# NLB Mobile — user reviews > 75 indexed App Store user reviews of NLB Mobile by National Library Board Singapore, rated 3.40/5 from 34 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nlb-mobile/id1147053983/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nlb-mobile/id1147053983.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 15 · 4★ 4 · 3★ 3 · 2★ 2 · 1★ 10 ## Newest reviews (13 of 75) ### 4/5 — Filter Favourites by Location *2025-12-02, version 4.5.2* Desperately need the function to filter the Favourite List by available library! It would make it much easier to check if any of my favourite titles are available at my neighbourhood library! Or if several of them are available at a library further down , it would be worth to make the trip! (Click Helpful if you think the same!) ### 2/5 — Irritating Ad Links *2025-11-19, version 4.5.1* Latest update of ad links is frustrating. Whenever i click the arrow to get past the ad to next page, it somehow still goes to the ad. Results in often accidentally getting out of the newspaper app onto the main newspaper page. Don feel like reading anymore. ### 4/5 — Review of NLB (National Library Board) app *2025-07-11, version 4.3.2* Great app for library users, but a few small issues The NLB app is super convenient for borrowing eBooks, checking due dates, and searching for books across different libraries in Singapore. I really like how easy it is to place holds and renew books with just a few taps. However, sometimes the app feels a bit laggy or slow to load, especially when browsing the catalogue. A few parts of the interface could be improved to make things smoother. Overall, it’s a very useful app for anyone who uses the library often. Just hope for some performance updates soon! ### 4/5 — Sampath *2024-10-30* Still crash with ios 18.1 when I keyin login name. Please help to fix asap. Thank you for being the best ### 2/5 — Issues Logging In and Setting Up Account *2024-09-01* This app has so many issues. After I signed up, it asks for some basic info (like preferred languages). But once I’m done it says “Sorry for the inconvenience. Please try again in a few minutes.” It kept happening for a whole day. Sometimes I didn’t even reach that point. On the last question it’d say “Email Reminders are automatically sent and cannot be deselected.” Which made no sense cause I never deselected anything about email notifications (only said YES to receiving mobile ones as well). Finally by some miracle I able to get into the app, but it really shouldn’t be this hard to just access my account after just registering. ### 1/5 — Endless loading screen *2024-08-11, version 4.0.1* After I delete it from the background and reopen it, the app crashes. When I open it again, it shows a loading screen. Once loading is complete and I enter the main interface, I can't click on any icons. Clicking an icon leads to an endless loading screen. The only way to resolve this issue is to uninstall and then reinstall the app. ### 1/5 — Fix your app lol *2024-07-10, version 4.0.1* NLB seat booking doesnt work, it’s as broken as ever. In the past, the seat booking page would take me to the website and sometimes it would fail to log me in, so i have to manually re-enter my info. Troublesome enough but its ok, i still get my seat. Now it’s even more broken, when i go to seat booking page it doesnt even redirect me properly to the correct webpage, instead it goes to the NLB website home page. NLB website is a whole other can of worms, it wont let me log in to the seat booking webpage at all and always says session expired. I tried on different devices, different browsers, the app, none of them work. Let me study at nlb bro 😭 the app and website is so bad 😭 ### 2/5 — Constantly unable to launch newspapers *2024-06-13, version 4.0.0* For the past year or so, this had been a constant nagging issue and it just spoilt the experience with this app. Seems like someone in NLB or Straits Times don't think it is important to read newspapers daily. Although I'm leaning towards issues at Straits Times, given their bad record of atrocious IT teams, please escalate to the correct team to rectify this. ### 1/5 — Deteriorated to junk app status *2024-04-05, version 3.7.2* It used to be steady and open each and every time without fail, and does what the app does- enable readers to read magazines, books and newspapers Now, the software engineers for the app are either drunk or inapt for the job- I’m just stuck at the field to write my name and interest, after which the last screen will emerge claiming the app is down Why bother asking for data when your app is down? ### 1/5 — App kept hanging *2024-02-07, version 3.7.2* I used to use internet browser to book seat in library. But today that link kept changing to go to mobile app. So fine I try to use mobile app to amend my booking but after 15 mins still kept hanging and restart the mobile. I checked that no new update of app. My wifi is working as normal just that app not working properly. Like people used to say if system is working well don’t try to fix it. End up getting more complaints and hiccups doing such stuffs! ### 3/5 — The app needs more work *2024-02-05, version 3.7.2* The Loans tab fails to load my current e-books. The books can’t be opened (stay on the Loans page). This happens more and more frequent - at least for IOS. It’s frustrating that you can’t access the book you were actually reading 30 mins ago. ### 1/5 — App most of the time has issues *2023-11-14, version 3.6.1* I was really happy that NLB had an mobile app for readers to use. However, it is becoming a nightmare to use it. 1. Books not available anymore still shows up when search. You expect me to inform you of this error. I might as well work there 2. The app does not load well and crashes. 3. Now the app is totally not loading after your updates. Come on!!! Make this work for all! ### 4/5 — Great app *2023-07-02, version 3.5.1* Great app and functionality. Gives access to a large collection of books and even learning apps like Udemy. However, the app does not allow us to use it on landscape mode and it is quite a hassle, especially when using Udemy. Is it possible to change this? ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Reservation Process : Don’t fix what wasn’t broken *2025-10-18, version 4.5.0* The previous system was far more streamlined. The current app's main issue is that reservation and collection details are completely decoupled and missing from the main interface, making tracking unreliable. 1. Inconsistent Tracking: Collection location/method is unclear (inconsistent handover between lockers and NLB staff). 2. Unclear Locker Emails: Emails for locker collection come from an external vendor and do not include the book title, causing significant confusion when multiple items are reserved. 3. Redundant Borrowing: Collection via staff requires a second, redundant borrowing step even after the item is reserved. Please centralize and clearly display all collection details (including the book title) within the app for every reservation and eliminate the unnecessary re-borrowing step to improve the user experience. ### 1/5 — Can’t access overseas even with VPN *2025-08-06, version 4.4.0* I’m overseas and cannot use the app. I’m using VPN set to Singapore which used to work. This is the message : “We are facing some technical issue. Please try again” I used to be able to access the app even when overseas. Books reserved previously and becoming available have no problems uploading to Libby though. Tried the NLB webpage to see if someone could help and kept getting a 403 error message ### 1/5 — App not loading *2025-04-28* App not loading, no problem with previous versions. If it ain’t broke… ### 1/5 — Poor user experience, poor design *2025-04-24, version 4.2.3* One of the most basic, first lessons of good design and good UX is extensively testing how users might be impacted by app changes. The latest app update has erased all of the tags from all of my saved books and left everything in one single list. 200+ of my saved entries, curated over 5 years are affected. Makes me want to delete the whole app altogether and never look back. It’s astonishing to me that the designers and developers didn’t anticipate this and implement some kind of transition for users to move their tags across or keep things as-is. The new list feature isn’t even a improvement to the tags we had before, a key functionality is now lost. ### 1/5 — Cannot let 2 ppl borrow same ebook *2025-02-06, version 4.2.0* This app is so bad ### 1/5 — iPad OS18.1 App crash *2024-11-07* Can’t login & App crashes when tap on textbox which doesn’t allow keyboard to pop up ### 1/5 — 闪退 频繁闪退 一分钟闪退了八次 *2024-10-18, version 4.1.2* 当天要订位子可是一直闪退，在路上一直卸载了又关机，就是闪退 ### 1/5 — App crashing *2024-09-23, version 4.1.0* Kept existing app when tried to add new account. ### 1/5 — Does not work *2024-09-09* Why is the app not working anymore? Update please! ### 1/5 — Unable to add child’s accounts *2024-09-03, version 4.1.0* Used to be a fan of this app but it keeps hanging when I try to add my children’s accounts and the only way to go back to the homepage is to delete the whole app and download it again. Now I have to start from scratch to add my family members’ accounts but the functionality doesn’t work even though the page keeps saying “please try again in a few minutes”. This has been an issue for more than a week! ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Honestly i love this app so much! *2025-11-29, version 4.5.2* They provide really good new recommendations and prompts! and the system is updated real time and i was so impressed when using it to check on the availability of the books! the interface design is also really pleasant on the eyes and easy to navigate which just motivates me to visit the local libraries more often!! thank you for this app and really good job to NLB! -17 year old singaporean student ### 5/5 — The scanning of books to borrow is great *2025-01-18* It is convenient to scan and borrow books. I also like the reserve books function. Useful ### 5/5 — Awesome *2025-01-02, version 4.1.4* Personally, NLB Mobile is one of my favourite apps. I just really like reading and this apps just lets me do just that. You can even read in the browser of the app. 100% recommend. ### 5/5 — Borrow books *2024-09-03, version 4.1.0* Love the app feature where i can scan to borrow the books instead of going to a borrow station, it is very convenient and smart way to go about it. Great job. ### 5/5 — Well designed app *2024-07-29, version 4.0.1* The app is well designed and I love the fact that it was designed with multi users in mind, switching between users is a breeze. Borrowing is also easy. The “Have I borrowed this before” feature during scan is also great. One big request I have is: please give us the ability to search for title within the Past Loan. This is very useful if I want to search for a title I have borrowed before but can’t quite remember the name or author. It’s also useful if I would like to surprise my kid with a new book but can’t fully remember if they have borrowed it before. ### 5/5 — Seat booking feature request *2023-12-06, version 3.7.0* A better integrated booking system that is in the app instead of bringing me to a page with clunky interface designed for desktop will be nice ### 5/5 — Thanks! *2023-11-07* My app is somehow 650 Mb… please have a way to clear the cache rather than reinstalling the app. Thanks!! Love the app. ### 5/5 — This app has came a long way. Great work ! *2023-06-03, version 3.5.1* The app is amazing. Superb usability. The map to show the location of the shelf where the book is kept is very very helpful. Having the ability to scan the barcode to borrow the books is very much welcomed. Ability to link the Libby to borrow ebooks is also great. This app is way way better than the old app. The Search engine can be improved further. I need to be quite specific in the title in order for the book title to show up in the results. All in all I am quite happy. Though I am not an avid library user, this app makes me want to come back for more Keep up the great work ! ### 5/5 — Thanks! *2022-06-24, version 3.3.2* Love the digital library and offerings. Use the app almost everyday. Thank you NLB team!! ### 5/5 — Easy to use & efficient *2022-04-03, version 3.2.1* Easily check book availability at different library branches. Able to borrow from App. I also love able to borrow ebook. I spending more time reading and improving my knowledge. --- *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 2026-08-27.*