Customer Reviews (500)

jesus had a Dog • 2025-03-22T15:02:34-07:00

Medium: A Medium for Mediums—The Perfect Place to Chant, Rant, and Channel the Inner Voice Medium is more than just a blogging platform; it’s a modern-day oracle, a digital soapbox, and a sacred space for those who need to let their truth pour out. Whether you’re a thinker, a ranter, a seeker, or a channeler of divine messages, Medium gives your voice a home—uncensored, unfiltered, and unapologetic. For the writer who feels possessed by inspiration, Medium is the perfect vessel. It welcomes the prophetic, the poetic, the raw, and the radical. Here, you don’t need permission to speak your truth. You don’t need to fit into neat categories or worry about whether your words are too grand, too deep, or too fierce. Medium thrives on voices that cut through the noise, challenge the status quo, and shake people awake. Think of it as a digital séance for ideas, where words act as spirits moving through the ether, waiting to be heard by those who need them most. Whether you’re delivering revelations, dissecting deceptions, or simply letting the universe speak through you, Medium ensures that your message finds its way to the right eyes, the right minds, and the right moment in time. For those who write with conviction, who hear the call to share something bigger than themselves—Medium isn’t just a platform. It’s the medium. Final Verdict: If you have something to say, something burning inside you that demands to be spoken, don’t hold back. Medium is the place to unleash it.

Thoughts with Piccolina • 2025-03-21T14:20:10-07:00

I am now a very young 77, and have soent the better part of my life making it up to myself for the abuse I suffered at the hands of my abusive, controlling parents. Of the three reactions, mine was rebellion, against their religious abuse. It took me years of work to heal and become a fully actualized adult. I hope you all know that this is possible. I never married or had children, but I have learned how to love myself and take good care of myself. I had a satisfying and stimulating career and now I am grateful for every day. As someone said, “It’s never too late to have a happy childhood”. I am now in Italy with my dog Piccolina, studying Italian, living one of my life-long dreams. Thank you to the author, for her excellent overview of trauma and its effects, because you cannot begin to heal until you understand what happened to you. Start the work now, and enjoy your life.

Treebeard TX • 2025-03-19T03:28:57-07:00

It is always true you get what you pay for. This is even more true in our fast paced media world of free news headlines and marketing focused content that screams look at me! But what I find in Medium and what we collectively need are more knowledge and story exploration which rests upon a single foundation—the pure and simple pleasure of using just your own eyes and imagination to better know, care, and serve one another. Medium is a like a walk in the quiet forest on mild spring morning hearing your own heart beat and rediscovering wonder.

Summary of Key Insights

The Medium app enjoys a generally positive sentiment, praised for its diverse content, thought-provoking articles, and user-friendly interface for both reading and writing. However, several pain points emerge regarding technical issues, subscription model limitations, content quality concerns, and feature requests. The app's value proposition as a platform for both readers and writers is strong, but addressing these issues is crucial for enhancing user satisfaction and retention.

Key Strengths: Diverse content, thought-provoking articles, user-friendly interface, community engagement, writing tools, no ads. Key Weaknesses: Technical issues (bugs, login problems, app instability), subscription model limitations (paywalls, unclear free content), content quality concerns (clickbait, lack of depth, biased viewpoints), writing limitations on mobile, poor customer support. Overall Sentiment: Positive overall, but with significant areas for improvement. Quantitative Metrics:

  • Overall Rating (estimated): Approximated to 4.22 stars based on the weighted average of the review scores.
  • Score Distribution: 5-star: 61.6%, 4-star: 8.8%, 3-star: 6.8%, 2-star: 4.8%, 1-star: 18%

Data & Methodology Overview

Data Sample Size: 500 reviews Time Frame: The reviews appear to be collected over a recent period, likely within the past few months, given the mentions of specific events (e.g., "surviving the next 4 years," "Trump 2.0") and app updates. Analysis Methods: The analysis was performed through a qualitative assessment of the reviews, identifying recurring themes, sentiment, and feature requests. This included:

  • Sentiment Analysis: Categorizing reviews as positive, negative, or neutral based on the language used.
  • Keyword Extraction: Identifying frequently mentioned keywords and phrases related to specific issues, features, or sentiments.
  • Thematic Analysis: Grouping related issues and suggestions into broader themes to identify key areas for improvement.

Key User Pain Points

  • Subscription Model and Paywalls:
    • Many users complain about the increasing number of articles behind paywalls and the difficulty in finding free content.
    • Some feel misled by the "free" advertising, as full access requires a paid membership.
    • Complaints about the value of the subscription vs. content received.
  • Technical Issues and Bugs:
    • Frequent login problems, including non-working email links and persistent login requests.
    • App instability, freezing, and crashing.
    • Bugs in the writing interface, such as persistent caps lock and difficulty copying/pasting.
    • Issues with the app not opening articles from links.
    • Problems with images not loading and videos not playing properly.
  • Content Quality Concerns:
    • Complaints about clickbait headlines and superficial content.
    • Concerns about biased viewpoints and a perceived "left-leaning" slant.
    • Perception of low-quality writing and a lack of in-depth analysis.
    • AI-generated content concerns.
  • App Functionality Limitations:
    • Limited editing capabilities in the mobile app, such as the inability to add image captions and alt text.
    • Missing writing features on mobile like tab and control of line spacing.
    • Inability to edit "About" section or create publications on mobile.
  • Navigation and User Experience:
    • Difficulty navigating the app and finding specific articles.
    • Poor search functionality.
    • Lack of sorting options (e.g., by date).
    • Problems with the "reading list" functionality, including the inability to remove items.
  • Customer Support Issues:
    • Lack of accessible customer support within the app.
    • Unresponsive customer service and unresolved account issues.
  • Accessibility Issues
    • Lack of landscape mode support.
  • Notifications
    • Annoying and irrelevant push notifications.

Frequently Requested Features

  • Improved Search and Filtering:
    • Ability to filter content by date, author, topic, and free/paid status.
  • Enhanced Writing Tools:
    • Full editing capabilities within the mobile app, including image captioning and alt text.
    • Better formatting options, such as tab and control of line spacing.
  • Offline Reading Improvements:
    • Reliable offline reading with all images and content available.
  • Reading History:
    • A reading history feature to easily return to incomplete articles.
  • Text-to-Speech Enhancements:
    • Improved text-to-speech functionality with word highlighting.
  • Better Account Management:
    • Easier account creation and login process.
    • Clearer instructions for unsubscribing.
  • Direct Communication Features
    • Ability to send and receive private messages within the app.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Diverse and Thought-Provoking Content: Users appreciate the wide range of topics and perspectives available on Medium.
  • User-Friendly Interface: Many users find the app easy to navigate and use for both reading and writing.
  • Community Engagement: Users value the ability to connect with writers and other readers through comments and claps.
  • Writing Platform: Writers appreciate the simple content tools, no-distraction interface, and the opportunity to share their work.
  • Accessibility: Some users note the accessibility of the app for visually impaired individuals.
  • Audio Feature: Users enjoy the ability to listen to articles while multitasking.
  • Absence of Ads: The ad-free reading experience is highly valued.
  • Opportunity to Earn Money: Writers are motivated by the potential to earn through the Medium Partner Program.
  • Inspiration and Learning: Many users feel that Medium helps them learn new things and become better writers.
  • Minimalist Design: The clean and simple design is appreciated for keeping the focus on the content.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  1. Address Technical Issues and Bugs: Focus on fixing login problems, app instability, and writing interface bugs to improve the core user experience.
  2. Clarify Subscription Model and Free Content: Clearly indicate which articles are free and provide a way to filter for free content. Consider offering a limited number of free articles per month for non-members.
  3. Improve Mobile Writing Functionality: Add missing editing features to the mobile app, such as image captioning, alt text, and better formatting options.
  4. Enhance Navigation and Search: Implement better search and filtering options, including sorting by date and author.

Medium Priority:

  1. Improve Customer Support: Provide accessible customer support within the app and respond promptly to user inquiries.
  2. Address Content Quality Concerns: Implement measures to ensure higher quality content, such as stricter editorial guidelines or a user rating system.
  3. Implement Reading History Feature: Allow users to easily return to incomplete articles.
  4. Enhance Text-to-Speech Functionality: Add word highlighting to improve the text-to-speech experience.

Low Priority:

  1. Consider Ads for Free Tier: Explore the possibility of offering an ad-supported free tier to provide access to more content.
  2. Add Landscape Mode Support: Add support for landscape mode on phones.
  3. Add Copy Code Button Add copy code button to code snippets.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Medium Content Quality Filter: A service that filters Medium articles based on objective quality metrics (e.g., citations, expert verification, readability scores).
  • Medium Accessibility Enhancement Suite: A suite of tools and features that improve the accessibility of Medium for users with disabilities, such as enhanced text-to-speech options and better screen reader compatibility.
  • Medium Article Summarizer: A tool that uses AI to summarize Medium articles, allowing users to quickly get the key takeaways.
  • Medium Writer's Assistant: A tool that helps Medium writers improve their writing, such as grammar checking, style suggestions, and topic ideation.
  • Medium Content Curation Service: A personalized content curation service that delivers high-quality Medium articles based on user interests and preferences.

Trends and Observations

  • Subscription Fatigue: A growing number of users are expressing frustration with the increasing number of subscriptions required to access online content.
  • Mobile-First Usage: Many users rely on the mobile app for both reading and writing, highlighting the importance of a seamless mobile experience.
  • Political Polarization: Some users express concerns about biased viewpoints and a perceived "left-leaning" slant, suggesting a need for more balanced content.
  • AI Content Detection: There is a growing concern about AI generated content polluting the quality of Medium.

Conclusion

The Medium app offers a valuable platform for both readers and writers, but several issues need to be addressed to improve user satisfaction and retention. By focusing on fixing technical issues, clarifying the subscription model, enhancing mobile writing functionality, and improving navigation and search, Medium can solidify its position as a leading content platform.

Overall Recommendation: Prioritize addressing the high-priority action recommendations to improve the core user experience and address key pain points. Continuously monitor user feedback and iterate on the app to meet evolving needs and expectations.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/medium-read-write-stories/id828256236?uo=2