Brief Summary
This video explores the Apple News app, highlighting its free and paid features, customization options, and recent updates like the puzzles and recipe sections. It discusses navigation, subscription options (News+ and Apple One), sports coverage, and the overall value of the app within the Apple ecosystem.
- The Apple News app has a free and paid version.
- The News+ subscription includes magazines, puzzles, and a recipe catalog.
- The app is customizable, allowing users to tailor their news feeds and toolbar.
Intro: The Apple App You Might Be Ignoring
The presenter introduces the Apple News app as a potentially overlooked gem within the Apple ecosystem. He uses many Apple apps daily, but recently he's been using News app more often, especially with its recent updates. The video aims to explore the News Plus app and explain why it is a hidden gem.
Navigating the Free Version of the News App
The presenter explains how to navigate the free version of the Apple News app. The free version offers a holistic view of news articles from various publications. Articles marked with the News+ logo indicate content that requires a subscription to access fully, but free users can still view snippets.
Customizing the Toolbar on iPad
The Apple News app on iPad has a customizable toolbar at the top. Users can personalize the toolbar by long-pressing and dragging icons for sections like puzzles or food to create quick access shortcuts. This customization helps streamline navigation and keeps the left-hand sidebar out of the way, though it can be easily brought back when needed.
Sidebar Overview: Today, Sports, Puzzles & More
The left-hand sidebar provides access to various sections: Today view, News+ (for subscribers), Sports, Puzzles, Food, and Search. It also includes a library, special coverage, sports content (customizable with favorite teams), channels and topics, and suggested content. A "Manage" section allows users to adjust notifications, family sharing, subscriptions, and discover new channels.
Inside an Article: View, Tools, and Subscriptions
The article view in the News app is designed to be visually appealing and easy to read. Users can subscribe to individual publications directly from the article view, though the presenter considers some individual subscriptions (like Bloomberg at $34.99/month after a free trial) to be overpriced. Articles can be liked or disliked to improve curation, and the font size can be adjusted for better readability. Additional options include bookmarking, sharing, copying the link, following or blocking the channel, managing notifications, and reporting concerns.
News+ Subscription: Article Previews & Pricing
The News+ subscription costs $12.99 per month and unlocks a dedicated dashboard with various features. The News+ dashboard provides access to magazines, which can be downloaded for offline reading. The dashboard also offers newspapers and catalogs, presenting a realistic view of magazine layouts.
News+ Dashboard: Magazines, Downloads & Layout
The News+ dashboard provides access to magazines, which can be downloaded for offline reading, similar to features in Apple TV and YouTube Premium. The dashboard also offers newspapers and catalogs, presenting a realistic view of magazine layouts. Magazines are organized by issue and topic (e.g., health, animals, history for National Geographic). The layout adapts based on the publication being viewed.
Sports Coverage: Stories, Highlights & Team Feeds
The sports section offers news stories, highlights, and team-specific content. While the dedicated sports app is better for real-time scores, the News app provides in-depth stories from publications like The Athletic and USA Today. Users can find top headlines, team highlights (e.g., Miami Marlins), and a "For You" section with content related to followed leagues (e.g., NFL, NHL). Individual team pages (e.g., Miami Heat, Miami Dolphins) provide curated articles and publications.
Puzzle Section: Crosswords, Sudoku & Leaderboards
The puzzle section is a relatively new addition, featuring crosswords, minis, quartiles, and Sudoku. The section integrates with Game Center, displaying leaderboards and allowing users to compete with friends. The puzzles are designed to mimic the experience of playing on paper, with a clean and intuitive UI.
Food & Recipe Catalog: Cooking with Built-In Timers
The food section includes food news related to health, fitness, and wellness, as well as a recipe catalog accessible to News+ subscribers. The recipe catalog allows users to search for and filter recipes, with a visually appealing UI. Each recipe provides an overview, ingredients, directions, and built-in timers. The "cook" mode offers a streamlined view with bolded ingredients and highlighted timers, resembling Apple Music lyrics. Users can save recipes for later access.
Pricing Breakdown: Free vs 12.99 vs Apple One
The Apple News app offers a free version with curated stories. A News+ subscription costs $12.99 per month and unlocks additional features like magazines, puzzles, and the recipe catalog, with a one-month free trial available. Alternatively, News+ is bundled with Apple One Premiere for $37.95 per month, which includes other Apple services like iCloud+, Apple TV+, Apple Music, and Apple Arcade.
Final Thoughts: Is News+ Worth It?
The presenter concludes that the Apple News Plus application is more robust than people think. The unbiased news and added features like the recipe tab and gaming features are welcome, especially for those who use Apple One. There are different ways to use News+: free, paid, and bundled.
