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The Hamilton Spectator

The Hamilton Spectator

Up-to-date Hamilton area news

20 ratings
63 reviews
With Ads
🌟 Lifestyle
📡 News
Free
In-App PurchasesWith Ads

Details

Released
June 23, 2011
Updated
October 29, 2026

Features

Developer

thestar.com
✨Promote your app ✨
The Hamilton Spectator screenshot #1 for iPhone
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About

Access up-to-date local and global news with a personalized feed that adapts to your interests. Receive breaking news alerts, resume reading seamlessly, and manage your saved stories and newsletters all in one place.

✓Customizable newsfeed
✓Real-time breaking news alerts
✓Resume reading feature
✓Trending stories
✓Organized saved stories
✓Newsletter management
Show original description

What users say about The Hamilton Spectator

Reviews of The Hamilton Spectator are mostly negative: the News app is rated 4.5/5 from 20 App Store ratings. What users like most: wonderful local news coverage, hard-working reporters and editors. Top complaints: left-leaning bias perceived, repetitive content. Summarized from real user reviews.

Positive things

  • 👍Wonderful local news coverage
  • 👍Hard-working reporters and editors
  • 👍Valuable asset in difficult times

Negative things

  • 👎Left-leaning bias perceived
  • 👎Repetitive content
  • 👎Old news stays on for days
  • 👎Difficult to access all parts of the news
  • 👎Poor replacement for browser version
  • 👎Not free as described
  • 👎Tired of signing in repeatedly
  • 👎Poor app format compared to others
  • 👎Lost ability to share or favorite articles
  • 👎App frequently shows blank screen
  • 👎Crashes on startup/refresh
  • 👎Ads don't load, show white screen
  • 👎Unreliable, sporadic refreshing
  • 👎App doesn't open after updates
  • 👎Too many pop-up ads
  • 👎Does not fit screen, cutoff content
  • 👎Missing landscape mode
  • 👎Doesn't return to previous scroll position
See all reviews

What's New in The Hamilton Spectator

9.81.0

October 29, 2026

Bug fixes and enhancements

3

Subscriptions & In-App Purchases

Flexible Digital Access

Monthly subscription

$14.991 Month
6 Months trial
Price Updates
November 1, 2026→$14.99
October 27, 2025→$14.99
July 14, 2024→$6.99
How to cancel The Hamilton Spectator subscription ⁉️

User reviews

Most RecentHighest RatedLowest Rated

Spec

This is a really nice app
TBThe Spec is the best

Left leaning!

The Spec would be a great local paper if it wasn’t run like a “Left Wing” rag. Articles and comments all the time knocking the Tories.

If there was an alternative I would cancel my Spec subscription tomorrow.
BBud32789

Spec

Everything is repeated multiple times. Old news stays on for days. It should be setup more in a newspaper format. Not enjoyable at all.
SS.A.D.B.

Not as good as Toronto Star app

Same company, different app layout. I’d like to be able to look up pages as I can with the Star. Alternatively, I must take a photo of the item, crop it to share. Please update the app so I can read it like I do the paper version.
SSticker2

Too difficult to access all parts of the news

I’d like to be able to access all parts of the paper, but it’s difficult. And then some stories are listed for weeks on end and others show up multiple times. I feel like if I had the physical paper I’d be seeing a lot more news.
KKfLgzogst
See 58 more reviews

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See developer apps

User experience

🐞

Reported Bugs

40 issues

Everything is repeated multiple times

Bug

Old news stays on for days

Bug

Difficult to access all parts of the paper

Bug

Some stories listed for weeks

Bug

Others show up multiple times

Bug

Misses direct access to Home and Obituaries

Bug

Keeps asking to sign in every time

Bug

App does not work well on iPhone

Bug

Site does not work properly on Safari

Bug

App does not work on iPad

Bug

Cutoff content on iPad

Bug

App crashes when trying to open/refresh

Bug

Ads don't load, show white screen

Bug

App crashes when refreshing news

Bug

App doesn't load or keeps crashing

Bug

App crashes immediately upon installation

Bug

Blank screens popping up

Bug

App won't open after updates

Bug

App resets itself or sits jammed with no content

Bug

App crashes constantly, blank pages

Bug

Uneven and sporadic refreshing

Bug

Poor loading

Bug

App crashes when loading

Bug

Blank page, no news after update

Bug

Constantly crashing

Bug

App won't open

Bug

App doesn't show breaking news or local news

Bug

App won't load anymore, just crashes

Bug

No content at all once the app loads

Bug

Crashes all the time

Bug

App crashes when I refresh news

Bug

App hasn't worked for months

Bug

App hasn't worked properly in months

Bug

App doesn't work at all

Bug

App does not open at all since the latest update

Bug

App crashes for over a month

Bug

App doesn't even open

Bug

App instantly crashes and closes after update

Bug

App won't open on my phone

Bug

App not completely loading properly or keeps crashing

Bug
✨

Requested Features

14 requests

Update app for newspaper format

Feature

Allow lookup of pages like Toronto Star

Feature

Update app to read like paper version

Feature

More options for notifications

Feature

Bring back landscape reading

Feature

Allow sharing of articles

Feature

Allow favouriting of articles

Feature

Fix app layout for better access

Feature

Improve app functionality and usability

Feature

Fix bugs causing crashes and blank screens

Feature

Reinstall landscape mode

Feature

Return to previous scroll position after reading

Feature

Improve app layout compared to other e-papers

Feature

Allow access to former papers missed

Feature

FAQ

What kind of news does The Hamilton Spectator cover?

The Hamilton Spectator covers local Hamilton news, community stories, global issues, and breaking news that affects readers' daily lives.

Does The Hamilton Spectator have ads?

Yes, The Hamilton Spectator app contains advertisements. Users have reported issues with ads not loading or showing blank screens.

What are the subscription options for The Hamilton Spectator?

Subscription plans include Flexible Digital Access at $14.99/month with a 6-month free trial, and Annual Digital Access at $49.99/year with a 1-year free trial.

How often is The Hamilton Spectator updated?

The app's latest version is 9.81.0, last updated on October 29, 2026. Users have noted issues with the app not opening after updates and unreliable, sporadic refreshing.

What devices support The Hamilton Spectator?

The Hamilton Spectator is available on iPhone and iPad devices.

What do users dislike about The Hamilton Spectator?

User reviews mention a perceived left-leaning bias, repetitive content, difficulty accessing all news sections, and a poor app format compared to browser versions. Some users also report frequent sign-in issues and the app crashing.

Is The Hamilton Spectator suitable for younger readers?

The app has an age rating of 17+, suggesting it is intended for mature audiences due to the nature of news content.

How can I manage my newsletters with The Hamilton Spectator?

You can browse, subscribe to, and manage your newsletter preferences directly within the app, ensuring curated stories are delivered to your inbox.