Review Insights · App Store
Documents: File Manager & Docs
Readdle Technologies Limited · 616,508 ratings · ★ 4.8
4.8
★★★★★
616,508 ratings
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Top complaints - extracted from 38 negative reviews
Recurring phrases mined from 1-2★ reviews. The bigger the percentage, the more users have the same problem. Fix the top 2-3 in your version and you have product-market fit on day one.
1
"subscription"
5 negative reviews mention this · 13% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Did not say they want to charge monthly fee. I do not know if the product works well or not. However, I did not see anything that stated it was a subscription service until after I had downloaded and installed the application. I seldom use ZIP files on my phone and that was the only …" - Park_Hill_Redneck
2
"files"
5 negative reviews mention this · 13% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Did not say they want to charge monthly fee. I do not know if the product works well or not. However, I did not see anything that stated it was a subscription service until after I had downloaded and installed the application. I seldom use ZIP files on my phone and that was the only …" - Park_Hill_Redneck
3
"work"
5 negative reviews mention this · 13% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Did not say they want to charge monthly fee. I do not know if the product works well or not. However, I did not see anything that stated it was a subscription service until after I had downloaded and installed the application. I seldom use ZIP files on my phone and that was the only …" - Park_Hill_Redneck
4
"monthly"
4 negative reviews mention this · 11% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Did not say they want to charge monthly fee. I do not know if the product works well or not. However, I did not see anything that stated it was a subscription service until after I had downloaded and installed the application. I seldom use ZIP files on my phone and that was the only …" - Park_Hill_Redneck
5
"works"
4 negative reviews mention this · 11% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Did not say they want to charge monthly fee. I do not know if the product works well or not. However, I did not see anything that stated it was a subscription service until after I had downloaded and installed the application. I seldom use ZIP files on my phone and that was the only …" - Park_Hill_Redneck
6
"videos"
4 negative reviews mention this · 11% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Loop sign. Good App . Just add the loop sign for videos" - Lamyea.oldum
7
"features"
4 negative reviews mention this · 11% of all complaints
★★★★★ "I don't understand the hype. No folder color coding, no multi instance tab view, not a lot of useful features.. Everything is basically paywalled, built in bowser sucks at grabbing downloads. 🤷" - JTJTW0
8
"paying"
4 negative reviews mention this · 11% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Legacy paid users are being squeezed for features they already had. I purchased Documents by Readdle more than 10 years ago and paid for features that were part of the app experience at the time. After years of using the app, I opened the current version. I found that basic PDF tools like rotating and extra…" - Asouzani
9
"another"
4 negative reviews mention this · 11% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Legacy paid users are being squeezed for features they already had. I purchased Documents by Readdle more than 10 years ago and paid for features that were part of the app experience at the time. After years of using the app, I opened the current version. I found that basic PDF tools like rotating and extra…" - Asouzani
📋 All 38 negative reviews
Every 1-2★ review we fetched. Use the copy button to grab them all for your own analysis (paste into ChatGPT/Claude with a prompt like "summarize core user problems, group by theme, ignore bugs, focus on missing features").
Did not say they want to charge monthly fee
I do not know if the product works well or not. However, I did not see anything that stated it was a subscription service until after I had downloaded and installed the application.
I seldom use ZIP files on my phone and that was the only reason I was looking. Disappointed they “hid the ball” when it comes to a monthly subscription fee - particularly where I may use it two times a year.
I seldom use ZIP files on my phone and that was the only reason I was looking. Disappointed they “hid the ball” when it comes to a monthly subscription fee - particularly where I may use it two times a year.
Intro/preferences deleted all my files
I wouldn’t trust this app anymore. They seem to prioritize adding useless things like asking me what kind of files I work with or my profession is than retaining files.
Search function
The search function isn't working; the loading wheel just keeps spinning.
Legacy paid users are being squeezed for features they already had
I purchased Documents by Readdle more than 10 years ago and paid for features that were part of the app experience at the time. After years of using the app, I opened the current version. I found that basic PDF tools like rotating and extracting pages, features I previously had access to, are now being pushed behind a subscription.
At first, I thought I might be misremembering. So I checked.
I located my legally purchased older .ipa file for Documents by Readdle, tied to my own Apple ID. I tried reinstalling it through standard app-management methods. Some methods failed, but I eventually managed to install the older version as a custom package using iMazing on Windows.
And there it was.
The PDF rotate and extract features work perfectly in the older version.
So let’s be clear: these are not groundbreaking new premium features. They are not some brilliant innovation that justifies a recurring subscription. They are basic PDF tools that already existed in the app and were already available to long-time paying users.
Repackaging existing functionality as a subscription benefit is not clever. It is not visionary. It is not product evolution. It is a lazy and insulting business decision that assumes legacy users either will not notice, will not remember, or will not have the means to prove otherwise.
Unfortunately for Readdle, some of us do remember.
This is the kind of short-sighted subscription thinking that makes users lose trust in software companies. Instead of rewarding the people who supported the app early, Readdle appears to be treating loyal users as another revenue stream to be squeezed. That is not customer retention. That is corporate amnesia with a payment processor attached.
I understand developers need to make money. I understand apps evolve. But there is a difference between charging for genuinely new value and reselling old functionality to people who already paid for it. Apparently, that distinction was too complicated for whoever thought this model was a good idea.
Judging by other user complaints, I am clearly not the only long-time customer who feels blindsided by this. This is not just one confused user. It looks like a broader failure to respect legacy customers.
Suppose Readdle wants to charge new users a subscription fee, fine. But legacy users who already paid should be grandfathered in. Locking previously available tools behind a subscription is not smart business. It is the kind of penny-wise, trust-destroying decision that makes a company look out of touch with its own user base.
I used to respect this app. Now I see a company willing to undermine long-term trust for short-term subscription revenue.
I wanted to give negative 10 zero stars if I could. Not because the app has no value, but because this business practice is insulting, anti-user, and embarrassingly stupid.
At first, I thought I might be misremembering. So I checked.
I located my legally purchased older .ipa file for Documents by Readdle, tied to my own Apple ID. I tried reinstalling it through standard app-management methods. Some methods failed, but I eventually managed to install the older version as a custom package using iMazing on Windows.
And there it was.
The PDF rotate and extract features work perfectly in the older version.
So let’s be clear: these are not groundbreaking new premium features. They are not some brilliant innovation that justifies a recurring subscription. They are basic PDF tools that already existed in the app and were already available to long-time paying users.
Repackaging existing functionality as a subscription benefit is not clever. It is not visionary. It is not product evolution. It is a lazy and insulting business decision that assumes legacy users either will not notice, will not remember, or will not have the means to prove otherwise.
Unfortunately for Readdle, some of us do remember.
This is the kind of short-sighted subscription thinking that makes users lose trust in software companies. Instead of rewarding the people who supported the app early, Readdle appears to be treating loyal users as another revenue stream to be squeezed. That is not customer retention. That is corporate amnesia with a payment processor attached.
I understand developers need to make money. I understand apps evolve. But there is a difference between charging for genuinely new value and reselling old functionality to people who already paid for it. Apparently, that distinction was too complicated for whoever thought this model was a good idea.
Judging by other user complaints, I am clearly not the only long-time customer who feels blindsided by this. This is not just one confused user. It looks like a broader failure to respect legacy customers.
Suppose Readdle wants to charge new users a subscription fee, fine. But legacy users who already paid should be grandfathered in. Locking previously available tools behind a subscription is not smart business. It is the kind of penny-wise, trust-destroying decision that makes a company look out of touch with its own user base.
I used to respect this app. Now I see a company willing to undermine long-term trust for short-term subscription revenue.
I wanted to give negative 10 zero stars if I could. Not because the app has no value, but because this business practice is insulting, anti-user, and embarrassingly stupid.
Mid
Used to be good, then they gave it a paywall
De
M
Music Player Seems to app crashing
Whenever I use the app for playing music after 3 or 4 minutes app crashes and close.
Use to Love the app
Hate the latest update, very intrusive. Don't like the lightbulb thing.
Took away ability to add hyperlinks without paying for it. Going to look for something else.
Took away ability to add hyperlinks without paying for it. Going to look for something else.
Why?
I have iCloud and Dropbox. Another
not needed and causes more confusion. I want to work without this always popping up.
not needed and causes more confusion. I want to work without this always popping up.
Subscription
Used to be great. Now they’re locking everything useful behind a ridiculously priced subscription
Shame
I’ve been using it since 2021 and it WAS amazing. But now it requires money just to download a web document? No thanks! Deleted
trash app that freezes all the time
the app is overpriced and barley works half the time
Очень подвели
Готовитесь к тому что это штука перестанет открываться, и вы потеряете доступ к сохраненным в ней материалам…. Дальнейшие комментарии думаю излишни.
Don’t bother with this
Don’t bother with this app. It’s expensive and not worth the cost
Everything req $$$
All features locked behind a paywall. Do not download
☠️
Aggressively counterproductive
Keeps closing app while playing music
This is super frustrating, issue started when the most recent iOS version came out in September with the new phones. Went back and forth with customer service and they just gave up. From what I could tell from the logs is that it is using way too much cpu power and the phone closes the app. Tempted to use another app like VLC and copy my entire library
Фризы, баги, лаги
6 лет назад, на шестом айфоне всё прекрасно работало, можно было скачивать несколько файлов и ни о чём не беспокоиться, сейчас же на моём нынешнем xr всё лагает когда я захожу в браузер, не говоря в целом о приложении. Куда делась оптимизация? Вроде за это время координально ничего не поменялось, но лагает будто пабг на ультрах запустил
Don’t install!!
Takes over pdf functionality on iPhone and IMPOSSIBLE to remove. Forces constant pay /subscribe dialogue. Truly malware!
POS
Title says it all
Involuntarily starts playing audio files from files
This app is outta control. It hijacks iPhones native apps and start playing audio files etc. Same with Google Drive etc. Not sure why it’s defaulting to this app when I didn’t do anything.
Delete doesn’t get rid of storage
Clearing Recently Deleted doesn’t get rid of storage. I have useless gigabytes stuck now please fix for next update.
Getting Worse and Greedy
Used to be quite good, now they’re getting greedy and wouldn’t even let me sign a PDF document without a US$ 15 monthly fee. Don’t be naive guys and don’t pay for it. Now I have switched to the iOS built-in preview app, which works just fine. Bye!
Frugal
It’s TO EXPENSIVE!
Update sucks
App was great for years. No longer.
Lost and entire PDF form
I filled out an entire pdf form with lengthy text boxes. Accidentally hit the back button. All of it…gone. No autosave or warning to save it first. Bad design.
Loop sign
Good App . Just add the loop sign for videos
I don't understand the hype
No folder color coding, no multi instance tab view, not a lot of useful features.. Everything is basically paywalled, built in bowser sucks at grabbing downloads. 🤷
Video player
I primarily used this app for videos. Which irks me that years before they removed the player controls from full screen. You used to be able to swiped up and down to control brightness and volume and left and right for seeking and they completely removed those options. So disappointing
New issues
Great app for many different things. But now my videos I saved in my inbox do not launch anymore. When I try to play a video a white blank page comes up and nothing works. I was working fine couple months ago. Whats the issue?
Nice but there are problems with pdf viewer and annotations
There is a bug that happens after I updated the app. When I search inside a PDF file, not all results show up. Fix this ASAP please.
Also the colors available to choose from in the colors palette before needing to extend it are limited. And for some reason, PC share doesn’t work.
Please fix the search bug AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
Also the colors available to choose from in the colors palette before needing to extend it are limited. And for some reason, PC share doesn’t work.
Please fix the search bug AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
Password doesn’t work
Password doesn’t work
Music and videos
I don't know how many times I have to write this to finally get through to you. The app crashes when I'm listening to music-and what the hell? Why do videos open in *this* app when I select them in the Files app?
Yet another monthly subscription
This is overpriced and not worth paying $16 per month. I would not have wasted my time downloading it if I had known.
Just let me in
The FTUE for this app is awful for both updates with new tutorials and after reinstalling
Stingy $
Back in the day, I paid extra for this app and it worked OK. It viewed files, and editing PDFs was an exercise in patience. If someone pays extra for an upgrade and the features are kinda mediocre, why in the world might I ever consider paying a monthly subscription fee when I already paid extra for the lifetime product? A discounted upgrade fee, for example, is the way conventional software companies do it. Not an option. Terminated from my desktop. Forget this one.
pdf convertidor??
Antes convertía web a pdf como 30 páginas, ahora solo convierte 1 hoja
Complicated
Very hard to find documents once you’ve downloaded them. Very hard to transfer document documents to specific bio folders. Very hard to rename documents to a name that makes sense to you.
Sentiment summary
95%
Positive (4-5★)
2%
Neutral (3★)
3%
Negative (1-2★)