This article was updated and checked for accuracy in April 2024. It was originally published in 2014.
The Internet has revolutionized the way we consume news, freeing us from the editorial influence of TV producers or newspaper editors. Today, we can search the vast web for news that aligns with our interests. Keeping track of them can be challenging with the many news websites available. In this list, we’ll explore the best news apps for Android, offering organization, information, and news discovery tailored to your needs. Notably, we prioritize unbiased news sources with news sources over politically biased networks like CNN or Fox News, ensuring factually accurate information. These are the best news apps for Android.
We would also like to mention Google’s official application. Discover feed tracks what you want and slowly indulges your feelings. It’s fast, easy and affordable. You can also get a similar feed in the Google Chrome mobile app.
Best news apps for Android
AP news
Price: Free with ads
AP News is a relatively decent news app for Android. It gets its news from itself and hundreds of local and national sources. The user interface is clean and you can find news on a variety of topics including sports, entertainment, travel, technology, etc. Not the best for politics, but better than most. The app is completely ad-free. The ads are a bit annoying, but nothing too serious.
Feedly
Price: Free / Pro $7.99/mo / Pro+ $15.99/mo
Feedly is one of the most popular news apps. It’s an RSS reader. This means you can pull from different sites and sources. The goal is to build your news network in places you trust. Integrates with Facebook, IFTTT, Twitter, Evernote, OneNote, Pinterest, LinkedIn and more. Additionally, you can access your feed on your mobile phone or computer through their website. It’s a solid option with over 40 million feeds in total. The only drawback is advertising. It’s a bit heavy unless you pay the subscription price.
Flipboard is another popular news app. It works like Feedly. You can create a custom feed with your favorite news sources, sites and other places. Flipboard differs from Feedly in that it’s a little flashier. It includes fun animations, large images and a user interface that makes it look like a digital magazine. It also has additional features for things like discovery. It’s also completely free.
Umme Aimon Shabbir / Android Authority
The News Break app helps you access the latest and most relevant news. It offers a personalized news feed and delivers customized updates on topics that interest you. Its user interface makes it easy to browse articles, videos and local news, keeping you informed and connected. News Break also provides real-time notifications, ensuring you never miss breaking news. This all-in-one news app is your source for keeping up with world events.
Microsoft Start
Price: Free
Microsoft News is a surprisingly decent news app for Android. It works like most though. Open the app, select the topics you’re interested in, and receive a news feed prepared by Microsoft employees. The service automatically syncs between the app and the web for cross-platform support. You also get a dark theme, the ability to save articles for later, and a good mix of left- and right-leaning political news. There is a lot of news here if you want to read it.
Price: Free / $4.99 per month / $44.99 per year
Joe Hindy / Android Authority
Pocket is one of the more unique news apps out there. It does not offer content. However, it will save any content you come across during the day. No doubt you’ll find something on Twitter or Facebook or in a chat that you can’t read right now. You can put it in Pocket and come back to read it later. It has offline support, decent reading experience and discovery features. Advanced users can subscribe. It offers unlimited storage, a bookmark system to help you stay organized, text-to-speech article reading, and additional features for PC.
Podcast addict
Price: Free
Podcast Addict is a great all-in-one solution for news apps. It is a combination of an RSS reader and a podcast application. It boasts a collection of 450,000 podcasts. Plus, you can subscribe to almost any news source you like. The app supports podcast playlists, categorically organized news feeds, Chromecast support, and YouTube and Twitch channels. There are better podcast apps (Castbox, Pocket Casts, Doggcatcher, etc.) and better RSS apps (Feedly and Flipboard). However, nothing does the combination of the two better than this.
Price: Free / $5.99 per month / $49.99 per year
Reddit presents itself as the front page of the Internet. At least that’s mostly true. Most trending news ends up on Reddit somewhere. You can subscribe to subreddits that allow you to see different interests. You can find a subreddit for just about anything, from fashion to tech, Android to iOS, and everything in between. The official app is good enough at its job. Not many features for advanced users. However, it describes the basic experience very well. Overall, it’s one of the better news apps and communities. An optional monthly subscription adds a few extra features and removes ads.
SmartNews is one of the newer news apps. It works like many competitors, such as News Republic, News360 and other news readers. It sifts through a multitude of news sources and recommends trending topics. The upside is that you get the news everyone is talking about. The bad news is that it’s not as configurable as we’d like. Additionally, it relies on opinion blogs rather than news sites for many topics; we didn’t like that. It is good for some things, bad for others. However, that’s about as good as it gets for news sites these days.
Your local news apps
Price: Free (usually)
Your local news apps usually aren’t half bad. They focus more on things happening in your community. Most people focus on world news and lose track of what is happening in their own cities. Generally, these apps are simple. They show the news and sometimes even the weather forecast. In addition to TV stations, many cities will also have local newspapers with apps. For example, the Columbus Dispatch has its own app. Sometimes these apps are great. Sometimes they don’t.
Bonus: Android Authority app
Price: Free
Here’s some shameless self-promotion! We have an official app. It’s also a pretty nice app if we do say so ourselves. It’s a great place to check out the latest tech news from the Android world. This includes reviews, news, best lists, commentary and anything else our team comes up with. The interface uses material design. Plus, it links to our podcast, our YouTube channel, and more. It is free to use with no in-app purchases.
If we missed any of the best news apps for Android, tell us about them in the comments.