Import papers function non-functional
After this major update, I can no longer import papers from this app to my library. The safari plugin works, in that an article is added to the import section of this app, but there is no way to then take that item imported into the app and add it to the library. I can see where to do it, there is just no functionality to do it.
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Very buggy pdf annotation
Many bugs since the new update, including highlighted and underlined sections spontaneously disappearing, making PDF annotation a tedious and long process. I like the integrated AI on the desktop version, but I use my iPad for annotation so that I can take advantage of the Apple pen, but since new update, this is difficult because of all the bugs while using the Apple pen. Also lost the ability to easily access the synced PDF on computer, which is frustrating when you want to send and share PDFs. I’m likely moving back to Zotero soon. Better tags, organization of files, and fewer bugs for a fraction of the cost.
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Terrible update
I used to love readcube, but now I’m considering canceling my subscription. The mobile app is almost unusable - there is no easy way to open a PDF and email out a copy for example (like you used to be able to). You have to log in to your desktop, open the PDF, download the PDF and then attach to an email.
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Please stop updating
I normally welcome any app updates, but for the case of Readcube, please stop doing so. As a royal user since the Mac Papers era, I observed that Readcube has a reputation of breaking already-working things down and updating with useless/unnecessary updates. For this time, the new UI is extremely stupid and you need to click more buttons than what it needs before. Please stop doing stupid updates
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So not reliable
The app does not work properly (cannot highlight text) and customer support was down. Not the first time it was down. Simple app but not reliable. Canceled my subscription.
Keeps getting worse
Papers 4.0 continues its tradition of getting worse than the previous iteration. After a few days of daily usage, here is a list of observations: (1) the main issue with this version is that the underline feature has become buggy to the point of being unusable, as the cursors jumps left and right whenever I drag it across the page; (2) we are now at version 4.0, and still no bookmarking feature. Simply unbelievable; (3) there is still the issue that if you tap the top of the screen, you are sent to p. 1 of the PDF. The issue needs to be fixed ASAP, see Apple Books for reference; (4) the annotation tools have been redesigned, and now any action I take requires more taps than in Papers 3; (5) the GUI looks nicer. Lipstick on a pig?
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New review 2/2026 - iPhone app is longer useful for citation input
I used Papers for years because the iPhone app was an excellent cloud interface to rapidly import papers I find online. Sadly this is no longer so. It seems impossible to share PDF references to the Papers iPhone app, and the items sent as web links don’t synchronize to the desktop versions. Can no longer input from bioRxiv. Since I rarely browse from my desktop, the system is effectively broken.
The desktop app also doesn’t fully work, search is virtually impossible, and support links from both area no longer operational.
Old Review: Best app for mobile users (previously 5 stars)
There are several good citation managers that allow importing and annotating article PDFs from a PC. My work flow is that I like to add citations wherever I learn about them, and that means entering my iPhone, while reading and making notes on my iPad. I was a happy user of Mendeley until they terminated the iOS mobile app. Papers is outstanding for this use. I can add references and PDFs instantly from a pc browser add on or directly from the app. While reading an article, it’s easy to highlight, annotate, take notes. A side bar instantly grabs any cited papers that I might want, and another tab finds related articles. It’s easy to organize my library by tags and hierarchical lists. I’m sure there are other fine features but I’ve been too busy doing great research to find about them.
The desktop app also doesn’t fully work, search is virtually impossible, and support links from both area no longer operational.
Old Review: Best app for mobile users (previously 5 stars)
There are several good citation managers that allow importing and annotating article PDFs from a PC. My work flow is that I like to add citations wherever I learn about them, and that means entering my iPhone, while reading and making notes on my iPad. I was a happy user of Mendeley until they terminated the iOS mobile app. Papers is outstanding for this use. I can add references and PDFs instantly from a pc browser add on or directly from the app. While reading an article, it’s easy to highlight, annotate, take notes. A side bar instantly grabs any cited papers that I might want, and another tab finds related articles. It’s easy to organize my library by tags and hierarchical lists. I’m sure there are other fine features but I’ve been too busy doing great research to find about them.
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buggy as always
I’ve been using Papers for years and I’m sick of it. The software is consistently buggy and unreliable, with constant syncing issues that never seem to get fixed. This is completely unacceptable.
Sigh
I want to love this app (and web app/chrome extension), but it’s been plagued by bugs at least a decade old that seem to never get fixed.
Send to Papers broken
The “Send to Papers” function in safari no longer works. It’s been broken for me for months - another user left a review about this five months ago! The reference popup appears above the safari page but it never makes it to the Papers library. Lots of other bugs that haven’t been fixed in years. Somehow Papers AI seems to be a priority over QoL issues. Also, I’ve emailed this to your team as a bug, but all I got was one email asking basically if I turned the phone off and on again (David asked if I was behind a firewall or not). I responded with more info (it happens both on university and personal networks) and then I never got a response to that. Ever. Follow up!!!!!! Don’t just say email the help team because they aren’t actually helping!
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Response from developer
So sorry to hear about this! This is not expected behavior. Please reach out to us at support@papersapp.com so that we may help you resolve this. Thank you!
AI needs improvement
I’ve been using papers for a while now. In the app there re bugs but they don’t interfere that much with the reading experience. However AI needs an update. It’s so weak and should have access to outside scientific sources to answer questions.
Nice app
I use this app every day, and it’s my go-to for reading papers on the iPad. However, I’m giving it 3 stars because I feel the iPad-specific tools still need refinement and polish.
Missing Functionalities
I have been using Papers for years but I am surprised to find that some essential tools are still missing on the iPad client. Please implement erasers for the writing tools. Also the pen stroke recognition can be improved, it feels very weird at the moment.
Update: While the developer has been fully invested in “AI” gimmicks that no real user asks for, the highlighting and handwriting tools are still buggy and clunky. Feels like they don’t use their own apps at all.
Update in 2025: After years of waiting, I applaud the dev team for finally adding the undo/redo button. However, the handwriting tool is still buggy and unbearable.
Once I start writing a couple of words, they will simply turn invisible, and I have to tap the undo button to reveal them. There is NO eraser or group selection tool, so good luck to the user if you want to move your handwritten notes to another place. There is also no automatic shape recognition (which is fine), but letters will be unnecessarily straightened for no good reason.
I implore the dev team to try out GoodNotes and Notability to see and feel how smooth their handwriting tools are.
Update: While the developer has been fully invested in “AI” gimmicks that no real user asks for, the highlighting and handwriting tools are still buggy and clunky. Feels like they don’t use their own apps at all.
Update in 2025: After years of waiting, I applaud the dev team for finally adding the undo/redo button. However, the handwriting tool is still buggy and unbearable.
Once I start writing a couple of words, they will simply turn invisible, and I have to tap the undo button to reveal them. There is NO eraser or group selection tool, so good luck to the user if you want to move your handwritten notes to another place. There is also no automatic shape recognition (which is fine), but letters will be unnecessarily straightened for no good reason.
I implore the dev team to try out GoodNotes and Notability to see and feel how smooth their handwriting tools are.
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Send to Papers broken
The “Send to Papers” function in safari no longer works. It’s been broken for me for months - another user left a review about this five months ago! The reference popup appears above the safari page but it never makes it to the Papers library. Lots of other bugs that haven’t been fixed in years. Somehow Papers AI seems to be a priority over QoL issues.
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best all ever!
for real
Eraser tool missing
Good app, but the pencil needs an eraser tool.
Best multi-device reference manager
Perhaps the only reference manager you can use accross your phone, ipad, and PC seamlessly. Love to take notes and read in depth from my ipad so the ability to do annotations and highlighting is a fantastic feature, but always need the PC for deep searches, so its great I can share the library across all my devices. Tagging feature is very useful but could use some support on ipad as you can’t search tags and must scroll through a long list. Would like to see more features in regards to display/ordering of columns in main library spreadsheet view, as any changes aren’t permanent and reset when you leave the page. Could also use some work with finding and downloading papers from ipad, always works on PC but the institutional logins don’t seem to work when accessing from ipad often.
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Cannot seamlessly add a paper to library
An essential task is missing — seamlessly add a paper to the library. What I hope: Get a paper from iPhone web browser -> Send it to -> Papers App -> Access to Papers library -> Add to a folder. What it does: Send it as “imported webpage” -> Add -> still a webpage. This is very annoying. In contrast, Zotero can easily make it happen.
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Missing Functionalities
I have been using Papers for years but I am surprised to find that some essential tools are still missing on the iPad client. Please implement erasers, undo/redo buttons for the writing tools. Also the pen stroke recognition can be improved, it feels very weird at the moment.
Update: While the developer has been fully invested in “AI” gimmicks that no real user asks for, the highlighting and handwriting tools are still buggy and clunky. Feels like they don’t use their own apps at all.
Update: While the developer has been fully invested in “AI” gimmicks that no real user asks for, the highlighting and handwriting tools are still buggy and clunky. Feels like they don’t use their own apps at all.
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Problems with the reference chain
I do love the desktop app, as I can move up a chain of evidence and grab every paper on my way. From the iOS app, I find the reference in the source paper (so far so good) then I select the automatic reference overview (cool feature) then I click on it and follow it to website for the journal and can review the PDF. BUT at that point I push the PDF to Firefox in order to share back to Papers for ingestion of new article… what??? Please fix that! I should be able to collect papers from selecting citations
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