Better Homes and Gardens Reviews

by MacRox0910

I have enjoyed my online subscription for the past three years. However, after my subscription renewed this May, I lost access to all previously downloaded magazines and was unable to open or download current magazines. Restore purchases says it works, but no restoration. When I called the magazine, they said subscriptions and subscription problems must be resolved by the Apple Store. However, I cannot find an avenue, site or contact for support services for this subscription.

Conclusion: BetterHomesandGardens does not work. There is no support. Better to subscribe directly from publisher.

by Jcblink

I really loved BetterHomesandGardens when I first downloaded it. I live overseas and don't have a print subscription so I went for the digital subscription as soon as it became available. About 3 months into my subscription, my husband bought me an iPad 2 for my birthday so I decided to transfer all my magazine apps to the new iPad.

Apparently, Better Homes and Garden doesn't restore previously bought issues or subscriptions because it wouldn't let me download any of the issues I own and should have access to. I now have a subscription which I have already paid for another 9 months but no access to them at all. If I want to read the current issue I would have to pay for them again, which I refuse to do.

I tried contacting customer service to ask for help but I never heard back from them. Deleting and reinstalling doesn't do anything either. Sadly, I have to give BetterHomesandGardens 1-star because of this problem. All my other magazines have made smooth transitions to the new iPad and I still have access to my subscriptions and previous issues. How is it that this magazine can't do the same? Please fix this!!!

by Mmcc5

I’ve tried to send communication through BetterHomesandGardens , but it doesn’t go through. I’m not able to download any magazines for months. I have an iTunes subscription and signed in with email address. Tried deleting and reinstalling BetterHomesandGardens several times. My software is up to date on a newer iPad.

by Mz.friday

My app has been buffing for over a month now ,has BetterHomesandGardens been discontinued,I miss my app and I have paid for it and would like to now what to do from here. I was wonder if there is any other alternative for this issue.
Thank you

by Chopstyxs

I submitted a one year subscription with a one month free trial. Could not download the current month’s issue. Instead BetterHomesandGardens asked me to buy the current month’s issue rather than viewing it for free during the trial period.

by ShellyOtt

I upgraded my phone and I went to restore purchase and it says restoring purchases but it doesn’t.. 3 issues have come out that I paid for!

by Daniellecdmnt

I struggle to download magazines every time i open BetterHomesandGardens . Spinning wheel and i never get anything. Love the magazine, just wish BetterHomesandGardens worked.

by Lailaty

I’m not able to download it says purchase notfound

by LegalQltr

I have been unable to download June or July issues No response to support requests

by York1722

Receiving error messages when downloading any editions.

by Marr D

Wont open the magazine 🤨

by CandiAnne S

Stick to reading the actual magazine, BetterHomesandGardens leaves a lot to be desired. You can't save articles within BetterHomesandGardens or to another app (Evernote, OneNote, notepad, etc). Not all articles are favorite-able and if you do favorite an article you have to keep that issue, if you delete the issue you lose that fav. So if you're a forever reader kiss your space goodbye. Unable to save recipes. If you select share/print it errors out. Their answer is to go to the website to get the recipe. If I need to use the website then what's the purpose of BetterHomesandGardens . Every other reading app I have used allows me to highlight and my highlights are noted so I can get to them and use them how I wish, has allowed me to copy /paste, paste to Pinterest, etc. There's always an option to save just this piece and get rid of the rest. Not with this. Thankfully I still enjoy my print issues. Uninstalling.

by Vename2

App is always crashing

by ArlyAnn

Have followed all directions both through App Store and through BH&G app. Reinstalled, Restored Purchases etc but still cannot download latest issue (March 2022). Renewed 6 month subscription in January. What is a subscriber supposed to do?

When it worked, it worked well. Enjoyed reading the mags through BetterHomesandGardens . Now? I can’t even GET the new issues I paid for!

by ItsNic!

I had the same problem as others- I'm a subscriber and couldn't access my digital subscription in the library no matter how many times I signed in and out. While customer service got back to me quickly, their advice was less than helpful.

After updating to the newest OS, I was finally able to get my digital issues!!! Fantastic details- love that you can book mark pages and the color is brilliant- you can even see what different paint colors look like in a room! So much better than the printed issues.

I only wish they offered a portrait view like Vanity Fair & Elle- It just seems to be the natural way to read a magazine...Great magazine, even better digitally:)

by Nightowl11111

Finally! Thank you BHG. I had trouble getting it to load also but finally figured it out. I ignored the subscription questions and looked to the right at the sign in. It would not let me use the already a customer so I signed in as a new customer to digital subscription. You have the option of using your name and address if you dont have your account number. It didn't look like it did anything but then I noticed at the top it said sign out so I touched the library button at bottom and it finally showed several grayed out magazine covers and I touched one and it started to download it. It took a very long time to download ( that might have been my wifi but I dont think so) and if I got out of BetterHomesandGardens for about five or so minutes a screen would pop up saying it was canceling download. Just hit continue and it will take you back in BetterHomesandGardens and continue. You can get back out again. I hope this helps the people who couldn't get it to work. Good luck!

by Big Fat Honu

Had issue with PayPal but developers responded right away, good customer support.

by Kelly658

I purchased the year subscription and got the November issue. Everything worked like it should except for one little glitch where text would not scroll down after listening to an audio clip, but flipping back to the previous page and flipping forward again fixed it. I really enjoyed that the digital version is very interactive through audio clips, step by step video of recipes, paint color ideas, links to products, etc. I have purchased other magazines that were just a digital version of the print copy....such a rip-off. This one is so much more.

by Kris Slay

HERE IS HOW TO GET THE DIGITAL ISSUES

1) Delete the Better Homes and Gardens app
This will temporarily delete the issues you may have already purchased but they will come back after you finish all the steps

2) Shut down your iPad
Just holding down the top off button for a few seconds will suffice

3) Turn iPad back on and redownload the Better Homes and Gardens app

4) Open BetterHomesandGardens and go to the store

5) Double check that you are signed out first before the next steps

6) Click on the red button under current print subscribers

7) Don't type in your email here but but go above that to the underlined "tap here"

8) Fill in the first section of needed information (not the second) and click subscribe

9) After the screen comes up, click the red button

10) Now fill in your info and click the button to continue

11) Be patient!!! Don't immediately try to go to your library!
(I made this mistake and had to start at step 1 again)

12) I'm not exactly sure what came up here but you should be able to figure it out by reading

13) Now go to your library and download any issue you want!

Hope this helped! It may seem like a lot of steps but I can promise you it is worth it! Happy Home and Gardening!

by Holycowbatman

This was the first magazine (e-zine?) that I downloaded and that was dumb because every other magazine has been such a let down. Better Homes is by far the most interactive, well thought out app of it's kind that I have seen yet. BetterHomesandGardens really utilizes all the awsomeness that comes from having a tablet. The only two quirks I have found that drove me crazy was;

1: When I opened my September Issue for the first time it opened to a black page. I did not know this and thought BetterHomesandGardens froze or crashed and re-installed it 3 times before I figured out what was going on. Also you have to tap the very BOTTOM of the screen to get the tool bar to pop up, not just anywhere like other apps.

2: I'm still having problems signing in, and I subscribed through BetterHomesandGardens . I am guessing because this is a huge known issue that an update is coming soon.

Overall I love it, and would love to see maybe a scrapbook tab similar to Pinterest where you can clip and save your favorite articles from different issues in one place. I also would LOVE a recipe box so I can save and flip through all the yummy recipes, or look for something specific. Also I saw the advertisement for BHG's Celebrate app and went ahead and got it. Best 99 cents I've spent since Angry birds:) I'm excited to see what else BHG will think of. I am hoping that some of the other developers are paying attention and will use this as a "standard" or "basic" model.

by Thechrustyone

I have a subscription to the print version of BH&G and was excited to find out I could get the digital edition free on my iPad. I downloaded the BH&G app and then tried to register, but I was just left hanging with a "Please wait while your registration is being completed" message. I finally followed another reviewers suggestion and put in my email & clicked the "Forgot my Password" link. Another password was emailed to me and it worked, but I finally gained access to BetterHomesandGardens only to find out there are no BH&G editions to look at. The Newsstand app shows the November 2011 BH&G on the shelf, but when I click on it and go to the library….. nothing is there!!!! I have tried signing out and back in again, but still no digital editions to look at. One reviewer said it took 2 days to get BetterHomesandGardens working - to me that is an app that has way too many bugs to be worth my time.

by Puffberry

If I could give this a ZERO rating I would have in an instance. Since the purchase of the magazine on my iPad I've spent more time trying to fix all the bug issues, unable to install issues, missing pages issues, freezing issues, and the list goes on.

The customer service is the WORST. Nothing gets on your nerve like when the customer service does not offer any intelligent help but canned email answer as stupid as 'please connect to a strong wifi connection'. How is it possible that out of the 65 apps on my iPad that require periodic updates Better Homes and Gardens is the only one with a truckload of problems?

And today, after two and a half weeks of sporadic emails, Better Homes and Gardens emailed that I should contact iTunes for support! I'm deleting this useless, crappy app, and never ever will buy another paper copy of the magazine.

by Jst4tj

Update: I was finally able to sign in and restore all purchases. I'm still rating this "upgrade" as a 1 because you have to download each copy individually which wouldn't be bad if it could be done in the background since it downloads at a snail's pace. BHG- don't do us any more favors with upgrades until you get your act together.
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I loved having my copies of BHG on my iPad, but I too wish I had read the reviews before upgrading BetterHomesandGardens. I'm a print subscriber and all of my downloaded issues are now gone and I've tossed my hard copies. I can't even sign in because my password, which hasn't changed, isn't recognized. Adding insult to injury is being told to subscribe or buy when my current subscription doesn't expire until 2013. I thought BHG had resolved this issue after the initial launch. BHG should be ashamed of doing this to their subscribers twice.

by Molly's Home

I’ve had digital subscription for years. For the past several months I’m unable to read offline. Help!

by Djafkldjalfkjdaklfjldkajfldas

Not a huge fan of the navigation bar that stays up on the side of each page (except ad pages, of course). I have an ipad mini so every little bit of the screen is valuable real estate. There's already a navigation scroll bar when you tap on a page, anyway, so it's redundant.

If you must have the shortcuts to certain sections, why not add it down where the scroll bar is so it's all hidden? That would be much more desirable. It seems like a small thing, but bugs me so much.

Other than that, I love the magazine. I'm a physical subscriber so I have access to the digital ones as well, which is absolutely lovely. I like the interactive mess of certain pages too. There's just enough without it being overdone.

by 4waybean

Bh&G used to have a better app. BetterHomesandGardens does not immediately open the magazine to where you left off - you have to click through a few screens to get to where you were. And when paging through the magazine, you often get a blank page and a spinning wheel - even when the magazine has been fully downloaded. The wheel doesn’t go away until you swipe back a few pages. You may get the blank page when you swipe forward again. May need to try a few times.... Good content, BetterHomesandGardens is just meh.

by Lolasu1

I'm old fashioned and prefer the print version, but it’s nice to just carry the iPad on vacation. Also, the pictures are more saturated with color, and some of the instant connections with other sites are nice. I enjoy the different ways that I can see the content. I've had a few small problems with not being recognized that I'm up to date on my subscription, but I haven't needed to call customer service or tech support. I do wish landscape view was supported. I also wish this was included as part of my print subscription, as another magazine does. Overall, I'm satisfied with it.

by Cuts4luck

I love everything about this magazine! It is the cornerstone of the American Way! I am obsessed with Interior Design & I was also able to design pools with conscious materials last month with 1 2 page spread.
I plan to give subscriptions away as stocking stuffers this year because I am big on buying American these days & I think this magazine boosts the way of the family with wholesome products! Can’t wait for next month’s issue.
Bravo!

by Ingridg2

I would like to update my review. BH&G has now allowed for print subcribers to download digital for free. Thank you so much for listening to us. I had no problems logging on and downloading the latest issue and am very impressed with the digital edition. Thanks BH&G

As a current subscriber I was very, VERY, disappointed that the digital edition had to be purchased separately - and for a higher price than the printed edition. I contacted BH&G and they responded that they would each have to be purchased individually and that the printed subscription could not be transferred to the iPad edition. Shame on BH&G! Even People will let you view the digital edition if you already subscribe.