Review Insights · App Store
Instories: AI Photo & Video
Ylee Studio LTD · 44,521 ratings · ★ 4.7
4.7
★★★★★
44,521 ratings
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Top complaints - extracted from 86 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
"money"
21 negative reviews mention this · 24% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Not it. If you are looking for something to edit your photos/videos with flair with a simple touch of a button, this is not it! App uses credits and if you end up using it all up already we’ll cough up more $$$. And the edits are not even that grea…" - CARMMRAC
2
"subscription"
15 negative reviews mention this · 17% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Too Expensive. Too many different options of subscriptions and no explanation as to the difference." - Redds217
3
"free"
15 negative reviews mention this · 17% of all complaints
★★★★★ "WRONG! REMOVING TOOLS & FEATURES FOR PREMIUM PLAN USERS! I pay $120/yr now I have to pay more!!. If I could rate negative -5 starts I would! I purchased the Instories app roughly 3yrs ago, I needed a quick way to put all the images and videos from my paint parties for my business together for my social media. After wasting so many ho…" - TSandre
4
"trial"
14 negative reviews mention this · 16% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Rip off. I trialed this app and did not like it. I did not cancel in time (yes, my fault I know, but I was at the hospital) and it charged me $120! They will not issue me a refund, even though it was on day 3.. Poor customer service and poor app." - Jmottav
5
"refund"
12 negative reviews mention this · 14% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Not it. If you are looking for something to edit your photos/videos with flair with a simple touch of a button, this is not it! App uses credits and if you end up using it all up already we’ll cough up more $$$. And the edits are not even that grea…" - CARMMRAC
6
"credits"
10 negative reviews mention this · 12% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Not it. If you are looking for something to edit your photos/videos with flair with a simple touch of a button, this is not it! App uses credits and if you end up using it all up already we’ll cough up more $$$. And the edits are not even that grea…" - CARMMRAC
7
"waste"
9 negative reviews mention this · 10% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Not it. If you are looking for something to edit your photos/videos with flair with a simple touch of a button, this is not it! App uses credits and if you end up using it all up already we’ll cough up more $$$. And the edits are not even that grea…" - CARMMRAC
8
"paid"
9 negative reviews mention this · 10% of all complaints
★★★★★ "WRONG! REMOVING TOOLS & FEATURES FOR PREMIUM PLAN USERS! I pay $120/yr now I have to pay more!!. If I could rate negative -5 starts I would! I purchased the Instories app roughly 3yrs ago, I needed a quick way to put all the images and videos from my paint parties for my business together for my social media. After wasting so many ho…" - TSandre
9
"cancel"
9 negative reviews mention this · 10% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Very bad. Very bad bathing really works and is very expensive and you cannot cancel" - Lchrirne
📋 All 86 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").
Too Expensive
Too many different options of subscriptions and no explanation as to the difference.
I just
Don’t see the value. I might need to explore it more but the few time I’ve tried to use the results are mediocre.
Not it
If you are looking for something to edit your photos/videos with flair with a simple touch of a button, this is not it!
App uses credits and if you end up using it all up already we’ll cough up more $$$. And the edits are not even that great even with prompts waste of money. I wish they can give me a refund!!!
App uses credits and if you end up using it all up already we’ll cough up more $$$. And the edits are not even that great even with prompts waste of money. I wish they can give me a refund!!!
The app doesn’t work half the time what is going on????
Terrible
WRONG! REMOVING TOOLS & FEATURES FOR PREMIUM PLAN USERS! I pay $120/yr now I have to pay more!!
If I could rate negative -5 starts I would!
I purchased the Instories app roughly 3yrs ago, I needed a quick way to put all the images and videos from my paint parties for my business together for my social media. After wasting so many hours and days just to make a reel of one party I found the Instories app. I was so happy to purchase the premium version of this app which included all tools and features such as the instant reels maker too which I use all the time. For years it was great I had access to all the tools and instant reels maker ai tool just as long as I kept paying my $120.00 annual subscription fee which I have. But today I opened the app and tried to make an instant reel and noticed I could beacuse I didn’t have any of the new GEM IN APP CURRENCY to create an instant reel that I could have made without additional cost before. I am outraged and feel betrayed by the app developers I understand apps make money off of in app purchases but I pay over $120.00 annually to have access to all app tools and features. These paid options should be applying to those using free versions only not y’all “Instories” telling the people who already paid for the app. It’s like a burger place telling customers who just ordered a cheeseburger last week that today they need to pay for the burger and if the want cheese they need to purchase tokens and then use tokens to buy their cheese to go on their already paid for burgers. It makes no sense. Like I said I’ve had this app for three years and today I’m seriously looking for a new app for my business event content who’s not going to do this and feeling this app. It used to be good but this is ridiculous! And I’m sure it’s not just that one feature/tool they have applied this additional in app purchases too I bet it’s the whole app and even though I paid over $120.00 for this app I might as well have the free version beacuse they removed access to premium features from their premium subscribers. JUST WRONG!!
I purchased the Instories app roughly 3yrs ago, I needed a quick way to put all the images and videos from my paint parties for my business together for my social media. After wasting so many hours and days just to make a reel of one party I found the Instories app. I was so happy to purchase the premium version of this app which included all tools and features such as the instant reels maker too which I use all the time. For years it was great I had access to all the tools and instant reels maker ai tool just as long as I kept paying my $120.00 annual subscription fee which I have. But today I opened the app and tried to make an instant reel and noticed I could beacuse I didn’t have any of the new GEM IN APP CURRENCY to create an instant reel that I could have made without additional cost before. I am outraged and feel betrayed by the app developers I understand apps make money off of in app purchases but I pay over $120.00 annually to have access to all app tools and features. These paid options should be applying to those using free versions only not y’all “Instories” telling the people who already paid for the app. It’s like a burger place telling customers who just ordered a cheeseburger last week that today they need to pay for the burger and if the want cheese they need to purchase tokens and then use tokens to buy their cheese to go on their already paid for burgers. It makes no sense. Like I said I’ve had this app for three years and today I’m seriously looking for a new app for my business event content who’s not going to do this and feeling this app. It used to be good but this is ridiculous! And I’m sure it’s not just that one feature/tool they have applied this additional in app purchases too I bet it’s the whole app and even though I paid over $120.00 for this app I might as well have the free version beacuse they removed access to premium features from their premium subscribers. JUST WRONG!!
Did not like AI video!!! Paid 35$ what a joke!
I want my money back
Very bad
Very bad bathing really works and is very expensive and you cannot cancel
Poor performance
For $25 a month, the reels will not populate and have been spinning saying “generating reel in 1 minute “ for over 3 hours. Many glitches in the system. Not worth the frustration or money
Format Limitations
I wanted this for YouTube videos, but everything is meant to be used for vertical formats. I also don’t like the limited use for AI effects without paying even more.
Rip off
I trialed this app and did not like it. I did not cancel in time (yes, my fault I know, but I was at the hospital) and it charged me $120! They will not issue me a refund, even though it was on day 3.. Poor customer service and poor app.
Awful templates CapCut is better
Purchased thinking it would be similar to CapCut after an issue with my CapCut subscription. App is awful zero stars if I could.
No customer service
My applications should automatically renew their credit every week, they do not. However, I am unable to contact any contacts to inquire about the situation.
Bulk generate
Why cant i buy the 50 ai generations for $44? Thought that was expensive, but 4 for $9.99 is BS
Качество сохранения фото после налаживания текста УЖАСНОЕ
Ужасное качество после того как сохраняешь фото или видео просто УЖАСНОЕ, так еще приложение стоит 3к
Scam
I did the 2 day free trial and tried to cancel it the 2 day of my trial ending, but they still charged me. Told me that it cannot be refunded so now I’m stuck with an app that cost $119 that I’m not even using. Only had the app for 10 minutes after charging me and I still can’t get a refund. Never have I experienced this from the Apple Store. Extremely disappointed.
Hideous App
This is one of the worst apps I have ever bought. There is nothing intuitive about it and it’s incredibly frustrating. Unsubscribing was the best part of my experience.
SCAM-CHARGES DURING TRIAL Period & won’t refund
Never ever used this app. Tried to. Downloaded trial. Required pmt, sure, canceled same day after app kept crashing. and yet I’m told I never canceled. The inapp chat is a bot. No one to talk to. They tell you to call Apple. Apple tells you it’s Instories policies and won’t refund. HUGE SCAM!! STAY AWAY! WORST APP EXPERIENCE EVER. Owned by YLEE studios based out of Cyprus.
unsatisfied
I have tried three times to make an AI real, where it optimizes the key highlights that I need without me having to edit via CapCut. All three times is giving me an error. Message said it could not create, but took the diamonds for creating it. The only other option it’s giving me is to upload exactly like CapCut and to edit via manually as far as I can tell from this point, it is exactly like CapCut.
Garbage
Before Warren, you will go through an extensive process and they will ask you to sign up at the end and just as a sidenote, it is extremely hard to get a hold of anybody for support
How can I cancel my trial?
They make you pay for the trial that they will charge in three days but within 20 minutes, I decided I didn’t want it and I can’t figure out how to cancel it
Nothing was free
Wouldn’t let me even try it without 5 popup windows trying to get me to spend $120-169
Bad bad
Tried generating reels with the instant reels maker and it wouldn’t generate anything but kept eating my credits.
There’s no way to get in contact with anyone, the only thing they offer is to browse for “help”
Bad app overall
There’s no way to get in contact with anyone, the only thing they offer is to browse for “help”
Bad app overall
Terrible Reviews
This app has so many terrible reviews, and very little positive reviews. It seems to be all hyped up in marketing. But then disappoints with mediocre features.. You cannot really do any video editing because cut into just a few seconds. Who has just a few seconds of video to edit.? It seems to be just like a mediocre app just like everybody else.. I don’t think I’m going to pay for it. I will wait until this app improves. Immensely
Pague la suscripción Pro
los reporte por la
Apple
Me quitaron los beneficios pro , mi suscripción se vence el 20 de marzo 2027 me quitaron los proyectos guardados de años , los voy a demandar por daños y perjuicios. Estafadores
Apple
Me quitaron los beneficios pro , mi suscripción se vence el 20 de marzo 2027 me quitaron los proyectos guardados de años , los voy a demandar por daños y perjuicios. Estafadores
Mrs
Not with it and hard to cancel
Garbage
All lot water, not usefully at all. Losing time for multiple errors
There’s no free trial
I don’t appreciate you charging my card as soon as I opted for the free trial. Your fine print says to cancel before the end of the trial to avoid charges. Yet it hit my account while I was still in the Apps Store!
It’s a decent app, and I may have been interested in the services, but you charging my card before I could decide, that shows dishonest business practices and I don’t do business with dishonest companies.
It’s a decent app, and I may have been interested in the services, but you charging my card before I could decide, that shows dishonest business practices and I don’t do business with dishonest companies.
Be careful
This application charged me 129$ for a yearly subscription only after 3 days of trial. I used only once during the trial and did not like it. I thought I cancelled but unfortunately it seems like I forgot to. Apple support did not help me refund the cost, and there is no customer support from the application side. This is extremely frustrating and disappointing. Be careful.
Scam
I dont intend to renew the subscription but they still charged me even though I did not use this app. Tried a refund but declined. So frustating. Not I am stock to use this app just to get my money worth. Do not click the free trial
Free trail BS
I started a 3 day free trial and canceled in apple subscriptions an hour later. I was still charged for a month of pro. No way to contact developer on app. The message option is for other team members. Help menu directs you to apple.
It Sucks!
This is the worse app EVAH. Not intuitive at all and certainly NOT easy to use.
会员没什么卵用
买个会员，进去还是要各种充钱买积分，我特么充个会员也用不了
DONT BOTHER
If I could give this app negative stars I would. Paid for a month and every creation crashed with an error message and took my credits with it. Biggest waste of time and money. This is the first review I have ever written that’s how much this app blows
Bad aggressive app
The free trial button could not be selected, it scrolled down to Pro options. App crashed repeatedly, obnoxious ad after ad. Could not do simple tasks from the timeline like move the AI text one side over. Not sure I can get my $14.99 back. Horrible frustrating waste of time.
Do not get they charge you full price for trial mode
They charged me full price when the purchase said trail version first . I immediately canceled and still have to go thru hoops to get a refund !!
Cancel within three days
Terrible I want to cancel within the three day trial and you are making it very difficult
I want to cancel this free trial. Do not charge me.
I want to cancel this free trial. Do not charge me.
Ridiculous.
Nickle and diming me to death. First I had to upgrade to the ai max version to use the expand feature (which used to come with the basic pro subscription), and now I only get a few credits a week to use it? In a year you’ve doubled the cost of using this, and now want to charge me more for credits so you can make more money? I’ve been using this app for over half a decade, but I am about to uninstall and cancel my subscription.
Absolutely ridiculous.
Absolutely ridiculous.
App reboots and deletes all of the data
I have only had this app for four days. TWICE I spent over an hour editing only to have the app cut out and shutdown. When i opened it again it stayed could not retrieve autos and project. TWICE! I thought the goal was to cut down the time it takes to make videos not double it
Weak
Templates templates templates but not the tool im looking for
Disappointing
I signed up expecting some great editing and it didn’t even allow for the free day trial and even after paying 14.99 I still need to upgrade to so what I need on this app :(
Misleading
False advertising! The AI features are a joke.
Not free
No free option/ad supported option. Requires a subscription. Makes you go through multiple “questionnaire” screens before you are prompted for a 48 hour free trial or pay by month/year. Uninstalled.
CRASH app
This app crashes every 2 mins. Not worth the money or time, find another editing app
Subscription gone
I paid for the annual subscription a few months ago and now they say I need yo pay again. Stay away! I can’t even message support so I have to leave bad reviews… HOPEFULLY they fix this
Bait & Switch
Keep taking away features that were included when I first purchased the plan and now want to use credits when I already have an AI MAX Pro plan. Absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable.
Terrible
Don’t waste your money
Paid for PRO one year they won’t let me use my own account
I paid for Instories PRO for the year and I only used it for three months and they are asking me to pay for PRO again EVEN THOUGH it says my subscription end on Dec 26 2026! For an app that glitches so much this is unacceptable
Marketing is better than the app
Not even close to the advertising
It has been a year they took my money with excuses
They got my money and nothing was provided. Yep. Got full year membership. Took my money downgraded me and all i can do is phto in stories . Thats was a year ago until today they never fixed , never gave my money back or credit ! Stay away !!
Scam!
I had the app for a month or so and was enjoying it but then randomly it started acting up. I paid for a full year of Instories PRO which was over $100 and it even shows up in my subscriptions as the PRO but it now tells me I have to buy another subscription and I have no access to the pro tools I paid for. I’m logged into my account and still have all my previously made stuff but it’s acting like I don’t have a subscription. Clearly they are trying to scam you. And the reason I paid for the year was because I thought this app looked very promising and now I’m very sad I wasted the money on something I can no longer use. I even tried logging in on the browser and it said I needed to buy another subscription
+ 36 more in the clipboard copy
Sentiment summary
93%
Positive (4-5★)
1%
Neutral (3★)
5%
Negative (1-2★)