vpnandprivacy

iOS app analysis · #8 of 17

Surfshark on iPhone: what 2,145 recent reviews actually say

By The VPN and Privacy team Updated 6 Sept 2026 Facts re-checked 6 Sept 2026
66
4.70★128,114 ratings, all time
2.97★mean of the 2,145 recent reviews sampled
32.3%raise a critical problem
v4.7.2released 2026-09-04 · iOS 16.1.0+
Billing complaints 12% 90-day sentiment improving (+0.11)

How the score is built

Store rating (shrunk) 35%
92
Recent sentiment 25%
57
Complaint rate (inverse) 20%
48
Update cadence 10%
100
Our device test 10%
0

Our device test sits at 0 until we run one; the weight is reserved so scores do not shift when it lands. Method.

Star distribution in the sample

5★
39%
4★
6%
3★
7%
2★
10%
1★
38%

Recent reviewers of any large app skew negative compared with all-time ratings; compare the sample mean with the listing rating above to see the gap.

Monthly mean rating, last 12 months

12345 2025-10: 2.92★ from 13 reviews2025-102025-11: 1.64★ from 11 reviews2025-12: 1.93★ from 14 reviews2026-01: 2.79★ from 14 reviews2026-012026-02: 2.71★ from 17 reviews2026-03: 2.72★ from 67 reviews2026-04: 3.19★ from 234 reviews2026-042026-05: 3.04★ from 231 reviews2026-06: 3.27★ from 226 reviews2026-07: 3.42★ from 272 reviews2026-072026-08: 3.21★ from 276 reviews2026-09: 2.89★ from 38 reviews2026-09

What reviewers complain about

Billing & auto-renew
10%▼ falling
iOS integration
8.4%▼ falling
Connection drops
7.7%— steady
Slow speeds
7.3%▼ falling
Crashes & bugs
6.7%▼ falling
Customer support
6.4%▼ falling
China / censorship
4.4%▼ falling
Streaming blocked
4.2%▼ falling
Refund problems
4.2%▼ falling
Ads / misleading
3.2%▲ rising
Interface & usability
2.6%— steady
Privacy concerns
2.4%▼ falling
Battery drain
2.2%▼ falling
Kill switch
0.7%— steady

What they praise

Praised: reliability
4.5%
Praised: speed
4.4%
Praised: value
2.6%

Percentages are the share of sampled reviews mentioning the theme; a review can carry several. "Rising" compares the last 90 days with the whole sample.

In their words

Latest release notes (v4.7.2)

We've resolved several minor issues and improved app performance for a more seamless VPN experience.

Frequently asked

Is the Surfshark iPhone app any good?

Its App Store score this month is 66/100, ranking #8 of 17 VPN apps we track. The listing rating is 4.70 stars from 128,114 ratings; among the 2,145 most recent reviews we analysed, 32.3% raised a critical problem, most often billing & auto-renew (10%).

What do people complain about most in Surfshark reviews?

Billing & auto-renew (10% of reviews), iOS integration (8.4% of reviews), Connection drops (7.7% of reviews). See the theme breakdown above for the full list and how each has moved over the last 90 days.

Does Surfshark have billing or auto-renew problems on iOS?

Yes: 12% of sampled reviews mention being charged unexpectedly, auto-renewal, or trouble cancelling — high enough that we flag it. Subscriptions bought through the App Store are cancelled in iOS Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions, not in the app; Apple's refund process is at reportaproblem.apple.com.

Is this the same as your overall review?

No. This page measures the iOS app as its users experience it. The full Surfshark review covers ownership, jurisdiction, audits, pricing after renewal and the service as a whole.