NU Connect vs Access Learning
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NU Connect
This app serves as a comprehensive resource for university students, providing access to important messages, academic timetables, campus maps, and event listings. It also offers features for finding campus facilities, booking open day tours, and exploring student union activities.
- University messages and notifications
- Class and exam timetables
- Campus maps and location finder
- Event listings and open day booking
- Student Union information
- PC/Mac availability and accommodation tours
- Campus travel information
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NU Connect - your on-the-go companion for various Northumbria resources and services. Messages: Receive important messages from Northumbria University and push notifications on your Ask4Help Online enquiries. Essential Info: Check important information before you arrive at Northumbria University, including a checklist of enrolment actions you need to complete when you arrive, and your Student Conduct documentation. My Learning: Access class and exam timetables with times and locations. View and record absences. Quick access to Blackboard and the University Library. Maps: Find your way around City, Coach Lane, London and Amsterdam campuses. Locate buildings, halls, services and facilities. What’s On: Discover what’s happening on campus, including upcoming Careers Fairs and events. Undergraduate Open Days: Book up, find your way here, and tour the campus. View sessions and build up your own personalised schedule for the day. Students’ Union: Learn more about what’s going on at the SU, including information on Freshers’ Week, Societies, Gigs & Live Music, Academic Advice, and more. Finder: Search for available PCs and Macs across campus, along with available software. Explore University Accommodation with 360° room tours in select locations. Connect and stay safe on campus with Safezone. Travel: Get around via the free campus bus, view times and estimated walking times while on campus. Note: On login you must use 'studentid' within the email and not name and email. For example: student id 'w24123456' -> login email is used as follows: w24123456@northumbria.ac.uk
Access Learning
Access courses and learning tools on the go to support your educational journey. This app allows you to learn flexibly, fitting your personal learning style and schedule.
- Access courses
- Learning tools
- Flexible learning
- Support learning journey
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Included with Access Learning and Access Learning +, the Access Learning mobile app gives you the opportunity to learn the way you want to learn, with access to the courses and tools you need to support your learning journey.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: NU Connect at 4.7 against Access Learning's 3.0. NU Connect also leads on ratings volume (67 vs 1) and review sentiment (25% vs 4%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
NU Connect holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NU Connect has 67 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of NU Connect's written reviews are positive against 4% of Access Learning's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NU Connect | Access Learning |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (67 ratings) — better | 3.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews — better | 3.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 67 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 225 MB | 16 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Northumbria University | Access UK Ltd |
Customer experience
NU Connect
Access Learning
Bugs and requests
NU Connect
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Access Learning
Reported bugs
25 issues- App crashes on certain e-learning courses
- Screen goes white and freezes
- Courses go blank when accessed
- App freezes midway through assessment
- App takes too long to open
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- App goes blank (white screen)
- "Launch course" button does nothing
- App won't open
- App stuck on loading screen
- App stuck in 'getting things ready' page
- App stuck on 'getting your started' page
- App shows 'that wasn’t supposed to happen' after login
- Video button missing for full screen on iPad
- Cannot scroll down to click 'continue' on iOS
- App not responding after password reset
- Error message stating modules accidentally deleted
- App not responding after creating username/password
- App crushes before anything can be done
- Blank screen after logging in or after 'something went wrong'
- App not working on mobile and laptop
- App not loading after update
- App stuck in Loading Mode forever
- App not opening, completely blank on mobile devices
- Competency courses won't let user go back to the start
- App not working at home but works at work
Requested features
6 requests- Fix video full screen on iPad
- Improve UI/UX (margins, alignments)
- Ensure all courses are transferred from previous systems
- Allow scrolling to click 'continue' on iOS
- Make app accessible on iPad
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- Address issues for self-employed users needing workplace assessment
In-app purchases
NU Connect
No in-app purchases
Access Learning
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is NU Connect free?
Is Access Learning free?
Which has better reviews, NU Connect or Access Learning?
Do NU Connect or Access Learning have ads?
Which is updated more often, NU Connect or Access Learning?
Other comparisons
