Complete guide to Apple News on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS

Apple News is a built-in app available on new iPhones running iOS 17 and earlier OS versions. The application is similarly found on recent iPads and Macs, so your preferences will sync across your iCloud devices. And while this app offers a paid Apple subscription service called News+, it actually functions just fine without a membership. To learn more about the Apple News app on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, read on.

Today

The Today tab is where users typically spend time the most. It offers a personalized feed compiling fresh articles from sources and topics you're interested in. So you get to scroll through endless headlines and read the articles the algorithm has picked for you. If a headline appeals to you, simply click on it to read the article. You also get to bookmark, share, upvote, and downvote the articles you read. By up/downvoting an article, the algorithm will try to surface articles that better match your interests.

News+

The second tab is News+, where you get to read some premium content from newspapers and magazines if you're a paying subscriber. Apple News+ is one of the many subscription services offered by the company for $9.99/month. It grants you access to over 300 titles, including The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, The Times of London, People, Vanity Fair, and National Geographic. Notably, though, while News+ reduces the number of ads across the News app, it doesn't eliminate them completely. So even as a paying subscriber, you might still see ads between and inside articles.

The News+ tab has five main sections. The first, For You, includes recommendations you might be interested in. Then there's My Magazines, which houses the titles you've followed. Followed by that, you get Downloaded, which lists the titles you've downloaded locally for offline viewing. You then get the Newspapers and Catalog sections, where you get to view or follow the magazines and newspapers included in your subscription.

Sports

The third tab houses news and schedules revolving around different kinds of sports. These include soccer, golf, tennis, and more. You can optionally filter your feed based on a specific sport, and you may come across Apple TV links to watch certain games live in the TV app. What's really great about the Sports tab is that you get to optionally select your favorite trams, and the app will present you with relevant highlights, news, and other forms of information you could be interested in.

Audio

The fourth tab, Audio, houses audio stories that you can listen to as a News+ subscriber. It's ideal for those who want to check the news while driving or multitasking and can't or don't want to read really long articles. At the top, you will find editors' picks, followed by fresh stories that the algorithm believes you're interested in. If you scroll to the very bottom, you will get to browse over a dozen different topics and genres to find something specific to listen to. It's worth noting that the Audio tab is only available on iOS. So iPadOS 17 and macOS Sonoma users will miss out on it. Nonetheless, Audio stories are typically available as articles that you can read on any of your Apple devices.

Following

The fifth tab, Following, is where you get to view your bookmarked articles, reading history, and a list of topics and publications you've followed. Towards the very bottom, you also get to manage email and push notification preferences, in addition to discovering channels you haven't already followed. By tapping on a certain channel or topic, you get to view the latest articles published under it. You can also unfollow a certain source by swiping on it in that same tab.

Furthermore, you will find a Puzzles section in this tab that includes crossword and crossword mini puzzles for News+ subscribers. Apple typically adds new ones every day, so you can always play fresh puzzles. Expectedly, your progress syncs across your connected devices, so you can start a puzzle on your iPhone and finish it on your iPad.

Lastly, at the very top, you will find a search bar. Through it, you get to search for channels, topics, and articles. Just type the keywords, and a list of relevant results will appear. You can then read the listed articles or view/follow the relevant channels and topics included. The search functionality in Apple News isn't as accurate or useful as Google Search, but it's still a valid feature if you know what you're looking for.

Bottom line

While Apple News on iOS and iPadOS may be perceived as a complex app, it actually is quite easy to navigate once you learn its basics. Ultimately, a large number of users can stick solely to the Today tab once they follow their favorite topics and channels. And the great thing about the News+ paid subscription is that it's shared with the rest of your iCloud Family members. So the entire family can enjoy the premium experience for just $9.99/month.