SmartNews

Active

Country: Japan (JP)
Founded: 2012
Developer: SmartNews, Inc.
Pricing: Free
Open source: No
Platforms: iOS, Android

Indexes

RSS Readers

Overview

SmartNews aggregates news articles from major publishers and categorizes them into sections such as Entertainment, Sports, U.S., World, Science, and Social. It delivers curated stories three times a day via push notifications based on an algorithm selecting popular content from the internet, with over 150 official publisher channels worldwide including more than 80 in the US and coverage from 200+ local news sites. The app targets users seeking personalized news feeds and is available to over 40 million readers globally.

Key Features

News Aggregation - Pulls articles from premium publishers like Bloomberg, The Atlantic, and USA Today.
Categorized Channels - Organizes content into sections including Entertainment, Sports, U.S., World, Science, and Social.
Daily Push Notifications - Delivers curated stories three customizable times per day.
Following Tab - Allows adding over 150 publisher channels and local city news.
Account Features - Provides Recently Read list and profile management upon signing in.
Social Media Integration - Aggregates feeds from linked social media accounts.
Local News Coverage - Includes stories from 200+ local news sites.

Pricing

Plan	Price	Includes
Free	Free	Full access to news aggregation, channels, push notifications, and account features.

Platforms & Requirements

Available on iOS via App Store and Android via Google Play Store. No minimum requirements specified beyond standard app store compatibility. No web or desktop versions mentioned.

Integrations & Ecosystem

Social media login for aggregated feeds
Publisher channels from Bloomberg, USA Today, TIME
Local city news channels
Account sync for Recently Read across devices
Email login for profile management

Alternatives

App	Difference
Flipboard	Emphasizes magazine-style layouts and user-created magazines over algorithmic daily pushes.
Google News	Offers broader AI-driven personalization and integration with Google services.
Apple News	Limited to iOS with paid subscriptions for premium content.
Feedly	Focuses on user-selected RSS feeds rather than curated publisher channels.

Reputation

SmartNews is recognized for its fast-loading articles and algorithmic curation delivering relevant daily news briefs to over 40 million users. Strengths include wide publisher coverage and local news focus. Criticisms center on reliance on algorithms potentially limiting diverse viewpoints and occasional delays in profile updates.

Sources (8)