SmartNews
by SmartNews, Inc. · News & Magazines · News Aggregators
Discover quality news from both sides of the political spectrum with AI-curated content from 500+ sources.
Quick Answer: SmartNews has a verified Real Score of 3.7/5 based on 44,500 verified reviews, compared to its App Store rating of 4.6/5. Mixed reviews from verified users.
Real Score vs App Store Rating
App Store Rating
Includes unverified reviews
Verified Real Score
Based on 44,500 verified reviews
Gap Alert: SmartNews's App Store rating is 0.9 points higher than its verified Real Score. This suggests that some store reviews may be inflated by fake or incentivized ratings.
Pros & Cons
What Users Love
- Shows both left and right perspectives
- Smart Mode reduces data usage
- Fast loading articles
- Good local news coverage
Common Complaints
- Some clickbait content slips through
- Ad-heavy experience
- Algorithm can be slow to learn preferences
- Less established brand
Verified Reviews (20)
Both sides of the story
SmartNews actually shows perspectives from both left and right-leaning sources. The political balance is something no other news app does this well.
Local news is surprisingly good
The local news section is better than most aggregators. Pulls from local newspapers and outlets that Google News ignores. Great for community news.
Ads are excessive
The number of ads between articles is too high. Every 3-4 stories theres a full ad. Makes the reading experience feel like navigating an ad maze.
Smart Mode is perfect for slow connections
The Smart Mode that caches articles for fast loading even on slow connections is brilliant. Perfect for commuters on spotty cellular.
Coupon and deals channel is unexpected
The deals and coupons channel is an unexpected bonus. Finding actual savings alongside my news reading is a nice surprise.
Quality varies significantly
Some sources are great journalism, others are borderline clickbait. The quality consistency across sources needs better curation.
Broke my filter bubble
SmartNews exposed me to credible news sources I wouldnt have chosen myself. Has genuinely broadened my perspective on issues. Important in todays divided world.
Algorithm takes time to learn
The personalization was terrible at first - showing me things I dont care about. After 2 weeks of use it got much better. Give it time.
Offline reading is great
Articles cached for offline reading load instantly. The offline experience is seamless. No loading screens or broken images.
Tab organization is clean
The channel tabs for different topics keep things organized. Easy to switch between politics, sports, tech, and entertainment. Clean navigation.
Not as well known as it should be
SmartNews is better than many more popular news apps but doesnt get the recognition. The balance of perspectives alone makes it worth trying.
Election coverage was balanced
During the election, SmartNews provided genuinely balanced coverage. Seeing both sides perspectives side by side was valuable for informed voting.
Some channels are too niche
The channel selection ranges from useful to weird. Do I need a dedicated channel for "Celebrity Gossip"? The focus should be on quality news channels.
Fast and lightweight
The app is fast, lightweight, and doesnt drain battery. In contrast to some news apps that are resource hogs, SmartNews is efficient.
Breaking news is quick
Gets breaking news notifications quickly and accurately. On par with CNN and BBC for major story alerts. Good for staying on top of events.
Source credibility indicator needed
Would love a credibility or bias indicator next to each source. Help readers understand the perspective theyre getting. Transparency about sources.
Weather integration is handy
Having weather information alongside news in one lightweight app is convenient. One less app to check in the morning. Efficient information delivery.
Good for news diet diversity
If you want to break out of your news bubble, SmartNews is the tool. It deliberately surfaces different viewpoints. Healthy for democratic discourse.
Content isnt always fresh
Sometimes see articles that are a day or two old mixed with fresh content. The timeliness of the feed could be improved. Want todays news today.
Sleeper hit news app
Downloaded it on a whim and its now my primary news app. The balance, speed, and local coverage won me over. Underrated and deserves more users.
Showing 1-20 of 12,847 reviews
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Last updated: April 2026