# The Sydney Morning Herald — user reviews > 168 indexed App Store user reviews of The Sydney Morning Herald by Fairfax Digital Australia & New Zealand Pty Limited, rated 4.60/5 from 73 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-sydney-morning-herald/id1411569831/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-sydney-morning-herald/id1411569831.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 61 · 4★ 4 · 3★ 4 · 2★ 1 · 1★ 3 ## What do users think of The Sydney Morning Herald? Overall sentiment: neutral **Pros** - 🗞️ Reliable news source - 📰 Comprehensive coverage - 🔍 Balanced and objective reporting - 🧠 Insightful analysis and opinion pieces - 🧩 Enjoyable puzzles and crosswords **Cons** - 🐛 Buggy and unstable app - 📦 Large storage footprint - 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find content - 🤑 Expensive subscription - 🔄 Inconsistent user experience across updates **Commonly reported bugs** - App crashes and freezes - Login issues and lost subscription access - Unreliable content downloads - Scrolling and navigation problems - Incorrect or missing article content **Most requested features** - Allow offline reading of downloaded content - Improve search functionality - Provide more customization options - Integrate with other apps and services - Enhance accessibility features ## Newest reviews (14 of 168) ### 4/5 — Functional, clean app *2026-05-02, version 6.7.0* My only complaint with the SMH app, is the comments section for articles does not appear in the app. This is disappointing because it means I switch back to the web browser just to read the comments. I hope the app developers are working on this. ### 3/5 — Paid for news, still get ads *2026-04-04, version 6.5.0* Holy sell out, we ain’t 90 year olds reading a paper news paper with ads slapped all over. It costs almost nothing to host digital content, there’s no reason for paid digital content to run ads ### 2/5 — Storage pig *2025-12-28, version 6.2.3* Have no idea why this needs to consume 2gb storage on my phone ### 4/5 — App fixed - but why the Olympic rings on the icon? *2025-12-10, version 6.2.0* It seems the glitchy scrolling bug has been fixed. I don’t think I’ve noticed it in some time. Great work! The app otherwise works well. I much prefer the layout over other news app. Though I’m not all that big on the short videos. And I can’t stand the click bait headlines - it’s a real turn off for something paid ### 2/5 — Ok *2025-11-21, version 6.0.2* Not the greatest quality - quite where it’s bias lies and editorials and opinions aren’t crisp or very insightful ### 3/5 — Good, but the search function is hopeless *2025-07-30, version 5.6.3* Decent app, but nothing radically different in experience than via the website. It does go dark at night time, handy for reading in bed without waking your partner. But there’s no way to adjust the font size in the app (unlike the website). And the search function… it never returns anything remotely relevant to what I look for. How can that be? ### 3/5 — Printed version *2025-07-30, version 5.6.3* If it weren’t for the ‘print version’ I wouldn’t bother. New version needs ability to select downloaded content to delete and cleanup more easily ### 2/5 — Text to Voice *2025-07-27, version 5.6.3* When are you going to enable subscribers to choose ANY content that they can, at their leisure, listen via their digital app. Long overdue. I know you provide a partial selection but that is not freedom to select any story that I choose to listen to. Giddy up….. Thank you in advance. It’s not that hard…. use the AI Luke! ### 3/5 — Problem in target time game *2025-07-06, version 5.6.0* Now after update 5.6.0 target time solution still appears on I phone x screen for just a few seconds before disappearing. Please fix this introduced bug. ### 3/5 — Review *2025-07-05, version 5.6.0* The SMH is a shadow of its traditional self, but still provides a balance of news better than its opposition. Sub-editing appears to be non-existent, and too many journalists don’t have a professional grasp of English. ### 4/5 — No integration with Safari/Chrome? *2025-07-03, version 5.6.0* The app is fine but it’s annoying that there is no integration with web browser, ie. someone sends an article as a link to the webpage and there is no prompt to open in the app. The web browser prompts me to sign in every time and I can’t be bothered so then I search the article in the app.. ### 4/5 — Easy to stay up to date *2025-04-14, version 5.2.5* Great analysts and journalists in the stable. App easy to navigate and like being able to do puzzles on line too. ### 1/5 — Not fixed *2025-04-05, version 5.2.4* Despite you telling us that your 'lost its location' problem is fixed, it's not. I just 'left' reading the SMH on an iPad to do something in my Calendar. When I returned I was taken to a page I had read many minutes previously. Honestly, how difficult is this to fix? It doesn't occur on other news sites I read. ### 1/5 — I hate this app now *2025-04-03, version 5.2.4* after reading a few paragraphs of a story, the app jumps, puts in advertisements and then lands me on some another paragraph so I have to spend minutes finding my place again 3 more paragraphs and the app does it again so I give up as the article has become unreadable I subscribe so I shouldn't have to put up with this ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Login required for access *2026-05-27* Continuation of my online subscription is getting untenable because of the inconvenience of having to login EVERY time I access my copy. If I accessed the SMH and read the entire paper in one go, I would only need to login ONCE, but I like to dip into the SMH at least a few times a day and every time I have to login. And there are the usual annoyances involved with logging in, like, in the middle of trying to do this, a flashing demand, “change your password”, comes up and I have to insist No and start all over again. I enjoy not just the articles in the SMH, but the range of articles as well but it’s becoming too tedious for this 84 year old to continue her subscription. ### 1/5 — Sharing App *2025-09-21, version 5.7.0* It is impossible to share this app with my family ### 1/5 — Severe memory problems *2025-09-03* This app continues to have 'memory problems' and the condition is getting worse. Now, if you click on a headline the story may or may not come up. If you click on body text the story may or may not come up. And, seemingly randomly, the app takes you back to page one when you try to 'return' from reading body text to the two-page display (iPad). This problem has just got worse in recent times. Somehow newspapers like the New York Times can produce a product that functions normally, but the SMH app just behaves like it has lost its mind. How hard can it be to correct this software problem which has been going on for years? ### 1/5 — Buggy application *2025-08-20, version 5.6.4* The newspaper is good but the app is frustratingly buggy. I’m a subscriber but get regularly logged out. When I try to log in the login page flashes for a second and then disappears. Tried to restart the app but no difference. Total waste of time when something so basic doesn’t work reliably. ### 1/5 — Crashes and freezes *2025-07-30, version 5.6.3* Poor. This app is unstable and not worth the monthly subscription. SMH content has deteriorated over the years. I’ve been it reading since the 80’s. ### 1/5 — Each step forward is two steps back *2025-07-23* I have used the app for years but the last 12 or so months have proven to be the most frustrating. I can only assume that any testing of the app before release has been abandoned. The ipad version continues to offer a wonderful 5-20 second screen freeze when the app becomes totally unresponsive. Fabulous way to read an article. The downloading of Todays paper is terrible and can take from 2-10 minutes if at all. It used to take about 5-20 seconds!! No doubt made worse by the downloading of every article twice - newspaper page format and text. Disappointing, frustrating and unreliable. ### 1/5 — Ready to unsubscribe due to price increase!!! *2025-06-29, version 5.5.0* Typical channel 9 ripping people off my package has increased from $28.99 to $37.49 a month no email to notify me u jerks this is typical greed, not worth it anymore!!! 😤😤😤 ### 1/5 — Rubbish. *2025-05-16* In my opinion this app is nothing but a marketing tool to steer users toward the different subscription offered via their website. This app store subscription will not give you access to all exclusive articles and opinion pieces offered on the web page. No elevation to that access status is available via the app store. For that you will need to sign up via their website. And that subscription, despite allowing you to sign up almost instantly 24hrs a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, can only be cancelled with a phone call during business hours or via an email request with fingers crossed that someone will respond before your next payment is due. I believe this app and the access it offers is intentionally sub par. Just not quite good enough to be satisfying. They actually want you to sign up directly. They will say the app is (very slightly) cheaper, and ok … we get what we pay for, but I would happily throw the couple of extra bucks at the app for complete access to SMH. If it was possible. ### 1/5 — deleted this unusable app *2025-05-13, version 5.3.0* this app has major problems it freezes you cannot scroll down in a story have deleted this app now as it is unusable, frustrating & a waste of time reading the SMH in Safari now & its a pleasure compared to this app ### 1/5 — Each step forward is two steps back *2025-05-13, version 5.3.0* I have used the app for years but the last 12 or so months have proven to be the most frustrating. Abandoning a perfectly good working app for last major update has been a mindless decision by someone who obviously doesn’t use it regularly. The latest advent is of a 5-10 second pause when the app freezes and nothing responds. Fabulous way to read an article. The downloading of Todays paper is terrible and can take from 2-10 minutes if at all. It used to take about 5-20 seconds!! Fortunately I can still rely on the Guardian and ABC, at least for now. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Keeps getting better *2026-03-03, version 6.4.0* Love the new modern look ### 5/5 — Excellent *2026-02-21, version 6.3.3* New subscriber here, really enjoying the app ### 5/5 — App Logo *2026-01-23, version 6.3.0* Update your app logo you silly geese. ### 5/5 — Real News *2025-08-05, version 5.6.3* SMH has actual news and gives a neutral view, unlike Uncle Rupert’s publications and his self serving agenda. ### 5/5 — Best *2025-04-13, version 5.2.5* Best ### 5/5 — SMH app *2025-04-12, version 5.2.5* Quality journalism embedded in a reliable app. ### 5/5 — Eve *2025-04-03, version 5.2.4* SMH has a focus on the information which is relevant to the wider community, or critical to the general public. It carries good values and respects the truth. ### 5/5 — SMH *2025-03-22, version 5.2.2* Great newspaper in hard copy and on line. National and international news well presented. And sport of course! And I really enjoy the cryptic crosswords! ### 5/5 — Rating *2025-03-12, version 5.1.0* Five star ### 5/5 — Sydney Morning Herald *2025-03-07, version 5.1.0* Just the-subscribed following life saving surgery. Delighted to see the SMH remains an excellent Wes service. Keep up the great work !!! --- *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 2026-09-12.*