Apple's made some big changes to the News app over the past few years. In iOS 10 it got a complete interface redesign. in iOS 11 we got Top Stories and the Spotlight tab, which is content curated by Apple's editorial staff. With iOS 12 on the horizon, Apple unveiled some of its new plans for the News app.
What's new in iOS 12 for the News app?
Mar. 25, 2019: Apple launches News+ subscription service
Apple has announced News+, a new subscription model for Apple News. With a News+ subscription, you'll gain access to over 300 magazines, and there will be support for digital subscriptions to premium newspapers, like the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Vulture, The Star, and more.
Some of the digital magazines will also have animated covers, bringing your experience to an entirely new level. Some magazines that are part of the News+ subscription include: National Geographic, Rolling Stone, Time, The New Yorker, WIRED, Popular Science, Bon Appetit, Sports Illustrated, People, VOGUE, and many more. We have a full list of supported magazine titles if you want to check for your favorites.
News+ launches today, Mar. 25, 2019, in the U.S. and Canada. You'll need to update to iOS 12.2 to get the updated News app, which is required to access News+. Apple plans to bring News+ to Australia and the UK later in the year, along with more support for European countries.
Apple News+ costs $10 USD or $13 CAD a month. There is currently a promotion where you can get the first month for free if you sign up. Your News+ subscription can also use Family Sharing at no additional cost. This means you and your family can share a News+ subscription, and everyone on the Family plan will have their own favorites and personalized feeds.
News+ is a separate subscription. You can still continue to use Apple News for free with Top News and curated For You feeds.
June 4, 2018: Apple unveils updates to News app in iOS 12, adds support for Mac in Mojave
At WWDC 2018, Apple announced some minor user interface changes coming to iPhone and iPad with iOS 12.
There's going to be a new tab called "Browse" which will enable you to find new topics, channels, and news you may not already be reading.
The News app on iPad will also get a new sidebar with some extra information so you can dig into channels you're interested in.
The Stocks app will also have some integration with Apple News. In the Stocks app, you'll find business and finance news specifically for stocks you follow.
The biggest news in News is that it's coming to macOS. In macOS Mojave, you'll get the same experience as you do on iPad thanks to the universal framework Apple is testing, which allows porting of iOS apps to macOS.
March 27, 2017 Top Stories get the celebrity treatment
In iOS 11.2.6 The For You would vary the content at the top of the page, depending on whether you'd accessed the app that day or not. Now, Top Stories will always be at the top of the page in the For You tab. That way, breaking and important news will be the first thing you see every time.
Videos get some love
It's not just millennials. We're all accustomed to getting our news in short, easy to digest bites. Videos make it much easier for us to get through big news stories and now, Apple has made it much easier for us to find those videos with the Today's Videos and Must-See Videos sections.
about a quarter of the way down your For You tab, under Trending Stories, you'll see the new section, delineated in dark gray. It stands out. You won't miss it.
If you don't care to see this section, tap the Dislike button to hide it from your For You news roll.
Anything we missed?
Are there any major or minor changes to the News app that you caught? Drop them in the comments. It's always fun to discover what Apple secretly springs on us.
March 2019: Updated with information on News+ subscription service.
