# Shortform Daily Book Summaries — user reviews > 212 indexed App Store user reviews of Shortform Daily Book Summaries by Shortform Inc., rated 4.60/5 from 1,388 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shortform-daily-book-summaries/id1489472007/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shortform-daily-book-summaries/id1489472007.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 1,144 · 4★ 107 · 3★ 28 · 2★ 24 · 1★ 85 ## What do users think of Shortform Daily Book Summaries? Overall sentiment: negative **Pros** - 💡 Excellent summaries with depth - 👍 Great content and customer service - 🚀 Fastest way to learn from books - 🤓 Best book summaries on the market - 👍 Helpful and balanced commentary - 🤓 Thorough analysis of each book **Cons** - 🐛 Buggy app with poor UI/UX - 💰 Extremely expensive subscription - 🤖 Poor audio quality and narration - 🔒 Deceptive billing practices - 🤬 Terrible customer service - 🤑 Predatory free trial policies **Commonly reported bugs** - App crashes and freezes frequently - Highlighting and bookmarking issues - Inconsistent behavior when exiting app - Search function is slow and unreliable - App doesn't remember user's last position **Most requested features** - Offline reading mode - Ability to download summaries as PDFs - Sync audio progress with text - Improved search and navigation - Highlight words being read in audio - Reading list/queue functionality ## Newest reviews (10 of 212) ### 2/5 — app issues are getting in the way of a great experience *2026-05-07, version 8.4.1* I signed up with Shortform using Apple Sign-in Authentication. It appeared to work initially, but I am unable to use it now and am experiencing difficulty logging in and using the app. I hope they are able to resolve this issue. At the moment, I am using the web version and enjoying the experience there. ### 2/5 — NO REFUNDS *2025-09-30, version 7.2.8* Just a heads up, they do not offer even a partial refund at all once you’ve been charged. I signed up for free trial and forgot to cancel, immediately hit with a non refundable $200 charge for a year subscription. Read through a couple books through the app and was not impressed by the summaries, they seemed biased like someone had an agenda while summarizing the chapter/book vs just breaking down the literary content in an honest way. ### 2/5 — Good but needs improvement *2025-09-22, version 7.2.8* The app freezes too much and then goes back to the very beginning of 1 page summary readings after exiting the app. It will also black out and the bottom bar for navigating through the app will get stuck. ### 1/5 — Unethical Practices *2025-08-29, version 7.2.8* I purchased Shortform for a year and used it but didn’t love it. There are better apps. I didn’t expect to be automatically renewed after 12 months but they took another year’s payment. I contacted them as soon as I realised and they refused to refund me. I asked for them to reconsider but they just quoted their policy and kept my money. Be very careful and maybe try another app anyway ### 2/5 — No 5 day trial for monthly even though website shows that there is. *2025-08-13, version 7.2.6* The web link said that there is a monthly 5 day free trial. I go through all the signing in options just to find out that they’ve removed it apparently for the monthly signup and only provide it for the yearly. That’s basically bait and switch. ### 3/5 — Check the translation options before subscribing *2025-07-20* The summaries are of good quality. However, it is not possible to get a translation, even word for word, when hovering, which is a shame for an app at this price. I also thought I could send the summaries to its e-reader, but that didn't work. I was a little disappointed in the end, not being able to convert my annual subscription to monthly because of this. I should point out that I am French with an intermediate level of English. **Developer response:** Thank you for sharing your feedback. We’re glad to hear you find the summaries valuable, and we understand your frustration regarding translation and e-reader options. Shortform already offers translations for several languages, and French is coming soon. In the meantime, you can also use our PDF downloads or the “Send to Kindle” feature to read summaries on most devices, including e-readers. We understand the limitations around switching subscription plans and appreciate your patience. Your input is important to us. We’re always looking for ways to improve accessibility and flexibility for learners worldwide. We hope you continue exploring Shortform and enjoy all the resources available! ### 5/5 — I have enjoyed every book I’ve read but really liked the analysis of The Smartest Guys In The Room. *2025-05-13, version 7.2.0* I love Shortform . Their analysis and the synopsis are thorough and complete. Shortform is excellent! Recommend it to everyone. ### 3/5 — Great content, But… *2025-05-04, version 7.2.0* Compared to other services, the summaries are great, deep, and written by people who actually know what they’re doing. But, the app is very buggy, looks bad, and works even worse. Using and even highlighting passages in a Kindle is actually a smoother experience. I wish you guys can fix the app asap. ### 5/5 — Best in class! *2025-04-21* After having tried various book summaries services, Shortform really stands out. Not too short so that you miss a lot of key messages and developments compared to the full book, not too long so that it wouldn’t be time-savvy to use the service. Plus, there are cross-references made with other book ideas when relevant (additional info, contrarian viewpoints…), the studies quoted by the original author are put into context or the conclusions challenged, etc. Nice additions, that help going from simply reading to actually understanding and drawing valuable insights. **Developer response:** Thank you so much for your thoughtful review! We're thrilled to hear that Shortform has stood out to you among other book summary services. It's great to know that our approach—balancing depth with brevity while providing insightful cross-references and context—has been helpful in enhancing your understanding of the books. We truly appreciate your support and look forward to continuing to provide you with valuable insights in the future. If there's anything else you'd like to share or suggestions to make your experience even better, we'd love to hear from you! ### 3/5 — Make an effort *2025-04-19* Please, you have to make an effort to improve your app. The web version is amazing, but in general the most people prefer to consume the content using the app and your app is not in the same level of the others app. **Developer response:** Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us! We really appreciate your feedback. We're glad to hear that you enjoy the web version, but we understand your frustration with the app experience. We're constantly working to improve the app and ensure it meets the same high standards as the web version. Your input is crucial in helping us prioritize improvements, and we’ll make sure to pass along your comments to our development team. In the meantime, if you have any specific suggestions or issues you'd like to highlight, please feel free to reach out. We're committed to enhancing your experience and ensuring that both platforms offer a seamless and enjoyable way to consume content. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Can’t cancel subscription *2026-08-01, version 8.6.0* I keep getting charged $18 a month and I’ve been trying to cancel for 3 months! How do they get away with this? I had to cancel my credit card to stop them from charging me again. Stop the insanity! ### 1/5 — Forgets where it is at-repeats sections *2026-05-20, version 8.4.1* Also there needs to be an accurate syncing of books and their reading position between phone and iPad. Currently there seems to be no syncing. So it forgets where it is at when I close the app and does not sync between devices. ### 1/5 — Hate it. *2026-04-28, version 8.4.1* No one likes apps that offer you a free trial and then automatically charge you at the end. Developer stopped doing that in recent times because they know everyone hates it. ### 1/5 — DEVELOPERS: THE HIGHLIGHT FEATURE DOESN’T WORK RELIABLY *2026-02-01, version 8.4.1* DEVELOPERS: THE HIGHLIGHT FEATURE DOESN’T WORK RELIABLY, especially when highlighting near bold font (which is ironic as these are often the most important parts of the text to highlight for notes). Very often, when I try to highlight text on the iOS iPhone app (especially bold text) the highlight button does not appear. The highlight and notes functions are valuable, but only when they work (which they often don't). Please fix the highlight function on the app so it works reliably, and I will change my review to 5 stars to reflect how great the app is in all other respects. ### 1/5 — Sketchy avoid at all costs *2026-01-02, version 7.4.0* I’ve actually never left a review in my life but they make it so impossible to downgrade, incredibly sketchy. Impossible to cancel. Don’t use. Dark patterns everywhere ### 1/5 — NO REFUND NO NOTICE OF RENEWAL *2025-11-24, version 7.3.0* Deceptive billing practices. They do not send notice they will be billing renewal and refuse to refund money after the fact. ### 1/5 — 283$ scam charged without my knowledge *2025-11-01, version 7.3.0* 283$??? That’s insane and crazy for this scam. Charged me without my knowledge and refusing to refund me now. ### 1/5 — Fraudulent and useless *2025-10-24, version 7.3.0* This is the worst company I've ever interacted with. I cannot believe they are still in business. Someone needs to sue them because they are just so fraudulent. The app itself is also useless. There's no reason to use this vs ChatGPT. The summaries I get are low quality and do not give me any more insight on whether I should actually read the book. Save your money. Do not get tricked into a free trial. Avoid at all costs. Avoid, avoid, avoid. ### 1/5 — App doesn’t accept subscription *2025-10-20* Initially I thought that the subscription did not go through and re-did the process again. Now to see it’s showing as two subscriptions on the google pay page but the app itself doesn’t reflect anything. It hangs with the “processing” symbol and now I have no idea what to do. There is no refresh option for the subscription too. **Developer response:** We’re sorry for the confusion and frustration this issue has caused. It sounds like a technical glitch with the subscription process, and we want to help you resolve it quickly. Please contact help@shortform.com with your account details and a screenshot of the Google Pay page if possible. Our team will investigate the duplicate subscription and processing issue, ensure you are correctly billed, and guide you on the next steps. Thank you for your patience. We are committed to making this right. ### 1/5 — Customer Service *2025-10-13, version 7.3.0* Do not do business with Shortform. They are an untrustworthy company. On BBB you can see a list of complaints, most of them related to free trial payment disputes. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Adds a lot to the reading experience. *2026-04-15, version 8.4.1* Adds a lot to the reading experience. Somehow I feel like I’m learning more than I would reading a full book and I’m able to learn it in half the time. ### 5/5 — Great app *2026-02-07, version 8.4.1* Great content (just a couple of books they don’t have that I want, that I’ll request) nice to have an app that goes into more detail per book thank other quick summary apps. Happy to pay the price for quality. Keep up the good work and improving Shortform. ### 5/5 — Great app and customer service! *2026-02-04, version 8.4.1* I was having an issue with subscription, and the customer service agents worked with me and solved the issues. Also I love this app; I’ve subscribed to the email book summaries for years, and they’re always well curated and thought out. ### 5/5 — Dos seize Sadthrust *2026-02-02, version 8.4.1* Wool ### 5/5 — Excellent summaries with depth! *2025-10-22, version 7.3.0* Just the right level of meaningful detail and messaging in a digestible format, great to listen to during my morning commute to work! ### 5/5 — Best summaries *2025-10-11* Short enough to be a summers long enough to deliver actual points and depth. Imho best summery app **Developer response:** Thank you for the great review! We’re glad you find Shortform summaries both concise and insightful. It means a lot to know our app is helping you get the depth you want while saving time. We appreciate your support! ### 5/5 — How Customers is supposed to get treated *2025-10-10, version 7.3.0* Shortform customer service knows how to treat a customer. Having an incident I had to email the Desk support they got back to me within 24 hours and they went out their way to supported and understood. ### 5/5 — Worth it! *2025-08-14, version 7.2.6* Such a great app to learn while either driving in the car instead of listening to music and just multi stacking in general! I’ve been learning so much as an entrepreneur with this app while saving so much time! ### 5/5 — Game changer! *2025-08-14, version 7.2.6* “As someone who’s dyslexic, this app has been a game changer. It gives me short, clear summaries of books so I can keep up with conversations at work and stay on top of new learning initiatives. I can listen to the audio versions in the car or while working out, and even download PDFs of the summaries with built-in short learning sessions to reinforce the key points. The adaptive learning techniques help me actually remember the information without spending hours reading. Efficient, practical, and absolutely worth the investment.” ### 5/5 — Great content and customer service *2025-07-30, version 7.2.4* Great customer service was very accommodating and understanding. The content is extremely helpful and easy to digest. Highly recommend. --- *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 2026-08-26.*