# Zotero — user reviews > 255 indexed App Store user reviews of Zotero by Corporation for Digital Scholarship, rated 4.63/5 from 420 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zotero/id1513554812/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zotero/id1513554812.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 324 · 4★ 29 · 3★ 19 · 2★ 8 · 1★ 10 ## What do users think of Zotero? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 👍 Simple and powerful - 🚀 Convenient and useful - 🚀 Seamless syncing across devices - 🚀 Excellent reference management - 👍 Great annotation and PDF reading experience - 👍 Intuitive and easy to use **Cons** - 🐛 Crashes frequently - 🐛 Syncing issues with WebDAV - 🐛 Metadata not automatically extracted from PDFs - 🐛 Annotation tools could be improved - 🐛 Limited sorting and filtering options **Commonly reported bugs** - Unable to unzip PDF snapshots - Annotations disappearing or moving unexpectedly - Dark mode not working as expected - Inability to add citations directly from the app **Most requested features** - Eraser tool for annotations - More color options for pen and highlighter - Ability to open PDFs in external apps - Bookmarking and table of contents support - Improved search functionality - Offline access to downloaded PDFs ## Newest reviews (17 of 255) ### 2/5 — Buggy *2026-05-11, version 2.0.6* Buggy for large pdfs. ### 3/5 — Doesn’t sync consistently with iPad *2026-04-29, version 1.0.17* I love Zotero, so my frustration really comes with not being able to use it. I pay for storage, and recently files have been syncing inconsistently between my computer (windows) and my iPad. The documents are in the web app just fine. Fantastic app otherwise! ### 4/5 — Apple Pencil support please *2026-01-15, version 2.0.2* Hello, I would love to be able to annotate pdfs in Zotero using my Apple Pencil. I want to make notes on the pdfs directly and still have them synced to Zotero with my pencil. As a PhD student, I need to be able to take notes on my pdfs. ### 4/5 — Good but can be much better! *2025-11-24, version 2.0.0* A continuous scrolling setting can be added, this way it’ll help out highlighting on iphone/ipad without breaking a highlight into two separate notes as well as not be too finicky with reading through a book through the phone, similar to the Books app on Apple, but anyway this is by far the best reader to share between apple mobile devices and windows that I have tried ### 5/5 — Thanks zotero for improving your app! *2025-11-12, version 2.0.0* EDIT: Zotero has added double finger tap to change between pencil and eraser! I can’t remember if this was an option before, but you can change the pen size too. This helps the usability massively. It's awesome that zotero even has an ios app which syncs your library and everything. However, this has the potential to be way better, with just a but more work put into letting one annotate nicely with an Apple Pencil (eg double top pencil for eraser is missing, more pen choices would be good, two finger tap on screen to undo would be nice) ### 5/5 — Great Research Tool *2025-11-09, version 2.0.0* I really enjoy using Zotero. It syncs beautifully across devices and has really helped me with citations. So thankful for this tool! ### 5/5 — Epub *2025-10-28, version 1.0.54* This app is amazing but i would like to see acess to epub, mobi, and different types of files on mobile ### 3/5 — Additional PDF reader options *2025-10-21, version 1.0.54* I love having the ability to work across my devices. I would like to see the option to choose which PDF reader to use. There are features unique to Adobe Acrobat that are not available in the Zotero app. ### 3/5 — Needs better feature parity with desktop app *2025-08-22, version 1.0.51* The Zotero desktop computer app, which continues to get better and better, outstrips the iPad version. For example, on the Mac you can highlight captured HTML and have it generate notes, just like with PDF. But you can’t do this with iPad app, and the notes taken on other than PDFs using the Mac app don’t show up when you open the document in the iPad app. It would be nice to see feature parity between the iPad app and the Mac app. Actually, given the power of even iPhones, it seems like some feature parity could be brought to that, too. Given the way iPad OS is evolving, though, it seems like the user interface for iPad could become more like the one for the Mac, particularly where the notes taken using-taking for non-PDF documents is involved. ### 3/5 — SSL Error *2025-08-10, version 1.0.51* I keep getting ssl error i did all i can but still can't login ### 5/5 — Nobody told me about this!!! *2025-08-02, version 1.0.51* Finally: Bibliography, solved! ### 4/5 — Great but battery seems to suffer *2025-07-03, version 1.0.51* I love the functionalities of the app but at least on my iPad battery usage seems to be extraordinarily high while using the app. I have tried to work in flight mode but it does not seem to change anything. ### 2/5 — The file synchronization option cannot be turned off *2025-06-08, version 1.0.51* Why can't the file sync option be turned off so that the PDF attachments can be saved directly on the phone? ### 5/5 — Epub *2025-06-02, version 1.0.50* This app is amazing but i would like to see acess to epub, mobi, and different types of files on mobile ### 4/5 — Note font size should be ajustable. *2025-05-26, version 1.0.50* Thank you very much for providing this amazing app for free. I have been waiting an update that features note font size adjustment. The current fixed font size has blinded me. Hope it will soon come! ### 4/5 — Almost There *2025-05-12, version 1.0.50* As a student with ADHD I often struggle with organization. Small features like the ability to star articles in the library, or visually see what I’ve opened would be so helpful. Otherwise, the integration across my iPad and laptop are incredible and so much better than Mendalay. Their only redeeming feature is the library organization and ability to easily collaborate with other authors ### 4/5 — Highlighter bugs *2025-05-07, version 1.0.50* Really great, but sometimes it won’t let me highlight for several minutes, which is disruptive. I can use the draw feature instead but it’s not ideal for some applications. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — No confirmation email *2026-06-17, version 2.0.6* Gave valid email. Insists on two factor authentication, but never sends the code. Unusable. ### 1/5 — There is one problem *2026-04-27, version 2.0.5* I just downloaded the app for my exams and it cannot verify my email. It is getting frustrating. ### 1/5 — imposible to login in IPad and IPhone *2026-02-18, version 2.0.4* blocked by the stupid human verification software cloudflare. What a deception ### 1/5 — Perte d’intérêt sur tablette *2025-01-22* Franchement je suis super déçue, toutes les bonnes fonctionnalités de Zotero ont disparu sur tablette, genre créer des notes à partir des citations. La présentation de l’application n’est pas du tout la même, il n’y a pratiquement aucun outil disponible par rapport à la version sur ordinateur, alors qu’on peut totalement se servir d’une tablette comme d’un ordinateur donc très grosse déception. Faites une mise à jour ! **Developer response:** The iOS app includes an older version of the note editor without all the annotation features of the desktop app version, but we’re working to add the latest version to the iOS app. Note, though, that the iOS app is primarily intended as a companion app to the desktop version, and for technical reasons it could never offer the same range of functionality and extensibility as the desktop app. ### 1/5 — Highlights missing *2024-06-13, version 1.0.38* What happened to the highlighting function?? ### 1/5 — Pas d’extensions sur IPad 10 *2023-11-24* Je n’arrive pas à installer l’extension de l’application sur safari avec mon iPad 10. J’ai également tenté de le faire sur firefox sans réussite. Il y a t’il un moyen de l’utiliser sur IPad ????? **Developer response:** The app provides a share extension that should be available in any iOS browser. If you’re not seeing it, that would be an iOS bug. Check the "More" menu in the horizontal app list, restart your device, and make sure you’re running a current version of iOS. ### 1/5 — Remove sign in must to use Zotero *2023-08-30* Zotero for iPad requires sign-in to use. Desktop version does not sign in as a must but for iPad version they require it. Please remove & make sign-in as optional or provide a skip sign-in button. I can’t use the app without sign-in is a bummer. **Developer response:** The iOS app is primarily a companion app to the desktop version, which provides the full Zotero experience, so syncing is required to transfer your data between devices. And due to iOS restrictions, even future word processor integration will need to use the synced data in your online library, not your local data. We don’t feel it would be appropriate to offer a mode that couldn’t support that. To be clear, you don’t need to be online to use the app after you’ve signed in once. ### 1/5 — Since downloaded both on PC and app worked ONCE! *2023-03-13, version 1.0.11* This is the most annoying app. Trying to use it for easier library of references but it literally worked only once! I can add website etc but every time I search via ISBN or DOI nothing shows up, it just keeps loading or searching endlessly. ### 1/5 — Keeps crashing on ipad *2023-03-01, version 1.0.10* Overall the app is good, but every now and then it just crashes without any warning. Generally quite buggy ### 1/5 — Não consigo fazer citação nenhuma com o aplicativo pelo Ipad. Inútil *2023-01-02* Simplesmente não tem como gerar referenciais pelo aplicativo **Developer response:** You can generate citations and bibliographies by selecting multiple items and clicking the share button. If you’re ever not sure how to do something in the app, please post to the Zotero Forums so we can help. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Need more themes *2026-08-17, version 2.0.7* Sepia is still too bright, but the dark theme's contrast is too high. All three burn my eyes...Need customizable themes just like the laptop version ### 5/5 — Should be a paid app. *2026-06-12, version 2.0.6* Very impressed by this apps features. Remaining files using meta data is genius! ### 5/5 — Constantly surprised *2026-05-17, version 2.0.6* I’m constantly amazed at the capabilities this app has ### 5/5 — How can this be free?! *2026-04-03, version 2.0.4* An absolutely astounding app. Works seamlessly on Mac and iPad and syncs beautifully. ### 5/5 — The best research tool! *2026-03-15, version 2.0.4* Zotero does a lot of things that are often split across many different apps: citation management within other proprietary software, PDF and ebook reading and annotation across devices, library syncing across multiple devices, note-taking and web-clipping... It's a lot! All while not mining and selling personal data. I have been using Zotero as a research tool for several years now across my iPad, desktop and phone. It syncs without issue. There are always new features to develop and improve, and the developers are super responsive to requests and bugs. So grateful to this team! ### 5/5 — Question *2026-03-14, version 1.0.45* May I ask if it is compatible with iOS 16.3? My tablet is a 2018 model, and upgrading to 16.3 would be very slow. Currently, on iOS 16.3, I can only install the 1.0.45beta version, but it doesn't sync at all—it just throws errors when trying to sync. Thank you! ### 5/5 — Amazing *2026-02-11, version 2.0.4* I wish the Apple Pencil squeeze function was “undo”. I love this app. Use it all the time for grad school. ### 5/5 — Serious about Writing *2026-01-26, version 2.0.4* For anyone serious about writing, l highly recommend you use zetero. Zetero is like the matrix lol! No one can tell you about it but you will only understand when you have tried it yourself. Any more comments from me will be mere flattery. If it’s functionally and efficiency you want, look no further! ### 5/5 — My complaints are almost nit-picky *2026-01-03, version 2.0.0* January, 2026 I continue to use Zotero daily and am apparently out of storage, but I don't know how to increase it. The dialogue box says the overflow is saved to local storage, and I can increase my Zotero storage in settings. I can't find that in either the app or iPad settings. Can you clarify this for me? I wrote this in ~January, 2025: I love the basic functionality of Zotero, especially since I've been hunting for a place (an app) to store and organize links, my purchase records, and ideas, search results from myriad areas of research, writing, and, well, everything. The native Apple Notes worked beautifully until it began crashing, and protracted conversations with Apple folks left us all baffled. I feel like I have the basics of Zotero in hand by now, so I'm noticing what needs refinement. Foremost, I'm an enormous fan of outlines, so that extends to folders, subfolders, etc., but all I see here is a single list without an apparent way to differentiate between top-level folders OR to collapse subfolders into them. I don't need or want to see them all. If I’m filing my app reviews, do I need to see the folder on mitochondria or the risks of fungal infections from raw sugar cane juice? I'd rather see my top-level Medical folder, understanding that I can click it when I need it. I’m not asking for cute and fancy notebooks that popular high-rent notes apps use- just something uncomplicated and straightforward. Secondly, thank you for incorporating Markdown. I’m flummoxed that so many so-called organizers, notes, etc, don't include it. I’m copying files from other apps I’ve been trying, and it looks like I have to do it manually. Yikes! Unfortunately, Markdown doesn't work on copy-and-pasted text. I don't know if that's a Markdown deficiency or a problem intrinsic to Zotero. I’m certain I don't want to retype everything, though. I was accustomed to using Markdown as part of my approach in Apple Notes and was looking forward to reinstating it after dealing with dreadful stopgap alternatives like Google Keep. Fixing it would be helpful, especially because I often copy text from photos and can't avoid having to format it to display it as the original. Speaking of photos, it would be so much easier if I could fetch them directly from my camera roll, not just from files. If I stitch photos, for example, but have to edit, even with the native editor, I need to add a step of saving to files, even when I plan to delete it as soon as I use it in Zotero. This requires me to delete the photo twice, once from my camera roll and again from Photos. I’ve managed to save images directly to Zotero when I copy and paste text, but it doesn't seem to include them reliably. I want to delete some auto-generated tags, but I don't see how to do so. I’m aware that some of my problems might be user error. I'm pretty sure I’ll discover things the more I use it, since I only just figured out how to move a file from one folder to another. Yay! ### 5/5 — Amazing app *2025-11-29, version 2.0.0* The barcode scan for books is such a great feature. Love Zotero! --- *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 2026-08-25.*