Customer Reviews (500)

Namaste CaliMan • 2025-03-27T05:50:43-07:00

Like many others, I purchased a digital subscription to support WIRED’s exceptional reporting. But not having access to WIRED’s digital content via its own App is stupid. AND, if this is intentional, then your error message should say that instead of the bogus “technical difficulties….” message. The latter wasting my time searching for a non-existent solution. And don’t get me started on WIRED and Condé Nast’s Privacy Policy and Opt Out process.

Laurie Gum • 2025-03-15T06:12:57-07:00

The app needs to have access to Wired News digital content, not just the magazine. There has to be a way for me to stay logged in and not always have to log into the site each time I want to read an article. Right now, every single time I want to read a news article posted by Wired magazine, I have to log in. It is incredibly annoying.

ivers26 • 2025-03-14T20:14:50-07:00

I purchased a digital/print subscription and attempted to use this app to access older digital issues. No matter what I try, the app will not recognize my status as a subscriber and I’m cut off after 10 pages of an issue. No response from the developer after submitting a ticket. I’d expect more from an app that’s meant to support a tech publication.

Summary of Key Insights

The WIRED Magazine app suffers from significant technical issues and usability problems, resulting in a predominantly negative user experience. While users appreciate the quality of WIRED's content, the app itself is plagued by login failures, subscription recognition errors, download problems, a lack of essential features, and a generally clunky interface. The overwhelming sentiment is negative, with a large majority of reviews giving the app a one-star rating. Many users express frustration and disappointment, especially considering WIRED's focus on technology.

Key Strengths:

  • High-quality content of WIRED magazine.

Key Weaknesses:

  • Login and subscription authentication failures.
  • Download issues (slow speeds, inability to download, crashing during downloads).
  • Lack of basic features (landscape mode, font size adjustment, offline reading, proper navigation).
  • Clunky and unintuitive user interface.
  • Poor customer support.
  • App often presents a PDF version of the magazine, not optimized for mobile reading.

Overall Sentiment: Negative

Quantitative Metrics:

  • Overall Rating: Low (based on review distribution)
  • Score Distribution:
    • 1-star: 73.4% (367/500)
    • 2-star: 8.2% (41/500)
    • 3-star: 6.2% (31/500)
    • 4-star: 4.0% (20/500)
    • 5-star: 8.2% (41/500)

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
  • Time Frame: Reviews span several years, reflecting ongoing issues rather than a single isolated incident.
  • Analysis Methods:
    • Sentiment analysis (manual assessment based on review text).
    • Keyword extraction (identification of frequently used terms related to problems and desired features).
    • Categorization of issues and feature requests based on user descriptions.

Key User Pain Points

  • Login and Subscription Issues: Many users are unable to log in or the app fails to recognize their paid subscription, resulting in them being locked out of content they've paid for. Error messages are often vague ("technical difficulties") and unhelpful.
    • Impact: Prevents users from accessing the magazine, leading to frustration and subscription cancellations.
  • Download Problems: Users frequently report slow download speeds, inability to download issues, and app crashes during downloads. Background downloading is often non-functional.
    • Impact: Makes it difficult to access the magazine, especially for users on the go or with limited internet access.
  • Lack of Basic Features: The app lacks essential features such as landscape mode, adjustable font sizes, and offline reading capabilities.
    • Impact: Creates a poor reading experience, particularly on iPads, and limits accessibility for users with visual impairments.
  • Clunky User Interface: The app is often described as unintuitive, clunky, and outdated. Navigation is difficult, and the app doesn't take full advantage of the capabilities of mobile devices.
    • Impact: Makes the app frustrating to use and detracts from the reading experience.
  • Poor Customer Support: Users report difficulty contacting customer support and receiving unhelpful or canned responses.
    • Impact: Exacerbates frustration and leaves users feeling unsupported.
  • PDF-like Presentation: Many users complain that the app presents the magazine as a simple PDF, rather than an experience optimized for digital devices. This makes reading on smaller screens difficult.
    • Impact: Poor readability and accessibility.

Frequently Requested Features

  • Landscape Mode: Support for landscape orientation, especially on iPads.
  • Adjustable Font Sizes: Ability to increase or decrease font sizes for better readability.
  • Offline Reading: Ability to download issues and read them without an internet connection.
  • Improved Navigation: Easier navigation between articles and within issues.
  • Stay Logged In: Option to remain logged in to the app to avoid repeated login attempts.
  • Access to Online Articles: Integration with the WIRED website to allow access to news articles and online content.
  • Dark Mode: A dark mode option for late-night reading.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • High-Quality Content: Users consistently praise the quality of WIRED's articles and reporting.
  • Interactive Elements (Historically): Some users mentioned enjoying the interactive elements of the digital magazine in older versions of the app, although more recent reviews suggest this is no longer a prominent feature.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Fix Login and Subscription Issues: Implement a reliable authentication system that accurately recognizes subscriptions and allows users to log in without difficulty. (Impacts nearly all users)
  • Address Download Problems: Improve download speeds, enable background downloading, and prevent app crashes during downloads. (Impacts a large portion of users)
  • Implement Landscape Mode: Add support for landscape orientation, particularly on iPads. (Highly requested feature)
  • Improve Customer Support: Provide timely and helpful responses to user inquiries. (Essential for user satisfaction)

Medium Priority:

  • Add Adjustable Font Sizes: Allow users to adjust font sizes for better readability. (Addresses accessibility concerns)
  • Optimize for Mobile Reading: Ensure the magazine is presented in a format optimized for mobile devices, rather than simply as a PDF.
  • Enhance Navigation: Improve navigation between articles and within issues.
  • Implement Offline Reading: Allow users to download issues and read them without an internet connection.

Low Priority:

  • Add Dark Mode: Implement a dark mode option. (Enhances user experience)
  • Integrate Online Articles: Provide access to WIRED's online articles within the app. (Adds value to the subscription)

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Magazine App Authentication Service: A service that provides reliable authentication for magazine apps, addressing the common login and subscription recognition issues.
  • Digital Magazine Optimization Tool: A tool that helps publishers create digital magazine experiences optimized for mobile devices, including features such as adjustable font sizes, landscape mode, and improved navigation.
  • Magazine App Customer Support Platform: A platform that provides specialized customer support for magazine apps, addressing the common complaints about poor customer service.

Trends and Observations

  • Recurring Issues: Many of the problems reported in recent reviews have been present for several years, suggesting a lack of attention to app maintenance and updates.
  • Negative Sentiment Dominance: The overwhelming majority of reviews express negative sentiment, indicating a significant problem with the app's user experience.
  • Shift from Optimized Layout to PDF Presentation: Several reviewers note that the app used to have a reflowable layout optimized for mobile, but now simply presents PDF versions of the print magazine. This is seen as a major downgrade.
  • Lack of iPhone Support: A historical trend shows that users have wanted iPhone support for the app, however, the app is still primarily an iPad app.

Conclusion

The WIRED Magazine app is currently a significant disappointment for many users. While the magazine's content remains highly valued, the app's technical issues, lack of essential features, and clunky interface detract from the overall experience. Addressing the prioritized action recommendations is crucial for improving user satisfaction and retaining subscribers. A complete overhaul of the app, focusing on reliability, usability, and essential features, is highly recommended.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wired-magazine/id373903654?uo=2