National Review App Reviews

Thanks to Mafia Live for reporting the re-install, in-app restore fix. Its disappointing that NR is just ignoring the miserable ratings it has been getting here lately. Youd think that an institution founded on market-based solutions would try a little harder to respond to its customers. It could send us an email, make a statement in the digital edition, or post something here. Instead, it acts like the DMV. “Paper is real and many jobs depend on it, so if this digital thingy doesnt work, just wait for the Post Office to deliver our product. Now go away.”

I have been using the NR app on my iphone for over 6 months and have loved it. With the latest update it has become a complete piece if garbage. It is constantly crashing and getting my sub to update is impossible. They also change the format so that the articles are very difficult to read. I wont be using it any longer and Im not going back to print. RIP NR.

Havent been able to read NR on ipad since Dec. 10. Tech support fixes didn t work and deleting and reinstallimg NR App doesnt work. Why do all other publications i subscribe to get it right but not NR. TIME TO CANCEL. Zero stars!!!

Come on National Review, fix the app! Were paying you guys for your content and now the app doesnt even work. Fix it NOW! Youve had more than enough time!!!!

Update, Dec 30, 2012: With some difficulty (trying to delete the app froze my iPad, but finally worked on the third try) the app now works following two reloads. In fact, the app is much improved and downloads are much faster. So, I have gone to three stars from one star, but NR needs to fix the update download. Sloppy on their part. Be patient. Delete it, download it again. It will work. Original Review: Agree with the others. Updated app crashes when I try to open it, do it is now worthless. I have paid for a subscription so I hope they fix it quickly. I would have expected someone to test this app before releasing it.

ZERO stars!!! Cannot open this app!! Please revert back to version from 2 months ago.

Makes me embarrassed to be a conservative. Worst crashing unstable app out there and you appear unwilling or unable to fix it!! Although a long time subscriber, Im done with print so if this app isnt up to speed very quickly Im canceling it all. Also the couple of subs that I pay for my adult children. Whos running your tech? Stodgy uncool old conservatives?

If it aint broke dont fix it - and the old app worked fine in every way. This update a nightmare. I can access the app, but its a shadow of its former self. Its unreadable on iPhone now since the print is either tiny or else you cant get full line in view. Im a longtime subscriber but cant see renewing.

As if problems described in previous posts were not enough, a new problem has appeared with the January 28th issue: The sporadic and incorrect access to the dictionary app. Now, when you see an unfamiliar word and you tap on it, instead of selecting the whole word, only a section of the word is highlighted. To select a whole word, one has to stretch the guided manually. Whats worse, most words are not recognized, even the "normal" ones, rendering Dictionary function useless. The fiasco of the new (November) version demonstrates a screaming lack of customer service at NR. The emails to tech support and customer service go unanswered. The problems go unfixed. Nobody apologizes for the screw ups. What happened to the champions of the responsive and responsible market place?!!! If no changes are made within the next month or so, Im not renewing. Weekly Standard, here I come!

Id give it 3.5 stars if the system allowed it: 4 on the iPad, Im guessing 3 on the iPhone. Pros: The issues download faster and are readable sooner in the process. The full print layout is presented in high quality and is zoomable. It is readable in both portrait (single page) and landscape (facing pages) on the iPad. You can also click on the first page of articles to get a text only version that would probably be iPhone friendly. Cons: Text is only selectable in the text-only mode. Overall performance is still sluggish. Sometimes text-only mode wont load, leaving a circle that spins endlessly. Inexplicably, text-only mode is only accessible from the first page of an article.

Dont waste your money on a subscription. They take the money and then create a buggy app that crashes constantly. Only a star given in protest because you cant post a review without one.

Wont load current issue. Still wont load current issue What a waste of money This app is a joke. Not ready for prime time or the iPhone.

Hard to believe an app this crappy exists.

This app used to be superb. Now they have ruined it! It is buggy, unreliable, annoying. Without a live Internet connection reading has become very difficult. With a live connection one most often stares at a spinning wheel.

4.5 stars for the magazine, 2 (at best) for the app. The previous version was just fine. This version is just awful. Why is the title bar taking up valuable screen real estate, so the whole magazine is shrunk from what it was? Why do I need page turn pseudobuttons when swipe-to-page was perfectly logical? Why can I not set the library to default to multi-issue instead of just one? Why is there no "back cover" with which I can intuitively tell Ive reached the end? The only good things about the app are improved download times and the ability to call up a text-only resizable version of articles. Seriously guys, go back and try again.

Crash! Crash! Crash! Gave it one star because I couldnt give it less.

I agree with the previous reviewers: this app used to be solid and now it barely works. Crashes and/or cant locate any of my content most of the time. I will not resubscribe unless they fix this.

Im subscribed through July 2013 but it indicates that Im not subscribed. What a joke. This app has been a headache consistently throughout the few months that Ive been subscribed. Do not buy.

This app is bad enough to make me want to eventually cancel my subscription, cheap as it is.

app allows me to sign in but says "It is impossible to update the content" on both iPhone 5 and iPad 4. Can view PDF version on Chrome.