# Sotheby's — user reviews > 74 indexed App Store user reviews of Sotheby's by Sotheby's, rated 3.40/5 from 95 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sothebys/id1061156465/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sothebys/id1061156465.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 48 · 4★ 9 · 3★ 3 · 2★ 1 · 1★ 34 ## What do users think of Sotheby's? Overall sentiment: negative **Pros** - ✨ Beautiful photography and content - 👍 Easy to navigate (for some) - ✅ Great for browsing and viewing auctions - 🤩 Interactive and engaging - 🖼️ Elegant design **Cons** - ❌ Core functionality missing - 📉 Poor user experience - 🚫 App is useless for many - 😵 Confusing new format - 📱 Not compatible with older phones - 💻 Doesn't work on iPad - ⚠️ Frequent crashes - 😵‍💫 ID verification issues - 📉 Outdated and buggy - 👎 Terrible implementation **Commonly reported bugs** - Cannot sort auction lots - Cannot follow, view, or bid - App crashes on launch - ID verification camera not focusing - Photo upload issues - Saved objects not displaying correctly - App freezes or crashes during use - Lot details never load - AppleTV app fails to open - App thinks it's on an iPhone on iPad **Most requested features** - Allow sorting of auction lots - Improve search functionality - Enable calendar integration - Make app landscape compatible - Simplify personalization options - Improve account integration - Allow file uploads for ID verification - Fix AppleTV app issues ## Newest reviews (16 of 74) ### 1/5 — Roll it back! *2024-01-31, version 4.5.8* Agree with other users, old version was better, I find the ‘topics’ really confusing. Not user friendly at all. ### 1/5 — Photo ID doesn’t work *2023-09-12, version 4.5.3* Got an account setup to bid on Freddie Mercury’s estate and had some trouble getting started, but after a couple of emails back and forth, I was told everything was ready and my account was good to go. Once it was time to bid (as items were set to close in a few hours), the app kept me in a loop I couldn’t get out of. “Upload ID to confirm your identity” then I’d upload it and it would say “ID has been added to your account”, then it would ask me to confirm my bid, and once I did it would ask me to upload my ID again. Bad form, Sotheby’s. Bad form. ### 1/5 — Doesn’t work on ipad *2023-09-07, version 4.5.3* I used this App on my iphone and it worked perfectly but on the ipad it is worse than useless. Nothing would connect. Then i managed to get the live auction up and there was no sound and it kept freezing. Lots were showing that weren’t being auctioned, so it was impossible to use. ### 3/5 — Okey but not good *2023-07-05, version 4.5.2* This application and the website in general are under developed in my opinion. Searches are difficult, language and currencies are keep on switching back. ### 2/5 — Poorly built App *2023-06-24, version 4.5.1* This is just a cheap portal app that redirects you to their web page. Behaviour is inconsistent depending on the Auction or the Lot. You can’t see any photos or details of the Lots or Auctions in app. I didn’t realise they still made these kind of apps in 2023. It’s a bit of a waste of storage space on your phone. Just go to the website. ### 1/5 — Uploading ID to confirm profile is useless *2023-04-29* Constantly receive error messages when trying to upload ID. The app doesn’t focus on the ID so photos are ALWAYS blurry. It impacts my ability to confirm my acc and bid. ### 1/5 — Poor *2023-04-07, version 4.5.1* Can’t upload I’d ### 1/5 — Latest version keeps crashing *2023-04-02, version 4.5.1* i just updated to the latest version and the app simply stop working. It opens an crash straight away. ### 1/5 — Please fix your app *2023-04-02, version 4.5.1* It’s 21th century, it’s 2023 and this app still doesn’t allow iphone to focus??? PLEAS FIX YOUR APP!!! ### 1/5 — App keeps shutting down *2023-04-02, version 4.5.1* For the last few days the app keeps shutting down immediately after opening. Only happens on iPad but seems to be ok on iPhone. Please remedy. ### 1/5 — ID verification camera *2023-03-14, version 4.5.0* The app does not use the correct camera APIs and will not focus properly for driver license verification. This is a poorly implemented application with a known problem for several months without it being addressed. ### 1/5 — Awful *2023-03-14, version 4.5.0* App is an abomination Won’t let you upload photos - have to use their terrible image capture system that makes it hard to take and puts you too close to get proper focus. ### 1/5 — App is crap. ID upload won’t work *2023-03-10, version 4.5.0* As others have reported, the app is buggy. To bid on one of their auctions you must be verified. That’s fair enough. But you must download their buggy app and scan your ID using the scanner function in their app. The scan function uses something created by their developers and does not seem to use the built in Apple scan function. Their app refuses to focus. Emails to the company with photos of the ID remain mostly unanswered and I still remain unable to bid on a very expensive item coming up for sale. Busy people who wish to bid on multi million dollar items are not inspired with confidence by Southey’s poor app and poor performance. If I were selling an item I would definitely take it to Christies, Phillips, etc. where I have had excellent experience with their apps, authorizations, and customer service. ### 1/5 — Ed *2023-02-08, version 4.5.0* Impossible to upload ID as app won’t allow camera to focus 🤣🚮🚮 ### 1/5 — The App is awful *2022-12-23, version 4.4.0* The app is awful, I can’t believe one of the biggest auction house in the world cannot afford a decent app! ### 1/5 — Just downloaded tried to bid, uploaded ID 5 times…error I’M DONE. *2022-12-09, version 4.3.11* My title says it all. I wanted to bid on two watches. Created my profile on the website, said I could Only use the app to upload back/front pic of my drivers license. So I downloaded the app, attempted to bid in which it says please take a picture and upload which I did. It says it was successfully added to my profile. Then, I try to bid and it says error and the process happens all over again. At least with Christies, Phillips, etc. you can choose to upload a file (jpeg, etc.) of your license photo and even via their website. If you can’t even spend time reading this review, digesting the feedback from me & others and fixing your iPhone app…why would I risk spending big bucks on an item plus pay you a 26% buyers premium? It’s 2022, stop spending money on the nonexistent Metaverse features nobody will use and get the basics working first…is my suggestion. Your app is beyond frustrating and at this point I kinda feel sorry for the sellers, too. Even if you could email pictures of a drivers license, you don’t even support email encryption. How are you still in business at this point? Best of luck but I’m done. You lost my business by losing my trust in Sotheby’s. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Reset of password not working *2026-06-04, version 5.1.7* The app is terrible and cannot seem to change password as it opens to a total white blank page. I am shocked by the technology on its marketplace as the company sells billions in its business and not able to enhance a user friendly and seamless app. ### 1/5 — You cannot sort *2026-03-08, version 5.0.27* It amazes me that core functionality is missing. For example, you cannot sort auction lots by current bid, lot number, and estimate. This makes the app almost entirely useless ### 1/5 — Terrible *2025-09-14, version 4.5.16* Useless on my Apple phone.. I can’t follow, view, bid… what a terrible change .. not worth a single star really ### 1/5 — Unable to update as I have an older phone *2025-05-13, version 4.5.16* My iPhone is a few years old and lacks the capacity to upload all of Sotheby’s new bells-and-whistles. I am not buying a new phone just to get a “new” website no matter whose it is. ### 1/5 — Update *2025-04-09, version 4.5.16* Impossible télécharger la nouvelle version ### 1/5 — Update doesn’t work. *2025-04-09, version 5.0.6* Update doesn’t work on I pad and mine is the correct version. ### 1/5 — Latest update *2025-03-28, version 5.0.5* New format is a disappointment. Overcrowding of images; looks like a third rate auction house app designed by the director’s unemployable cousin. ### 1/5 — Hammond Smith *2025-03-15, version 4.5.16* I usually groan when I read “we’ve upgraded our system “- oh no! It inevitably means a worse system, as here. Absolutely awful. Moreover it doesn’t work on iPad. Why on earth do you need to “ improve” a system that worked perfectly fine. ### 1/5 — 用不了，快更新，很差 *2025-02-16, version 5.0.0* 用不了，快更新．很差很差 ### 1/5 — Started crashing *2024-11-25, version 4.5.15* Previous versions had no issue. Currently version crashes on my phone. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Well done!!! *2024-07-27, version 4.5.12* I just bought a Kelly Bag and it was a so easy,from my first click on the gorgeous bag to the FEDX delivery,that I am scared my wife will start using the website herself!!!Thanks Sotheby’s!Bedt,George Bolton Jupiter Florida USA ### 5/5 — Trop bien *2024-02-15, version 4.5.8* L’application est super ### 5/5 — Great finds *2023-03-12, version 4.5.0* Sotheby’s always has great items to sell and often at good prices. The app is easy to navigate and a great way to see what’s trending. ### 5/5 — Good *2022-12-20, version 4.4.0* Good ### 5/5 — The app is well done! *2022-11-09, version 4.3.11* Love all the offerings& I will tune into watch the live auctions. The app is easy & well done. ### 5/5 — Beautiful objects and art *2022-06-13, version 4.3.7* The range of items and their quality is impressive. The app is easy to use. ### 5/5 — Exceeds my expectations *2022-05-17, version 4.3.7* The fact that I have real time access to bidding going on and live auctions is invaluable. It’s also fun to watch live auctions through the app. The information is accurate and up to the minute. I cannot recommend this app highly enough. ### 5/5 — Happy bidding *2020-04-15, version 3.2.0* Very interactive and great content. ### 5/5 — Sotheby’s app *2020-04-15, version 3.2.0* Great up. Fun way of bidding and seeing what is coming up in the art calendar ### 5/5 — Need update *2020-03-18, version 3.1.8* Have enjoyed this app until today…now all it does is crash… --- *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 2026-08-24.*