The Times App - Classic version

iggy12a1

I have been a subscriber to the Times for many years.  I read it on my Fire Tablet, and despite the occasional crash, it was relatively stable.  Around August/September 23, I started getting messages that the existing app was no longer being supported, and I should download the new "Classic" app.  I eventually got around to it, and it immediately became apparent that the new app was far more unstable.  Despite downloading that day's edition, if the app crashed, it would be necessary to go back online, and re-download that day's edition.  Being on holiday in Thailand and Vietnam, this was particularly irritating since if I was on the beach, I couldn't get back into the app until I returned to the hotel to access wi-fi.

I emailed the Times, and received a generic reply, saying that my feedback would be passed on and incorporated into future releases.

Fast forward to my next holiday in Egypt in February 24, when it is still the same problem.  I decided to post a 1* review in the Google play store with my feedback.  I should add that there are many 1* reviews, all reporting very similar problems.  The Times post a reply to my review (as they do to every review), asking me to "reach out" via email or chat so that they can resolve this.

I emailed again, explaining the problems.  I received another very generic reply, thanking me for getting in touch, and saying they will pass on my feedback to the relevant team...

I emailed back, saying that this was not acceptable, and asking when the development team would actually release a version of the app that actually worked.

I was absolutely gobsmacked to then receive an email stating that although the Times had in the past collaborated with the Amazon Fire tablet, the relationship had now ended; my Fire Tablet was not supported, and I should buy a new tablet!

So basically, they lied to me twice in saying that my feedback would be passed on to the development team.  Plus there is no mention in the Play store that the app is not supported on a Fire tablet.

cerebus

Unfortunately you got the same old bog standard response there designed to shut you up and to stop calling them by promising absolutely nothing!

Neil_Jones

Google Play Store is not the same as Amazon "Play" Store.  They are two entirely different things.

The Fire TV range runs a version of Android, but its a heavily butchered one, and anything off the Google Play store isn't guaranteed to work if its been sideloaded,or requires parts of Android that isn't on the Fire range.

MrUnreasonable

I've been having these problems for a long time on my Samsung Galaxy phone.