HotSchedules
reviews and complaints

Come on people, this comments sound like you tube video comments. Maybe go get yourself a copy of "Who Moved My Cheese" and read it. I do enjoy this newer app. It's similarity to Facebook, you tube, and other apps should make it easier for people to adjust in the future. It definitely has some better functions like being able to text message someone directly from the app so they can cover your shift. Just wanted to report a bug when someone requests a swap the "working this shift tab" gets glitchy and doesn't show everyone. Speaking about everyone I'd like to see the full roster(managers, hosts, takeout, servers..) on that tab. And I guess I agree about seeing a whole week at a glance. I have iPhone 5 so I'm able to see 3 1/2 shifts on the screen and I can see why it would bother people that have smaller iPhones. If you do adjust this then 1 week view on iPhone 5 screen size should be good, no need to make it so small.

I’ve had this app for about 2 years and I can say that it functions as if it is still in Alpha. Loading the app takes forever (4-5 minutes on average. I tested) when most apps (literally all of them except for this one, apps that are no longer active, and beta stage apps) load in less that 6 seconds (also tested). Thats just to load the app. Then it doesn’t offer any personalization. For instance, company messages. Company messages being forced to load add more time to load times. They should be optional or give each individual user the option(something a well organized orginazation app should have anyway). Anywho with the technology and resources you have, you should actually consider updating the app every once in a while. BTW. Actual rating is a -6/5 literally because of all the reviews I’ve written in the past 2 years for this app, you have heard none of them. You have listened to no and you only get 1 star because I had to just to write another review.

Okay wish I would have read the reveiws before downloading. I have been downloading apps in this store for close to 5 years and never have written a reveiw but this one upset me. I agree with the people on here def NOT worth $2.99 its $0.99 at the most if the companies we work for won't pay for it. I deliver pizza part time as a second job with Papa Johns and thats who uses this. Its cool getting the push messages when the schedule is done and seeing who works with you but I think the 2 most important things would be 1. Asking for time off and 2. Letting the company know what days you can work... This app only has request off funtions. There is no way to send in a request for what days you can work with is how Papa Johns works because the schedule is only made one week at a time. Unless I'm doing something wrong someone please tell me. The safari browser on my phone through the website works just fine wish I could get my $2.99 back.. I hope this helps people.

I’ve used HotSchedules for years now, and it is always such a hit or miss if it works or not. My workplace schedules over 200+ employees, and when they cannot access their schedules or we cannot pull a roster for the day, this puts a detrimental strain on the business. This happens weekly. They do absolutely nothing about the constant issues with errors opening the app (mobile or web, phone or computer, it doesn’t discriminate). It is a shame this is the only scheduling platform around these days that “makes sense” and has the “functionality” we crave, but only count on it working half the time. It has been like this for years, but it’s been increasingly worse this past year. The system seems like it cannot handle the bandwidth of clients but HotSchedules doesn’t care as long as they get money from your company and it’s employees (to download the app). My company will be moving to our own scheduling system soon, at this point paper and pen would be more reliable.

Easy to use app, makes life so much easier to have your schedule and manipulate it easily. Three suggestions (requests to the developers actually):

1) allow people to create an auto pick-up from the "my schedule" page. It would be a LOT easier to create these when you can see the holes in your schedule (maybe even on the schedule page put "auto pick up set" for the shifts you're hoping to get?)
2) allow notifications for when a shift gets released that you're not already scheduled for.
3) when you're on the "my schedule" page and click on a specific shift, it shows you who is working that shift and who isn't (brilliant) BUT, from there, allow the option to send a message to ONLY the people working that shift (like - hey anyone want tonight off?) AND be able to send a message to ONLY the people not working that shift (ie. hey can someone work for me tonight) instead of having to go to the messages center, select individual people or blast everyone on the whole team.

Thank you!

this app is utter garbage. if i could give it zero stars, i would. i’ve used this app for a year now & each update has always made the app slightly less usable. however, this most recent update has made it so i cannot use the app at all. after the update, i opened the app to find it didnt show any of my shifts on the calender view, everything was just blank. when i tapped each day, it would say “no information available.” i thought logging out & logging back in would be helpful but it only made it worse. now whenever i try to log in, the app says “internal system error” & refuses to log me in. then when i quit the app & reopen it again, it seems i’ve been logged in except it only shows me the settings page & nothing else. now i cannot even see the days of the week at all. i don’t understand how this app has such high ratings. the company behind this app needs to make major improvements immediately. using this app has always been frustrating but after this horrible update i sincerely regret ever paying for it at all.

token and password issues EVERY update. plus the location is always messed up (you should make it with option to set location) so we can set a location for calendar sync. {and speaking of sync every time app is foreground it resyncs pushing calendar entries}

Edit{} well now I'm not getting my calendar spammed but my password again occasionally doesn't verify at all through app unless i re download it fresh. This isnt a typing issue I'm using a saved password entry. This compounded an issue where this past Saturday a scheduled shift did not sync to my calendar at all. The email notification had it and online website had it but the calendar sync omitted Saturday but not Friday not Sunday. Look I paid for this app like everyone else but it LACKS the Website’s BASIC pickup shift features, but its ability to sync was its saving grace but you guys have now made it to where i cannot trust that it has synced. Further to complicate things was i was unable to login to the app to even verify the error. How the heck does one data point get omitted.

Updating review - Nov. 1, 2016
App doesn't even let me log in... says there's some kind of failure on the servers and. You're winning with this update (not!).
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Updated review, down a star... September 3

I've never had an app that's supposed to be used on the daily kick me off and give me error messages as much as this one. It's still incredibly frustrating to try to upon the app, in general, and get a "user error" message like your account doesn't exist.

Idk if there's ever been an update where it hasn't had an issue.

This one might be the worst with the constant error messages.

--------------first review below:

I use this app for all things related to my job - shifts, messages, people's #s etc... I've never had the following problem until the new update:

Every time I go to read a new inbox message, the message is blank once opened. I'll restart the app, go to the message several times, and if I'm lucky it will finally show the body/content of the message.

Please fix this bc I'm missing out on important updates.

Thanks.

This app is probably the worst, the more and more you update this app it slows down even more. As a manager in the food industry the most important things are
TIME
SPEED
ACCURACY
RELIABILITY
AND
CONSISTENCY!

Hotschedules is great as long as your on a computer. Maybe if this wasn’t a paid app there would be more understanding as to why this app is slower then that 80 year old server that everyone is to afraid to term because they know this job is all she has.

The amount of frustration that this app provides far out-ways its uses.

Granted there is a lot that goes into this one application and it requires large amount of activity with servers. But guys common. If you need to break up logbook into its own app again just to speed it up then please please please do it.

The new frustration is “not connected to internet” meanwhile this is the only app on my iOS XsMax that says no internet connection EVER!

Due to how much these companies utilize your platform. You are basically holding managers and employees hostage with little to no options

Please fix!

I’ve used this app for 3 different jobs over the last 6 years, and I love it. It’s great for seeing who’s working the shift, I like that it can sync to my calendar, the message function, it’s all great. But I have no idea why it’s been so buggy as of late.
I’ll launch the app on WiFi and it will just outright refuse to load. I’ll have to relaunch the app several times to get it to load the home screen. God forbid I try to open the messages tab as well, as I’ll run into the same issue. The loading is terrible this last year or so, and no update has seemed to fix it. I have an iPhone 12 with the latest update, no other app gives me the same terrible loading experience this one does.
Also, I said I love the calendar sync - but that’s also a bit of a mess too. Sometimes HotSchedules likes to put the same event into my calendar multiple times, so even though I only work once today, I have 5 different appointments on my calendar. Not great, especially when the notifications start popping in.
I used to love this app, and I still could. They just really need to fix the bugs and loading times.

I’ve had the HotSchedules app for just about 8 years now. I paid for it long ago, and for 5 years it was definitely worth the money. I used to tell everyone I know, “just spend the money, I promis you won’t regret”.

For my sixth year, I actually left HotSchedules because my new job didn’t require it. But I’ve had it again for another year and I’m sadden to see how downhill this app has gone. I’m not sure if the pandemic has affected the developers, or what. But the app constantly glitches and doesn’t load.

This is actually my second attempt at leaving a review. Apparently months ago I was going to leave them a review, the following is the review that I apparently started and abandoned. This should tell you something.

“Seriously every week?! So unnecessary. Also your last update on the 8th LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE to operate the app. It loads for LITERALLY five minutes each freaking page. I can’t send messages. I don’t understand why you update every week to “fix bugs” but I never have a problem until you update it!

Knock it off. This app is for work. No one cares to update their app every week. I just want to see when I work. “

HotSchedules is a great app for scheduling work shifts on the go with just a couple of taps of your fingers! It's fairly simple and intuitive, and gives you greater freedom with scheduling than having to physically schedule shifts at the work site. HotSchedules is just incredible and brings to you pretty much everything you could need to manage your work scheduling and inter-employee communication and networking. Aside from all of this, the all is just very, very well designed and stylized.

There are some core things that may be added to the app that could make it loads more productive. Such as: notification bubbles like for emails or texts to let you know when you have an unread message. Or functions similar to GroupMe for group messaging your coworkers in a more group-text manner rather than individually responding to mass messages.

This is why I gave it a 4 star rating. I have been using it for close to a month now and it works wonders for what they have already implemented, but could use slight tweaking to little things. I can't give enough thanks though for someone having come up with this App and done such a well job at creating and managing it!

I will admit I was originally disappointed and turned off by HotSchedules because this platform is predominately used for scheduling within the service industry and therefore hourly wages employees. The company is paying a licensing fee to use the platform and I, the hourly wage employee, still have to pay to download the app?! It feels icky. Of course you’re going to charge the lowest tiered group to use your services because they have to use your services when you should just price your platform costs appropriately.

My disappointment was compounded because getting logged into the app is a NIGHTMARE. Horrible experience. I reset my password yesterday and still can’t get into the app and am resorting to my desktop. I’ve tried multiple times. If I’m paying to have this app, I’d expect it to be the best app on my phone and its just not. Also, this is the only app on my phone I’ve paid to download.

Once you can get logged in, the app is convenient and handy. Easy to navigate and the layout makes sense. Not tons of lag or anything either.

Please fix your login issues and let your finance/accounts team know you’re pricing structure isn’t a good look.

it’s so confusing to put in a new availability: what happened to lunch/dinner shifts? Now I have to include time specific on-times? What if I can work lunch starting after 11:00a, and dinner by needing to be on by 5:00p? How do I input that? 11-5 as my availability? no, because now I’m only being scheduled between those hours and not getting approved to pickup shifts outside of that time frame.
Go back to how it used to be, I never knew anyone complaining about your app or system.
And its horrible trying to request time off, the old version was so much simpler and so much easier to look at. Now you can’t edit individual days with in your request, you either have to delete the WHOLE request and pray that it gets approved again, or pray that someone will release a shift on the day you can work again.
It’s so restrictive and complicated.
When it comes to work schedules, we want simple and flexible.
What are you guys doing with hotschedules?!
If this wasn’t a necessary app for my job, I would delete this new-version revamped atrocity of a system.
and that makes me bummed because I was practically your biggest fan back in the day, with the green color scheme. :/

I don’t understand if it’s just me or why this app is rated so highly... I’ve used it for about 3 years now because I have too and it’s been terrible. I can probably count the number of times it has loaded properly on one hand. It is a daily occurrence when I initially open the app that it does one of two things - indefinitely loads until an error message pops up (The operation can not be completed), or it loads and is literally completely blank, and trying to check to any other link/tab results in another error message. This continues to persist several times after closing and reopening the app, often it will result in signing me out completely. I currently use an iPhone X, although I’ve had these issues across other phones, keep the app updated, and 90% of the time I am connected to WiFi with any of my other apps working fine as far as the connection goes. I’m able to connect through the actual webpage easily enough but that’s not the point - I paid for the convenience of this app and it hardly works. I’m writing this review now because these issues have persisted through the last two days without even pulling up my schedule once setting me over the edge with my patience.

I'd like to be able to fine tune auto pickup/release's for venue, schedule, and job like on the website.

Being able to copy/paste messages would be great.

It'd also be nice for the app to feel more native, instead of like it was done in a cross platform compiler (e.g. Background refreshing, unobtrusive refreshing circle, app wide copy/paste, typing search field for message recipient instead of list view).

The ability to switch between lunch/dinner view on the personnel schedule list instead of having to go back to the week view, reselect the day, and then chose the other shift would be nice as well.

Functions I'd like to see added to Hot Schedules in general:

-The ability to see shifts that coworkers released on shifts that I'm working. (This would be good for swapping shifts during same time frame).

-The ability to set availability. (This may be restricted by the company I work for, I'm not sure.)

- The ability to see the entire schedule in a spreadsheet format. Often times, people don't check Hot Schedule messages, so having the ability to see who's working when, and getting ahold of them directly for swaps instead of sending out a mass-message would make it more likely to get someone to do the swap.

I don’t know if anyone else has this problem, but I know that everyone I work with does. The HotSchedules app is absolutely TERRIBLE on my iPhone running iOS 14. Everything takes way too long to load (several seconds, even though I have a brand new phone), the app is glitchy and crashes a lot, and the messaging feature has some major glitches that really ruin the experience.

Whenever I’m writing a message, I’ll start writing as normal, and everything will work fine, until my message gets longer than what can fit on the screen and I have to start scrolling to see the rest of it. At that point, the scrolling feature seems to break, and I’m not able to see the rest of my message or scroll up/down to see anything other than what’s at the top of the message box. Additionally, parts of my message randomly disappear while I’m writing, and other parts get duplicated and pasted below my original message, which I don’t see until I’ve sent the message, as I can’t scroll down to see it in the composing window.

These problems wouldn’t be a big deal if this app were free, but I paid $3 for it. With an app like this that’s used by thousands of people around the world, and is NOT free, these issues I’ve mentioned are unacceptable, and this app should not have these major issues like this.

i’ve had the app for over 2 years now and i just got a second job that also uses hotschedules, which at first i thought was great because i’ll have both of my schedules in one place, BUT there’s no option to easily switch between both employers! which is think is a simple concept but whatever. i have to log out and log back in if i want to look at both, which is so frustrating for several reasons, the first being that i paid for the app! i feel like what am i paying for if not convenience? it is the least convenient thing ever. the second reason is that it never loads! so going back and forth is a whole ordeal and sometimes i can’t even get back into either employers schedules. making plans or trying to schedule my personal/private life around my work schedule is so hard because of this app. it brings me a lot of stress. it also makes communicating my schedule to both jobs hard as well. i don’t understand how this app is rated a 4.7 in the app store considering i’ve never read a good review and this is my experience as well, it just seems to be misleading to me. i don’t even know if writing this review will even do anything but i’m so fed UP with this app that i had to pay for?!? still confused as to what i’m paying for because it doesn’t seem customer friendly design is considered

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to type my password into this app... you’d think that’s a simple thing and I shouldn’t care but it’s insanely annoying... especially considering it has to be some ridiculously complicated password... even my banking app is easier to access than this garbage app
Hack my BOA and transfer all my money to a Nigerian prince? Sure no problem
Try to hack my schedule to see when I’m working? LOL NICE TRY SWEETIE! YOURE GOING TO JAIL!

I’ve also never seen an app need to be updated as frequently as this one

It’s also infuriating to me that you can’t have one login and that’s your login.
Switch companies? New login.
Your company stopped using hotschedules then six months later went back to it? New login.
I literally have taken to using my full name with a number after it and increasing the number by 1 every time I need a new login (I’m on 9 at this point... and mind you I’ve worked for the same company the entire time, just different locations and/or they stopped then restarted using HS)

Also why do you have to pay for it when your company already paid a massive sum for the ability to use it? I didn’t choose HotSchedules, I was told to use it, I don’t want to pay for something (especially when the app does nothing but annoy me)
Trivial issue, I know, but the fact remains

Honestly the usability of this app is fine once you’re in there... it tells me my schedule... cool...
easy to swap? Sure

I just wouldn’t recommend it to anyone unless you needed to use it

Real life needs here:

I, and probably thousands of others, would love it access to the parameters that are passed along in the calendar sync.

For example, if I want to ask Siri when I work next, it has no clue because my schedule says HOTSCHEDULES: Location (which is long): PIZZA, as the title. Not something I can edit down to a personal and manageable name like Work: Pizza. I don’t want to ask Siri when I hotschedules next, which she will misunderstand and open the app or something silly instead.

In addition we have been limited to default alert settings, unless one wants to edit every separate event. It’s nice to get a buzz at say 15 and 5 before, and the time of event. Those parameters are easy to edit in a script that applies to every event BEFORE the sync, but a nightmare after.

If any of this gets read and addressed y’all might as well allow other fields to transfer, say the street address of work, which allows our phones to calculate travel time on the fly with less user friction. This is a no brainer nowadays. Much less excuse to be late or show up at the wrong location or some such excuse. But also convenient for those of us who mostly keep it better.

Someone needs to develop a form/script within the calendar sync settings that allows these parameters to be manipulated. In the meantime the feature is a workflow nightmare that’s hard to go without so we deal with it anyway.

I paid for this app hoping the settings would be more robust than the google calendar sync offered on the website. Maybe that option works well in a different software environment but it comes with all the same problems when the original content from HotSchedules is poorly formatted to real world needs, or missing.

Customer service for hot schedules is close to non existent. I called hot schedules support number and have been on hold for over an hour. When I first called I was 3rd in line. I've been "0" in line for almost 30 minutes now. This means they have 1 (if that) working the call center. I also tried to use the chat model and was told I was being connected with an agent. That was also over an hour ago. Is fourth abandoning hotschedules? If they don't add people to their customer service team, we will find a new scheduling platform. This is absolutely ridiculous.

i am STUNNED to see this app has a 5 star rating! it constantly locks me out, doesn't recognise my password, won't connect so doesn't load. i am stuck with it because my job uses it. it is the worst app i have.

This is getting soooo baaaad! Not just me all of our restaurant has issues with this. It’s crazy have to close it out to get it to refresh the. Usually it works. Just gets stuck... a year ago this never happened...

I set the app to sync with my calendar and it puts the same schedules shifts on the calendar multiple times. This causes an abundant amount of reminders to go off which can be frustrating. If this was fixed I would give 5 stars.

The number one business app, and you can’t even get the stupid thing to open? Rarely ever lately?! Ridiculous. You like to take everyone’s money, but you can’t provide an app that functions? Hire someone who can. Get it together.

This app is garbage. For an app that so many rely on for knowing work schedules and communicating with coworkers, the fact that it doesn’t work most of the time is RIDICULOUS.

Also, WHAT is with the “rate your shift” nonsense?!?

I bought this app and it worked once. But now I can not enter. I need to use the site again to check my schedule. I'm sure my password and login are right bc I use for the site! You fixed it! Thank u! Guys, it started lagging again!

This app is a joke and the fact that I HAVE to use because of my job is even more annoying. I’m constantly logged out of the app and when I try to log back in, it will tell me my password/username is incorrect. Although it will work perfectly fine via the website.

Was great until last update. Wont save the updated refined sort in roster, unnecessarily larger font, added pics which was also not necessary. Also having log in issues same as other comments. Please fix asap as this app is used daily and takes twice as long to navigate now

After the recent update I have not been able to log into the app. I keep receiving a notification that says "Invalid User Name or Password" which I know is not true bc I am able to sign in on the website with the exact same credentials as the app. This is severely broke and rather annoying.

No longer receiving notifications or emails Regarding shift changes schedule changes messages or decisions regarding swaps. I rely on HotSchedules to make it so that I can modify my schedule quickly and pick up shifts quickly before other team members can and with no notifications going out I cannot do that.

The application constantly has sign in issues, once you get past having to constantly sign in (or sometimes before) you’ll want to slam your phone against your face to get rid of the migrane you’ll develop from the unending loading screen that pops up. This only started happening this year. Whose the new guy on the team? Lol

What is going on with this app?! I paid for this app it should run fast and efficiently and it’s been running like crap for the last MONTH! I normally haven’t ever had a problem with it but right now it takes forever to load my schedule or ANYTHING in the app even when I’m connected to internet and my data on my phone! Fix it please!

The app is too slow and keeps loosing connection. I checked if my version of the app was up to date, and it was and it still glitches. One of the worst changes my job did. I would put more stars if it was a smoother experience. And to think I rely on this because my job depends on it. The least it can do is not cut connection on high network.

Access to the dashboard stopped working about three months ago. The app will timeout after a while if you try to access it.

A calendar for management to log important events for the restaurant would be extremely useful. It makes no sense that I have to scroll through every day of the month to try and find a note about an upcoming event when a calendar showing the events would solve the problem.

I’ve tried submitting my availability an ungodly amount of times and it continues to say “internal error/failure” and sometimes when I’m trying to enter in times, it says time range can’t overlap when it clearly isn’t overlapping. Furthermore, I work overnight shifts and there is no option for 9pm-4am. This app drives me nuts and if I don’t get to work because I can’t submit my availability...

The website is great, but the app is garbage. I’ve used the app for 6 years now. It’s slow to load, if it loads. Crashes regularly. Sometimes it remembers my login info. Most of the time it doesn’t. It’s faster and easier for me to get out my laptop to access Hotschedules than to open the app on my phone. I’ve actually tested this. I can turn on my computer and open the webpage faster than this app loads.

I realize we complain but the urgency to fix anything is minimal seeing as how we need this app for our jobs.
1) multiple job log-in. Come on! An account is an account. How is it that you can’t link them?
2) holy updates of not changing much. Really necessary? If so, tell us why, even the under the surface stuff. Help silence the peanut gallery.
3) the new method of entering availability is a bit wack. I’m trying to be as efficient and clear as possible for both jobs and it’s caused some conflicts.
4) am I missing a setting to see coworker’s phone numbers? 1/2 my coworkers say they can see each other’s on the app, 1/2 don’t. Curious how to fix it.
5) thanks for your hard work!