Customer Reviews (500)

gmckinney2 • 2025-03-21T15:22:59-07:00

Thanks for all the new information that was shared for a person from the north I learned a lot. Keep up the great work. God continue to bless your new beginnings

Nick@_i • 2025-03-21T10:44:13-07:00

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bajidoo • 2025-03-21T09:52:01-07:00

I love what I see so far, important issues have come to my attention through Substack posts. Issues I had heard some things about, but couldn’t find more pertinent information that would make things clearer for me. Information to help fill in the blanks for a better understanding of the impacts or if there is no real impact from things that people are bringing up to the surface in the news.

Summary of Key Insights

The Substack app has a generally positive sentiment, evidenced by a high percentage of 5-star reviews (64.6%). Users appreciate the platform's focus on independent journalism, diverse content, and the ability to connect directly with creators. However, a significant minority of users experience technical issues, particularly app crashes, notification overload, and difficulties with subscription management. These issues detract from the user experience and require immediate attention. A recurring theme in negative reviews revolves around the app's user-friendliness, particularly concerning navigation and settings management.

Key Strengths: Access to diverse independent content, connection with creators, perceived lack of censorship, focus on factual reporting. Key Weaknesses: App stability (crashing), notification management, subscription management within the app, user interface/user experience (UI/UX) issues.

Overall Rating: Approximately 4.1 stars (weighted average based on review counts). Score Distribution: 5-star (64.6%), 4-star (6.8%), 3-star (6.8%), 2-star (6%), 1-star (15.8%)

Data & Methodology Overview

Data Sample Size: 500 reviews Time Frame: Not specified, but reviews appear to be recent, spanning from current date to a few months prior. Analysis Methods:

  • Sentiment Analysis: Categorizing reviews as positive, negative, or neutral based on language used.
  • Keyword Extraction: Identifying frequently mentioned keywords and phrases related to features, bugs, and user experience.
  • Frequency Analysis: Counting the occurrences of specific issues and feature requests to prioritize them.
  • Topic Modeling: Identifying common themes and topics within the reviews.

Key User Pain Points

  • App Crashing/Instability: A significant number of users report the app crashing frequently, especially when subscribing to new publications, opening from notifications, or during general use. This severely impacts usability and is a major source of frustration.
  • Notification Overload: Many users complain about receiving excessive push and email notifications, even after attempting to customize notification settings. The inability to granularly control notifications is a major annoyance.
  • Subscription Management Issues: Users consistently report difficulties managing their subscriptions within the app. Canceling, upgrading, or even viewing a list of active subscriptions often requires navigating to the website, creating a disjointed and frustrating experience.
  • Poor User Interface/User Experience (UI/UX): Several users find the app difficult to navigate, with issues such as difficulty finding subscribed content, confusing layout, and unintuitive controls. Some also report issues with accessing articles from email links.
  • Login/Account Issues: Problems with login verification codes not arriving or being recognized, and difficulty switching accounts, are also reported.
  • Bugs with Specific Features: Freezing when subscribing, broken buttons, disappearing posts, and issues with video playback are mentioned.
  • Bias Accusations: Some users accuse the app of showing biased content based on political leaning, regardless of selected interests.

Frequently Requested Features

  • In-App Subscription Management: The ability to fully manage subscriptions (cancel, upgrade, view subscriptions) directly within the app.
  • Granular Notification Control: More precise control over notification settings, allowing users to specify which subscriptions or types of activity trigger notifications.
  • Save/Bookmark Feature: A way to save articles for later reading.
  • Improved Search and Discovery: Enhanced search functionality to easily find specific authors or content.
  • Offline Reading: Ability to download articles for offline access.
  • Improved Article Navigation: Remember reading position within an article and easier navigation back to previously read content.
  • Enhanced Writing/Editing Tools (for Creators): More robust writing and editing features within the app for content creators.
  • Ability to Delete Posts/Comments: Users want a clear and consistent way to delete their own posts and comments.
  • Better Integration with Other Apps: Easier sharing to other platforms, exporting to Kindle, etc.
  • Dark Mode: An option for a darker color scheme.
  • PayPal Payment Option: An alternative to credit card payments.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Access to Independent Journalism: Users appreciate the platform's focus on independent writers and content creators, offering a diverse range of perspectives.
  • Uncensored Content: Many users value the perceived freedom of expression and lack of censorship compared to other social media platforms.
  • High-Quality Content: Users frequently praise the quality of writing and the insightful analysis provided by Substack authors.
  • Direct Connection with Creators: The ability to connect directly with writers and engage in discussions is a major draw for many users.
  • Lack of Ads: The ad-free experience is a significant advantage over other platforms.
  • Truthful Reporting: Many users explicitly mention valuing the "real news" and "factual reporting" found on Substack.
  • Easy to Use (for some): Some users find the app easy to use and navigate, although this is not a universal sentiment.
  • Helpful Information: Many users are finding helpful, informative, and even life-changing information on the platform.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

  • Fix App Crashing/Instability: This is the most critical issue and should be addressed immediately. Thoroughly test the app on various devices and operating systems to identify and resolve the root causes of the crashes.
  • Improve Notification Management: Implement more granular notification controls, allowing users to customize notifications for specific subscriptions and activity types. Provide a clear and easy way to manage notification settings.
  • Implement In-App Subscription Management: Enable users to fully manage their subscriptions within the app, including canceling, upgrading, and viewing subscription details.

Medium Priority:

  • Enhance User Interface/User Experience (UI/UX): Redesign the app's navigation and layout to make it more intuitive and user-friendly. Focus on improving the discoverability of subscribed content and simplifying the settings management process.
  • Address Login/Account Issues: Resolve issues with login verification codes and account switching.
  • Implement a Save/Bookmark Feature: Allow users to save articles for later reading.

Low Priority:

  • Add PayPal Payment Option: Provide an alternative payment method for subscriptions.
  • Develop Enhanced Writing/Editing Tools (for Creators): Improve the writing and editing features within the app for content creators.
  • Implement Dark Mode: Offer a darker color scheme option.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Substack Companion App: A third-party app that provides enhanced subscription management and notification filtering for Substack.
  • AI-Powered Content Discovery Tool: A tool that uses AI to recommend Substack content based on user interests and reading history.
  • Substack Article Summarizer: An app that provides concise summaries of Substack articles for quick consumption.
  • Substack Offline Reader: An app that allows users to download and read Substack articles offline.

Trends and Observations

  • Political Polarization: A noticeable trend is the strong political opinions expressed in reviews, with users often seeking out content that aligns with their existing beliefs. This highlights the potential for echo chambers within the platform.
  • Distrust of Mainstream Media: Many users explicitly state their distrust of mainstream media and their preference for the independent journalism found on Substack.
  • Positive Sentiment Towards Specific Authors: Users often mention specific authors and publications that they enjoy, indicating the importance of individual creator branding and content quality.
  • Recurring Complaints About Notifications: This issue is consistently mentioned across many reviews, indicating a widespread problem.
  • Technical Issues Across Devices: The prevalence of reports of app crashes and freezing across both iPhones and iPads suggests a fundamental problem with the app's code or architecture.

Conclusion

The Substack app offers a valuable platform for independent journalism and content creation. However, technical issues, particularly app crashes and notification overload, are detracting from the user experience. Addressing these issues, along with improving subscription management and UI/UX, should be the top priorities. By focusing on these areas, Substack can solidify its position as a leading platform for independent content and enhance user satisfaction.

Overall Recommendation: Prioritize bug fixes and UI/UX improvements to enhance app stability and usability. Focus on providing users with more control over their subscriptions and notifications.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/substack/id1581650857?uo=2