15, version 23.11* I have to say this is a great app. I had a small issue and the owner got back to me within an hour by email. It’s quite expensive, but it’s worth it for me. The only few things I’d say is that it’s quite difficult to find an online server, most of them are down. It would be nice to be able to save a server as a favourite for future use. I have to write them down to remember them, but it would be a great idea to be able to put servers into a favourite list. It would also be great to only get a list of servers which are actually online. Also it would be nice to be able to see more of the waterfall display, not just 5khz increments. It’s often a bit unresponsive trying to scroll the screen through the frequencies, it’s not smooth. But all that said, it’s a fantastic app. And it gets updated very often, which is good. ### 4/5 — Nice app 😀 *2023-07-21, version 22.10.4* Nice app that seems very usable but feels like it’s in early stages of development and missing some basic stuff like squelch. That said it obviously had a lot of work to get it this far. CSV bookmarks import and export would be so helpful. I’ve not had a chance to play much with it but was easy enough to set up and get working. Although not accepting host name and forced to use IP makes you quickly realise where this app is at from the offset, but it’s not the end of the world, just very old school. Once set up you continue to get presented with a basic help / mode selection screen (option to have fake stations etc) when opening the app that is a little frustratingly unnecessary once you’re set up. It seems to have a little Bug: When connected to a receiver you always get what seems like a fake morse code reception bang in the middle of the screen, regardless of selected frequency band, all though you can move the tuning bar off it, it does leave you wondering why it’s there. Anyway none of these are app killers, it all seems very usable, all though as I’m currently in a black spot the only things I’ve received is my own 433MHz sensors transmissions. But it proves this app does work and has the basics in place to be very useable and the foundation for what seems a really cool app. A 5 star app (slowly) in the making 😀 It’s actually not that far off already. I’m looking forward to giving it a proper test next week and intend to update this review accordingly. Update. Managed to climb out the hole. With my Raspberry Pi and SDR receiver and a bit of wire and I was happily getting radio. The bandwidth you can listen to at any one time is limited so you need a rough idea of what you want to listen to. So a little about getting the radio into your iOS device. I used a Raspberry Pi 3b+ there are plenty of instructions on the internet how to set this with the rtl_tcp software or variant that works your receiver. But the cool bit that you don’t see anyone mention is that from the end of 2022 the Raspberry Pi OS introduced what they call “network manager” it makes it really easy to create a mobile hot spot. I know this has always been possible but now it’s supper easy. You need to plug a screen in to initially set it up (not remote desktop) but if you set the hotspot network priority it will boot as a hotspot (if no other network is found that you have given a higher priority). So with your SDR dongle, Raspberry Pi, this app and a USB battery pack to power your Pi and you have a very portable SDR setup. Personally I’m very pleased with this setup and pleased I downloaded this app 😀 oh I also use an iOS app called WebSSH it’s great for sending commands to the Pi even if it’s just to shut it down properly. Hope you have loads of fun with it. ### 4/5 — One of the best so far, with space of improvement *2023-02-19* I did a comparison of three major SDR apps (rtl_tcp SDR, SDR Receiver, MagicSDR) that are able to connect to a rsp_tcp server on the App Store, and MagicSDR is the best in terms of feature and usability. Here are what I like and dislike: The goods:😇 - The waterfall view is very reactive, and easy to be used for browsing. - The tuning helper is very practical for jumping back to previous channel - The band plan gives good view of current band range What’s missing:🧐 - No matter how I tried, it seems I cannot use AirPods. Audio always got played from iPhone speaker. - Lacking the ability to play audio from background. When I exit the app or lock the phone, playback got stopped. This feature is however available from the „SDR Receiver“ App. - Can’t sync the bookmarks with iCloud. I use MagicSDR on both iPhone and iPad and have to manually manage the bookmarks. Thanks & keep up the great work! --- *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 2026-08-31.*