The growing popularity of smartphones over recent years has changed how people read news and articles forever. In a change-or-die situation, media companies needed to adapt fast, creating comprehensive digital strategies. As smartphones became the cornerstone of our everyday lives, mobile apps needed to be at the center of those strategies.
Today, many news apps showcase that a life without print editions and newstands (or only a small number of them), which might come sooner than later, may not be something readers and media companies should be concerned about. If they are properly made, news apps not only carry over the look and feel of newspapers and magazines to mobile, they also give the media new ways and angles to provide coverage, in one place and to a global reader base.
Here are five hand-picked news apps that deliver on that promise today. Use our list to get inspired for your own news app, find yourself a new news sources, or simply explore examples of all-around great mobile products.
1. Nwsty: Skim Top News Headlines
If you’re just looking to get caught up as quickly as possible, the free Nwsty (Android, Apple) app is a must have. Built for skimmers, it leverages artificial intelligence to surface up to 10 newsworthy nuggets each weekday and builds delightfully digestible summaries for each. You’ll be more informed than most, but you won’t spend your entire morning to get there.
2. Pocket
As far as news apps go, Pocket is not a typical media product. At its heart is a simple promise of letting users save articles and web pages for later reading and viewing, but it delivers on it to the fullest. If you read news alongside articles from different publications, but do not want to assault your eyes with the endless stream of headlines of news aggregator apps (or simply find the look and feel of Instapper uninspiring), Pocket will your top choice.
Pocket is integrated with all popular browsers on desktop and mobile and with over fifteen thousand apps, making it quick and simple to save articles anywhere you find them. There are many instruments for managing them too. You can always locate the right article quickly with tags and a number of sections — all put together nicely in an extremely comfortable-to-use design. Other features include choosing the background color and highlighting text, listening to any article, and following friends to find out what they are reading.
All of this comes for free, but you can get extra features like advanced search and fonts with the paid premium version. There is also a section of curated articles from numerous different publications updated everyday as well as a tool to look for them yourself across different categories.
Pocket is continuously updated, bug-free, and the user experience is equally satisfying in the web app and native apps (although you cannot listen to articles in the web app). Interestingly, It is in-built into the Firefox browser and is owned by its creators, the Mozilla Corporation.
3. TechCrunch
The shiny look and handy navigation of TechCrunch’s website can be enjoyed in any browser, but you might just opt for the publication’s app instead. It bares the visual style of the website, but provides a more focused, personalised, and ad-free experience.
Following the latest tech news with the TechCrunch app is easy, fast, and comfortable. You can browse the headlines of the latest news and bookmark them right in the feed. One more section gathers topics of your choice in one place, and you can manage or stay notified about them right in this section. Finally, there is “Saved for Later,” where you can read the bookmarked articles. You can also access the latest TechCrunch videos at the beginning of the main feed.
In sum, the TechCrunch app streamlines reading tech news to the maximum, delivering a snappy experience without ads, bugs, and free-of-charge.
4. Reddit (Android)
If you are looking for a blend of interesting news and entertainment, Reddit News Feed for Android app might be perfect for you. For those who don’t know, Reddit is a combination of social media, news aggregator, and message boards that creates a unique and fun experience for readers.
Similar to the Reddit website, the news feed app for Android offers millions of topics. You can subscribe to specific Reddit topics, make subreddits, and sort out content based on popularity, freshness, controversial, etc.
Reddit is famous for having the most engaged community and even features a chat option. Although, its structure and functionality are not what you’d expect from a newspaper app. However, it does present some of the best content available on the Internet. The free news app even offer different themes and a night mode option
Why use Reddit?
- Trending content ranging from news headlines to funny memes
- Post, share, vote, and discuss
- Create your own feed by subscribing to subreddits.
5. Flipboard
Flipboard created a new type of reading experience on mobile, and is focused on engaging the reader with the most exciting stories of the day using a magazine-style aesthetic that begs you to just keep flipping. Hundreds of publications are available on the news reader, and Flipboard offers a generous number of topics. So, whether you’re broadly into technology, or want to know the latest Star Wars news, Flipboard has you covered.
