National Geographic Reviews

Great stories!!

Aolmike

I subscribe to the magazine and usually have read through it within 2 weeks. This app gives me great articles until the next issue arrives in the mail. Great job!!

I Second Others’ Disappointment and Dismay

Nickname IsTaken

After a few months of not visiting this app I finally mapped out an evening to catch up with my Nat Geo reading backlog. Imagine my shock at seeing this seemingly stripped-down text-heavy, unanimated presentation for the first time. Yes, it really is awful, more so as compared to its wonderful rich predecessor version. Clearly Nat Geo is in a rapid descent in the wake of its sale. Its emphasis seems to be on feeding vapid woo-hoo content to its cable channel rather than presenting a rich interactive periodical app, which was probably an expensive proposition. This current app looks like it probably doesn’t require more than a tiny handful of the most unimaginative people to put together each month. If the situation with this app remains grim I’ll certainly not be renewing my subscription. ——- Update August, 2019 Well clearly NG has no apparent plans to restore the app to its former glorious state. Wow. Very sad and puzzling. My subscription expires at the end of the month and I’ll be letting it lapse.

I won’t renew until download capability is restored

ManginiJM

Thanks When you restore the ability to view magazines offline, I will restore my subscription.

Every aspect of this app is horrible

Mikek12

This app has been ruined and there is no hope in site. The ability to download the magazine is gone so no reading on an airplane or anywhere without Wifi. The navigation is terrible for finding anything or just enjoying the experience of reading. I should go back to the print version but I suppose it’s better to cancel my subscription entirely.

Sooooo sad.

Jorge AASSMM

What happened to you guys? When I first moved to the digital version of the magazine (first versions of the app) it was such amazing experience. So much so, that I would take my iPad to family reunions to show family this new and improved way to enjoy National Geography, it was amazing! Could get videos and trifolds and could read advertising, felt like the real magazine but so much better. Then, you went to this current version... Why? Noe the app looks like a poorly assembled word version of articles, not even a nice layout; My church news letter looks much better. Your app Is so bad that when I open the app I am not engaged and have stopped reading. Was ready to cancel my subscription but I discovered that you are able to read your subscription in the Apple news app where the experience is much better but not as good as the first versions of the natgeo magazine app. Please bring back the great experience, you did it before.

Comment deleted?

j footprint

A comment from the developer (by email 8/13/2019): “Thank you for contacting us here with your feedback. Please be advised that we have no way to delete reviews on our end and we apologize for the inconvenience. We are sorry to see you go, but your concerns regarding being able to download issues and our layout have been present to our product team. " Right! My previous version-stamped incremental reviews are gone. Someone deleted them! And I’ll accept the “apology” when functionality returns. Until then it’s an empty platitude. Sorry NGM, there is no credibility here anymore. Your loyal customers don’t like being lied to. It’s been too long and too many dismissals of your users complaints to believe you are honestly restoring any functionality. ———————————- So, my running tally of the latest updates, and my continuing criticism of this now useless, but formerly excellent app has been removed? Apparently the app developers, and NGM suits don’t like to be told they screwed up... but then, I understand this is now a Murdoch owned publication, so they probably relish the angst they have provoked. But yet I see new “developer responses” from other unhappy reviewers, so what gives? I’m now officially letting my subscription of some 30 years, due imminently, lapse. What a shame. Bring back off line viewing and the magazine format, and I may reconsider. Otherwise, the respect you give to the opinions of your long time subscribers, is the respect you have returned.

A sad loss

Piotr N

The awful new version of the app, which used to be a stellar example of how to transition from the printed to the digital medium, has not only ruined the reading experience for me but also, literally, stole all my previously purchased and downloaded issues of the magazine. I have to pay good money for each MB of internet use (I live in a place where internet is expensive and slow) and thus this loss is pretty much permanent for me. It goes without saying that I have requested to have my subscription cancelled, albeit the awful NGM customer service has not bothered to respond. What an awful loss of a once great publication. Incidentally, it must be the saddest, most soul-breaking job in the world to work in the tech support for this joke of an app. Constantly writing the same pointless, canned replies, knowing that every user of the app hates their guts. I feel truly sorry for whoever needs to be the spokesperson for one of the greatest missteps in NGM’s history.

No download? Don’t bother

RocBen

The ONLY reason I want the app is to be able to download issues and read them offline when I’m traveling. The current version doesn’t permit that.

Great to worst

ShinyDeb

The original digital rendition of the National Geographic magazine was so well done with interactive timelines and maps. The upgrade to the new layout would make even long-term customers run away. I have been a National Geographic subscriber for over 25 years and made the transition to digital, but now I am thinking to go back to print or cancel it altogether. There is little parity between the layout on the web version and the app. I constantly have to switch between both to make sure I haven’t missed out on an article. Also, comparing it to the print version… It doesn’t seem like the entire experience/magazine is carried over. Please go back to the old version as soon as possible, for the sake of your longtime readers please!

Whywhywhywhywhywhywhywhywhy?????????

Notsosmurfy

Why did they do it? Why did NATGEO change it so you can no longer access the magazine through the APP? I read on the subway. But I dont read NATGEO. Why? Because you have to have internet to access content. AND it is not even the magazine. It is select articles. Before the update, it was great!!! I had the magazine on my iPad. I have called customer service multiple times and their response is that the engineers are working on it. KAKA. It has been EIGHT MONTHS!!!!!!! So now I have to carry a hard copy ? How backwards!!!!!!! Bad job NATGEO. Like really bad.

National Geographic Reviews – Page 10