Why I Started Using Apple News Again

For a while I read in Apple News every day, and then I didn't. It wasn't a conscious decision. I just stopped opening the app as frequently. I moved it into a folder, and eventually, I stopped opening it altogether. Looking back, I can see why it happened.

Why I Stopped

I tested the beta version of Apple News extensively, and when it had been officially released, I used the app daily for months. Then I stopped completely. I stopped because, at the time, my wonderful RSS reader, Reeder, offered a better experience.

Some of the best benefits of Apple News are also true of RSS. Both are miles better than the mobile web because they don't have atrocious popups, autoplay videos or other terrible ads.

But when Apple News was first released, all but a handful of sites sent their content over RSS, and much of what I read daily in Reeder wasn't available in Apple News. It was pretty much an RSS reader with less available content. I was using two apps to read what I'd read in just one for years.

Why I Started Again

I opened Apple News for the first time in many months because some friends from Twitter suggested I do so, and I launch the app daily now because it offers a better experience than the mobile web and even my beloved Reeder.

  1. There is so much content available in Apple News. It started with a decent selection, but over time, more big names and even smaller sites have added support.
  2. Most content uses Apple News Format. This gives publishers way more control over the way their content looks than RSS does. It's just a better reading experience.

These two simple reasons got me to take the plunge. Reeder has been removed from my phone. Now I use Apple News for most of my news reading.

For those of you wondering, there are a few places I get content other than Apple News (Twitter, Slack, Mailing Lists), I save that to Instapaper and read it there.