# The New York Review of Books — user reviews > 117 indexed App Store user reviews of The New York Review of Books by NYREV, INC, rated 4.80/5 from 4,408 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-new-york-review-of-books/id1231571379/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-new-york-review-of-books/id1231571379.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 3,965 · 4★ 244 · 3★ 58 · 2★ 28 · 1★ 113 ## What do users think of The New York Review of Books? Overall sentiment: mixed **Pros** - 🚀 Unique and high-quality content - 👍 Excellent breadth of coverage - 👍 Pleasurable reading experience - 👍 Functional and beautiful app design - 👍 Offline reading capability **Cons** - 🐛 Frequent login issues - 🐛 Unreliable offline mode - 🐛 Clunky navigation and poor search functionality - 🐛 Lack of customization options (font size, dark mode) - 🐛 Inconsistent subscription management **Commonly reported bugs** - Inability to download more than 2 issues offline - Frequent crashes and app instability - Inconsistent login behavior across devices - Truncated app name on home screen - Broken PDF viewing functionality **Most requested features** - Ability to adjust font size and style - Dark mode option for night reading - Improved search and browsing functionality - Better integration between app and website subscriptions - Access to full archive of past issues ## Newest reviews (17 of 117) ### 3/5 — Terrible text sizing *2026-07-25, version 25.0.1* I love NYRB, and their website is so well designed and very functional. So how can this app be so off with something as basic as text sizing? The default is small enough that I have a hard time reading it, but the next size up is huge. This is an issue since v 1 of this app and it’s an easy fix. ### 3/5 — My favorite magazine. *2026-06-07, version 25.0.1* I’ve read the New York Review since its first issue during the 1962 newspaper strike. I loved it at first sight and I still do. It’s a bright spot in the glut of what passes for journalism. ### 2/5 — What’s with the font sizes? *2026-02-03* Font sizes are either unacceptably small or ridiculously oversized, starting at 2 (why?), then roughly 6, only to leap to about 16 before increasing all the way up to 48 (allowing for no more than ten characters per line on an iPhone). Where are 8, 10, or 12, font sizes most readers would find easiest to read? The LONDON Review uses the same Pugpig Bolt software and gets everything right. ### 4/5 — Does not work *2025-09-12, version 24.0* NYRB claims it is not a product they designed. ### 3/5 — Great journal. Okay app. *2025-09-12, version 24.0* The NYRB website is so well done that this app is a bit of a disappointment. The functionality is fine, but the font size is very off - it’s either tiny or huge, making it difficult to have a good reading experience. It would be nice to have more “medium” range sizes. ### 5/5 — Surprisingly Perfect *2024-11-23, version 23.0* This app makes reading the paper so easy. Everything is organized clearly, easy to find and if you don’t finish a particular article the app saves your places so you can go back next time and pick up right where you left off. Never had a single problem. ### 5/5 — The English Language's Premier Intellectual Journal *2024-10-28, version 23.0* Required Reading For Inquisitive Minds ### 5/5 — NYBR *2024-09-03, version 23.0* Excellent worth the money worth the time thank you ### 2/5 — Great publication, unusable app *2024-05-21, version 23.0* It's almost as if the app developers do not read and still have perfect eyesight: (1) The font-size settings are unusable. (2) The PDFs are good, but the bookmark function doesn't work in them. I could still live with that if I could move the PDF to a better reader, but the files are locked inside the app. (3) The PDF tables of contents entries do not link to the pages on which the articles are, and I don't see a way to jump to a specific page number. (4) Who develops an app with a name that gets truncated on the screen? Do the deciders actually use the app? ### 5/5 — Why no kindle? *2023-12-18, version 23.0* Sorry but tPad doesn’t do it. ### 5/5 — The greatest. *2023-12-02, version 23.0* No American publication covers as much ground, whether it’s current events, the arts , literature new and old. ### 3/5 — NYR reader app is just okay *2023-09-26, version 23.0* There are so many better ways to navigate a PDF document. Please update is app to modern technologies. ### 4/5 — Somewhat better *2023-09-23, version 23.0* This is the first half-decent NYR app version. I fail to understand, however, why I am forced to choose between fonts that are either too small or ridiculously oversized. There is a rough gap between font sizes 8 and 14. Why? ### 5/5 — Best book reviews in the world. *2023-09-14, version 23.0* Always thorough, always thoughtful, always the best. Learn about new books and old ones. The essays are always well written, and very much on point. A truly excellent literary publication. ### 4/5 — Huge Improvement *2023-09-03* The recent update is a big improvement over the old version. I’m actually using the app more than the website now. The only big issue is the limited font size selection. It’s either tiny or huge. ### 5/5 — At last *2023-07-29, version 23.0* This is the best app you have had so far. Well done. Next step is to be able to access your vast archive from the app. ### 5/5 — New NYR app as of 6-30-23 *2023-06-30, version 23.0* Works ok on iphone but on ipad mini it is much different. (No full page/facsimile pdfs.). Please fix. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Logs me out *2025-03-03, version 23.0* This app logs me out mid-article if I lose service making it borderline impossible to use during my commute. Disappointed as a subscriber. ### 1/5 — Nearly Useless for retrieving older articles *2024-07-14, version 23.0* The search function is almost completely useless; you can enter the precise title of an older article and the search menu still won’t find it. Furthermore, subscriptions purchased through the app do not grant access to the website for some unknown reason. NYRB has some excellent articles, but this app is so bad and their policy decisions are so nonsensical that I will never support them again. ### 1/5 — Dreadfully Bad App *2023-06-30, version 23.0* The content is the best in the erudite literature magazine world. The app is a waking nightmare. - No dark mode (in June of 2023!) - No ability to view titles of books or films being reviewed anywhere in this app - No way to modify text settings in an article without leaving and navigating to settings, where there is precisely ONE text setting (its size, how exciting) - No way to view the PDF version anymore (why take this functionality away??) It is overall an abysmal app, especially given that this is the “new and improved” version, recently released. What in the world is the publisher thinking? This app looks like it came out of 2009. Please fix your app, NYRB, to at least be close to as high a quality as your superb publication. ### 1/5 — No support for app subscription *2023-04-07, version 22.0* Bought a subscription in the app. Until now has worked fine but latest issue will not load and received no response to multiple requests for support. I’m now paying an annual subscription for a magazine I cannot read. ### 1/5 — Needs work *2023-03-02, version 22.0* A nightmare to set up. Insistent on allowing cookies. Content is only reason to use but be prepared for technical frustration. ### 1/5 — Useless *2023-02-18, version 22.0* The app will only allow me to download two issues for reading offline. It’s not possible to download more than this. I’ve tried uninstalling, reinstalling logging out and in etc. No fix. Less than impressive. ### 1/5 — NY Review of Books made it impossible for me to login. *2022-11-26, version 22.0* It’s website is a dud. It should be easy to login for new subscribers to login, but instead I wasted a half hour trying to do so. I’ve asked for a refund. ☹️ ### 1/5 — Great magazine, garbage app *2022-10-23, version 22.0* First off, no updates in 2 years? That says it all. So you can't log in with your previously created online credentials. After downloading an issue, you can't delete it, even by clearing the cache or by uninstalling & then reinstalling. It's a primitive, bare-bones, crashy garbage app. Why such a great publication would foist this junk on its readers, I don't know. ### 1/5 — Can’t access my subscription on this app *2022-08-24, version 22.0* Need I say more? ### 1/5 — App needs a real table of contents *2021-10-21, version 22.0* Please fix the app so it displays a useful table of contents. Headlines without bylines is surely a disservice to your writers as well as your readers. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Indispensable magazine with demanding readers *2026-06-14, version 25.0.1* I think the app is generally very good since I read it on my iPad. I find it rather funny the number of negative reviews views that are that a literary magazine doesn’t have the resources to constantly update their app, but they have updated it slowly and it’s better than ever ### 5/5 — Must have it. *2026-03-29, version 25.0.1* I must have this magazine for useful rational information, viewpoints, and entertainment. Please keep AI away from the content. App works! ### 5/5 — The best essays *2026-01-29, version 25.0.1* I love the NYR especially for its essays, which are thorough and illuminating but more manageable in a sitting than the New Yorker. Unlike the New Yorker, which I also subscribe to and ad,ore enormously, the monthly NYR does not overwhelm or leave me feeling guilty for not keeping up! Fintan O’Toole and Zadie Smith are favourite contributors. I appreciate an international perspective on international affairs while the paper’s heart still resides in NY. I love the design and feel of the physical object but I also enjoy the app on my iPad and reading the online pieces as soon as they come out. It’s a joy to receive the issues in my mailbox, on the other side of the world in the Blue Mountains, Australia. ### 5/5 — Life changing *2026-01-18, version 25.0.1* Life changing ### 5/5 — Always *2025-12-28, version 25.0.1* Always well written. Always informative. Always thought provoking, even in disagreement. Always worth while. ### 5/5 — Still delivering unique content of the highest quality *2025-10-20, version 25.0* I’ve been a subscriber off and on for years. Over time I’ve subscribed to many other publications, Substacks, and media aggregators (and still do). In a time where so much content is available, the review continues to feature ideas and insights that you cannot find elsewhere, writing of the highest quality, and an excellent breadth of coverage. Well worth the time and cost. ### 5/5 — Peerless Writing *2025-05-04, version 23.0* Among the finest criticism, reporting, and prose in the world. ### 5/5 — Fintan is Fantastic *2025-04-01, version 23.0* Deep insights and great writing, our so called leaders: memes, schemes and games exposed for their: poverty of intellect, their imaginative desperation and lack of ideas to tackle the great challenges of our time. Instead they offer a fossil fuel fascist 1930s like Abyss. Fintan takes Trumps megaphone off him. ### 5/5 — Novas Leituras *2025-03-03* Ótima publicação para se tomar contato com novos livros e alguns não tão novos assim. As ideias que circulam por aqui são instigantes. ### 5/5 — One of the last places for great writing *2025-02-21, version 23.0* NYR has the best contemporary writing - essays on books, painting, music or philosophy. The app just brings it together in an easy to read format and does an excellent job --- *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.*