# Roald Dahl Audiobooks — user reviews > 37 indexed App Store user reviews of Roald Dahl Audiobooks by Penguin Books LTD (UK), rated 2.77/5 from 79 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roald-dahl-audiobooks/id732002985/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roald-dahl-audiobooks/id732002985.md ## Newest reviews (12 of 37) ### 3/5 — Needs highlighted text *2021-01-17* I’ve downloaded this app for my 8yr old son who has high functionality autism, I was hoping this app had highlighted text as the book is being read out, I believe this app could be improved by adding highlighted text pages as the book is being read out, as this would help all children to learn to recognise more words as well as improve their spelling, reading and listening skills. I see a way for this app to really help all children as a mother I loved these books growing up and would love for my son to have a way to enjoy and love them as well. I really hope my feed back is looked at. ### 3/5 — Okay😐 *2020-07-25* I wish it was freeeeeeeeeeee! ### 3/5 — Bug *2020-04-19* Please can you stop the play resuming randomly after a sleep timer ... When on dnd and an iMessage received from a favourite constant play starts again Or after an alarm on another device with the same Apple ID e.g iPhone / iPad ### 1/5 — This is just a disgrace *2020-04-18* You get are money and you don’t even read the books also if I buy anything the next day it is automatically returned I was hoping to reread it after this I have respected you by not writing this bad review I hope nobody uses this app again the only good thing is the books ### 3/5 — Family sharing *2020-03-29* Hi I’ve downloaded this app onto each of my two children’s ipads. I’ve bought several books on one device but now want to be able to listen to them on the other child’s iPad without paying twice. Each is logged in with a different iCloud account. Can you tell me how I share the purchases, or how I log the app out of the second iPad so that I can log both into the one version of the app? Thanks! ### 1/5 — Doesn’t work for iOS 13 *2019-10-18* I’ve been using this App without issue for around a year and a half but unfortunately it doesn’t work for iOS 13. It worked ok up to iOS 10. I have been trying to contact both the App Developer and Penguin Random House Customer Service using the contact details provided on the App and on Penguin’s website but to date I have had no response. I’m now out of pocket having spent money on a new book which will not play. Having read other reviews I’m not the only customer who is having issues with this App - can the Developer please get in touch and do something to resolve this? ### 1/5 — Won’t play the books *2019-09-05* Installed this and it wouldn’t let me play any of the sample chapters. It showed all books as zero length on the playback page. When attempting to play, it popped up a purchase window. Eventually gave in and purchased one book to at least try and hear what it was like. Even when it was showing as purchased and downloaded it still would not play - when attempting to play it would just pop up the purchase window (DESPITE the fact it shows as purchased). “Restore purchases” option did nothing. ### 1/5 — Not very ‘family’ *2019-08-30* ‘Family Sharing’ is not an option. To be fair, the app description does state this but it is somewhat laughable for a ‘family’ orientated app. My wife purchased the books but we can only play them from her phone. The lack of airplay integration is also a big fail for me. ### 1/5 — Fraud!!!!! *2019-08-18* I paid for the book but can’t download!!! I want my money back!!!!! ### 1/5 — Useless - far too limiting *2019-04-26* The app has no facility to play through airplay or other systems - you are fixed to the app. You would be much better off purchasing through another provider. I’d love to complain and request a refund for the book I just purchased but there is no option to contact the developer. ### 1/5 — Terrible *2019-04-13* This app has never worked for me despite paying for a story. I’ve deleted it and reloaded it and it still doesn’t work. Waste of money! ### 1/5 — Where is it? *2019-02-21* Downloaded and paid for Fantastic Mr Fox from the AppStore and got confirmation. When I tried to play it, it asked me to pay for it then when I try to do that again it tells me I have already paid for it but won’t allow me to play it and sends me around in circles again and it’s very annoying! The purchase is logged with my bank. As there’s no “Contact” facility with Roald Dahl Audiobooks, the only course of action seemed to be to write a review, which isn’t what reviews are for. That will come later after I have resolved this issue. Now! ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — BAD Game *2024-09-05* I don’t have any more time than this: a 2 and a half minutes. ### 1/5 — Awful - DON’T BUY!! *2023-09-01* I downloaded this so the kids would listen to some audiobooks on a long car journey. I purchased four books but none will play on my iPhone 14 Pro with iOS 16.6. The money has been taken and I’ve nothing to show for it. Have fed this back to the developers but had no response so I’m £12 down. It’s not a lot of money but feel very irritated that it’s been wasted. Save your money and use Apple Audiobooks instead - more expensive but at least you have something to listen to! ### 1/5 — Family sharing *2023-04-24* My children cannot listen to my purchase on their own devices! Purchases can only be shared using the same Apple ID. So options are paying again for each child or my children using my Apple ID and thereby having full access to my phone and an adult account! Buy it from somewhere else where you can actually share it with your children. ### 1/5 — Censoring art is abhorrent *2023-03-15* The books are fantastic, and the prices are fair, but you don’t really own them despite paying for them. The files are completely locked to this iOS app. You can’t even transfer and use them on your mac or put them on an MP3 player to listen to them on the move. If my iPad dies (which it did recently but managed to repair it) then I lose the books and the money I paid for them because I can’t even transfer the files to my Mac to back them up. I’d have to buy a new iOS device to reinstall the app. Basically I’m sick of buying things that you don’t really ever own. I have “purchased” (though it’s more like renting!) one book, but since I can’t play it anywhere but this app on one device, I won’t be buying any more. “Developer Response 20 Nov Hi there, and thanks for your feedback. Just to clarify, you can install the app and download your purchased items on multiple devices” Well that’s not true is it. This app is only available in iTunes and only on iOS devices, so I can’t even use the app on my MacBook despite it being an apple product. What you mean is, it will work on an iPad or an iPhone. But nothing else. And again, you’re idea of “download” and everyone else’s are completely different. As I said before, the files are locked into the app and are not movable to say, my MP3 player or even my MacBook. So I have hardly downloaded the files (that I have paid for!) have i?! I’ll add to all this, the disgusting decision to allow the woke brigade to censor and rewrite parts of Dahls books is an act of fascism. **Developer response:** Hi there, and thanks for your feedback. Just to clarify, you can install the app and download your purchased items on multiple devices. ### 1/5 — DONT DOWNLOAD *2022-07-15* Downloaded this app only to find the books don’t work unless you pay for them and when you do pay they just continue asking for money at which point the books STILL don’t work!!!!!! ### 1/5 — App is a fraud *2021-08-19* I paid for two of the audiobooks and they don’t work. When I press play it just prompts me for payment again. When I go to purchases it clearly shows the two books listed as paid, but I haven’t received the content. Apple won’t refund me, and Penguin won’t respond to my help email. They have stolen my money, as I haven’t been provided what I paid for!!! ### 1/5 — Terrible app functionality *2020-11-07* I purchased five audiobooks through this app between July and august this year. They worked fine for a while but now I cannot play any of them. I’ve tried to restore the purchases through the app menu, repurchase through the App Store but nothing has allowed me to stream or download any of the purchased books. I’ve had no reply to my emails to Penguin Randomhouse. ### 1/5 — No ‘family sharing’ of content. *2020-08-04* I absolutely love Roald Dahl and was so thrilled to find an extra way to share his stories with my kids. Though they are expensive we have slowly built up a collection and they have been listening at bed time using my phone. I recently bought them (age 3,5,7) an iPad and set it up, family sharing is enabled along with the Roald Dahl app however I open it and discover we are expected to REPURCHASE all stories for every device in the family. I find this absolutely appalling. A total rip off. As the app itself is free anyway, what’s the use of “sharing” being enabled??? This offers no “sharing” at all, just an opportunity to make more money off people who have already paid! This app, containing only children’s stories, is clearly aimed at children- why put this road block in the way of using it and sharing amongst siblings?? I wish I had never paid a cent and had instead sourced the stories elsewhere. Very disappointed. ### 1/5 — Horrible *2020-05-01* When I downloaded this app it was free. However I have to pay each book at a time. I would like all the books to be free. I don’t like wasting my money on stuff that I probably only read once. I only get to read One free chapter!? Ronald Dahl is one of my favourite authors and illustrator but this is a nightmare. If your reading this and your about to get it DO NOT GET IT ITS A WASTE OF MONEY!! This just took up my storage. This is a horrible app. I would rather have a toddlers game than this. I agree with all the other people that didn’t like it. I would’ve gave this a five stars if I can read these books for free. Waste of money 😡👎🏻💵 ### 1/5 — Poor, app now asking for money for purchased titles *2020-04-30* This is very poor. I’ve purchased 12 of these titles and now the app is asking for money and does not recognise that I’ve bought them. The send feedback button is a joke and gives an email address that returns as undeliverable. Please restore my purchases developers! This is terribly poor. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — People are harsh. This is an amazing app. 📚📖 *2024-12-21* People are being harsh on this app. This is an easy to use app with brilliant stories and beautifully clear and interesting audio. I love Roald Dahl so this is great. WARNING TO NEW BUYERS: Each story costs money and you only get the first chapter free. But if you have the money I recommend. Sadly I couldn’t get the family sharing to work so the bits and bobs need work. But the main feature works with its charming and witty literature all written by Roald Dahl (aka: the greatest writer of all time!!) read by other celebrities who have added another level of charm to this beautiful app. I recommend this to the Roald Dahl lovers of the world. ### 5/5 — Very good app *2020-08-17* The app is simple to use, and the audio books are of great quality. I only wish it was possible to get the whole audio book for free, or at least at a discount, if you have already bought the physical book. But I still love this app, and I can get a chapter free for every book! ### 5/5 — 왜 구매가 안된다고 하는지모르겠네요 *2020-05-18* 벌써 세권째 구매해서 잘듣고 있습니다. 어릴때 공부한다도 듣던게 생각나서 성인되어서 출퇴근때 잘때 들으니까 옛날생각도 나고 영어도 늘어서 내용도 더 재밌네요. 영어공부시키시는 부모님ㄷ들께 강추입니다 ### 5/5 — Great app *2020-04-24* Great app. We’ve been listening to the books every night for years now. ### 5/5 — Fantastic *2020-02-02* I love this app so much . I listen to a book every night and they are all read so well. Some of them I wish they lasted a bit longer but if you are reading this please download the gam exits fabulous ### 5/5 — Great *2018-11-20* I always struggle to sleep so find these excellent to help me fall asleep too. I have had no problems restoring on to my devices and not had to pay twice for them. ### 5/5 — Ronald Dahl Books *2014-05-06* I love this app! Ronald Dahl is an amazing writer!! Thanks for making it! Everyone should totally download the app! ### 4/5 — Good app but doesn’t work with dark mode *2025-10-21* This is a great app given that the stories can be downloaded for offline listening. The only glitch is that the app doesn’t work well if display settings of the listening device are in ‘dark mode’, the chapter listing doesn’t show properly - it’s not readable in dark mode. ### 4/5 — Good but *2025-08-03* This app is great but you have to pay to read another chapter ### 4/5 — Good *2019-07-29* I think there really good story’s! And I’d recommend it to anyone it helps me go to sleep at night. But sometimes when I put on the story that I have bought it stops recording and says error. --- *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 2026-09-09.*