Hourly News

Name: Hourly News
Rating: 4.4 (508 reviews)
Author: Urban Apps

by Urban Apps

iPhone · iPad

Abandoned risk Last checked 31 Jul 2026

App Store ↗

Quick verdict

What it is: Store information collected; independent summary not yet available.
At a glance: $0.99
In-app purchases

Categories and search queries

Official categories

News
Education

AppCorpus categories

Key functions

Function	Availability	Access	Scope	Evidence
In-app purchases	Yes	Limited free	—	Store published

Screens

No screenshots collected yet.

Pricing & paywalls

App Store

Price: $0.99
In-app purchases

Last verified 31 Jul 2026

Ratings & reviews

App Store

4.4 508 ratings · App Store

5/5Works again 🙃
The app stopped working three days ago and I posted about it… working again within two days. 👍🏻 I lost sources I had added myself even though I backed it up to iCloud; also when I added the app to my MacBook Pro prior to that, it did not sync the sources I added on my iPhone. But glad it’s working again nonetheless.

Olafur.Gmail · 31 Jul 2026
3/5Useful app, but: ‘updates’ that disable existing features, & spontaneous playback at awkward times.
A recent update to the app introduced a change that may disappoint longtime users. A key feature — adding custom news sources — now costs $1 per custom source you want to add. This feature had been free until the update. Also, the app sometimes starts playing spontaneously in the background, e.g., during an important meeting or while you’re asleep. To prevent this, force-quit the app when you’re done using it.

Michael Lowry (US) · 31 Jul 2026
5/5By far my most used app
If you follow, the markets are your end of world news, this is totally worth the price. Multiple news outlets and it updates automatically to the most recent news summary that they each put out throughout the day. And the Wall Street Journal Minute updates three times a day. Love the app.

Super G 420 · 31 Jul 2026
5/5Longest used app in a decade
This is the longest and most frequently used app of mind over the last decade. Thank you for creating this. It has opened my world significantly and made me intelligent about most news. One of the stories I listened to helped me make the decision to go to Switzerland and get on the train that goes through the alps in the winter. Beautiful sights. To die for. This app helped me know about something I may never have come across.

Solar1107 · 31 Jul 2026
4/5Handy News Digest.
A convenient way to start the day with your preference of news sources. My only criticism: Updates slow in coming. My version started slipping from one podcast to another, before each was complete(while my Iphone warned that the app version needed to be updated). Eventually, the app must have been updated, because it stopped skipping through the podcasts.

Chilling-Blue-Boy · 31 Jul 2026

Privacy & accessibility

App Store

Privacy

Data Not Linked to You — Analytics — Usage Data — Product Interaction Developer declared
Data Not Linked to You — App Functionality — Diagnostics — Crash Data Developer declared
Data Not Linked to You — App Functionality — Diagnostics — Performance Data Developer declared
Data Not Linked to You — App Functionality — Identifiers — Device ID Developer declared
Data Not Linked to You — App Functionality — Usage Data — Product Interaction Developer declared
Data Not Linked to You — Diagnostics Developer declared
Data Not Linked to You — Identifiers Developer declared
Data Not Linked to You — Usage Data Developer declared

Accessibility

No accessibility labels collected yet.

Versions

App Store

1.0.0
1.1
★ Optimized for the new iPad ★ Better crash reporting ★ Fixed a rare crash on launch ★ Minor UI tweaks
1.2
[ADDED] Added the NPR Hourly News podcast to the app. [ADDED] Added the BBC News Summary podcast to the app. [ADDED] Added the CBC Hourly Edition podcast to the app. [ADDED] Added the FOX 5 Minute Newscast podcast to the app. [ADDED] Added the ABC Hourly Update podcast to the app. [ADDED] Added the CNN Hourly Update podcast to the app. [ADDED] Added a "Play all sources" option that will play all of the sources back-to-back if enabled. [ADDED] Added the ability to re-order sources, or disable them completely [CHANGED] NPR Hourly News has been renamed to simply "Hourly News" because of the addition of multiple news sources. [CHANGED] Previously, Hourly News would play if coming from the iOS home screen, or the lock screen. Now, the sound only plays automatically when opened from the home screen. This will save you from hearing the updates automatically on accident if the app was the last thing you had on screen when the device locked. [FIXED] Fixed a common crash that could occur when loading the app in poorly connected areas.
1.3
[ADDED] Added the CBS Latest Newscast to the app. [ADDED] Added the WSJ Report to the app. [ADDED] Added a help view to show settings button. [FIXED] Fixed the bug where FOX would report update times in the future. [FIXED] Fixed a bug that could cause two feeds to play simultaneously on very slow connections. [FIXED] Fixed a bug that could cause the app to crash in certain scenarios. [FIXED] Fixed a bug that could cause the app to resume playing after a phone call, even if it wasn't playing before the call.
1.3.1
[ADDED] Added ESPN SportsCenter Highlights [ADDED] Added VOA News (Voice of America) [ADDED] Added SRN Hourly News (Salem Radio Network News) [REMOVED] Removed CNN as they stopped publishing their top-of-the-hour podcast. [FIXED] Fixed crashing when a source podcast goes down.
1.3.2
1.3.2 ———————— [FIXED] Fixed the bug preventing international customers from accessing feeds. [FIXED] Fixed a bug where stopping a loading feed would auto-advance to the next feed. [FIXED] Fixed a bug where refreshing feeds could take awhile if a large number of feeds were being used. Plus all the additions of 1.3.1 ———————— [ADDED] Added ESPN SportsCenter Highlights [ADDED] Added VOA News (Voice of America) [ADDED] Added SRN Hourly News (Salem Radio Network News) [REMOVED] Removed CNN as they stopped publishing their top-of-the-hour podcast. [FIXED] Fixed crashing when a source podcast goes down.
1.3.3
[ADDED] Support for iPhone 5 and iPod Touch 5th Generation screen size.
1.4
[FIXED] Fixed a bug where a very slow internet connection could cause the app to crash [FIXED] Fixed a bug where a source that failed to update would prevent all subsequent sources from playing automatically [FIXED] Fixed a bug where multiple sources could play on top of one other [ADDED] Support for lockscreen and Bluetooth news source title [ADDED] Support for Previous/Next remote control events [ADDED] Support for quicklaunch apps (URL scheme: hourlynews://play) [ADDED] Auto-update of news sources from Urban Apps. This means we can add new news podcasts without you having to update the app each time. [ADDED] Announcement system and app news section
1.5
[ADDED] Hourly News now has feeds which are updated daily. You can see the update frequency of your sources from the "Settings" menu. [ADDED] Added Deutsche Welle Radio News 24/7 (Mostly hourly) [ADDED] Added RTHK English News Bulletin (Daily) [ADDED] Added Mule Radio Evening Edition (Daily) [FIXED] Fixed an issue on the iPad where two sliders could appear.
1.6
- Ability to add your own sources to the app. This feature addition is unlocked with a small in-app purchase. - iCloud Sync added for settings and sources. - Lockscreen/Bluetooth audio duration, playlist info and image added. - Miscellaneous minor bugfixes and updates - Full support for iOS 7.
1.6.1
• Bug fixes
1.6.2
◊ Bug fixes
1.6.3
◊ Added an "Exclude Played Episodes" feature that will skip the podcast episode if it has already been heard. ◊ Fixed a bug where the app would crash with no podcast sources enabled and could not be opened again. ◊ Fixed a bug where custom source addition could continually ask for upgrade in some rare cases. ◊ Removed the initial auto-subscription to NPR and BBC podcasts on first launch. ◊ Minor bug fixes and optimizations
1.6.4
1.6.4 ◊ Fix for possible crash on launch with iOS 6 1.6.3 ◊ Added an "Exclude Played Episodes" feature that will skip the podcast episode if it has already been heard. ◊ Fixed a bug where the app would crash with no podcast sources enabled and could not be opened again. ◊ Fixed a bug where custom source addition could continually ask for upgrade in some rare cases. ◊ Removed the initial auto-subscription to NPR and BBC podcasts on first launch. ◊ Minor bug fixes and optimizations
1.6.5
[FIXED] Fixed a bug where custom source addition could ask for upgrade in some rare cases. [FIXED] Minor bug fixes and optimizations
1.6.6
[FIXED] Minor bug fixes and optimizations
1.7.0
• Ready for upcoming iOS versions • Bug fixes and optimizations
1.7.1
• Ready for upcoming iOS versions • Bug fixes and optimizations
1.7.2
• Bug fixes and optimizations
1.7.3 · 24 Jul 2017
This update from Apple will improve the functionality of this app. No new features are included. • Bug fixes and optimizations

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Alternatives

The Free Press — Same category + similar ratings
C-SPAN Now — Same category + similar ratings

Availability by market

Data quality & evidence

Page completeness: Live store listing
Last verified: 31 Jul 2026
Sources: App Store

Independent summary has not been published yet.
Screenshots: not yet collected

Report a correction

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AppCorpus MCP gives your agent current app data, prices, screens, features and sources.

Example prompt

Compare Hourly News with The Free Press.

View JSON

GET /api/v3/apps/493859859

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          "body": "A recent update to the app introduced a change that may disappoint longtime users. A key feature — adding custom news sources — now costs $1 per custom source you want to add. This feature had been free until the update. Also, the app sometimes starts playing spontaneously in the background, e.g., during an important meeting or while you’re asleep. To prevent this, force-quit the app when you’re done using it.",
          "author": "Michael Lowry (US)",
          "date": "31 Jul 2026"
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          "rating": 5,
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          "body": "If you follow, the markets are your end of world news, this is totally worth the price. Multiple news outlets and it updates automatically to the most recent news summary that they each put out throughout the day. And the Wall Street Journal Minute updates three times a day. Love the app.",
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          "author": "Solar1107",
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