# Popular Woodworking Magazine — user reviews > 31 indexed App Store user reviews of Popular Woodworking Magazine by Active Interest Media, Inc, rated 4.50/5 from 47 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/popular-woodworking-magazine/id731657058/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/popular-woodworking-magazine/id731657058.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 38 · 4★ 4 · 3★ 0 · 2★ 2 · 1★ 3 ## Newest reviews (11 of 31) ### 1/5 — New version DOES NOT WORK *2017-12-30* I have paid for a subscription that is unusable, the app does not restore any purchases. Stay away from this piece of crap until it’s fixed. I plan on getting a refund from Apple, they should pull this from the app store. ### 1/5 — Worst app ever *2017-12-29* I wish I could give this zero stars for both the app and the customer service. I have spent 2 hrs on the phone with Apple and pop wood “customer no service”. They blame everything but themselves and have the balls to hang up on a paying customer. You all wonder why you can’t get new subscribers...so disappointing. ### 1/5 — App no longer works *2017-12-28* Unfortunately upgraded the app and lost access to all of the two years of subscribed content. Same issue as everyone else, try to restore purchases, but it won’t recognize my subscription. ### 1/5 — Junk app *2017-12-27* Version 2 won’t let you restore any mags no matter how long you wait, how many days you try to do it, network speed or otherwise. When you send a support ticket you get an automated response from Zinio, not pop woodworking. This is the worst app experience by far. I’m paying for a subscription I can’t access. I’m canceling it and writing the publisher to let them know of this mess. Noob developers, garbage support, blame iTunes for being slow. This app should be pulled for fraud. ### 1/5 — Wish I hadn’t upgraded, stay away *2017-12-26, version 2.0* The app updated and now I can’t access anything. reset, quit/restart, delete/reload... nothing works. ### 1/5 — Doesn’t work *2017-12-24* Downloaded the latest upgrade and it gives instructions to restore purchases which when you follow tells you it may take a few minutes. What it should say is it doesn’t work! Contacted their customer services who say try at different times of the day as needs to contact Apple servers. So they have upgraded to an app that cannot reliably contact the servers of one of the worlds biggest IT providers. Rubbish! ### 1/5 — Used to work... *2017-12-13* Not sure what happened but I can’t access any issues once I’m on an issue...the back button is gone. ### 1/5 — Until they fix the bugs, stay away. *2017-12-10* Buy a magazine. Read it. Now try to buy another. Sorry, it won’t let you. No matter how many magazines you’ve purchased up to this point, you only get to see one. The app will never let you get to any others you purchased. Useless app until, unless, it gets fixed. ### 1/5 — Getting back to the library screen is missing *2017-11-08* Use to be there. Now you have to uninstall, reinstall and restore purchases. Put the stupid button back ### 1/5 — User Interface *2017-10-17, version 1.0.13* When I open a magazine I cannot get back to the Library screen. Tell me how I can get out of issue 221 ### 1/5 — Disappointed *2017-01-31* I just ordered the on line version of Popular woodworking, and am very disappointed with not having access to back issues. His is not a valuable subscription. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — A joke *2024-02-22* A bad joke of an app, subscription, and publishing company. Maybe the material's good but my PW+ subscription doesn't provide access to very much at all. Waste of my money subscribing and a waste of my time trying to navigate the useless app. ### 1/5 — Frustrated *2024-02-08* At the moment even though I have subscribed to this magazine for years, I seem to have to contact them to gain access to each new release !! ### 1/5 — Yet another cant log in *2019-10-13* Can’t log in by my subscriber number, can’t see my issues under my email address. Got an email telling me my message to customer support was blocked. At this point I have several years of back issues, which were already cached on my device, that I can’t access. Guess I’ll be making a phone call on Monday. Not impressed with the upgrade. ### 1/5 — Cannot restore purchases within app *2019-10-04* This app is so ridiculous. Their customer service doesn’t respond. If you purchase a subscription you cannot read the magazines you’ve paid for. Great magazine. Horrible and useless app. ### 1/5 — Ripoff *2019-10-04* I subscribed to Popular Woodworking magazine for both digital & print editions I can’t even login. Tried contacting support via email but no help. Popular woodworking stopped responding blaming my ZINIO account. I called and was transferred to the digital support group 3 days ago... They were to get back to me. I’m still waiting. Seems like a big scam to me at this point. How about it Popular Woodworking Magazine? ### 1/5 — Doesn’t deliver *2018-10-30* I subscribed, but it won’t download. Won’t restore my previous purchases. Don’t buy the digital edition from their site either. Never emailed issues. When I contacted about the problem, they couldn’t find any record of my purchase despite the fact that I had my confirmation email with all of the details ### 1/5 — Can’t restore *2018-10-09* Keeps saying will restore in few minutes but it doesn’t. ### 1/5 — Why not fix this *2018-03-30* After having multiple issues with iBooks deleting my library from 95 I try to log in to gain access to my magazine I have paid for years and I can’t do this yes it’s digital but the customer still needs to have access to the files when programs go crazy. This is the worst customer service in history after having to write customer service and only getting part of my library fixed!!!! I have tried customer service for two and a half weeks yo log in to this app either give us a log in to access our product that is paid for or fix this app. As a former customer of your competitor I still can access all my digital files because they know the customer paid to be able to access them. I would give it zero stars for all the headache trying to get something I paid for!!! ### 1/5 — Can't download anymore *2018-01-06, version 2.0* Not much point in an app to let you read magazines if you can't download the magazines! ### 1/5 — App is like digital theft! *2017-12-30* As a subscriber since 2015, after install the new version of the app I unknowingly forfeited 2 years of my subscription. Current subscription for 2017 year will not restore. I have made several attempts, my network is not slow, my subscription is current, and my other digital subscriptions to other magazines work fine. Even after the initial snafu with Fine Woodworking’s app update all my previous issues and purchases were restored with in days of release. If your considering updating, DON’T! Why is there no statement from the publisher addressing the issue? Gentlemen and ladies, I enjoy your magazine have for years prior to going to digital to save room storing the print version on the magazine. Please fix your app, and let us at least know your resolving the issues. ## Most praised reviews (9 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Wonderful way to learn things as a new woodworker *2025-01-04* As a new Woodworker, this magazine has taught me many things and hasn’t been over my head with terms or techniques and how things are presented. I’m able to learn and take away knowledge and make sense of things and be able to build my own thoughts and knowledge base and learn steps towards better ways to do things and advance what to do in my learning. ### 5/5 — New Version Looks and Works Well *2018-01-04* I initially had the same problem as everyone else but I contacted support and the issue was resolved. The reader works well and the downloads are reasonably fast. I have all of my back issues and now have access to the latest issue. ### 5/5 — Can’t restore purchases *2017-12-27* I have updated and now cannot access any publications. I am an iTunes subscriber. It tells me the update will take some time but actually never happens. I have tried on two iPads with identical results. ### 5/5 — Won’t restore any issues *2017-12-26* Been a subscriber since magazine started and now it won’t restore from iTunes. Says it’s restoring and will take awhile. I have deleted the app from my iPad and downloaded again, get same messages. I can no longer read Popular a Woodworking Magazine. ### 4/5 — Spontaneously started working again *2018-01-16* Although the app wouldn’t allow me to log in for several weeks, it’s evident that someone must’ve quietly fixed something on the back end. The app now finally lets me download and read the copies that I’ve bought, which makes for a nice change. ### 3/5 — Complete fail - almost *2018-01-08* The updated app doesn’t restore my previous purchases nor my iTunes subscription so have so far wasted over 20 pounds on a subscription and a back issue UPDATE: I’ve managed to restore my purchases finally. After trying on 2 iPads and an iPhone it’s finally worked. I deleted and reinstalled the app again today and when I opened the app for the first time and it asked if I wanted to restore purchases I said no. I then went through the instructions at the top of the screen to sign in and restore purchases and it’s now working. Updated score from 1 to 3 stars as I’ve not had chance to use it properly yet. ### 3/5 — It's okay *2014-02-19* Would love to be able to purchase more back issues. ### 2/5 — Cumbersome and inconsistent *2024-12-01* This app is not intuitive. Sometimes I can login and sometimes I can’t. I get emails with current articles, Yet, I can’t view them when I try to log in ### 2/5 — Every time I open I have to restore purchases *2020-09-11* Seriously --- *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.*