News apps have become increasingly popular lately. According to the Think with Google report, an average user spends 31 minutes a day on news apps. There are several reasons for this, including ease of access, a more personalized experience, reading news from multiple sources in a single place, and more, making news apps a preferred way to consume news.

best news apps

There are countless news apps on the market, covering a wide range of interests and preferences. It’s hard to try out all the news apps and know which one is right for you. To make it easy for you, we have tested the most popular news apps around the world and included the 15 best options for you in this list. But before that, there are a few things you should consider before choosing the best news app for you.

Things you should consider before considering the best news app

  • Types of news apps: The first thing you should consider is the type of news app. There are different types of news apps on the market, each designed to meet specific needs. The most popular types include:
    • General news app: these apps offer a wide range of news and information from various sources with detailed articles
    • Aggregator: these apps gather news from various sources and provide users with a curated feed of articles and stories
    • Short news app: short news apps provide a summary of the content of an article. They are fast and provide the context of the news in less than 200 words
    • Local news app: Local news apps provide information about the user’s local area, events, and in the local language
    • Niche news app: These apps specialize in news on a specific topic, such as finance, technology, fashion, and more.
  • Consider your interests: look for a news app that covers the topics that interest you. This could be politics, sports, entertainment, and more. Also, consider exclusive sources. If you read news from specific publications, make sure the publication is included in the list of sources covered by the app. Some news apps also offer videos, podcasts, infographics, and more.
  • User Interface: another important point you should consider is the user interface. You should be able to find the news quickly and read the news with the best reading experience.
  • Personalized experience: most news apps now offer personalized experiences with the help of AI. If you want a personalized experience based on your interests, consider AI-driven recommendations.

Best News Apps for Android and iOS

Artifact

artifact news app

The first pick on our list is Artifact, a personalized messaging app developed by the co-founders of Instagram. The app uses the latest artificial intelligence algorithms to personalize and recommend news articles for you. You can choose different topics that interest you, and over time, the app learns your behavior and recommends articles to you.

The app is neat and simple. It works on an aggregator model, where news from different sources is collected and displayed in a list on the home screen. You can tap on the article to read it. In the reading pane, you can make settings to enable the reading mode, increase or decrease the text size, disable the automatic lock mode, and more.

Recently, a new community feature has been added that allows you to comment and share with other users of the app. You can tap the comment icon to see the comments.

Speaking of personalization, the app also has a dedicated section where you can see which categories interest you, which publishers you read the most, and so on.

You can also save articles to read later, block publishers, add publisher subscriptions, and more. Overall, Artifact is the best news app for you if you are looking for the best news with a personalized experience.

Artifact (Android) Artifact (iOS)

Inshorts

inshorts news app

The next app from the list of popular short news app insights. The app summarizes news articles from various sources with AI under 300 words and displays them as a vertical feed. You can swipe up to view the latest news. The app is known for providing smooth scrolling and the best reading experience.

You can personalize your news feed by selecting the different news categories when you first set up the app or do so in the settings. The app displays the summary of the article in the home feed. You can tap “Learn more” to read the full article. You can not comment, like, or dislike the news.

You can bookmark the news to read it later. You can set up news notifications and more. Inshorts also displays Inshorts Insights, where you can see the infographic for the most popular topic. Overall, Inshorts is the best app for you if you are looking for a quick and easy way to read news in short periods of time.

Inshorts (Android) Inshorts (iOS)

Google News

google news

Google has its own news, where it collects news from different sources around the app. The app is best suited for people who read news and want to be informed about a variety of aspects.

Google News also offers personalized experiences based on the user’s interests. Users can also choose to follow specific topics and read articles from different sources, follow specific publishers, or see all articles in the dedicated “Follow” tab. Google News also includes a “Full Coverage” feature that provides users with more comprehensive coverage of a news story by aggregating articles from different sources, videos, and tweets on the same topic.

Another good feature of Google News is the language support. The app supports more than 25 languages, making it the best app for people who want to read in different languages.

Overall, Google News is the best app for you if you are looking for a new app that offers personalized news content from a variety of sources, support for multiple languages, and more.

Google News (Android) Google News (iOS)

Apple News

apple news app

If you own an Apple device, Apple News is the best option for you. The Apple News app is free and can be used on iPhones, iPads, and Macs. It also comes with Apple News+, which provides additional access to hundreds of magazines and newspapers for monthly use.

Similar to other apps, Apple News offers a personalized experience by suggesting relevant articles based on the user’s interests. Users can also select specific topics to receive curated collections of articles.

In addition, the app offers the Spotlight feature, which provides users with in-depth coverage of selected topics by aggregating various sources, videos, and podcasts on the topic.

Apple News is also available in multiple languages and for various reasons. You can save articles for later, read full-length articles, and more. Overall, the Apple News app is the best choice for Apple device users, Apple News+ subscribers, and more. You can also download the Apple News app for free from the App Store.

Apple News (iOS)

Flipboard

flipboard app

Flipboard is the best option for users who want to read magazines and other long blog content. You can also keep up with the latest news by reading the latest articles published by some news publishers.

On the home screen, you will find a tab where you can find all the collected news content from different sources on the Internet. You can swipe up to get more new content. Similar to Inshorts, the app displays a short text in the feed. This is not the news summary but just the first few lines of the article. To read the full article, you can tap anywhere on the screen, and the app will redirect to the original article.

You can like, share and add the article to your collection. You can also view articles from specific categories like science, photography, computer science, travel, music, movies, Bollywood, and more. You can also search for individual articles and follow individual publishers to get personalized suggestions in the app.

The app is free to download from both the Apple and Google app stores. The app also does not require a subscription to read the news, but you will need a publisher subscription if the news is under the paywall. Overall, Flipboard is the best option for people who are looking for a magazine aggregator and want to aggregate news and view personalized content, bookmark articles, and more.

Flipboard (Android) Flipboard (iOS)

Way to news

way2 news app

Way to News is another popular short news app in India known for local news updates. The app has more than 10 million downloads and is known as a go-to source for local news updates. Similar to Inshorts, the app displays news in a short format where you can scroll and get the latest news. The news is posted directly by local journalists who are handpicked by the app. Anyone who is interested can also participate and post news with the permission of the account.

After installing the app, you can select the news categories and locations. The app now provides local updates posted by local journalists within the location, as well as global news and breaking news that is current in the state. Another popular feature of this app is that it is available in multiple Indian languages. The app is available across India.

Other popular features of the app include video content, job alerts, entertainment, daily digital magazines, daily horoscopes and astrology, and much more.

You can read news, magazines, and more. To get involved, you can like or dislike the news, post comments, and view other users’ comments within the app. There is also a new fact-check option in the app that allows you to check the facts of news articles by sending the article to ID. Another useful feature of the app is sharing news, bookmarking articles, and much more.

All in all, the Way to News app is the best option for you if you live in India and want to catch up with local news quickly and in your local language.

Way to News (Android) Way to News (iOS)

Reuters News

reuters app

If you are looking for an app for international news coverage, Reuters is the best option for you. Reuters is known as a trusted news source with an established news organization that has a long history of excellent journalism. Reuters is also known for being an exclusive news source.

Reuters has its own news app that covers a wide range of topics, including international news, business, politics, technology, entertainment, and more. The app also allows you to get personalized experiences based on your interests. You can select different topics, and the app will display the relevant articles and updates on the home page.

The app can be downloaded for free from Google and app stores. You can install the app, and it will start reading the news immediately. Initially, there is no need to sign up for the app. You can read the news articles directly. The app has a simple and user-friendly interface. It offers a seamless reading experience with adjustable font sizes and night mode options for comfortable news reading.

The Reuters news app includes a variety of multimedia content such as text, photos, and videos. You can easily navigate to videos and news articles using the bottom navigation bar.

You can simply tap on a news article to expand it. You can read the news items easily. There are no options like viewing or commenting for user engagement. You can bookmark the article and read it at a later time by clicking the bookmark icon at the top of the page. You can also save the article and select individual categories in the sidebar.

Overall, Reuters is the best option for you if you are looking for the best news app for international news in technology, the world, business, sports, science, lifestyle, and more.

Reuters News (Android) Reuters News (iOS)

Microsoft Start

microsoft start app

Microsoft Start is another news aggregator app similar to Google News that offers personalized news experiences. It includes a customizable home page that aggregates news, weather reports, sports scores, finance, and more.

To read news, tap the dedicated News tab in the bottom navigation bar. Once you log in, the app displays relevant news articles for you based on your reading habits and interests. You can browse through the different categories and select news articles. The different categories include news, entertainment, sports, health, lifestyle, and more. You can also tap the menu and select the news category.

Another new feature of the app is the Bing chat integration, where you can directly access the Bing chat by clicking on the icon in the middle. You can use Bing Chat to view and access the latest news on specific topics.

Microsoft Start is also available on all other platforms and integrates with other services and products. Overload Microsoft Start is the best option if you like the Microsoft version of the news aggregator and an alternative to Google News. You can download the app for free and start reading news.

Microsoft Start (Android) Microsoft Start (iOS)

Smart News

smart news app

Smart News is the other best news app if you are looking for a news aggregator app with personalized recommendations. The app gathers news from a variety of sources, including major news outlets and many other sources. The app also displays news from local news providers and specialized publications.

Similar to other news aggregators, smart news provides personalized news recommendations by analyzing user behavior and reading habits. The app covers a wide range of new categories, including top headlines, politics, business, technology, entertainment, sports, and more. Users can select different news categories and view the latest updates.

The app is available for free download in the Google and Android app stores. You can install the app for free and select news categories according to your preferences during setup. No initial signup is required for the app. On the home screen, the app displays news articles based on the category you choose. If you want to get news from a particular source in a different category, you can tap the category or news source to get the articles.

If you tap on a single article, the app will redirect you to the full article page. From there, you can share the article with others, open the article in a dedicated browser, and more. There are no interaction features like “like” or “dislike” of the news.

Overall, Smart News is the best option if you are looking for a news aggregator app with many news sources.

Smart News (Android) Smart News (iOS)

Feedly

feedly news app

Feedly is another popular news aggregator app that offers more control over the news sources you collect. You can choose the news sources that are already in the app, or you can link external sources directly from RSS feeds. All articles from the linked sources are displayed on the home screen. You can tap on the feed to view the article, showing the exception of the article. You can click the website to read the full article.

You can also save them to folders and easily access the source from the sidebar.

Of course, the number of sources you can add is limited. In the free version of the app, you can add up to 100 sources. You can subscribe to the Premium plan to expand the limit.

Another popular feature of the app is the read later feature, where you can bookmark the article and save it for later, integrate it with other apps like social media sites, note-taking apps, and other apps to save articles, and cross-platform compatibility.

The app is free to download from the Google and Apple app stores. You can download the app and link sources and start reading news. Here’s a quick and short guide on how to add a source to the Feedly app if you want to download and use the app.

  • Open the Feedly app on your smartphone
  • Click the plus icon in the bottom navigation bar and select the category and source. You can also add Twitter feeds, Reddit, and newsletters (available for Premium users only).
  • To link feeds from RSS, you can use the search bar and paste the RSS URL and add the source.

Feedly (Android) Feedly (iOS)

Newsbytes

newsbytes app

Newsbytes is my personal favorite news app, available for free for both Android and iOS. The best thing I like about this app is the news coverage. It divides the news into individual sub-cards so that users can quickly grasp the main points of the news and get a brief overview.

The app offers personalized news feeds based on your interests. You can select specific categories to follow on the app, including national news, international news, business, sports, entertainment, technology, and more.

The app can be downloaded for free from both Google and app stores. There is no prior registration required. You can simply install it and start reading the news immediately. The app displays the summary of news articles on the home screen. To go deeper, you can swipe up where the news is displayed on the cards. To read the next card, tap on the right or left side of the screen. To read the best article, tap the left or right side of the screen.

The app also has a timer that automatically scrolls the feed after 25 seconds. There is no option to disable this feature. In addition, the app offers the “Read Later” feature, news categories that you can select by clicking on the window icon in the bottom left corner, notifications, night mode, and much more.

Newsbytes (Android) 

Other popular apps to stay updated with the latest news

12. Twitter: Twitter is known to be the best place to keep up with the latest trends and news. You can follow individual news sources or users who post news to stay up to date. Also, the “What’s Happening” page displays the latest trends from around the world. The Twitter app is available for free download from the Google and Apple app stores. You can download the app for free. If you do not like Twitter, here’s a list of alternatives to Twitter that you can use to stay up to date.

13. Facebook: Facebook is still the go-to for many when it comes to staying up to date. The app offers a dedicated news feed option that allows you to follow individual news stories or groups, and the app collects the news stories and displays them in your timeline. Using the algorithm and based on your usage behavior, the app shows you the latest news that is relevant to your interests.

14. Substack: Substack is not a news app. The app is primarily for publishing newsletters. By subscribing to newsletters from authors on topics that interest you, you can receive updates directly in your inbox. Note that many Substack newsletters do not contain real-time news but in-depth analysis and long articles. If you are someone who consumes news daily at a certain time through newsletters, Substack is the best option for you.

15. Reddit: Reddit can also be a good source for the latest news and updates. There are several communities and subreddits dedicated to sharing news and current events. You can join or subscribe to any subreddit topic that interests you to get the latest updates. Please note that Reddit is not a dedicated news app. It is a community social media platform where users participate in conversations. It is important to note that the content on Reddit is created by users and is not always reliable or accurate. You can check the “upvotes” and “downvotes” of the Reddit thread to know the users’ opinions. Reddit is the best source if you want to keep up with the latest news and updates in a particular niche and join user conversations.

16. Medium: Medium can also be a good source to get the latest updates. Medium is not primarily for getting news in real-time, but individuals or organizations post long articles, essays, and personal posts there. I personally use Medium to keep up with the latest company announcements. Medium is available for free in the Google and Apple app stores. The app offers two free articles daily. You can follow people or organizations and receive recommendations on the home screen.

Best News Apps Full Comparision

News AppPersonalized ContentBreaking News NotificationsOffline ReadingMultimedia ContentUser-Friendly InterfaceTrustworthy SourceCustomizable FeedCross-Platform AvailabilitySocial Media IntegrationPremium FeaturesThoughts
ArtifactYesYesYesNoYesYesYesYesYesNoArtifact is a new startup the founders of instagram that is primarily focussed on providing personalised news expeirinece based on Machine Learning Algorithms
Reuters NewsYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesNo premium featuresTrusted source for accurate and reliable news.
Google NewsYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesGoogle News Premium: Ad-free browsingOffers a wide range of news topics with personalized content.
Apple NewsYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesApple News+ Subscription: Access to premium contentProvides a seamless reading experience within the Apple ecosystem.
FlipboardYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesFlipboard Premium: Ad-free browsingCurates content in a magazine-style layout, making it visually appealing.
InshortsYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesNews360 Premium: Ad-free browsingBest Short news summary app with best user experinece
WaytonewsYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesNoBest short news app for local news in multiple Indian languages
SmartNewsYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesSmartNews Premium: Ad-free browsingProvides a curated news feed with a focus on speed and efficiency.
NewsbytesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesNoA shortnews app that also provides detailed context about the news
Microsoft StartYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesMicrosoft Start Premium: Enhanced personalizationOffers a customizable news feed and syncs preferences across devices.
FeedlyYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesFeedly Pro: Advanced search and integrationsAllows users to aggregate and organize content from various sources with ease.
TwitterYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesTwitter Blue: Undo tweet and reader modeProvides real-time news updates and the ability to follow accounts of interest.
FacebookYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesYesFacebook Premium: Ad-free experienceOffers a personalized news feed and a platform for connecting with friends and family.

FAQ on Best News Apps

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Yes, every news app we have listed has breaking news notifications. You need to allow the app to send notifications. Once subscribed you can change the app notifications settings within the app, or you can customize them in the system settings

Most news apps offer text-based content. However, some news also offers other content like videos, infographics, and more that might require more data to consume. If you're concerned about data usage, you may want to check your app's settings or try using the app on Wi-Fi to reduce your data usage.

Yes, most news app comes with a built-in social media sharing option where you can share the articles on social media networks, including Twitter, Facebook, and more.

The frequency of the content update completely depends upon the individual apps. Generally, the aggregator news apps update content every minute, and individual news apps like short news and Way to News update news every time there is an update.

Yes, many news apps allow you to customize the news you see by selecting topics or sources you're interested in. Some apps also use algorithms to suggest content based on your reading habits.

Yes, many news apps offer audio or podcast versions of articles. This can be a convenient way to consume news content while you're on the go or doing other tasks.

  1. The New York Times
  2. BBC News
  3. NPR News
  4. The Washington Post
  5. Reuters News
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