# Red magazine UK — user reviews > 63 indexed App Store user reviews of Red magazine UK by Hearst Communications, Incorporated, rated 4.70/5 from 92 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/red-magazine-uk/id469365517/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/red-magazine-uk/id469365517.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 80 · 4★ 5 · 3★ 3 · 2★ 2 · 1★ 2 ## What do users think of Red magazine UK? Overall sentiment: negative **Pros** - 👍 Great magazine content - 👍 Convenient for on-the-go reading - 👍 Digital version is awesome - 👍 Scrapbook element is loved - 👍 Ability to zoom in - 👍 Easy to use app - 👍 Fabulous magazine - 👍 Quick download - 👍 Superb quality - 👍 Reads like the magazine on iPad - 👍 Preview available before buying **Cons** - 👎 Hard to navigate - 👎 Distracting layout - 👎 Popup asking to sign up for newsletter - 👎 Prefer normal flip pages - 👎 Content is light - 👎 App keeps freezing or crashing - 👎 Unusable app - 👎 Digital version is a nightmare - 👎 Computer-generated responses - 👎 Have to log out and back in - 👎 PDF version of the magazine - 👎 Poor app functionality - 👎 App is appalling - 👎 App is unusable - 👎 Blurred text, eye strain - 👎 Expensive subscription - 👎 Not worth the money - 👎 Poor show with subscriptions - 👎 Current issue delayed - 👎 Cannot zoom - 👎 Enhanced version shows wrong magazine - 👎 Only works in landscape - 👎 Error message when downloading - 👎 Long wait for new issues - 👎 No interactive content - 👎 Waste of time and money - 👎 Rip-off subscriptions - 👎 Not free - 👎 Poor user interface - 👎 Slow to download - 👎 Misleading 'free' tag - 👎 Pricing is odd - 👎 Clunky and unstable app - 👎 Crashes when opening - 👎 Digital copy is dearer than physical - 👎 Doesn't work on iPhone 4s - 👎 Recycled content charged extra - 👎 Blurred text, causes headaches - 👎 Subscription packages are odd - 👎 No iPad specific features - 👎 No interactive features **Commonly reported bugs** - Magazine is hard to navigate - Sections only show cover page - Popup asking to sign up for newsletter on each article - App keeps freezing or crashing - Lose place in the magazine - App is unusable - Current issue disappeared - Cannot access purchase - App level issues preventing access - Login details do not work - Customer service unable to sort issues - App frozen for weeks - Cannot download new magazine - Fancy interactive adverts cause magazine to lock up - Magazine locks up on interactive adverts - Interactive advertisements freeze the app - Cannot move beyond complex advert - App stops halfway through the magazine - Issue didn't load properly - Crashes when trying to open - Doesn't work on iPhone 4s - Text is slightly blurred - Retina display update is rubbish - Poor use interface - Slow to download titles - New issues take too long to update - No interactive content - Digital copy is dearer than physical - Subscription packages seem odd - Clunky, unstable app - July's issue didn't load fully - September issue crashes - Enhanced version shows wrong magazine - Cannot zoom - Only works in landscape position - Error message when downloading - Overcharged for subscription - Cannot access digital magazine **Most requested features** - Prefer normal flip pages - More user-friendly navigation - Add cooking recipes section - Bring back the old format - More density of content - Forgot Password button - Interactive features - iPad specific features - Dark mode option ## Newest reviews (16 of 63) ### 2/5 — Overcharged *2024-06-22* Update: Was able to get full refund and magazine cancelled. Magazine is hard to navigate. Prefer normal flip pages. A lot of the sections, or articles, only show the cover page without the rest of the article and at the bottom of each cover page is a popup asking to sign up for the newsletter. Unnecessary with each article. The content is nice but the layout of the magazine is distracting and ultimately ruins the experience of reading a magazine. Now on to the pricing. I clicked the 6 month option for $1.99, which indicates the price will renew at $14.99 after the 6 months. Well, this is not the case. I was immediately charged $14.99. Trying to get a refund for the overcharge, but not holding my breath. ### 2/5 — Overcharged *2024-06-21* Magazine is hard to navigate. Prefer normal flip pages. A lot of the sections, or articles, only show the cover page without the rest of the article and at the bottom of each cover page is a popup asking to sign up for the newsletter. Unnecessary with each article. The content is nice but the layout of the magazine is distracting and ultimately ruins the experience of reading a magazine. Now on to the pricing. I clicked the 6 month option for $1.99, which indicates the price will renew at $14.99 after the 6 months. Well, this is not the case. I was immediately charged $14.99. Trying to get a refund for the overcharge, but not holding my breath. ### 3/5 — Convenient on the go. *2024-02-20* Took the six month special offer subscription to the digital version of Red. Also I find it hard to ditch the printed copies of magazines! Great for on the go, and simple to navigate but, where are the cooking recipes? Or maybe I haven’t navigated that well 🤔 ### 3/5 — When it works it’s great…. *2022-10-16* I don’t subscribe to the magazine, preferring to make one off purchases when something catches my eye. That said, I pretty much end up buying every month. Unfortunately every few months something happens at the app level where I can’t access my purchase. When I contact the help center I invariably get asked for my subscription details (despite advising in advance that I’m not a subscriber) and then told there’s nothing that can be done as I’m not subscribed. If it was a one off I’d be less annoyed but this is 3 or 4 times a year. No issue with other publications so I know it’s not me…… ### 2/5 — Annoying *2017-07-31* Pretty much every time I open the red app I have to log out and back in again. Frustrating. I shouldn't have to keep doing this ### 1/5 — Horrendous app now *2016-11-26* I have subscribed to Red for a number of years the last few have all been iPad editions. The latest "update" is truly awful. I have to log out then log back in each time I want to continue to read an edition. This used to be a really convenient way to subscribe to a loved magazine without having to carry it around with me. DON'T CHOSE THIS buy the old style paper magazine instead. ### 1/5 — Mrs *2016-11-16, version 6.0* Not happy will not be resubscribing Decembers issue is just not loading!!!!! ### 1/5 — Absolute rubbish *2016-11-11, version 6.0* The new app has considerately deleted all my purchases above a few months old. Will I be getting a refund for these? Somehow I think not! Nobody informed me that instead of making a purchase I was in effect renting a copy for a very short time! Appalling and probably barely legal. Total incompetence and very inconsiderate. Avoid at all costs! ### 1/5 — Pants *2016-11-06, version 6.0* Old version was so much better. Have subscribed for years but might cancel now. Pages are small and don't fit the screen and zooming in is a pain to navigate and it's blurry. Check out your completion and see how they do it...why make changes for worse- surely you trailed it before going live?? ### 1/5 — What have you done? *2016-11-02, version 6.0* This is awful! Cover pages and several others is fuzzy Scrolling down is exhausting! It just does not work ### 1/5 — Terrible *2016-08-26, version 4.0.21* Impossible to read online, I can't understand that they haven't rectified this fault as it makes the magazine defunct online. ### 1/5 — Worst app *2016-01-13, version 4.0.21* I thought I had paid for a 3 month sub but can't access anything. Total rip off, avoid. ### 1/5 — Awful app - do not even consider it!!! *2016-01-08* Purchased a combined paper and digital subscription for my wife as a present. The login details do not work, and the customer service team at Hearst Magazines seem incapable of sorting it out. Despite multiple emails and promises that the problem has been rectified, my wife still can not even get onto her account. I can honestly say that I have never received such appalling service. Do not fall into the same trap - steer well clear!!! ### 1/5 — Bad app *2015-04-18, version 4.0.21* Shame about the app as the content is good however the functionality of the app and the customer service from Hearst magazine is appalling. The app has been frozen for 3 weeks and Hearst magazine refuse to help. The manor in which I was spoken to when I called customer service was completely dismissive. I have paid for a yearly subscription and cannot download the new magazine as the old one is frozen. ### 2/5 — Love the magazine but the app lets it down... *2015-04-04* I have had to delete the app 3 times today as every time I get to one of the 'fancy interactive adverts' the magazine locks up and I can't scroll to the next or previous page. Closing the app and re-opening doesn't resolve it, so I had to delete the app completely and install it again. Having to do this several times is just irritating and prevents me from enjoying the magazine. Sort it out please - and in the meantime, just bin off the fancy adverts!! Strangely enough, I didn't buy the magazine for the adverts... ### 1/5 — Have Chanel paid extra? *2015-04-03, version 4.0.21* Have Chanel paid Hearst extra for the app to force readers to stare at its advert all month once it crashes? Do not buy this until the problem is resolved or they stop trying to be clever with ill-conceived interactivity. Or until Chanel realise it is also bad for their brand to be associated with such a poor app and stop advertising. If I were them I'd also avoid it... ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Terrible experience *2022-01-05* App keeps freezing or will suddenly crash and I lose my place in the magazine. Would rather a hard copy version at this point!! ### 1/5 — Rice of clothes *2021-03-04* Not all of us can afford really expensive clothes. A mix of different cheaper and more costly clothes would serve your readers better. Few have the cash to buy designer clothes. Constance Jane ### 1/5 — Nightmare of an app *2020-11-30* Been subscribing for around two years and this app change is a nightmare. No pages only scrolling, complicated restoring not mentioning the loading process. Same with harpers U.K. Very anNo ### 1/5 — Bring back the old format *2020-07-31* I love red. I regularly post dozens of articles in every edition to my scrap book (great feature!) but this month I discovered the new layout of the digital editions. Long scrolling pages with none of the density of content I have come to love. It’s suppose to be more user friendly I’m sure but it is so light. I’ll have to cancel my subscription now which, as I’m abroad, I’m so disappointed to have to do. I can’t get the hard copy. But it’s just that different a reading experience now. Please change it back! ### 1/5 — The worst app *2020-07-31* Probably the worst app I’ve ever experienced. Completely unfocused on user experience - for example no Forgot Password button, instead a link to the parent company and a trawl through their site to reset. App does not reflect the content of the magazine which used to be good when I could access it. Update. Email them for access help and they reply with a standard email that doesn’t address the problem. The app is unusable so don’t waste your money subscribing to this magazine as you will never be able to read it on the unsupported app. ### 1/5 — The current issue disappeared from my iPad *2020-07-06* The current issue - AUGUST 2020 with Elle McPherson on the cover - has disappeared and I can’t get access to it. Getting tired of re-installing the app so I'm cancelling my subscription until it's sorted. ### 1/5 — Online access *2018-12-06* I changed from paper to online - complete nightmare - wish I hadn’t Responses to questions appear computer generated and don’t work ### 1/5 — Basically a PDF version of the magazine *2017-03-05* The old app was brilliant, a real pleasure to use and thoughtfully put together. Since they switched to this version, it's basically a PDF of the print version, with none of the intuitive, user-friendly features that made it a truly online magazine. When the change happened, I contacted Hearst customer services who told me "users prefer this format". What rubbish. Looks like a budget cut, which is sad given how well done it was. Do not waste your money on this app, however much you like the magazine. ### 1/5 — Appalling and Very annoying *2017-02-03, version 6.0* This is a really really poor app. It won't download, if you subscribe there is no clarity that you have and then added to that they don't have the courtesy to respond to you if you email with a query. Red, up your game and find a good web company to do this work - this is 2017 👎 ### 1/5 — Waste of money *2016-11-29, version 6.0* Took my payment and can't access the digital magazine on new iPhone or old iPad. Plus make it hard to submit review. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Have been reading from first issue, best Magazine around *2025-08-18, version 6.15* Keep up great work! ### 5/5 — Insipirational *2019-01-05* Ok, so I brought the very first ever copy of Red, and loved it.i stopped reading it, not sure why but various reasons. I picked this up again and wow-I was stuck between paper and digital but digital is awesome. I love the scrap book element and the ability to zoom in (so I can read it) ❤️ ### 5/5 — Disappointed *2016-11-13* I am gutted to have just renewed my 12-month subscription and to find the new magazine format. RED, to which I've subscribed for years and I adore, is now not much more than a badly formatted shopping catalogue, with minimal content, horrible browsing capability and a cold visual layout (images are laid out in long scrolling pages, rather than a creative layout). So disappointed. ### 5/5 — If I could give no stars I would *2016-11-02, version 6.0* Very disappointing, the clarity of the editorial and advertising is very poor, and I for one like to look at the adverts. Rubbish I absolutely hate it and wish I'd never downloaded it ### 5/5 — Fabulous *2014-10-08, version 4.0.19* Love this magazine. Husband bought a subscription for me, last year. I'd fallen the month before, breaking left arm and right wrist. Holding paper magazine was a no-no. To find my favourite magazine on iPad was a true delight. Despite cast on arms, I could swipe through the pages with ease. Thank you Red. ### 5/5 — Nice *2014-08-20* I love this, I get lots of different magazines on iPad and love the varied choice of US, Canadian, French and Australian magazines I can now enjoy, I also love many other international mags available, as well as loads of UK ones (this is the main reason I bought my iPad). This app is easy to use and I love the magazine - it is easy and fun to read, so far no problems. ### 5/5 — Red magazine *2012-09-26* Good reading magazine. ### 5/5 — Great!! *2012-09-14, version 2.5.7* Great app, fab when going on holiday. Cheaper than on the high street and good for the environment too!! ### 5/5 — Brilliant! *2012-08-20, version 2.5.5* Lovely to have your favorite mag at the touch of a button! Quick download and superb quality! Love it! ### 5/5 — Just like the paper version *2012-08-12* Works perfectly for me - whole magazine downloaded quickly (under 1 min) and i experienced no freezing / breaking when reading. Reads just like the magazine but on your iPad. --- *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 2026-08-30.*