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Libby, by OverDrive App Complaints & User Negative Comments 2024
Libby, by OverDrive app received 77 complaints, negative comments and reviews by users. Have you ever had a bad experience using Libby, by OverDrive? Can you share your negative thoughts about libby, by overdrive?
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Libby, by OverDrive for Negative User Reviews
✓ I really dislike this app.Life was way better when people had the option of Overdrive or Libby. Overdrive was straight forward and worked very well. Libby is buggy and glitchy and not user friendly. I find myself searching for the options overdrive has and cannot find them. 5 thumbs down👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼 Please bring back overdrive!.Version: 5.1.0
✓ App crashesApp seems to crash with the last update and is slow to open/load, especially with audiobooks. Am on iPhone SE iOS v16.5. Please fix..Version: 6.0.0
✓ LibbySo sad they ruined overdrive. Unable to adjust speed of audios and size of print. Almost useless..Version: 5.1.0
✓ Don’t get rid of Overdrive!!!I’m travelling right now with limited internet. Libby won’t let me read books on my shelf without a connection! Not very useful. Back to Overdrive for me as a connection is not a requirement for books on the shelf..Version: 5.1.0
✓ User friendly, but MAJOR drawbackI work in a library, and borrow audiobooks and ebooks myself frequently. Former Overdrive user, now use Libby most of the time because it is more user friendly and streamlined. However, there are two big problems that mean I can’t get rid of Overdrive just yet (I switch between the two for searching). 1) Biggest problem: if you use more than one library account (if you belong to different library systems), and you place a title on hold through 1 library, Libby will not allow you to access that title through another library, EVEN IF THAT TITLE IS AVAILABLE through the other library. If you are using Libby, you must be very careful to NOT place a hold until you’ve checked all libraries you belong to. Otherwise you’ll be waiting weeks to read a book you could have accessed immediately. You also can only place a hold on a particular title through 1 library system. 2) Through Libby you can not recommend titles for your library to buy. Our library will automatically buy an item once a certain number of requests have been made. Too bad you can’t request a purchase through Libby! I do find Libby more user friendly and recommend it to library patrons who only use 1 library, and use it myself most of the time, but the above issues are major ones for me still..Version: 1.7.0
✓ Prev: Why kill off Overdrive??? EDIT: recommend booksOk, so I use both apps from my local library. My personal preference is for Overdrive. A much simpler experience all round inc. it’s player interface. Libby’s player is much more convoluted - and the platform is very busy. I think the older readers will struggle with a Libby only system of lending. I’ve tried to combine the best features of both for my reading experience, but will be devastated to see the Overdrive app disappear at the end of the year. I can’t see any logical reason for this and nobody has ever given any explanation for its shut-down. A sad decision indeed. Please keep Overdrive running!🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 EDIT: Another downside of Libby is it does not have any facility to recommend new titles for purchase by your library. This is a fantastic feature on the original OVERDRIVE app. ALSO - I’ve noticed lately lots of missing titles for books in a series. Yet these titles usually exist in the catalogue, but just haven’t been linked for whatever reason. The search function is terrible, so I rely on the last read titles display and search using the ‘Author name’ to link me to missing titles..Version: 5.1.0
✓ Battery drainLibby is a major battery drain on iOS compared to the original overdrive app. Much prefer the simpler previous app which preserved battery life..Version: 6.0.0
✓ Love the app butCan u guys please put how many pages r in a book plz.Version: 3.0.7
✓ A frustratingly cumbersome appSadly this app is difficult to get back to a particular spot as it moves to far back or forward, even with the gentlest of movement. The 15sec buttons have to be pressed heaps to find the spot. So I've been constantly bookmarking my spot. But easy to forget and the nightmare of finding your last spot begins again. The app also appears to be downloading as apposed to using the already downloaded title. The search facility for books is slower than Overdrive too. Libby freezes for no reason also. I'm giving up and going back to Overdrive which is already a pretty bad app, but it's still better than this ridiculously slow cumbersome Libby app..Version: 1.6.1
✓ Latest UI changes are horribleAs a UI designer and user of Libby, the latest user interface re-design makes Libby almost unusable. The problems are too numerous to mention. The combination of product owner and designer decisions need to be revisited. Some simple usability evaluations like heuristic evaluation and cognitive walkthrough (which are cheap when done by qualified individuals) would reveal the many issues. Also, the developer is lucky Apple did not reject the app because the screen shots do not reflect the actual user interface any more. UPDATE: I see the latest update was 4 months ago. This leads me to believe you are A/B testing user interface changes because the UI changes I mentioned above appeared last week. It's still very bad. A note to other reviewers, you may be seeing an older version of the user interface..Version: 5.0.0
✓ Needs improvementHonestly, this is such a pain to use. The menu categories are unintuitive and unhelpful. In the Shelf the backbutton only works until you get down to opening individual books, where it then sends you off somewhere completely different. Sorting tags by oldest keeps breaking and reverting back to newest and needing to be reset. These two things together make any kind of tag management a nightmare. Audiobooks that have already been downloaded to the device are constantly refusing to open because of internet connectivity issues, which is frustrating enough when commuting but worse at home with a good wifi connection and no practical need for internet connectivity at all. And the Notify Me emails not containing any links and just helpfully suggesting you go find the book yourself is hilariously passive aggressive. I would submit bug reports for some of these but the Libby app doesn't make support particularly convenient to contact either. I wonder why..Version: 6.1.0
✓ Irritating UIMy library just switched from RBDigital to Libby. First off, I was disappointed there was not a way to import my existing subscriptions / lists. Next, the browsing feature is maddening: books and single-issue publications are mixed in with periodicals. Making matters worse, after ~10 screens the entire list automatically “refreshes” for no reason — I was still reviewing results of my original search — and auto-scrolls back to the TOP of the list. Oh joy, now I get to try to remember which items I’ve already tagged as I scroll past them all again. Really annoying and error-prone. Then, when borrowing and beginning to read an item there are LONG delays when trying to flip past the first page. But don’t worry, the app “helpfully” remembers all your attempted page turns while it’s stalled... so when the new pages are FINALLY downloaded it rapidly executes ALL those page flips you thought it was missing...and you’re suddenly on page 13! Really dumb. And then if you happen to power off while zoomed in on a particular page... surprise! you’re on a completely different (random?)page when you power back on. Suffice to say, I see MUCH room for improvement, and much preferred RBDigital. But I must use what my library has chosen. And it does “work” (to a low standard) for reading periodicals from the comfort of my home... so I’m grateful for that. I hope the developers will improve the app. It can be so much better!.Version: 5.0.0
✓ App has gone from amazing to absolutely HORRIBLE due to constant issues with Playback SpeedUsed to adore Libby but to my horror I found that one of the best features - the ability to fine tune playback speed - has become completely broken Every single time I change the speed to the button of x2 it resets to x1. Then in desperation I use the fine tune controls on the right hand side and this also keeps resetting UNTIL I fine tune it to around 1.8 or nearby denomination whereby it finally stops its reset and continues playback at speed. That is, until the book moves onto another chapter, or god forbid you press rewind, whereby the playback instantly reverts back to x1. This is a constant annoyance and also dangerous for me as I primarily listen to audiobooks on my car drives and I really cannot keep stressed about needing to take my hands off the wheel to keep changing playback speeds (or stopping the car every 5 seconds by side of the road to do this). PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS GOOD FIX THIS. And while you are at it, please look to add a “Driving Mode” like the Audible App with big buttons to rewind or bookmark, and an always on screen when driving. Thank you..Version: 5.1.0
✓ Do not like this new format of ordering books from the libraryI do not like this. Not user-friendly, and I can never find new books that I want to reserve.Version: 6.0.0
✓ Not a great alternative to OverdriveHard to navigate. Icons smaller and harder to understand. Whole app is cluttered and uninviting. Thoroughly disappointed that this is replacing Overdrive. I’ve given it 2 months of use, still not a fan..Version: 5.1.0
✓ Clunky reader with good content accessCity of Sydney recently switched reader apps. I thought the old one was bad, this one really is no better. My benchmark is Scribd which I pay for. It’s not perfect but much better than this or the older reader. Why do I need to hit three seperate borrow buttons to borrow a magazine? Why can’t I just subscribe to a magazine anyway, each week I need to search for the Economist, find the latest issue and then click borrow multiple times??? Have the designers of this software ever used a competitor app like Scribd, it seems not. Fortunately Libby does have access to thousands of magazines. Books are limited, but this may be limited to City of Sydney’s subscription status. The rest of the app is just as clunky, hence 2 stars..Version: 5.0.5
✓ Keeps closing on its own, magazine struggle to downloadI have been trying to use this for a month after our library changed to this app. Using the magazine function is erratic. Main problem is the app keeps on closing, on average three times per magazine it just crashes. Ipad restart etc. has no effect on performance. Downloading a magazine just doesn't work half the time, it might start and then the dotted circle doesn't fill out and stays at one place. Good internet and network connections for other apps and devices tested at the same time. To echo other reviewers, to find a magazine the filters are either too vague or too specific and include worldwide publications (which is not always bad, but there is no way to filter by country). To find an audiobook is just as difficult. I miss the old library app, which wasn't amazing, but at least it worked and didn't constantly crash..Version: 5.0.0
✓ Accessible but very confusingThere have been some improvements. The accessibility still works but it is very messy and confusing, not a very good improvement from a blind users point of view. Okay, the last update mentioned accessibility improvements and as I’m a Voiceover user I was curious. There has been a marked difference with accessibility and using VoiceOver with the App. It’s still not perfect, but at least I can search for a book now and listen to it. You’re heading in the right direction and please keep it up. Thank you..Version: 5.0.5
✓ Used to love itThis app was great but it keeps dropping audio books partway through playing you have to pull over in the car or drop what your doing and open the phone and app again. Was asked by support to screen record it?!! How when you lock your phone to go on with what your doing the recording stops?! Also the go to shelf is a PITA trying to quickly get the next book inline the order of what you borrowed is only partial, you have to tap again to go to the actual shelf or loans too much rubbish going on. A recommended reading is fine but don’t shove that at you when you just want to push one button to get to the real what’s on loan. And using overdrive it shoves Libby in your face you push the little x and it comes back every time you open it..Version: 2.0.3
✓ What were they thinking?While I appreciate the recent app update to allow quicker access to the magazines ( rather than the painfully long wait for the magazine to download with app left open), why would anyone think it was a good idea to remove your ability to return the borrowed item. Now when you finish a magazine you have to remember you have read it (or record it somewhere). If you are lucky, the app has remembered the last page read and you will find it opens on the last page instead of the first. Only way to tell. This a very frustrating process. Why couldn't the ability to remove magazines be retained in the update. Why did it have to be removed? App developers, please reconsider and return this basic feature..Version: 6.3.0
✓ Poorer operation for the sake of ease of useI finally was forced over to Libby from Overdrive after 5 years of heavy use. Admittedly, overdrive had issues—it took me (a very tech-savvy mid-20-year-old) a while to understand, and I constantly had to download books for my older parents because the interface was too confusing. Libby has fixed all these functionality issues—it is now much more intuitive to use, and much easier for my parents to understand without any assistance. HOWEVER, while it fixed the confusing aspects, it lost a huge amount of the actual functionality/operation speed. The app feels clunky in its run speeds, regularly glitches out and crashes, and lost so many of the features that let overdrive be adaptable to different uses. It is very slow, has issues with downloading, and won’t let you download books in parts. The optimization is just all off. Now you look at Libby and think “oh woah this is bound to work well,” but then it constantly disappoints with glitches. Overdrive was confusing to navigate but always worked very smoothly in terms of playing the content/downloading. I’ve been using Libby for a couple months now and have just been consistently disappointed with what a downgrade it is in terms of actually playing audiobooks/reading/downloading..Version: 5.1.0
✓ Doesn’t work out of provinceI was out of province and wanted to get a book. No such luck. According to the help directions, I unloaded the card to login again. It persistently booted me out. Apparently, location services do not allow to use the library out of province. I was left without reading during my trip! If I could give 0 stars, I would do it..Version: 5.1.0
✓ Confusing to useWas forced to switch to Libby, because the old OverDrive app no longer supported. However, the old OverDrive app was easier to use. Libby is difficult to navigate and check out and find status of requests. The new fancy low contrast icons are also very unhelpful. Come on guys, do better..Version: 6.0.0
✓ Don’t fix, when it’s not broke.I used to love Libby but the last six months things have changed. This week it’s even worse. My books won’t download. The whole app seems sluggish. As you scroll down your list of books you have to wait for up to 10 seconds for them to appear. The original version of Libby I had was seamless. I never had an issue once. With this version everything seems harder. You can renew a book, then your list will revert back to whatever order it wants and you have to push more buttons to get to the next book to renew. It’s annoying. I don’t know why people try to improve on something that was perfect to begin with, only to make it considerably worse..Version: 5.0.0
✓ Overdrive was so much betterI still can’t figure out the UI on Libby since being forced with this “upgrade” to replace Overdrive. It’s not intuitive and doesn’t seem to be nearly as user friendly as Overdrive..Version: 5.1.0
✓ AwfulAbsolutely horrible app. I’ve tried to use it several times and it flat out sucks. Overdrive is so easy. Why on earth is something that works great and is smooth and seamless being replaced with something that is so clunky and awkward. No Libby for me..Version: 5.1.0
✓ Awful experienceI’ve been using Libby for just over a month - my library has switched to it from a different (a much better) app. I keep getting error messages when trying to return items. Their Support Team takes a week to reply :(. The library browsing system is very unfriendly - you either have to use very basic Preferences filters or curated sections. The filtering is not just too basic, very often it doesn’t work as I get error messages that too few items are on the list when I chose all magazines. Reading experience is not great either - with other app I could zoom in by punching out the phone screen in the relevant place. In Libby, you have to click on a zoom-in icon/button which is not a great experience. Plus the other app had an magazine subscribe feature so mags are checked out automatically. Shame our libraries have chosen this app..Version: 5.0.0
✓ Offline mode doesn’t workI downloaded 4 books before a flight, and even though they were downloaded I wasn’t able to ready anything on the flight..Version: 5.1.0
✓ Still unpolished, mostly OKWhen this app was first released it might have been adequate for reading books on, but for magazines not so much. In the early days it made very hard work of flipping pages, which magazines obviously need to be able to do, and it was a sad day when our library left RBDigital (a very competent app) for this underdone product. Since then the developers have improved its page-flipping to the point where it doesn’t choke any more, but they still have work to do. It would be nice, for example, if the app could remember what page it’s on while my iPad switches itself between portrait and landscape. Also if it could learn to stop nagging me about do I want notifications. Show me how, it says. How about NO?.Version: 5.0.5
✓ Worst user interface of any reading app I have usedIt’s good to be able to access your local library magazines and books electronically but that is about the only good thing about this app. Data download speeds are quite slow compared to downloading the same amount of data for files or music over the same connection using other apps. Trying to navigate the menu system is an exercise in frustration. It is possibly the worst menu system of any app I have used. The central menu option seems to randomly dump me into notifications, saved tags, borrowed books, recommendations etc. Rarely can I just find my downloaded books without clicking through a few menu items- it certainly doesn’t open a list of them when first opening the app, which would seem logical. Compared to Apple Books, Kindle reader, BrowZine and a number of other reading apps I have used, this is just the worst! The tag system is terrible - trying to tag a regularly issued magazine to keep track of new editions seems to always add the magazines under the wrong tag only and/or add only the old edition that you have already read and not automatically show you the newest edition available. Our local library has just added the option of using ‘Borrow Box’ and this is by far a better app. I hope they stop using Libby altogether.Version: 5.1.0
✓ Like over drive betterThis is not as easy to work with..Version: 5.1.0
✓ Poor replacementUnfortunatwly we were forced to upgrade to Libby. I appreciate the ability to borrow books to read or listen to, however this app isnt intuitive in any way and challenging to navigate. Whereas Overdrive was simple and straightforward, Libby is complex and convoluted. I wish there was an alternative..Version: 5.1.0
✓ UPDATE 6/6/20: new UI = argh /// (previous)Not very dependableUpdate June 3, 2020: After finally fixing stability issues from my review below, the app worked fine. I use to listen to audio books mainly. But as of today, June 3, 2020, with their latest update, I’m left perplexed. The new UI is clunky and takes 2-3 taps to do what I could do on screen before. I don’t see any benefits?? It’s not just me getting used to it. It literally takes more steps to do common actions — the exact opposite of what an updated UI should do. Argh. I love the idea of this app but it seems one step forward, two steps back every few months. ===== I use this app during my daily commute and when it works, it works fine. But about 2 out of the 5 days, I get server errors. Whether trying to check out, resume or anything on the app. Extremely frustrating not knowing if I’ll be able to read my book or if I’m locked out. It must happen a lot because on the “report error” page they even have a special message about it. How about fixing it?? I’ve also had problems with audiobooks skipping ahead and making it impossible to scrub back to where it skipped. I updated to the latest version, hoping that helped with all of the above, but it all actually seems to be worse. I can’t open or read any books on my shelf right now, as an example, the third time this week and prompting me to write this review..Version: 4.0.0
✓ Your formattI am vision impaired and can no longer reas regular print. I have my iPad greatly enlarged, with bold print and spaces between the lines. The books I donladd are easy for me to read. However, since the list of books cannot be enlarged, I never know which books am getting until I open it..my complaint- why can the list of books not be able to be to be enlarged also? Icannot even read what I have just written, because this page can also not be enlarged! Getting a book to read can be a frustrating experience. Joan Cameron.Version: 3.0.1
✓ Poor SoftwareOrdinarily it’s a good app but it’s so frustrating that I’ve spent all day trying over and over to verify my card (again, I did this the other month) and it won’t let me because they’ve obviously told every single user to do so and now the servers are overwhelmed. You’re not allowed to renew any of the books and now to not even be able to place a hold or borrow a book that I’ve been waiting months for because of the queue, because they insist on verifying a card yet again and didn’t think it through so the server had been overwhelmed for hours. I’ve been trying over and over and I’m just about out of patience for this app. Not to mention the audiobook I listened to the other day that had none of the chapters programmed in so it was around 600 minutes or so and if you wanted to re-listen to a chapter you had to go fishing through the whole lot..Version: 6.4.1
✓ Needs to work when no internet connectionI want to be able to read or listen without needing to connect to the internet..Version: 5.1.0
✓ I miss RBdigitalI use the app for reading magazines, and moved over from RBdigital as our library has switched to them. First impressions are that Libby hasn’t been designed for magazine reading. It needs the ability to subscribe to a magazine so that when a new issue comes out you 1) get alerted, 2) it appears on your shelf, 3) it downloads in the background. RBdigital did all 3, but I’d be happy with even one of these in Libby. Also Libby doesn’t seem to handle the rendering of pages too well, and so there’s a delay as you swipe between pages. Lastly the app tends to crash frequently when I try to open it, or when opening a magazine. I really hope things improve, as the ability to read magazine as part of library membership has been great through the pandemic, and a benefit with Libby is the larger selection of titles, which is great..Version: 5.0.0
✓ Worse than OverdriveTrying to be so user friendly that it’s the opposite of that - 4 clicks to return a book? Why complicate things? Hate how they ‘gently encourage’ you to get to reading by saying how many people are waiting for the book you are reading at the VERY TOP of the book loan - isn’t reading supposed to be relaxing? The book listing on your personal book page is way too busy - previously it was just the photo of the book cover (like real life right?). Now it is the cover, author, title, where to open, due date, percentage complete, how to renew, etc this is too much. Overdrive was way simpler. Finally, and worst - you need internet to open books sometimes (but not all the time) this is incredibly frustrating when travelling or in the subway when all of a sudden you are locked out of your book. Again, this never happened with Overdrive..Version: 5.1.0
✓ DisappointedI have been very disappointed with this App It often crashes on me and I seldom can use it on airplane mode I much preferred Overdrive App.Version: 6.0.0
✓ Nice App, But Could be ImprovedFinding books, magazines and audiobooks is fairly straightforward, but some of the search options could be improved. For example, as there are magazines from numerous countries, why isn’t there a filter based on country? Also, if you do see an interesting foreign language magazine, a translation facility would be useful (similar to Pressreader). The app has also occasionally crashed, requiring a restart - this usually happens when downloading magazines. It simply freezes. The knack seems to be to wait until it’s fully downloaded (which can be slow). Finally, instead of ‘tags’ for magazines, why not a simple ‘star’ or ‘bookmark’ to enable you to quickly locate your favourite publication? I’d add that the audiobook feature is very good. It’s straightforward to download audiobooks and the app remembers exactly where you reached. The ability to select and jump chapters is very useful..Version: 5.0.0
✓ Better than nothingSo far as I am concerned, Libby is the app chosen by my local library to extend its service of allowing access to periodicals to members on the Internet. It’s not particularly friendly or intuitive and operates a bit slowly (servers not up to it?), but it works just about well enough to be distinctly better than nothing. Libby’s main drawback in this context is that it implements a process designed for library book loans but it’s role is giving access to periodicals. I don’t believe anyone has devoted any mature thought to this discrepancy and that means that even if its UI were much better and its operation were much slicker it could never be better than mediocre here. (Just to be clear, my local library has selected a different app for its Internet book lending function so square Libby is stuck in this round hole.).Version: 5.1.0
✓ GlitchyI like the format better than the original overdrive app however even after downloading a book file onto the app it still uses internet to upload each page which causes glitches. Recently when a page doesn't load it skips either forward or backwards several chapters which leaves me in a scramble to find my place. Not impressed. Once a book is downloaded no online loading should happen. I don't understand the point of downloading it otherwise. Incredibly frustrated..Version: 1.2.0
✓ UnstableWhile I appreciate the access to great books, the application itself is poorly designed and unstable. Issues primarily occur when trying to fast forward / rewind or when the application tries to determine your reading location in audiobooks. Shutting the app down doesn’t fix the never ending spinning wheel nor does force restarting my phone. This has been ongoing across multiple devices ever since I started using Libby three years ago. My primary concern is that the issue is ongoing & no troubleshooting steps seem to work…...Version: 6.4.1
✓ LibbyI liked the original overdrive better. This feels like a downgrade. I can not find a way to log out of the app. It is always open..Version: 5.1.0
✓ Too many extra stepsOverdrive was so much better and easier to navigate. All Libby does is complicate everything and even after doing all the little extra steps it still is not nearly as good as overdrive. For example, why do I need to take an extra step just to see the page numbers. It’s just a nuisance all the way around.Version: 5.1.0
✓ ClunkyCompared to my libraries two previous applications this is proving very annoying. Certainly the range of magazines available is excellent however navigating through one once you have selected it is poor. I read on an iPhone (latest version of iOS) and can not seem to store a current location in a magazine, can’t easily work out how to get to the Text version, nor can I simply swipe left or right to move between pages. Once you find a way to work around the above niggles the only way to move between pages seems to be a left or right pointing hand icon at the top of the screen - so one handed operation proves impossible. Overall five out of ten - could do much better….Version: 5.0.0
✓ Bring back overdrive!Sorry for the one star but having used Libby for a couple of weeks I’m finding the basic lack of ANY ability to view chapters awful. You cannot view or skip chapters - the only option seems to be to begin or end the entire book. It’s easy to press by accident and in a 40+ hour audiobook the only way back is manually scrolling in the hope to find where you were. It’s a key feature to be able to view a list/restart/choose a chapter and it’s simply not possible, or hidden. Please invite one of your dev team to try listening to a long audiobook and experience these basic flaws for themselves. I will happily change my review if this is made possible because it’s otherwise a great app…but I’m 20 hours through a book and reckon I have listened to 5+ hours twice because it’s impossible to navigate like a book in the way you could in overdrive.Version: 5.1.0
✓ Soooo hard to navigate!It’s great that there is an app that I can use to listen to audiobooks for free. However. Firstly, why is it so hard to navigate? What do the icons at the bottom even mean? Shouldn’t the big one in the middle take me to my loans rather than something useless? I find myself tapping about randomly on the icons, just looking for the book I’m in the middle of. Secondly, when I’m looking for books, why do you get to choose what I see? I have a list of titles I’d like to read, why can’t I see the titles you hold alphabetically by author surname and look for the ones I want, like in an actual library? And when I try to filter out eg. children’s books, why do they still appear? This app could be great. I use it every day because my library makes me, but I dread finishing a book because of the challenges in finding another one to read..Version: 5.0.0
✓ App is good but…The app is generally good for reading books but I’d love a few more features: 1. I’d like to be able to rate the books I read, 2. I’d like access to a list of all the books I’ve read and to be able to sort that list, 3. I’d like an image of the cover to somehow be more viewable to help me to memorise the book’s name and author, and 4. The title and author could appear on page footer as I’m reading for the same reason. These features would make it a dream. I’m also often disappointed at the books that aren’t available but not sure if this is Libby fault or the library..Version: 6.4.4
✓ Great resourceI love that Libby gives me access to audiobooks for using in the car when traveling. I also use Borrow Box and I do find Libby much less user-friendly when it comes to trying to do different functions,I often have to try several things before I stumble across the right thing, for example getting the details to show or even just going back to different other screens. The thing I do love about Libby (that Borrow Box doesn’t have) is the bookmark feature..Version: 5.0.0
✓ UnreliableBeen using Overdrive for years from BlackBerry Playbook to iPad. Libby does not download audio books very well. Controls are graphic and confusing. I may have to go back to print once my library drops Overdrive, because Libby doesn’t do the job..Version: 5.1.0
✓ GlitchyFrequently glitches and loses my page when I reopen the app and annoyingly asks to verify my library card on a weekly basis..Version: 5.1.0
✓ Poor performanceOkay firstly it’s a relief not having to use the horrific RB digital app for borrowing magazines from WCC. I’d never thought I’d ever be saying this, but in a few respects Libby is worse... Downloading can require killing the app and restarting many times (e.g. 15 times so far to download 22 magazines, jan 2022). Each time the downloads end up stalled with none of them moving, and eventually all get the sad face. Even downloading a single magazine is an exercise in patience. The app is slow to load and needs to reload every time on a 2018 iPad. Usability wise it's harder to find a magazine (albeit not necessarily slower), it doesn’t stay downloaded, and when you pull out your iPad on holiday out of reception, no reading for you. And takes three taps to finally borrow a magazine... they’re trying to make it hard presumably? At least it’s not horrifically slow and crashy like RB digital..Version: 5.1.0
✓ Weirdly BadIn principle, I am a huge fan of library apps. I tried switching to Libby from Overdrive but I’m going back. The search filter selection is tedious and clunky. If nothing else, search-ability should be the one pro of a library app..Version: 5.1.0
✓ QuarantineI really love this and I have found no problems with it yet. This allows me to go to the library during quarantine without leaving my house. I have just one problem...I wish it would let us download movie too for free. That would give it a thousand stars but also one other thing. I have put a hold on a book April 10th there were only two people ahead of me and you can only have it for a week. It is now May 14th. And I have moved up in line to one so I will get the book next. I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR A MONTH and it keeps saying “wait time 2 weeks” I am getting so mad about it because either there is a glitch or they are allowing this person to just keep renewing it and renewing it and I’m sooooo mad because I really want to read this book and I placed a hold on something that was 26 weeks and that book is down to 4 weeks so I should have the other book by now but I still don’t have it. You really need to change this because it is not okay that some people can just have it for that long because my guess is they barley read it, they want to read it but they read like a page a day where I can get books done IN a day. So please please please get this fixed and stop letting that person renew it so many times. Once is okay but for me to have it on hold for this long when it just keeps saying 2 more weeks is NOT okay..Version: 3.0.7
✓ Good concept but needs a lot of workThe idea of making libraries accessible from home is an excellent one. However the app itself needs a lot of help. It’s not very intuitive, the icons could be more clear what they represent, just about every time you will have to push the buttons repeatedly before they do what they’re supposed to (i.e. the back or home button, hitting it once does nothing. You’ll have to tap at least twice before it takes you back). And when the buttons DO work, they take you too far back. Not back to the page you were just at, but back to a completely different screen. For example, while searching for a book, often when you click “back” it’ll take you all the way back to the beginning of the search, not to what you searched for last. So you have to reset your filters every. Single. Time. Also, while scrolling, the home/search/back buttons do not follow you, as they do in most, dare I say all, apps and websites. So if you scroll through hundreds or thousands of books and now want to go back and look at another genre or something else, guess who has to scroll ALL THE WAY BACK UP?? So obnoxious and inconvenient. It’s just a lot of things that basic apps and sites have that this one just… doesn’t. For some inexplicable reason. Just doing basic updating would really help this app a lot..Version: 5.1.0
✓ Not User FriendlyI’m heartbroken that my library will be using Libby. It’s confusing and even the answers in the help section are contradictory. I’m a bit frantic about whether I’ll even be able to use my library in the future. Terrible app..Version: 5.1.0
✓ Doesn’t work with accessibility > speak screenCould be such a good app but I just borrowed my first book through our library via Libby and it just says “you are in page mode” and reads out random buttons you can’t see if you try to use it with Apple iPhone’s accessibility > spoken content > speak selection (using speech controller). I read kindle books all the time like this and using the hand icon you can usually force it to select the text on any page and it will not only read it aloud but turn the pages too. For some reason this accessibility feature doesn’t work with Libby ebooks. Hoping this is something they add in future, as it made things unusable for me..Version: 6.3.0
✓ Great content, just so many bugs and UX disappointmentsThe content is great. But using the app on an iPad, with our without an attached keyboard, there are so many UX disappointments. If you use the app to read non-fiction and taking notes on the side, switching between your notes app and this app will reveal many little issues that disturb the expected flow. When reading magazines like New Scientist, it can happen that when you switch to your notes app and back to Libby that for some reason you are many, many pages away from where you were before. Using an attached Magic Keyboard, you will use CMD+TAB to switch to your notes app. This opens the menu slider which can’t be closed using the keyboard, you have to touch the screen to get rid of the near full screen menu slider. The Article View of a Magazine article’s font size is not consistent. Sometimes I have to use largest font to get a readable experience, another time this setting produces gigantic letters. I wonder if anyone at Overdrive/Libby uses this app on an iPad on a regular base, testing, using it like a real reader would do..Version: 5.2.1
✓ Not fit for purposeMy local authority digital library used to use RB digital which was superb, now replaced by this trash. This is unbelievably slow, 4 seconds to turn a page! I cannot get to a particular page on the radio times magazine, it is designed by someone who has utter contempt for the users. The preview bar cannot scroll with a swipe instead flits after 4 seconds to a random point. The icons are baffling, it is unintuitive and worst of all there is no back button or any way of just going back as you are always doing a drunken walk trying to get somewhere. The new books preview has books displayed at 45 degrees and alternate in direction just to give you a splitting headache in seconds, no other reason. After 4 days of half hour use and not being able to get to the page I want I finally decided enough was enough and will ditch this app and just give up on the notion of a digital public library. Beyond angry!.Version: 5.0.0
✓ Useless for MacBookIt’s not compatible with my MacBook so I’d have to read books on my phone... super disappointed..Version: 3.0.7
✓ Please go back to previous versionThis is awful. Please go back to the software you were using before this. This is hard to navigate, find anything, view anything. I hate it!!.Version: 5.0.0
✓ Poor alternative for OverdriveSince it’s inception, Libby has had a hard time catching up with Overdrive. I still don’t think it has but it has become a very complicated app in its attempt and I think it will send users back to the street library. Not sure I believe the review results either..Version: 5.2.0
✓ Functional, but Needs IntelligenceThis Libby App is conceptually quite good, and it does what is says on the tin - allows you to download and read/listen to books from you local library. What it really needs, to keep up with modern times and prevent itself from competitors, is more smarts in how borrowers can find material to borrow. If the app suggested relevant material based on my reading history and what others have read it would be a million times easier to find something to read. Having to browse all titles by genre (which is always somewhat subjective) available now, or search for authors individually is inefficient and doesn’t help one to discover new material they’d enjoy. If I have to scroll past one more cowboy romance novel to get to a decent thriller...... The technology is widely available in this day and age, would make a huge difference.Version: 3.0.7
✓ Burns through the tablet batteryThe latest version of the app burns through the tablet battery. The tablet gets very hot. The original version of didn’t have this problem..Version: 6.0.0
✓ Can’t read without internetThe overdrive could download and read offline, but Libby can’t. Even the book was downloaded. Such a disappointing. Went to camping, borrowed the book as I usually did with overdrive, then found the Libby needed internet. Should just keep the Overdrive and discontinue the Libby.Version: 6.1.0
✓ Awful replacement for overdriveUse more than one library? Good luck using this as a replacement with your e-reader. It can (maybe) be done (sometimes/unreliable). Just awful as a replacement for the most important part (checking out and reading books)- even if some of the other UX is much better. Rakuten and Overdrive (now separate - should just broadly be ashamed)..Version: 6.0.0
✓ My hate for this app grows every time I open itI cannot believe that you got rid of an app infinitely better than this (overdrive) and force people to use this utter trash app. I used to read several books a month for years and years on Overdrive, but this interface is so awful that I can barely force myself to use it. The reading experience is awful. The menus are pointless nonsense. You got rid of lists in favour of tags and journeys which are pointless and unwanted garbage that no user wants. I don’t care what anyone recommends. Let me disable all this garbage so I can actually find what I am looking for. The filters are completely useless and I truly hope that every person who worked on the design of this app has been fired and never designs anything for humans again. I am so angry that I am forced to use this TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE app because there is no longer any alternative..Version: 6.3.0
✓ Mostly good appThis app is mostly good. It offers the basic audiobook functionality; narration speed adjustments; sleep timers; skip forward by time; search by chapter. It really lets itself down in two areas, CarPlay and a buggy resume playing control. The CarPlay implementation is awful. Sometimes it won’t show any titles, despite them being on your cards, when it does they might not even be titles on your cards. Then, when you finally get it to show your titles they’ll only play 50% of the time. You have to start another title, wait for that to play and then you can go back to the title you actually want to listen to. If you have a title in the Now Playing section, selecting that will play without issues. None of these issues happen with the phone disconnected from CarPlay. If you stop listening for a bit and press the play button from the home screen or a Bluetooth device, it will indicate playback but not increase the playback timer or actually play. “Pausing” and pressing play again will get it going properly. It does have a great feature, where you can see where you were previously listening, if you rewind or fast forward by mistake within the app. If you close the app or move around from the Now Playing widget on the lock screen, this functionality is missing. It would be great if it could be running all of the time..Version: 6.0.0
✓ Libby is a grade A pain. It is NOT easy to navigate at all.I hate it!.Version: 5.1.0
✓ A bit simplisticLibby is easy to read, fine for browsing but I find searches do not bring back the best results. I am a researcher and was a librarian for more than 3 decades, so I do know how to write searches. I have put in searches which were reasonably specific and should have included items which I know my library holds (I found them other ways), and those titles did not appear in searches which they should have. Libby is too general and I also am not keen on the filters. Instructions for searching and filtering is not particularly clear. I have asked a few questions to customer support and they have told me certain ways (even though not particularly complex) are just not possible. I much preferred Overdrive. I am just grateful I can still find plenty to read on my device..Version: 6.3.0
✓ Infinitely annoyedUntil May '23, I had no problem using Overdrive. Now, with it's unnecessary demise and with a Libby that refuses to install on my iPad2, I'm unable to read library books anymore. Thanks to all those who made this possible!.Version: 5.0.5
✓ Low contrast designWhen are designers going to stop using low contrast design? What about people who are vision impaired? Shouldn’t a library be cognizant of disabilities? Lease make your search field on my phone legible!.Version: 5.1.0
✓ Confusing, no wish list functionalityI hate Libby with a passion. The wish list function on overdrive was simple and incredibly effective and it has completely disappeared on Libby. If I had to pick just one reason to dislike this app, it’s the lack of wish list function. It there are others. I gave up on it and went back to overdrive. Honestly, overdrive is very straightforward and easy to use. I am beyond disappointed and they have done nothing to improve this awful Libby app in the meantime. And now they are cancelling overdrive. Ugh..Version: 5.1.0
✓ Nice to have, but could have some major improvements.1) it’s too easy to accidentally return books. A simple bump of a button, or my kid swiping the wrong way, or my phone being unlocked while carrying, and it returns the book. If there’s a hold you can’t get it back, and if you re-borrow it, it counts as one of your loans. everything else gives you the “are you sure?” Msg, this should too. 2) due dates are off by a day. It will tell you you have 3 days left, but it returns midnight of the third day. Should be more specific on when it is due, like a date and time. 3) recommendations and filters are poor. Historical fiction is 99% war romance. You can’t really search by topic, or gender or author, or date of publication. The genres are extremely broad and vague. 4) young children’s books or recordings count as a whole loan, which is dumb, bc you usually only need it for one night. You also can’t “exchange” a book if it’s terrible, and there are some real stinkers on here. Especially for young kids. Some of these are the equivalent of an ESL person practicing on LibriVox, which is wonderful way to practice, but these are not published books, and not what I want to spend a library loan on. I feel like if you borrow it for less than 24 hours, it shouldn’t count against your loans, as long as you return it early..Version: 5.1.0
✓ Great—until it isn’tI have been a faithful user of OverDrive for years and years, and I transferred that joy and faithfulness to Libby several years ago. After all, how much better can it get than bringing my library’s electronic books and audiobooks to me? All in one place? I love the ease of use and the way it can store several library cards at once. I was hoping they would add a feature to allow for searching across multiple libraries at once, but in the meantime I found good workarounds. I kept all my lists and tags there and had quite a history built up, with records of what I have read and an extensive wish list: loved it! Then a few weeks ago, for no reason, Libby kicked me off and deleted all my library cards (and years and years of tags and reading history records with it). I had to re-add all my library cards from scratch. I reached out to customer support and they said that this is a known problem and the only solutions are to either have the app and all records across multiple devices (so I have to buy a new device just for that?) or to export my tag list. This is a KNOWN problem with no solution. And all my history and records are gone, and I don’t know that they can be rebuilt. Bottom line: I still love the app design and usability and it is as great as ever…until it’s not and you lose everything..Version: 5.1.0
✓ Libby is crapThe old Overdrive app was a hundred times better than Libby. The print size adjustment is terrible, adjusting to the largest print is still too damn small, it’s putting a lot of strain on my eyes. In Overdrive I used be able to search for new books and if the library didn’t have them I could recommend the book and be on the list when they do purchase them, this ridiculous app doesn’t give you that option. I absolutely detest this new app, it’s driving me away from reading anymore I wish they would bring back Overdrive. It’s unbelievable that people would rate Libby so highly. I love too read but when it’s starting to give me headaches I guess I’ll go watch tv..Version: 6.0.0
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