Apple News+

In a press release, Apple today highlighted that post the iOS 12.3 and macOS 10.14.5 update, Apple News+ subscribers can directly follow publications they like. Any new issues and titles from the publications they follow will automatically be downloaded for offline reading as well.

The press release also quotes Eddy Cue and says that Apple has received great feedback from hundreds of publishers who are on Apple News+. Cue also says that Apple has hundreds of people working across its editorial, engineering, marketing, and design team to further improve the Apple News+ experience.

“We’ve heard a lot of great feedback from the hundreds of publishers available in Apple News+. The latest updates to Apple News+ aim to best showcase their incredible journalism and put the most trusted news sources at readers’ fingertips,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “Apple News+ customers are very engaged readers, with most visiting the News app daily. Hundreds of people at Apple, across editorial, engineering, marketing and design teams, are working to make Apple News+ the best experience for people who love reading their favorite titles and discovering new stories.”

If you have already updated your iPhone or iPad to iOS 12.3, you should see a new follow button on the cover of every magazine. Tapping it will add the publication to your catalog so you can easily follow them.

The press release from Apple also has quotes from many notable publications, including The Highlight by Vox, People, and Harper’s Bazaar. They all praise Apple News+ and state how they can highlight their content and cover on the platform.

Our Take

While the press release from Apple highlights how publishers are liking Apple News+, the initial reception to the service seems to be lukewarm. There’s a lot that Apple can and should do to fix the service as right now paying $9.99/month for Apple News+ does not make much sense. Perhaps by making such small changes to the Apple News+ app, the company is hoping to improve the overall user experience and win more subscribers.

How satisfied are you with Apple News+? Or did you give up on the service after the initial 30-day trial?

[Via Apple]