The San Diego Union-Tribune

As the title implies. Offline reading only works if you download the digital paper while being online and then never close the app. If you close the app, or the OS closes it because of memory or processor usage, it’s not possible to access the offline paper because the “Sections” tab options don’t load unless the app is online. I’m writing this as a review because I tried to submit this as a bug, but the contact/support button in the app directs me to a page asking me to subscribe, which I obviously already do, and provides no contact info, at least not within the app. Also, the bug where saving the paper offline on some days makes it crash the app until you delete the offline copy is still present, I reported that months ago. I only get to actually have an offline copy maybe 4-5 days per week. Alden has been degrading the functionality of this app ever since they bought the UT. The fresh coat of paint is not hiding the fact that the UI has become increasingly less flexible and less intuitive over time, and there are numerous crashes, freezes, and blank screen bugs that seem to increase in frequency with every update. I’m going to keep trying to support our valuable local journalists with a subscription, but it’s getting harder to justify with the increased difficulty of even being able to consistently access the digital version of the paper that I’m paying for.

For months I’ve enjoyed accessing the ePage Cover of the SDUT on my lower priced online access account , until a week ago when that access was blocked unless I pay for a full subscription. I don’t read the SDUT often enough to merit paying for a full subscription. Any more cheapening of the experience will have me biding farewell to the Union Trib.

Oh. And the latest authentication on the Apple store app will NOT EVEN ALLOW YOU to login. Complete waste of time. Broken app. Useless “news”, unless you like to hear gossip about Padres baseball team. Dont waste your money on this app. So, another working app forces me to update, for no apparent reason. And the app is no longer working or available. The app uses a separate useless third party app to “authenticate” my account. But it flat does not work. Absolutely worthless. No, i dont need to be contacted by anybody. It is YOU, app owner, that needs a working app. You dont need to fix it. You should just give up, and stop what you are doing. As soon as you read this. I would ban you from the Apple app store, but non-functioning app paid for with real money is not against TOS. At this time. Another Apple loophole that should be changed. The website via a browser still lets me login. Showing me they have completely brain dead tech people working at their company. Which is no different than their “news” team, who repost social media releases from corporations and government as unchecked facts. Really. We can blame google for ruining news. But the biggest blame is on the news industry itself. Which still cannot use modern technology, and no longer reports news. There is no replacement. News is just propaganda at this point. Maybe it will be reinvented some time in the future when it is desired again. Good luck making life decisions based on social media and its so called “influencers”.