Review Insights · App Store
Sporcle
Sporcle, Inc · 3,778 ratings · ★ 4.7
4.7
★★★★★
3,778 ratings
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Top complaints - extracted from 55 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
"sporcle"
16 negative reviews mention this · 29% of all complaints
★★★★★ "I don’t like the latest version. I play a lot of Sporcle trivia, both on the app and at my local brewery. In the past I would have said the app was great, but in a recent update they changed it so the buttons to quit a quiz or spend in-app currency to extend your time ran…" - Monky7
2
"quiz"
13 negative reviews mention this · 24% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Too many ads. Was good for a while but now you have a 60 second ad after a quiz, used to be 5 seconds. Frequency of ads seems up as well" - mudbonerz
3
"version"
10 negative reviews mention this · 18% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Ads are insane. The number of the ads is not an issue. The issue is that they’re unscippable minute long ones. Absolutely makes this app not usable. I’d rather spend my time on the clunky web version on my phone’s browser." - AVAILABLE_AV
4
"quizzes"
10 negative reviews mention this · 18% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Solid but no offline play. The app is alright, a lot of fun quizzes but from everything im seeing in the app/online they removed the ability to download quizzes for offline use" - Max57372820
5
"game"
10 negative reviews mention this · 18% of all complaints
★★★★★ "It’s a good start…. I really wanted to like this. And I was even willing to pay for it! I’ve only just been on the “learning” areas. What I can’t use, and is actually quite useless-to the point that it makes me crazy you’d expect anyone to pay for it, are: 1. …" - katravels
6
"every"
8 negative reviews mention this · 15% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Solid but no offline play. The app is alright, a lot of fun quizzes but from everything im seeing in the app/online they removed the ability to download quizzes for offline use" - Max57372820
7
"download"
7 negative reviews mention this · 13% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Solid but no offline play. The app is alright, a lot of fun quizzes but from everything im seeing in the app/online they removed the ability to download quizzes for offline use" - Max57372820
8
"years"
7 negative reviews mention this · 13% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Paid App With Ads. I paid for this app years ago and I am met with ads at every turn. Pretty ridiculous." - Jfam96
9
"website"
6 negative reviews mention this · 11% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Ruined with ads. The old mobile app was superb. The newer version removed features that are invaluable on phones, like fat finger fix. Also, all quizzes are available, including those that are completely impossible on a mobile phone. Finally, it’s infested …" - Aardvark (Sco)
10
"better"
6 negative reviews mention this · 11% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Good but Could Be Better. Can do one quiz and the other quiz will lag. Wont be able to quit or click anything. If the time runs out, you still have to exit the game and close out the game to do anything else. Happens every time." - Stef4231
11
"terrible"
6 negative reviews mention this · 11% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Terrible Company. This company is terrible and incredibly uninclusive. Stay away" - gurney Jen out fm
📋 All 55 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").
I don’t like the latest version
I play a lot of Sporcle trivia, both on the app and at my local brewery. In the past I would have said the app was great, but in a recent update they changed it so the buttons to quit a quiz or spend in-app currency to extend your time randomly swap places. This is clearly a predatory change to trick people used to a consistent interface into accidentally spending their in-app currency. until this is fixed, I can’t recommend the app.
Ads…
Virtually indistinguishable from just going to the website in a mobile browser, but this time when you finish a quiz, you get a full screen unskippable ad! Laughably stupid.
i got blocked by an url because of parental controls
20 %
Paid App With Ads
I paid for this app years ago and I am met with ads at every turn. Pretty ridiculous.
Bad app
Too many adds
Why discriminate towards certain users?
I used to use Sporcle almost daily to increase my knowledge of trivia, however recently the company has shown prejudice towards certain app users. I think that a trivia company should not elect to show preference or prevent users from promoting an app simply because they do not support an unrelated company and its supporters.
Rapid decline in performance
For some reason over the last few days the app has been utterly useless, 1/10x energy type mindset
Worst then NY times
Awful app. Too many adds. Get the same questions every other click.
#yak
#yak
Sporcle Community
Constant ads that are annoying. Plus the community is very rude and disrespectful. I can’t support anything from a company that supports a community like that.
Terrible Company
This company is terrible and incredibly uninclusive. Stay away
Only downloaded bc I saw it on the Yak. Deleting
Love sporcle, but support your ppl.
Opposite of inclusive
I can’t believe, as a man of faith, having my following turned away. Fortunately the lord has blessed me with a far superior trivia application. I urge ALL advertisers must be wary of commitments and deals with this organization.
Not Optimized on Mobile
Very clunky. Just doesn’t work well on the phone.
Crashes
App crashes constantly. Will find better trivia elsewhere. No support for the app or the website.
Accessibility of the app
My main issue is the app not working well. As I would love the quiz I feel that my kind is not welcome in this community due to the prejudice that the leadership shows. Nothing I do is illegal!!!
Yak
Big mistake
Sporcle Soft
Trash app ran by trash people
Ad Generator
Download this game if you would like to watch cheap ads and waste 30 minutes
Terrible App
I stand with The YAK!
Doesn’t load
This has to be the buggiest game. App doesn’t load on iOS. Waste of time!
Nothing works
Absolutely nothing loads and I’m an orange subscriber on the web. I’m disgusted.
Ruined this App
This used to be a great app. The new version doesn’t work at all. Constantly wants to send you a code that doesn’t work. The questions are lame. Better apps out there.
Horrible app
The UI is god awful. It’s like this app came out 20 years ago. And the quizzes are extremely limited. There’s like 20 per category and that’s it. Nothing like the website. You also have to force close the app to get out of a quiz, you can’t just hit back. Worst app I’ve downloaded in years
Just play on the website
I enjoy the quizzes but the ads are unbearable, you get one before every quiz you start and immediately after it’s over. Just play on safari, there won’t be ads on there.
Terrible app
I love Sporcle…on my laptop. The app is not configured to a smart phone, half the time, my keyboard covers half the quiz and I can’t get it to zoom out. I updated my password and logged out of my account and am unable to get back in on the app (works fine on my laptop). I hit “login” and nothing happens…not even an error message, just stays on the login page. Really disappointed with the quality as I would’ve enjoyed playing this on the go.
Horrible
The glitches are horrible.
Used to be great. Now it’s ads ads ads
I’m a long time fan of Sporcle, and the new version is so disappointing. It’s gone from being totally free without ads to letting you play one game and then get stuck on a long ad that won’t let you out of it for too long. And you can’t get the answers to the quiz until after the ad, so you’re stuck with the obnoxious ad. My husband and I used to play on trips or waiting for dinner in restaurants. Now it’s not worth it. Way to ruin it completely Sporcle. I wish you would have kept the old version open for people like me at least. This one is pretty but the ads are just too much and I’m not paying to make them go away.
The categories are harder to access now. Finding interesting quizzes is difficult too. The same dumb quizzes you don’t want keep coming up all the time. Time limits are hard to achieve on typing quizzes, which are my favorite. You can do practice quizzes but they’re not saved. They have lots of dumb and meaningless badges that are cool if you’re 12.
The information isn’t always accurate. So for people who think they can learn from the game, don’t trust it. Regular players make these quizzes. I don’t know how to report bad information so I guess it just stays out there.
Not worth the cost unless you have lots of free time and money to waste.
The categories are harder to access now. Finding interesting quizzes is difficult too. The same dumb quizzes you don’t want keep coming up all the time. Time limits are hard to achieve on typing quizzes, which are my favorite. You can do practice quizzes but they’re not saved. They have lots of dumb and meaningless badges that are cool if you’re 12.
The information isn’t always accurate. So for people who think they can learn from the game, don’t trust it. Regular players make these quizzes. I don’t know how to report bad information so I guess it just stays out there.
Not worth the cost unless you have lots of free time and money to waste.
Awful
They killed the good app for this piece of garbage. The invasive adds are so annoying. You have to wait for an ad just to see the results of the quiz. UI is terrible. Everything that used to be good about the app is gone and all the additions make it a shell of its former self. Sad and scummy.
Terrible
Please bring back the old app.
New version is terrible
I paid for the old version when I downloaded it to have no ads. It was a great app and could be played offline if you had downloaded the quiz before hand
Now it’s cluttered with ads and it won’t open without a connection.
Old version 5/5 stars. New version, I wish I could give it negative stars.
Will likely be deleting this
Now it’s cluttered with ads and it won’t open without a connection.
Old version 5/5 stars. New version, I wish I could give it negative stars.
Will likely be deleting this
Sporcle should be ashamed
I purchased the original sporcle app, which is saying something because I almost never buy an app. It was simple but it worked and I played it almost every night. All of a sudden the app I purchased disappeared completely. Then I had to download this as a replacement with a totally different pay scheme. Crooks.
Would love this app, but …
I can’t use the search feature! The search bar hides behind the top navigational bar and you can drag it down to see the search bar, but as soon as you let go (to try to type or even touch it to get your cursor in the search field) it goes behind the top navigational bar again. The rest of the app I can deal with, including ads … necessary to make it free, but I wouldn’t consider a subscription if I can’t use the search feature. Please fix this!
Do not download!
Loved the Sporcle app for a decade. This new app is horrendous and cluttered with ads. If you still have the old one, keep it and enjoy the archive. Do not download this!
Hate the update
If I could give this a zero, I would. I previously paid for Sporcle, played it for years, had to update, now all my previous stats are gone and they want to charge a subscription?? This is so poorly designed. I’m done with it.
Predatory, Ridiculous Subscription Model
Just to preface, I have been a Sporcle user since 2009, and although the app is currently horrendous, I am still hopelessly addicted. This is more for people who have yet to download, or are moving from the website.
I write this review since I was forced over from the previous version of the app. The new app is disgusting. Stats that were previously freely available, such as simple things like your previous best score, are behind a paywall. I understand that the developers need to make money, but the current model is atrocious. After every game you must watch a 10-20 second ad, which often hides the way to close it out, and many times forces the App Store to open.
How, do you ask, can you remove these “features”? Unlike most game apps, which provide a one-time purchase of $1-$10, Sporcle has had the great idea to institute a subscription model! In order to access previously free features, you now must pay $6 a month! For a trivia app! I cannot believe this decision was made. Avoid at your own risk.
I write this review since I was forced over from the previous version of the app. The new app is disgusting. Stats that were previously freely available, such as simple things like your previous best score, are behind a paywall. I understand that the developers need to make money, but the current model is atrocious. After every game you must watch a 10-20 second ad, which often hides the way to close it out, and many times forces the App Store to open.
How, do you ask, can you remove these “features”? Unlike most game apps, which provide a one-time purchase of $1-$10, Sporcle has had the great idea to institute a subscription model! In order to access previously free features, you now must pay $6 a month! For a trivia app! I cannot believe this decision was made. Avoid at your own risk.
I miss the old format…
What is this new format? Played thousands of games on with the original app format without issue over 13 years. Paid for full lifetime access. Sad to see it go.
Loved the og app
I played the original app daily and loved it for almost a decade. It became part of my daily routine. A few weeks ago the updates stopped and was forced to start using the new app. How bad could it be? Pretty bad I found out. The home page is very busy and confusing. I’m sure after time I’d get use to it. Unfortunately, that time will never come due to the obscenely high subscription cost. Wow! It’s more than many streaming services. While there might be improvements, new features, etc., I’ll never know. Goodbye Sporcle. So sad to see you go (full greed mode).
Very disappointed
I’ve had the Sporcle app for over a decade, maybe even 15 years. The fact my original app was discontinued and rendered useless and I had to download this version is truly upsetting. I don’t want to pay $6 a month to not be bothered by swarms of ads. It ruins the game that I loved for so long.
Used to be free
With the new app, you have to pay to play, otherwise race those annoying minute long ads you can't skip.
Ads are insane
The number of the ads is not an issue. The issue is that they’re unscippable minute long ones. Absolutely makes this app not usable. I’d rather spend my time on the clunky web version on my phone’s browser.
I quit
Seriously? I get waiting a few seconds for a dumb ad but waiting a minute is crazy. Hope those extra dollars are worth it because you’re losing players.
Too many ads
Was good for a while but now you have a 60 second ad after a quiz, used to be 5 seconds. Frequency of ads seems up as well
Solid but no offline play
The app is alright, a lot of fun quizzes but from everything im seeing in the app/online they removed the ability to download quizzes for offline use
Ruined with ads
The old mobile app was superb. The newer version removed features that are invaluable on phones, like fat finger fix.
Also, all quizzes are available, including those that are completely impossible on a mobile phone.
Finally, it’s infested with ads in much the same way the website is. Oh, and every time it runs an ad for CandyCrush, it bricks the app and you have to restart it.
Also, all quizzes are available, including those that are completely impossible on a mobile phone.
Finally, it’s infested with ads in much the same way the website is. Oh, and every time it runs an ad for CandyCrush, it bricks the app and you have to restart it.
It’s a good start…
I really wanted to like this. And I was even willing to pay for it! I’ve only just been on the “learning” areas. What I can’t use, and is actually quite useless-to the point that it makes me crazy you’d expect anyone to pay for it, are:
1. Maps in the geography section that can’t be seen or zoomed in/out without any color differentiation beyond grey and black.
2. Layouts that are so poorly done that the text cuts off before they’re finished so that I can’t even fully read the multiple choice answers.
3. Thumbnail pictures that can’t be zoomed in to actually see the subject of a painting when trying to learn art and artists. Artwork names aren’t always shown with pictures. What era or school of art is never shown.
I haven’t spent much time yet, but if I can make a few suggestions:
1. Zoom in/out capabilities for things w/ pictures are necessary to learn/understand.
2. Enhance with color distinction and names of other countries, major cities, geographical features, and bodies of water surrounding the focal point on maps.
3. Have a “learn” area that people can click on that is more of a study guide with all the information available in list, table, graphic form (whatever makes most sense for subject). For example, I should be able to see the entire periodic table somewhere in the “learn” area before I go into the quiz “learn” area of matching. How would anyone know what is a noble gas or where on the table it belongs to answer anything for the “learn” questions without that?
4. If I want more information on anything, there should be a way to click and hold to have a window that floats above to get a little more information without leaving the game.
I have more but this is getting long. Just think about context overall.
1. Maps in the geography section that can’t be seen or zoomed in/out without any color differentiation beyond grey and black.
2. Layouts that are so poorly done that the text cuts off before they’re finished so that I can’t even fully read the multiple choice answers.
3. Thumbnail pictures that can’t be zoomed in to actually see the subject of a painting when trying to learn art and artists. Artwork names aren’t always shown with pictures. What era or school of art is never shown.
I haven’t spent much time yet, but if I can make a few suggestions:
1. Zoom in/out capabilities for things w/ pictures are necessary to learn/understand.
2. Enhance with color distinction and names of other countries, major cities, geographical features, and bodies of water surrounding the focal point on maps.
3. Have a “learn” area that people can click on that is more of a study guide with all the information available in list, table, graphic form (whatever makes most sense for subject). For example, I should be able to see the entire periodic table somewhere in the “learn” area before I go into the quiz “learn” area of matching. How would anyone know what is a noble gas or where on the table it belongs to answer anything for the “learn” questions without that?
4. If I want more information on anything, there should be a way to click and hold to have a window that floats above to get a little more information without leaving the game.
I have more but this is getting long. Just think about context overall.
Good but Could Be Better
Can do one quiz and the other quiz will lag. Wont be able to quit or click anything. If the time runs out, you still have to exit the game and close out the game to do anything else. Happens every time.
ADS
The ads on this app need to chill out holyyyyy. I get it, have ads make your money but there’s way too many
Quizzes are fun interface needs work
I liked it in general, but there were several quizzes that I couldn’t do or finish because of the interface and the quiz not showing up right which was kind of annoying
New and not so improved
Let me start off by saying I came across Sporcle’s app years ago and absolutely loved it. But after recently being pushed over to the newly revised app, the user experience has gone downhill. The quizzes themselves are still fantastic. But the little things like being able to download quizzes so you can access when there’s no internet or being able to see answers you missed before an ad pops up, are now non-existent. Sporcle’s beauty was in its simplicity. I used to do a few quizzes almost daily, now I rarely open the app and am almost ready to delete it. A $6/month subscription is too high especially when you couldn’t access quizzes when you’re going through a tunnel or on a train underground (prime quizzing time!!).
Horribly ported
I really like taking Sporcle quizzes but the way it’s ported over to mobile is garbage. You can barely scroll and half of the time the keyboard is covering most of the content. Make it better and I’d give it 4 stars.
+ 5 more in the clipboard copy
Sentiment summary
92%
Positive (4-5★)
2%
Neutral (3★)
6%
Negative (1-2★)