# Wisconsin State Journal — user reviews > 125 indexed App Store user reviews of Wisconsin State Journal by Madison Newspapers Incorporated, rated 2.60/5 from 544 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wisconsin-state-journal/id345874448/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wisconsin-state-journal/id345874448.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 140 · 4★ 67 · 3★ 35 · 2★ 38 · 1★ 264 ## What do users think of Wisconsin State Journal? Overall sentiment: negative **Pros** - 💻 Newspaper-like reading experience - 🕰 Ability to read the paper with a hot cup of coffee - 📰 Thorough coverage of local news and events **Cons** - 🐛 Inconsistent app performance, with freezing and crashing issues - ⏱ Slow page loading and navigation - 🔍 Difficulty finding and accessing specific content - 🔒 Frequent log-out issues and need to re-login - 🔀 Unreliable page turning and content jumping - 📱 Poor optimization for mobile devices and tablets **Commonly reported bugs** - Articles not opening or loading correctly - Repeated page resets and loss of reading position - Inconsistent behavior when swiping or tapping to turn pages **Most requested features** - Improved navigation and section-based browsing - Ability to easily share articles - Better font and layout customization options - Faster and more reliable performance ## Newest reviews (16 of 125) ### 3/5 — Old news *2026-02-02, version 9.19.3* It seems like a lot of the news in the paper is 2 days old and there is a lot of repetition in the articles. Sports section needs another feature writer or 2. It doesn’t seem to be organized like it once was ### 3/5 — Average Website *2026-02-01, version 9.19.3* This website could be a lot better starting with allowing readers to comment on some articles. ### 2/5 — News, Late *2026-01-30, version 9.19.3* I’m very surprised that an online version of the news cannot capture current news! Sports scores and articles regarding the game are not available if the game ends after nine or 10 o’clock? Seems that it would be easy to have someone write an article remote so the results are available for subscribers in the morning. ### 4/5 — Wisconsin State Journal has Outstanding Coverage *2025-12-22, version 9.19.2* Wisconsin State Journal covers Madison news and the state of Wisconsin legislative issues thoroughly. Outstanding coverage of sports and Madison events. It provides adequate coverage of events in the adjacent communities of Middleton, Verona, Fitchburg and Sun Prairie, and Waunakee. ### 4/5 — Long time reader *2025-11-09, version 9.19.1* Wish I could pull current page to get to next page like my Milwaukee Journal. At least once a week your app has a glitch. Wish all articles could be double tapped to get just that article. ### 1/5 — Does not work *2025-03-18, version 9.16.1* I just subscribed to the paper but the app does not work, even after several attempts ### 1/5 — Quirky reading app *2025-02-06, version 9.15.1* Today I only got half the newspaper. I usually spend about 5 minutes a day clicking past stories and content that I have already seen. ### 3/5 — Need quick way to get to different sections. *2025-01-19, version 9.14.1* There is no fast way to start reading SPORTS. ### 4/5 — Finally *2024-12-12, version 9.14.1* After years of the app misfiring on all cylinders, this week it works like it should! Having the link to madison.com is nice. I’ll reserve a 5 rating to see if this version lasts. ### 4/5 — Hangup problem seems to b fixed. *2024-11-20, version 9.14* The recent update to the app seems to have fixed a long time problem of the app hanging up for long periods when going from page to page. Hope the improvement lasts. ### 2/5 — Too slow *2024-10-19, version 9.13.2* APP is inconsistent. Often stalls. Turning a page takes a lot of time. ### 2/5 — Articles won’t open *2024-10-18, version 9.13.2* Certain articles just spin and won’t open when selected. Seems to be random ### 3/5 — Fine but a little glitchy *2024-09-21, version 9.13.2* Using the app on two different iOS devices often produces page loading errors. Certain pages won’t load, the app briefly freezes, and then the previous page is displayed. Please fix this problem. ### 4/5 — ENJOY THE PAPER, BUT APP NEEDS SOME WORK *2024-09-16, version 9.13.2* I read the paper thur the State Journal App. It is frequently slow, and freezes up. I love reading the paper but it get annoying with app issues frequently. ### 1/5 — So buggy *2024-09-11, version 9.13.2* Gave up and went back to just reading on the website. Trying to advance a page doesn’t work about 1/3 of the time. It just spins for a while and stays on the same page. ### 4/5 — Good but make Pages view better *2024-09-02, version 9.13.2* Generally enjoy the digital paper, looks like the print edition which is satisfying. Can the Pages view be updated to default to The Page You’re On instead of the first page, please. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Don’t Do It! *2026-05-07, version 9.19.3* Subscribing to this paper is like Hotel California - you can subscribe but never cancel. App is glitchy and you can’t manage your subscription AT ALL through it. If you want to spend two+ hours on the phone trying to cancel your subscription, then download away! ### 1/5 — Worst News App *2026-03-14, version 9.19.3* I subscribe to five newspapers and this is the worst of the bunch. ### 1/5 — Can’t view stories after re-subscribing *2026-02-03, version 9.19.3* I also deleted the app and reinstalled. No luck. For $30 per month this should be reliable ### 1/5 — Clunky App *2026-01-30, version 9.19.3* Inconsistent, freezes and refuses to get out of certain modes. ### 1/5 — Terrible *2026-01-30, version 9.19.2* Zero stars. I’ve been a subscriber almost 40 years. I also subscribe to the Milwaukee Journal and Naples Daily News. Until about a year ago, all three newspapers used a similar e-edition format. WSJ switched to a different format (vendor?), the result has been a certified mess. Their new format has been inconsistent in it’s story highlighter. Now the ‘Next page” arrows don’t work. Combine this with their failed “newsvue” for local high school sports. Just a terrible app. ### 1/5 — Disappointed *2026-01-09, version 9.19.2* The latest update seems to have added problems to the e-edition. I tried to report the problem but only got an answer to close, remove and reload the app. This is unacceptable. There needs to be a better way to report and fix problems. There is a reason the overall app rating is so low. As more subscribers let go of the paper, a more robust e-edition needs to exist and be supported. Even after using it for several years I am disappointed. I cannot read the paper because there is an auto-move to the top of the screen. Please ask the programmer to work with the app prior to each release. This is not an unreasonable request. ### 1/5 — Your app stinks!!!! *2025-12-22, version 9.19.2* Enuf said. ### 1/5 — WI STATE JOURNAL IS SCAM *2025-11-12, version 9.19.1* First, they intentionally make it very difficult to cancel your subscription. You know how every other website has a “cancel subscription” button? WSJ doesn’t do that because that’d make it to easy for you. You have to call & jump through hoops for 39 minutes. Last week we got off the phone with the lady & she said “okay your subscription has been cancelled.” Suddenly today we see a pending charge for $29.99… not to mention their journalists write false/extremely exaggerated stories just to generate clicks. Terrible company. Super Scammy. ### 1/5 — Terrible app *2025-07-24, version 9.18* Poor design, unreliable and not user friendly. Why these companies don’t spend some of the money they are spending to promote this garbage on product testers during development, I’ll never understand. ### 1/5 — Not it. *2025-04-23, version 9.17.1* Making Wisconsin residence pay for something like this is just stupid. Restricting access to stories and articles is annoying and tbh just flat out stupid. Wisco residence pay taxes.. so why should we have to pay to hear or see local news that pertains to us. Ignorant. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Wonderful to wake up and hold the paper with a hot cup of coffee. *2026-02-11, version 9.19.3* Great newspaper!! ### 5/5 — Happy Days *2024-11-30, version 9.14* Several years ago I quit using the WSJ app because a series of updates had made it ridiculous to use. After that I relied on logging in to the Madison.com website for my daily newspaper. Recently I thought to give the app another try. What a surprise! The app has been fixed and it is now a pleasure to read the newspaper. Happy Days are here again! ### 5/5 — Newspaper *2024-08-26, version 9.13.2* I miss holding my newspaper everyday ### 5/5 — Wisconsin State Journal has a great format digitally! *2024-07-11, version 9.12.3* The newest format is so easy to read on my iPad I don’t need to read paper anymore! TomT ### 5/5 — Easy *2024-07-07, version 9.12.3* Easy to use. ### 5/5 — Like a newspaper on iPad *2024-06-14, version 9.12.3* This app has some glitches but is otherwise a very good experience. I use the app to view the newspaper in its traditional for,at, which is way better than looking at the webpage view. Keep up the good work. On Wisconsin! ### 5/5 — Review *2022-12-30* Absolutely horrible. Doesn’t work when you click on the suggested sign in box. Can’t switch sections. Who thought of this ————show? It will not save my password so each time I want to check for updates I have to sign in. Of course that doesn’t always work. Some times it says my password is invalid. I can’t figure out what was wrong with the previous system. BTW, I called for help and after being on hold for 20 minutes I decided to leave a request for a call back. That was 28 hrs. ago and still haven’t heard from anyone. The ————-show continues on. ### 5/5 — Login and remove ads is priceless *2018-05-22, version 3.1.2* The ability to login and remove ads is huge and wonderful. For those who complain about video ads, get a digital subscription, and you won't have to deal with them. No ads at all! ### 5/5 — Great App *2018-01-13, version 3.0.9* All the people complaining are using the free version. Pay $5 a month which also supports good journalism and you get more ads. ### 4/5 — Good News App but Technical glitches *2026-02-05, version 9.19.3* Good news app but many times asks to re-log in and won’t keep me logged in day to day. Also, when reading on an iPad, when scrolling down a page, it keeps jumping back up to the top, even if you try to hold the pages in place. Support at the WSJ are never able to help, except delete App and re-load, which I have done numerous times. --- *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 2026-08-31.*