Top 10: Android news reading apps

2018. Microsoft launched AI-based news reading app Hummingbird



Microsoft has recently introduced a new AI news app for Android called Hummingbird. This app allows users to create an account using their Hotmail or LinkedIn email address. By logging in, users can benefit from personalized news items that are curated with articles tailored to their interests, thanks to Microsoft's intelligent algorithms. Similar to other AI-powered services, Hummingbird improves its understanding of your preferences the more you engage with it. When you click on an article, it will open in its original site, but you will still have access to the Hummingbird title bar when in reading mode, allowing you to easily return to the app's main page. The app also offers options to mute specific genres of news sources, ensuring that your feed remains focused on your interests, such as technology reviews or books. Additionally, you have the option to share content on social media platforms if there's something you're particularly enthusiastic about.


2017. News reading app Feedly gets filters


The popular RSS reader Feedly has introduced a new feature called Filters, which enables users to automatically remove specific stories from their feeds based on custom-defined rules. These filters work alongside your feeds to shield you from time-consuming memes and prioritize the content that matters most to you. While reading, you can easily create a Mute Filter. For instance, if you come across a story that you no longer wish to see similar content, simply select a keyword or phrase using your mouse and choose "Mute this phrase" from the menu. It's important to note that Filters are exclusively available in the paid versions of Feedly, starting at $5 per month.

2016. Instapaper premium goes free for all users



The Premium version of the news reading app Instapaper is now available for free to all users. Following its acquisition by Pinterest in August, Instapaper continues to operate as a separate entity and receives updates from the dedicated Instapaper team at Pinterest. With the backing of a larger organization and its abundant resources, Instapaper can now focus more on user acquisition and engagement without the immediate need for monetization. Instapaper was one of the pioneers of the "save it for later" concept, enabling users to hold onto long-form content instead of simply skipping over it and missing out. It gained significant popularity as an early iPhone application and consistently ranked highly in the App Store's news category. However, the competition in this space, particularly from companies like Pocket, has been increasing, posing challenges for Instapaper's growth.


2015. Japan’s news reading app SmartNews expands globally



A Japanese alternative to Flipboard, SmartNews, has secured $10 million in funding to expand its presence in the United States. The company's founders attribute SmartNews' growth partly to the app's unique architecture. While many aggregation services claim to employ intelligent algorithms for recommending articles to users, SmartNews asserts that its algorithms are superior. The recommendations, powered by machine learning, take into account not only the articles users click on but also their browsing behavior, such as pauses within the app. Furthermore, SmartNews analyzes what other users with similar interests read and pause near, leveraging a vast collection of articles. This approach allows SmartNews to present users with a user-friendly interface showcasing relevant content they might be interested in reading.


2014. News reader Google Currents rebranded to Google Play Newsstand



Google's magazine-like news reading iOS app, Google Currents, is undergoing a redesign and introducing several new features to compete with platforms like Flipboard. One notable addition is the ability to subscribe to specific topics of interest, in addition to subscribing to publishers, blogs, and RSS feeds. Alongside these updates, the app is being rebranded as Google Play Newsstand, aligning with the name change on Android devices. The redesigned iOS Newsstand app includes a revamped top-level navigation system, offering various categories to facilitate managing subscriptions and accessing preferred news content. These categories include a "Read Now" section, guiding users to articles and editions from their current subscriptions, a "My Library" section listing their Newsstand subscriptions, and a "Topics" feature that enables subscriptions to specific areas of interest.


2013. LinkedIn acquired Pulse. Wants to become the primary source of business news


News-reading has become the hot topic after Google's announcement about the death of Google Reader, and it's likely that in the coming months we'll hear a lot of loud news from this market. The first has come from the business-oriented social network LinkedIn that is buying (for $90 million) the mobile news reader Pulse. If you don't know how Pulse works - watch the video. When you first start it - it asks to choose your topics of interest, and then immediately shows you the top news on these topics from the most popular sources. Then you can configure your own news pages and add the sites you want to track. The feed selection is not so flexible as in RSS-reader, but you'll get more pictures and have to think less. Pulse generally takes the news from the same RSS feeds, which it finds on the sites. Pulse alternative news apps are Flipboard, Instapaper and Google Currents. And of course, the question is - why LinkedIn needs it? ***