AppCorpus
Market US

The Observer: News & podcasts

by Tortoise

iPhone · iPad

Active Last checked 7 Aug 2026

Quick verdict

What it is
Store information collected; independent summary not yet available.
At a glance
  • From $6.99/mo
  • Free to download
  • In-app purchases

Categories and search queries

Official categories

AppCorpus categories

Key functions

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

Screens

App Store

25 store screenshots

The Observer: News & podcasts ipad screenshot 1
The Observer: News & podcasts ipad screenshot 2
The Observer: News & podcasts ipad screenshot 3
The Observer: News & podcasts ipad screenshot 4

Pricing & paywalls

App Store

  • Monthly Digital Membership — $6.99/month
  • Monthly Digital Membership — $113.99/year ($9.49/mo)
  • The Observer — $14.99
  • The Observer — $149.99

Ratings & reviews

App Store

4.7 211 ratings · App Store

  1. 5/5Making sense of news in the age of disinformation

    I love this app and their journalism. I have listened to many podcasts and am always impressed with the quality of reporting. The News Meeting is perfect for my walk back from the gym. I love that they keep an eye on stories in the world that the rest of the news media has pivoted away from covering despite nothing being resolved. I also love the podcasts on particular stories. I found the podcasts because of the Neil Gaiman story and just started another on a spiritual life counselor (I do not really know what to call her) that manipulated and abused her patients. I will be sharing the content with friends and family.

    Funngurll · 7 Aug 2026

  2. 2/5Audio Walled Garden

    I’m a former Tortoise subscriber and an avid podcast listener. I have a great podcast app set up exactly as I like it. It has numerous features I value. But Tortoise is busy erecting an audio walled garden. If I want to listen to Tortoise podcasts using my subscriber benefits (early and ad free listening) I am forced to listen in the pared down audio player offered by the Tortoise app. Why can’t I access my subscriber benefits via an RSS link in my podcast player of choice? Other publications make this easy for subscribers - the Economist is a great example. But Tortoise foists a substandard experience on its subscribers and expects me to now juggle multiple apps to accomplish my podcast listening. I cancelled my subscription and Tortoise has lost the subscription revenue. If matters change I would resubscribe. But the current state of affairs shows a disrespect for listeners’ workflows and time.

    OzMik · 7 Aug 2026

  3. 5/5What the world needs...

    I am, as many others are I presume, time poor. I don’t have time for the barrage of news that interrupts my day. All contradicting itself. I need a well-informed friend to tell me what’s what, in just the right amount of detail so that I actually learn something instead of superficial fast news that can’t keep up with itself. I only need to know about the stuff that matters. Tortoise is my new digital friend in the know in that respect. An antidote to fake news, and much like noise cancelling headphones amidst the cacophony of media noise. Bravo team. Keep slow and carry on

    Mistershabba · 7 Aug 2026

  4. 5/5Thank you

    One of my favourites, if not favourite podcast. Discovered it whilst browsing to look for great stories and have been listening to Tortoise since. The work of the journalists, producers and everyone involved in getting the stories out are phenomenal. Thank you

    uwu girl 22 · 7 Aug 2026

  5. 3/5Amazing content, disappointing application

    Like most of your customers, I listen to your content in my vehicle. Although it does play when connected through apple carplay, I have no controls and the app is nonexistent on the screen. I have to dangerously use my phone to change programs or unpause or pause the content. What’s more, every time I get a text or any notification, the app stops playing and I have to press play again. This happens on headphones too. This is not a difficult fix, so I hope you guys update it soon!

    Savy444 · 7 Aug 2026

Privacy & accessibility

App Store

Privacy

  • Data Linked to You — Analytics — Identifiers — User ID Developer declared
  • Data Linked to You — Identifiers Developer declared
  • Data Not Linked to You — Analytics — Diagnostics — Crash Data Developer declared
  • Data Not Linked to You — Analytics — Diagnostics — Performance Data Developer declared
  • Data Not Linked to You — Analytics — Identifiers — Device ID Developer declared
  • Data Not Linked to You — Analytics — 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

  • 3.0.10

    Bug fixes and UX enhancements

  • 3.0.11

    Landscape mode for iPad users, ad-free podcast listening for subscribers, and fixes to event ticketing.

  • 3.0.12

    Introduces The Observer print edition PDF experience, located in the Menu; pull down to refresh content on tabs; and bug fixes.

  • 3.0.13

    Fixes an issue with the Print Edition PDF in the Menu and introduces dark mode across all devices.

  • 3.0.14

    Fixes an issue that caused the PDF edition to crash for some users, and introduces improvements to how data graphics are displayed.

  • 3.0.16

    We've made your Sunday print edition PDF more stable, included some analytics to help The Observer improve your app experience through the collection of engagement data, and updated the Consent Management.

  • 3.0.17

    We've improved the account registration journey and fixed links within articles so that they open within the app.

  • 3.0.18

    Introduces a new recipe layout that makes it easier to switch between ingredients and method when cooking; and we've launched two new weekly newsletters - Sport and Politics, delivered direct to you from our newsroom.

  • 3.0.19

    New puzzles to mark the centenary of the cryptic crossword, easier access to the print edition PDF, and a fix for deep-linking podcast episodes.

  • 3.0.20

    Minor bug fixes

  • 3.0.21

    Easy-to-use recipe layouts, improved article layout on iPad, and bug fixes.

  • 3.0.22

    Bug fixes and improvements

  • 3.0.23

    Bug fixes & improvements

  • 3.0.24

    Bug fixes and performance improvements

  • 3.0.25

    Bug fixes and improvements

  • 3.0.27

    Bug fixes and performance updates

  • 3.0.28

    Bug fixes & improvements

  • 3.0.29

    Bug fixes & improvements

  • 3.0.30

    Bug fixes & improvements

  • 3.0.31

    Bug fixes & improvements

  • 3.0.32

    We've upgraded our podcast player so you can resume where you left off, binge whole series with auto-play, alter the playback speed, and skip seamlessly between episodes. Happy listening!

  • 3.0.33

    Bug fixes & improvements

  • 3.0.34

    Bug fixes & improvements

  • 3.0.35

    Podcasts To celebrate the release of We Call Her Emma, we’ve released new audio features including: - Pick-up-where-you-left-off: the podcast player remembers where you’re up to - Ad-free, early-access and exclusive access to podcast series via Apple Podcasts and Spotify as well as in the app Culture Club We’ve launched Culture Club, a programme of benefits for subscribers accessible through the app to allow you to access discounted tickets, events and more from our arts, culture and travel partners Newsletters We’ve launched new newsletters to sign up to from the app (and readable in the app as articles), including Rachel Sylvester on politics, Ben Zaranko on economy, Rory Smith on football, and more.

  • 3.0.36 · 3 Aug 2026

    Bug fixes & improvements

Alternatives

Availability by market

Data quality & evidence

Page completeness
Live store listing
Last verified
7 Aug 2026
Sources
App Store

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