As with all apps, not all news apps are created equal. Some can be glitchy or slow to update with breaking news, while others focus too heavily on partisan politics or regional news stories. Looking for some great apps to download? Try these must-have apps you’ll use again and again. There is, however, one news app that stands out against the competition. Instead of focusing on breaking national news stories and politics, this app tailors news to your preferences and location. Here’s everything you need to know about this news app and why you need it on your device.
News Break isn’t like the others
You’ve likely heard of News Break, the platform founded by media veteran Jeff Zheng. Since early 2019, there have been several times that the app has ranked No. 1 out of all the free iPhone news apps on the App Store. It jumped to the third-most downloaded U.S. iOS app at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are several reasons News Break is consistently popular — but the main is that it takes a unique approach to news content. Large news outlets or media conglomerates tend to focus on national politics or news from key reporters in major metro areas. News Break, on the other hand, goes a different route. Rather than pull national and breaking stories from the wire and national outlets, this app is a news aggregator focused on local reporting. To pull this off, News Break works with thousands of local publishers and content creators across the nation to aggregate content. This is done to offer you local news sources and perspectives that you care about. That alone is a pretty big perk. You can use this platform to access timely news stories that matter from local voices that know the news in your area. National news services rarely offer much in the way of local news — you may get a breaking news story or two from time to time — but that’s what News Break is all about. That doesn’t mean News Break ignores all of the important national news, though. It offers you a solid mix of national and local news stories, making it simple to get all of your news stories in one place. No more switching from app to app to find out what’s happening locally and across the nation. The app is also easy to navigate and use. News Break offers a continuous live feed with a good mix of stories to help you stay on top of breaking news. And, rather than pushing national news stories to the top of the list, your news will be localized based on the cities and metro areas you care about. It takes that “local” focus a step further, too. Not only does News Break offer local news, but it also offers a ton of other local features. You can use it to find local eats, local events, shop openings, traffic, weather, local deals and tons of other local information. It even offers neighborhood watch and local crime reports — which eliminates the need for a neighborhood-based app. You’ll still get access to the national news headlines you want, of course. You just won’t have to wade through the bigger stories to find the news that pertains to you. Because News Break is personalized to your interests, likes and dislikes, you’ll get quick access to the relevant stories that really matter to you. You can also opt into the News Break news alerts, which notify you when there’s local breaking news, trending news and national news. Whether it’s crime updates, election results and coverage, sports updates or local headlines you’re keeping an eye on.
Big plans for the News Break app
The app is about to get even better, too. In early January 2021, the company closed on a new round of funding worth $115 million. It will be used to increase the investments it makes in the local-content ecosystem — both in the U.S. and, for the first time, internationally. The plan is to make the vital local news and information you’re looking for more easily accessible while widening the reach to people worldwide. “Today, more than 30 million app users across the country trust News Break to deliver their breaking neighborhood news,” said Jeff Zheng, CEO at News Break. “With this investment, we plan to significantly grow that number by broadening News Break’s mission to include everything local, delivering the information and services locals everywhere need to feel connected and empowered. We are thrilled to have Francisco Partners by our side as their expertise and financing will support us through this next phase of talent and user growth as we expand into new verticals and geographies.” So, if you’re looking for an app that is easy to navigate, with a streamlined user experience and tons of local and national content, it’s time to download the News Break app. It’s free, simple to use and offers perks that other news apps can’t. What more could you ask for?
