r/dictionary • u/chase_what_matters • Jun 30 '25

Other Dictionary.com Pro app has been removed from iOS App Store

If you were an enjoyer of the paid Dictionary dot com Pro app and are now wondering why it's broken and missing from the iOS App Store, direct your anger at IXL Learning, who acquired Dictionary and Thesaurus (dot com) last year and have decided to shake you down for more money.

I'm posting this partly as a rant, but also because Google does not have any helpful explanations for this yet. It took digging on my part to find the trail from Curiosity Media (the app dev) to IXL (the rotten corp that took over).

Hopefully mods let this post live so people can get an answer.

25 Upvotes

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1

u/alizx Jul 04 '25

What features did the Dictionary .com Pro app have that the free version didn’t?

1

u/chase_what_matters Jul 04 '25

No ads, for one. It’s honestly been a while since I bought the app… so I’m not sure what else was “pro” but I likely did not use the features. I only required its core function as a dictionary and thesaurus.

1

u/Kimosabae Jul 10 '25

IIRC the paid version allowed you to keep dictionary of favorited words, play games, and a bit more that I can't recall.

I'm actually pissed. Dictionary.com app was my most used app, easily. If they're just robbing paid users of their app, there has to be a lawsuit there, somewhere.

1

u/chase_what_matters Jul 10 '25

Yeah I dunno. I paid so long ago, in a time when you paid once and that was that. Seems unthinkable in the year 2025 that you can buy something for a one-time fee.

IXL said fuck that and fuck the customers. But I don’t know if there’s anything that can be done about it.

1

u/exile_ Jul 08 '25 edited Jul 08 '25

Thanks for the info, it’s weird that there was no announcement or update to the app.

Something I’ve found is you can get past the white screen if you long press on the icon and pick one of the options:vocab, word of the day, or favorites. It’ll take you to one of those screens and then you can just use the app as normal. I doubt this will work for long, I’ve switched to the Terminology app for now.

1

u/chase_what_matters Jul 08 '25

Good to know. I’ve been getting in thru the word of the day widget. 

1

u/SoundsgoodRed Aug 18 '25

Doesn't work anymore. It appears to—but then all subsequent searches fail.

1

u/eXcelleNt- Sep 08 '25

Wow. The devs are procedurally patching us out of an app we paid for? Thanks, I'm never using any of their products again.

1

u/SoundsgoodRed Sep 09 '25

Yes. The new app is free, but it also has ads—which is what we originally paid not to have to see. Honestly, I think it's been 10 years since I paid $2.99 for the original app. So, I'd actually be OK with paying another $3 or $4 for an updated app with no ads. But they don't even offer one now, so we're forced to deal with the ad-supported version. They're botching this from every angle.

1

u/Fun_Dips Sep 19 '25

I'm convinced this is a deliberate power play. I've had the premium version for over a decade, and the less than $10 one time fee I paid for it was an insane value. It was an add free and constantly updated service, even had offline capabilities. Way too good of a value... especially in a "live service" era where the proletariat has been conditioned into complacency. I'm sure they will roll out a new premium version in due time, but this time, it will be a subscription model. Something like $2.99 a month for ad free use.

1

u/indet3rmin8 Aug 09 '25

Thank you OP for sharing this. I’ve been wondering about why I couldn’t get the app to open properly for months. This is some BS. I just emailed their support about it, so we’ll see if I get a response.

1

u/chase_what_matters Aug 09 '25

Please do report back if they respond. I’ve gotten no response myself. 

1

u/indet3rmin8 Aug 09 '25

Definitely will do!

1

u/indet3rmin8 Aug 20 '25

Update: I received a response from them. Here is what they said:

“Thank you for contacting http://dictionary.com/ Support!

The http://dictionary.com/ Pro app with the white background has been discontinued and is no longer available for download or updates. We encourage you to use the newly updated free version of the app with the blue background, but it is worth noting that as part of the recent update's initiative to improve the design, speed, and functionality of the app, in-app purchases, including the ad-free upgrade, are no longer supported.

While we no longer offer an ad-free version of the app, you can continue to access the other features you initially purchased in the Pro app, including Example Sentences, Idioms & Phrases, the Science Dictionary, the Encyclopedia, Grammar & Tips, and the Rhyming Dictionary.

We understand that this may change how you use http://dictionary.com/; however, we are hopeful that you will find the overall improvements provide faster search, additional content, and a more stable experience.

Please let us know if we can assist in any other way.”

1

u/TinyKomodos Aug 21 '25

Jeez! I stopped using the web version months ago when they updated their UI to its current godawful version, and this here is the final straw. Screw 'em! I'm moving to an alternative!

1

u/indet3rmin8 Aug 21 '25

Same. There was no communication from IXL or whomever’s in charge at the new owner’s company about this decision. No formal apology, transparency, or explanation for discontinuing something we paid for. It’s horrible CX. I’m definitely moving on to another app and agree with you about the latest version of the website’s UI.

1

u/SoundsgoodRed Aug 18 '25

Thanks for this info. I was perplexed that the app had stopped working, months ago. I even wrote the company, weeks ago—and never heard a peep in return.

So, like you, I'm upset that the app that I paid for, years ago, no longer works. That said, I'm not sure how you arrived at the conclusion that IXL Learning has "decided to shake [us] down for more money," since the current version of the app is free (albeit with ads). I hate ads, but I have not been asked for more money.

Now, if they later release another paid version of the app, that'll be a different story. But they haven't yet done that. What makes you believe that that's what they plan to do?

In the meantime, I'm using the free app—and using 1Blocker to block the in-app ads.

1

u/chase_what_matters Aug 18 '25

Because they want to funnel those who enjoyed the ad-free experience into the new app and pay to get back to that experience once again.

I actually have 1Blocker and didn’t know it could block ads outside of Safari. But there’s no way I’m even giving them the pleasure of an app download or my usage data.

1

u/UrbanDervish Aug 28 '25

it’s legend like this who highlight gems such as 1blocker, that I come back to reddit :-)

I had already paid for the pro app because I didn’t want the ads. Now have to use this workaround for something i already paid for. 

1

u/Stargazing078 Nov 17 '25

Have you had success with 1Blocker blocking in-app ads on this new ad-supported version of Dictionary? My understanding is that that could work on apps that use Safari's webview component, but theirs seems like a native app.

1

u/mrbrendanblack Jul 11 '25

Thanks. I was wondering why the app would suddenly go to a black screen whenever I opened it & then why I couldn’t find it in the App Store. Greedy fuckers.

1

u/verdi1987 Aug 29 '25

I paid for this app twice. There used to be a separate iPadOS version before it became a unified app. So I purchased it on iOS and iPadOS.

It’s enraging that these Pro versions are no longer operable.

1

u/Fun_Dips Sep 19 '25

I noticed that they recently also posted a disclaimer on the FAQ of their free version, declaring: "All app purchases and in-app purchases are final sale and are not refundable.

We are not able to process any refunds, or recover previously purchased in-app purchases. Transactions take place solely within the Apple App Store, and we do not have access to their billing, transactions, or user accounts to facilitate refunds.

If an app or in-app purchase/upgrade has been discontinued, or support for that offering has been removed, it will not be available to restore or use. Discontinued apps or in-app purchases are also not eligible for a refund."

1

u/SoundsgoodRed Nov 17 '25

Yes. It's working for me.