Everything you need to know about Apple News+ in 2023
Is the Apple News+ subscription service right for YOU? Here’s what you need to know!
Apple first introduced the Apple News app in 2015 as part of the iOS 9 operating system. The free app served as a news aggregator. Apple News let you follow topics and read articles from across the web in one place: the Apple News app.
But in 2019, Apple expanded the Apple News brand to launch a new service called Apple News+. This new service is now part of a host of Apple subscription services, including Apple Music, Apple TV+ and iCloud+.
In announcing the new service, Lauren Kern, editor-in-chief of Apple News, said at the time:
“We are committed to supporting quality journalism, and with Apple News+, we want to celebrate the great work that magazines and news outlets are doing. We believe the breadth and quality of Apple News+ publications will encourage more people to discover stories and headlines they might never have discovered before.
Lauren Kern
But what exactly is Apple News+ and how does it differ from existing content in the Apple News app? Let’s take a look at the new service.
Apple News+: what is it?
Apple News+ is Apple’s news subscription service. The company describes it as “an immersive magazine and news reading experience” – but what exactly does that mean? Basically, Apple News+ is a Netflix for magazines and newspapers, as well as digital publications, like Vox and The Verge and countless other websites.
Apple News+: How is it different from Apple News?
This is probably what confuses most people. So let’s break it down:
Apple News is the application that contains news articles. The Apple News app is available on iOS, iPadOS and macOS – therefore iPhone, iPad and Mac. With Apple News, you can access tons of online content for free, including from your favorite websites, and follow your favorite topics.
Apple News+ is the subscription service that expands access to the content you can get in the Apple News app. In addition to giving you access to comprehensive magazines and newspaper articles, Apple News+ also includes exclusive audio content, local news, sports coverage from premium content providers, and the ability to share your Apple News+ subscription with members of your family.
Apple News+: what publications are available?
Apple News+ offers access to more than 300 publications to users subscribed to the service. MacStories has a great list many major magazines available on the service, but here are some of the biggest: Entertainment Weekly, ESPN The Magazine, Esquire, Food & Wine, Good Housekeeping, GQ, Health, InStyle, Martha Stewart Living, National Geographic, New York. Magazine, The New Yorker, O, The Oprah Magazine, Parents, People, Real Simple, Rolling Stone, Runner’s World, Sports Illustrated, TIME, Travel + Leisure, Vanity Fair, Vogue, WIRED and Woman’s Day.
And here are some of the biggest newspapers: the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, the Houston Chronicle and the San Francisco Chronicle.
The subscription service also offers access to premium online publications.
Apple News+: what devices does it work on?
Apple News+ works on any Mac running macOS 10.14.4 or later and any iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch running iOS 12.2 or later. So it works on Macs, iPhones, iPads and iPod touches. Apple News is also available on the Apple Watch.
Apple News+: how much does it cost?
Apple News+ is available in the United States for $9.99 per month. You also get it as part of the “Premier” Apple One subscription plan, which costs $32.99 per month. Users can also sign up for a free one-month trial of the service in the Apple News app. And currently, Apple is offering three free months of Apple News+ when you buy a new iPhone, iPad, or Mac.
Apple News+: what’s happening to the old Apple News app?
Nothing! The old Apple News app you know and love still works the same and delivers the same free content you’ve always loved. But now, if you subscribe to Apple News+, you’ll have access to the all-new content mentioned above.
Michael Grothaus
Apple expert and novelist Michael Grothaus has been covering technology on KnowYourMobile for nearly 10 years. Before that, he worked at Apple. And before that, he was a film journalist. Michael is a published author; his book Epiphany Jones was voted one of the best novels about Hollywood by Entertainment Weekly. Michael is also a writer for other publications, including VICE and Fast Company.
