# The Recipe Box — user reviews > 323 indexed App Store user reviews of The Recipe Box by Kathleen Tafel, rated 4.48/5 from 1,921 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-recipe-box/id414537274/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-recipe-box/id414537274.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 1,461 · 4★ 203 · 3★ 63 · 2★ 51 · 1★ 114 ## What do users think of The Recipe Box? Overall sentiment: neutral **Pros** - 🚀 Easy to use - 📚 Excellent recipe organization - 🔍 Convenient search and filtering - 🔗 Seamless recipe import from websites - 📱 Syncs between devices - 🔖 Customizable categories - 📷 Ability to add photos - ✉️ Easy recipe sharing **Cons** - 🐛 Bugs and stability issues - 🔄 Unreliable instant import feature - 🔑 Lack of login/account system - 💤 Outdated app design - 🔍 Difficult to search and navigate - 🔧 Poor customer support **Commonly reported bugs** - Recipes disappearing after updates - Inability to edit or save recipes - Syncing issues between devices - Keyboard shortcuts not working - App crashes and freezes **Most requested features** - Add Keto category - Improve recipe photo management - Implement iCloud/cloud backup - Add unit conversion tools - Enhance recipe sharing capabilities - Improve recipe editing and formatting ## Newest reviews (15 of 323) ### 2/5 — Recipe Box *2026-07-04, version 7.0.6* Disappointed that it is not automatically importing recipes. Disappointed that it does not back up like most of my apps do. Because of glitches I uninstalled and reinstalled forgetting it does not back up the recipes. Lost all my recipes except for few that came with the app. ### 3/5 — Why change what worked well? *2026-07-02, version 7.0.6* I bought this app years ago and it used to be my favorite. But I don’t understand why the layout functionality was changed or why an option wasn’t included to keep it as it used to be. Now I’m frustrated every time I go to use the app as it’s more difficult to find recipes and the larger photos take up so much room. I believe most cooks and bakers don’t look for recipes based on photos, but rather based on the name or main ingredient in the recipe so why change the layout and make the photos larger? And to get support or send the developer a request or suggestion, you have to do so through Facebook - well, not everyone has (or wants) Facebook. So many features of this app are great, but not the new layout - hoping this will get changed or I likely will be looking for a new app. ### 2/5 — Recipe Boxer *2026-06-20, version 7.0.5* Not happy with this version of the app. 🤬 ### 4/5 — Good, not Great *2026-06-06, version 7.0.5* I’ve used Recipe Box for years and like it a lot. Recipes are presented in a visually appealing way and love the ability to include a picture of the result. If only the ingredient section provided the ability to have SECTION headings. I’ve tried the techniques recommended for other apps (ending a line with a colon, double “-“ and “=“ to no avail. ### 4/5 — Latest Update *2026-04-18, version 7.0.5* I love this app but dislike the last update. I like a list of my recipes not use of tabs. The tabs don’t allow the full name of the recipe to be displayed and I therefore have multiple tabs labeled the same. ### 4/5 — Confused *2026-04-18, version 7.0.5* Pse help‼️the app froze a couple of times so I deleted it having backed it up and now all my recipes have gone and I can’t retrieve them. iTunes doesn’t work with my iPad and I tried through the cloud like you said but that didn’t work either as my tablet has different subsections to yours in settings. I have a newly reconditioned iPad air2. I adore this app and I’m never with out it. I depend on it for my job too as I am a care worker and cook meals for the elderly. ### 4/5 — Love this app *2026-04-12, version 7.0.5* I am having trouble showing the recipe list by alphabet. That is to say, I would like to skip to the ‘N’s’ for the selections I have made by tapping recipes starting with N when I am stuck back at the ‘B’s’. There used to be an alphabet running down the right hand side of the screen that seems gone now. Would also like an option for searching recipes with 2 or 3 line description and small pic. I have over 1000 recipes and it takes a lot of scrolling to get where I want to go. ### 4/5 — Great program, but… *2026-03-22, version 7.0.5* It would be great if we could import a recipe from typed note like a flyer or newspaper clipping rather than type it manually or import a recipe from social media. I have seen other programs do that. Otherwise, I love your app ### 3/5 — Latest update NOT great and a pain in the b…tt. *2026-03-19, version 7.0.5* Have had this App for years and always LOVED it. Now, not so much. Since the last update it displays recipes with big pictures but not enough space for the full name of the recipe, which wastes a lot of time where you have to click on the picture to see if it’s actually the recipe you are looking for. PLEASE go back to displaying the recipes line by line so you can actually read the (whole) name of the recipe you are looking for. Or, at least give users the option how they would like their recipes listed in settings. The current display looks good but is useless. Thank you. ### 3/5 — My Favorite Recipe Source *2026-03-10, version 7.0.5* I’ve loved this app since it started. Now, I’,m not for sure. The updates won’t let you email a recipe to a friend, won’t open so I can see Categories. Photos are nice, but not as easy accessing certain recipes. Often, like Apple, updates aren’t always super!! ### 4/5 — Love it *2026-03-06, version 7.0.5* I have used this app for several years and love it. However…one thing that makes it not so convenient is that it doesn’t sync between devices. ☹️ Is there any way to have this soon??? ### 4/5 — My Favorite Recipe Source *2026-02-12, version 7.0.5* I love so much about this app, but agree w/ reviewers about keeping the photo on the recipe, don’t like the large font and the fact that it often freezes when I’m adding Type (category) or times in recipes. Would’ve given it 5 stars if above items were corrected. I like having the photo on the recipe AND as you scroll thru’ looking for a recipe. I also wish the source was on the opening listing. I’ve been using this since Recipe Box started and think it’s the best way to keep old and new recipes. ### 3/5 — May be going back to Rolodex *2026-01-31, version 7.0.5* Version 7.0.5. Not a fan of the tile layout. Please bring back the list format. ------------ Updated review (iOS16 version): So excited all the broken features have been fixed. The capture feature for importing works better than ever! I love this app and have not been willing to abandon it. ------------ This is a great app, but it hasn’t been updated since iOS9. Surprised it works on iOS11 at all. Will keep using it, but like others posters, I’m going to have to back my recipes up to print/PDF in case it stops working with the next update. It’s not even worth trying to find another app to replace it. I don’t have to time to build recipe files from the ground up, only to have to start all over when the developer loses interest. ### 2/5 — Loss of good organization in the original recipe box setups. *2026-01-15, version 7.0.5* I am not thrilled with your new setup and filing. Betsy ### 2/5 — HELP! Shopping Cart Icon is gone! *2026-01-05, version 7.0.5* But it seems the shopping cart icon no longer appears on each recipe. I checked Help for getting the shopping list and it refers me to the shopping cart icon, which is no longer there. Help! ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Worse update ever *2026-07-11, version 7.0.6* Absolutely hate this update. Can not find anything easily. Must scroll thru every recipe to find the one I want. I’ve been saving recipes here and now they are all useless. ### 1/5 — Different App *2026-04-04, version 7.0.5* This was my favorite app until it was revised and now I can’t find anything and when I do find it it’s not even set up the same. Am I doing something wrong? ### 1/5 — Horrible!! *2026-03-05, version 7.0.5* This used to be a really great app. They should have kept the older version. Now every time I open it I have to first reorganize the layout and the search is harder to navigate. Pretty much everyting is harder to navigate. Too bad. I will be looking for another app. ### 1/5 — Rose *2026-02-27, version 7.0.5* I have enjoyed this Recipe box for years but now it is so difficult to use. If you don’t know the exact name of the recipe you can’t find it. The recipes I have put in lately I can’t find, I put in newest and it only takes me to the latest recipe I used. Please go back to what it was originally. ### 1/5 — Update broke internet functionality *2026-02-23, version 7.0.5* Previous to this last update, recipes could be added from Safari browser. A browser extension would open a link between whatever web page you were on and would then import the recipe. Now the only way to import from the internet is by opening the Recipe Box app and navigating to the webpage through an embedded (Chrome?) browser or by downloading a chrome extension and using Chrome as your browser. I will not be exercising either of those options. Very disappointing as this really was a really good app. Maybe someone could figure out how to keep Google’s fingers out of everyone’s business and using/selling/profiting from our browsing histories ### 1/5 — What the …. happened? *2026-01-11, version 7.0.5* The Recipe Box was a convenient list easily searchable and easy to scroll to what I needed. This new update stinks so bad I thought I had something rotten in my fridge. Nope it’s the app. It’s so bad I’m willing to lose about 10 years of recipes to find something that isn’t so ridiculously convoluted. ### 1/5 — Waste of money *2025-12-06, version 7.0.4* I have not successfully downloaded a single recipe. And the recipes included dont appeal to me at all and there are very few. ### 1/5 — Buggers! *2025-11-30, version 7.0.3* Deleted ALL of my vegan recipes! ### 1/5 — Update confusing! *2025-10-31, version 7.0.5* I can’t figure out how to get to the main menu. I can’t scroll quickly to recipes that start with specific letters. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong and I’ve looked at the tutorial and it doesn’t help. ### 1/5 — BROKEN *2025-10-24, version 7.0.5* Sorry, your updates/fixes aren’t working. Since updating, I cannot edit anything, and attempts to enter new recipes have been total failures. When I open existing recipes, sometimes the text appears … and sometimes all I get is a partially or completely blank page. After I painstakingly enter a new recipe by hand, everything disappears when I hit Save. When I attempt to modify recipes already in my collection, the edit boxes mostly cover the text I’m trying to edit and cannot be moved or minimized, making editing impossible. I have a huge recipe collection and would hate to have to move them to another app, but the current situation here is disastrous. (iOS 26 for AirPad and iPhone) ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Love the Improvements! *2026-06-28, version 7.0.6* I was having some slow problems with the app, but deleted it and reinstalled it. I backed up recipes first! It now works perfectly again! I have been using this app for a few years. It became buggy, but the improvements are fantastic. Love it so much more now! ### 5/5 — New format SUCKS *2026-05-30, version 7.0.5* The new format definitely has some glitches for displaying our recipe library. ### 5/5 — Fantastic Recipe saver *2026-03-23, version 7.0.5* I used the original version of the app for years but only a few months ago found the update. THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST APPS I’VE EVER FOUND. I bake sourdough and cookies a LOT. I have probably 10 or more bread cookbooks and at least that many cookie, cake, and pie cookbooks. When I find a recipe that i really like, into this app it goes. I also download lots of recipes and the best feature of the newest version of the app how seamlessly it imports from online recipes. BTW, I spent my entire wroking career as a software engineer and manager. I would hire Kathleen in a New York minute. She clearly knows what she is doing and deserves what rewards she gets. ### 5/5 — Super Recipe App *2026-03-10, version 6.0.3* I have had this app for over three years and it remains the best one going. For those who like to ferret out new and interesting ways to prepare food, this should be the go-to app. The instant import feature enables me to add a complete recipe in under 10 seconds. And, the built-in set of recipe websites lets you find just the right one. The list had many sites I never heard of until I used The Recipe Box's site search capabilities. It does not come with lots of built-in recipes. That's not what it is about. It is about easily and efficiently adding the recipes you find into your single source for the food and drink you like. Want to add your own? You can. ### 5/5 — The BEST RECIPE APP *2026-01-21, version 7.0.5* I have been using this app for years and it just keeps getting better! I highly recommend. ### 5/5 — New update *2026-01-20, version 7.0.5* I absolutely HATE the new layout!! Why did you change it!! May delete you and find another app. ### 5/5 — Love this app *2026-01-17, version 7.0.4* So easy to use. Feature rich without eating a ton of space or memory. ### 5/5 — Your upgrade ruined this app *2026-01-14, version 7.0.5* I don’t know whose idea it was to change the app. It was perfect the way you had it, now It totally sucks. Obviously the person that made the changes doesn’t actually use the app. ### 5/5 — Had this app for years. Love it. *2025-12-27, version 7.0.5* But it seems the shopping cart icon no longer appears on each recipe. I checked Help for getting the shopping list and it refers me to the shopping cart icon, which is no longer there. Help! ### 5/5 — Unbelievable App! *2025-12-05, version 7.0.5* I’ve used this app for sever years and I love everything about it and I recommend it to my friends and family! I really miss the alphabetic index down the side which helped me get through my 100’s of recipes in each category. Guess I’ll have to search! Lol --- *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 2026-09-05.*