Knowledge Base

What is Apple News?

Apple News is an application that aggregates news and feature content from publishers, available on devices with iOS, macOS and watchOS operating systems. That’s Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Apple Watch.

Stories from publishers are presented in ‘Channels’ and in a stream of stories where all manner of publications sit side by side.

When a person opens Apple News, they are presented with a ‘Today’ view containing Top Stories, Trending Stories and articles categorised by topic plus story suggestions labelled “For You”. “For You” stories tend to be based on topics and publications the reader is interested in. These recommendations are made by an Apple News algorithm.

There are now 1.5 billion active Apple devices around the world, and according to Apple’s CEO Tim Cook, some 5 billion articles are read on Apple News each month, by around 125 million active users in the UK, US, Australia and Canada.

Stories are published to Apple News directly from a publisher’s website, with either all stories or a selection of stories appearing on the platform. Our system, FlatPlan, handles the delivery of these stories – so when a journalist pushes a story live in a CMS it appears on Apple News either automatically, or when they choose for it to appear. Articles appear within the app in “Apple News Format” – a type of code that presents articles in customised designs, optimised for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac. Unlike Apple News+, Apple’s paid subscription service, Apple News is free to consumers. Monetisation for the free product comes through advertising that publishers can traffic, and Apple allow for native content to delivered by publishers. Paywalled publications can integrate with Apple News, with Apple handling payments. .

Next steps...

No matter what stage you're at in your discovery of Apple News, we'll help you get the information you need to make the right decision for your media business.

  1. Are you an existing Apple News publisher?
    Our expert team can audit your existing Apple News channel to ensure your integration is stable, determine how optimised your channel is, and provide recommendations that will help you make the most of your setup. Book a free audit now.
  2. Looking to integrate Apple News with your media business?
    Leading publishers use FlatPlan to grow their media business by leveraging the power of Apple News. With help from reader engagement tools, we help publishers reach new readers, nurture them into loyal followers and then funnel them to first-party data strategies on owned properties. Book a free consultation now.
  3. Still learning about Apple News?
    We're always providing insider knowledge and expert advice to our network of publishers. If you want to access that same material, head over to our Article pages, download our free Guide to Apple News eBook or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
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