There are a lot of different apps out there, but not all of them are created with the news reader in mind. Some are just awful, and some are poorly designed and buggy.
Readers want an app that doesn’t make them feel like they’re reading from a 1990s AOL browser.
We want to share our favorite apps for reading news because we love you and want you to be happy.
Best Apps For Reading News
If you want to stay informed on current affairs, you could download every single news app out there. But that would be overwhelming. Instead, make it easier on yourself and find a great news aggregator.
These news apps collect articles from a large pool of sources, and incorporate different types of reporting, so instead of getting stories just from the New York Times or a local news station, you’ll get a good mix.
If you really only want updates from your regional newspaper, go ahead and download that dedicated app. But for news stories from around the world and across topics including entertainment, science, tech, politics, and beyond, find yourself the best news app for you that’s customizable.
If you use notifications you’ll be glad you stuck with just a few news apps to save your entire screen from blowing up with constant “breaking” alerts.
All of these news apps are free to download on Android and Apple devices, although some have premium, paid versions available.
- Apple News
Apple’s news service keeps iPhone and iPad users fully informed on current affairs. You can browse top headlines or set up notifications based on certain topics or news outlets. So you could get alerted about every politics story, say, if that’s what you really want.
Apple News is also available as a web app for Mac laptop users, but it doesn’t fully sync with the iOS or iPad app versions.
For $9.99 per month you can also subscribe to Apple News+ for access to a bunch of publications (even those with paywalls) and listen to articles narrated as audio stories. That access is across all devices.
A glaring issue with Apple News: Android users are out of luck.
Apple News brings the latest stories to your iOS devices.
Apple News brings the latest stories to your iOS devices. Credit: Shutterstock / DenPhotos
- Google News
Google News is basically Apple News for Android users, as you might expect. BUT, even iOS devices are compatible with the Google News app. If you’re already relying on headlines from the “News” section on Google Search on desktop you’ll probably fit right in with the search engine’s news app.
Google News is accessible to anyone and is free to use with your Google account.
Time for some news.
Time for some news. Credit: Shutterstock / BigTunaOnline
- The Week
The Week is an IRL weekly magazine that collects and summarizes news from all over, but its accompanying app can catch you up quickly. If you’re into lists, the app’s daily briefing tab gives you “10 things you need to know today” every day. You can also read some articles on the app without a subscription, but for full digital issues you’ll need to subscribe (50 digital-only issues for $89).
The best experience for The Week is on desktop, but if you’re always on your phone this works just fine.
- Flipboard
Originally formed as a digital magazine, Flipboard makes news gathering more about topics than individual headlines. It emphasizes community curation to create mini magazine issues customized for you about certain places, categories, or events.
For the dedicated news reader you can customize the app to fit best with your interests and preferred publications.
Flipboard is like a personal magazine.
Flipboard is like a personal magazine. Credit: Flipboard
- SmartNews
This Japanese-based news aggregator uses machine learning to find top stories for its app. It’s been popular in Japan and the U.S. for many years, with a focus on news from those two countries. Partnerships with select news outlets are also featured on the platform, and there’s a special sections with live coverage, such as for the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Additionally, its local news section is plugged into 6,000 cities across the U.S. - News360
This aggregator calls itself a “news reader” with a focus on custom news. It tracks the types of stories you click on to serve up more stories that you’re likely to be interested in. To be sure the computer gets it right you can also manually select topics. But fair warning: The app lists more than 1 million topics to choose from. - Yahoo News
Yes, Yahoo still exists. While you may have switched over to Gmail for your email inbox years ago, Yahoo News is still going strong with a robust collection of stories from major news outlets. It’s especially known for breaking news and live events, like the upcoming 2021 Tokyo Olympics. - News Break
Instead of surfacing the top stories for a national audience, the News Break app tries to localize news based on cities and metropolitan areas that you care about. So instead of big news from the recent Florida building collapse you can find local news headlines from your city or hometown. The app emerged a few years ago from a former Yahoo executive from China.
You can adjust the number of notifications News Break pings you about, but even the lowest setting can feel like a barrage of daily news.
- Ground News
With news from around the world and more than 50,000 sources in one place, you’ll maybe be too informed. Ground News has different news products including an app, webpage, browser extension, newsletter, and other news comparison tools based on your subscription level. There’s Free (for, well, free), Pro (for $0.83 cents each month), or Premium (for $2.49 per month).
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Free gets you the most basic, limited access which includes Ground News’ headline comparison tool for up to three sources, 20 custom interests, coverage distribution chart, and device support. Premium has unlimited customization, a blind spot detection feature, unlimited headline comparisons, and an exclusive weekly newsletter.
- Pocket
Pocket is Mozilla’s bookmarking tool, but the app’s homepage has a “Discover” tab that pulls up popular stories that others are saving to the app. You can also connect your Twitter account (and your iOS and Google contact lists) and see the links that people you follow are linking for a more personalized selection. A premium version of the “read later” app with a permanent library and suggested tags for better organizing is either $4.99 per month or $44.99 for a year.
best news app in english
Newspapers may be struggling, but the news and information sector is alive and well. The news just comes to us on our smartphones and tablets, rather than being delivered to our doorstep these days.
Even desktop websites are losing a big chunk of traffic to mobile devices that stream stories from news apps. Perhaps that’s because people like to get their news on the go while standing in line at the grocery store or taking a break at work.
Whatever the reason, there’s a huge segment of the population that wants to stay connected at all times, and the following 13 news apps deliver breaking news and commentary in a format that keeps users engaged.
Why Learn About the Best News Apps? If you’re interested in mobile app development and plan to build your own app, then this blog post is for you.
That’s right, even if you don’t work for a news outlet and you’re not trying to break into the mobile game, or even if you’re not planning to launch your own news aggregator app, these apps are worth studying. You can still learn a great deal about solid UX principles and creating cutting-edge features by exploring the top-rated news applications.
In this rundown, we’ll talk about the 13 best news apps that help customers stay on top of the news and keep them coming back.
- BBC News App
bbc
The BBC is a worldwide news organization that keeps readers updated with the latest news stories and videos on-demand. It is considered the best world news app for iOS and Android, offering innovative ways to keep users engaged.
What made BBC’s news app successful?
“My News” option is a great example of personalization, allowing users to navigate wherever they choose and visit the sections they like best: Top headlines, Economy, Breaking News, etc.
Live-streaming news channels within the app, recreating the TV news experience on a mobile device.
Breaking news through notifications to keep users informed on what matters.
Download: Android, iOS
- Flipboard
flipboard
Flipboard is quite possibly the world’s most trendy and engaging news app. Many other apps like Flipboard exist, but this news aggregator app stands out for a number of reasons.
It has brilliant visuals and beautiful designs that present news stories in a creative way. The interface shows various types of content, including articles, slideshows, and videos, and it connects with social media sites like Twitter and Instagram.
What made Flipboard successful?
Stunning design that users love
“For You” tab to personalize the experience
Live news app that features real-time streaming of events as they unfold
Download: Android, iOS
- Google News
google news
Google News puts its advertising algorithm to use by filling each users’ feed with news that interests them. And they’re pretty good at it, as you can imagine! This news streaming app can also show you local news, essentially serving as a local news app if that’s what you’re looking for.
What made Google News successful?
The “Full Coverage” button under each headline lets users explore different news outlets’ takes on a given topic—something discerning readers value in an era of intense partisanship and concern about biased reporting
Ability to subscribe to specific news sources and read them directly from the app
Option to purchase premium subscriptions to news outlets
Download: Android, iOS
- The New York Times
the new york times
The New York Times is America’s paper of record, featuring “All the news that’s fit to print” for over a century. Known around the world for its award-winning reporting, the New York Times offers a newspaper app that all its digital subscribers can access.
What made the New York Times app successful?
Off-line reading for subscribers who might lose internet access on the New York subway (or any metro around the world)
Breaking news alerts + notifications on topics of interest
A clean user interface that readers of all ages can wrap their heads around
Download: Android, iOS
- CNN News
cnn
CNN pioneered the 24-hour cable news phenomenon—for better or worse!
CNN’s official mobile app receives 40% of its total internet traffic, and users find it engaging and easy to navigate. CNN offers a wide assortment of articles, and even though the main site is primarily written for a U.S. audience, the app will tailor news to your region based on your IP address.
What made CNN’s news app successful?
CNN-exclusive content that you can’t see anywhere else
Video news channel that offers seamless live streaming
Additional video-based content (including popular shows) that video news junkies love
Download: Android, iOS
- DIGG
digg
Digg features content from news websites around the world, much like Google News, Flipboard, and the other news aggregator apps on this list.
Through the power of computer algorithms and some great old-fashioned human curation, Digg has created a loyal following that helps users figure out “what the internet is talking about right now.” That’s their tagline.
What made the Digg news app successful?
Digg offers helpful summaries of news stories, helping busy professionals stay informed
Careful curation by Digg’s editors help users “dig” deeper than the headlines to find informative pieces worth studying
Seamless saving and sharing features
Wide-ranging options to customize the User Experience (UX)
Download: Android, iOS
- AP Mobile
apnews
The Association Press launched its Mobile news app all the way back in 2008. One of the most trusted sources in the world for unbiased journalism, it’s an invaluable resource for those who want a straightforward User Experience (UX) and factual reporting.
What made the AP Mobile news app successful?
Regular, efficient updates so users can stay informed on the latest events
Breaking news displayed in a stripped-down style
The app is quick and responsive, thanks to its simple format
Download: Android, iOS
- Reuters
reuters
In a world of contentious debates, the Reuters news app is respected by many across the political spectrum. Reuters is known for fact-checking and objective reporting, featuring news from around the world.
What made Reuters successful?
Content from more than 2,000 journalists in 180 countries across the globe
Straightforward personalization allows users to see more of the stories they want to see
Editorial highlights let users sample opinion pieces from different sides of a given debate
Download: Android, iOS
- Feedly
feedly
Feedly is one of the best news apps that use RSS feeds. The app pulls all the important news from a range of various sources, giving users the option to view stories from the outlets they trust the most. Feedly was one of the earliest apps to use RSS feeds, and they gained a loyal following that made them an established player in the news and information sector.
What made Feedly successful?
Easy integration with Facebook, IFTTT, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Evernote, OneNote, and others
Straightforward UX that makes customization a breeze
Machine learning that helps deliver personalized content that users love
Download: Android, iOS
- Pulse
pulse
The Pulse news app is similar to Flipboard, amassing content from a wide assortment of news outlets that users can curate. Owned by LinkedIn, the app can also stream content from LinkedIn influencers if that’s your jam.
What made the Pulse app successful?
Easy options for including or excluding various news sources
Highly-functional interface that lets users scan content in a grid-format and tap the articles they want to read
Seamless integration with social media
Download: Android, iOS
- SmartNews
smartnews
SmartNews is one of the top news apps for Android and iOS devices. Its friendly and intuitive interface is inviting, and like other successful aggregators, it does a great job of presenting content based on a user’s past behavior.
What made SmartNews successful?
Excellent algorithm to deliver relevant content to each user
Well-designed UX
The option to save articles for off-line reading
Download: Android, iOS
- Apple News
apple
Apple News is the native news app on iPhones and iPads, and if you’ve ever owned one of these devices, you know how much they try to vie for our attention. Unless you turn the app’s notifications off, you’ll get a barrage of updates.
The good news is that it does an excellent job of understanding what interests you, so you’ll end up seeing stories you like. It also has some pretty amazing aggregator features that others don’t offer, assuming you’re willing to pay for Apple News+.
Thanks to its bargaining power as one of the world’s big tech companies, Apple News+ lets you read content that exists behind many news outlets’ paywalls. In other words, for $9.99/month, you can read stories in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Atlantic, National Geographic, and many more—subscriptions that would cost you hundreds of dollars per year if you purchased them individually.
What made Apple News successful?
Being part of the Apple ecosystem gave them a built-in audience
Apple+ subscriptions are perfect for people who want to read premium content from a variety of sources
Beautiful UX design that we’ve come to expect from Apple
Download: No iOS download required—the app comes pre-installed.
Unfortunately, Android users are out of luck.
- News360
news360
The News360 app is another aggregator app that does an excellent job of presenting news from a variety of sources on an incredibly wide range of topics. Well suited to users with niche interests, the app has over 1,000 topics to choose from! While that might be exhausting for some people, News360 has gained a loyal following among news junkies.
What made News360 successful?
Truly beautiful, highly-usable design
Easy search features
Powerful customization
Download: Android, iOS
A Word about Personalization
When it comes to media consumption, the world has grown highly individual in its tastes. Many cultural critics argue that this has caused more harm than good, and they make a solid case. News has become siloed, and people often live in very different worlds from their neighbors who consume different news sources.
An extreme example of personalization run amok is what happens when you start watching YouTube videos from people who believe the world is flat. The platform decides that you like this “flat earth” content and it sends you more of it. If you’re particularly susceptible to online videos, you may start wondering whether NASA has been lying to you all this time.
Okay, probably not! You’re smart enough to read Net Solutions’ blog, so in all likelihood, you’re a rational human being. Still, you can see where personalization can get us in trouble as a civilization.
Despite its downsides, personalization is a key component of each of these apps’ successes. Every single one of them has mastered the art of delivering content uniquely designed to engage users based on their interests.
All this begs the question—what’s an app designer to do? How do we make ethical news apps that can still compete by delivering personalized content?
Keeping the Human Touch
The answer, we believe, lies in some degree of curation—having real, live human beings make decisions about what content to present, rather than relying exclusively on the almighty algorithm.
Newspapers have always had editors who decide what constitutes objective journalism, and aggregator sites need to employ the same type of rigor to ensure their news sources are free of bias. Fact-checking opinion pieces would also constitute a step forward.
App Design Lessons for the Rest of Us
Here at Net Solutions, we’ve designed and built a mind-blowing number of apps, helping startup teams, as well as established companies, bring their apps to market. In fact, we’ve been doing mobile design and development since mobile technology was born, and we’re in a unique position to see what works.
Studying news apps, even if you’re not planning to build a news app specifically, can tell you a lot about the latest and greatest in mobile software. After all, mobile apps receive an extraordinary amount of traffic, and companies use that data to better understand their consumers and deliver products that engage them.
When it comes to your own app, take a page from the best news apps’ playbooks and work toward creating a powerful experience that, if it makes sense, provides some degree of personalization.
Of course, your very first release isn’t likely to have a ton of personalization. In most cases, you’ll be focused on creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), and you’ll refine your app based on user feedback. The ultimate goal, however, is to work toward a mature product that offers an unforgettable experience. That’s what keeps users coming back year after year.
Conclusion
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