WCVB NewsCenter 5 - Boston

• Free

Last verified 30 Aug 2026

4.6 15510 ratings · App Store

1. 5/5News Items are timely, but . . .

   This app always has great, timely news & weather stories. Although some of the other tabs can have stories that are more informative and not necessarily daily, the Entertainment tab should not be one of them. I like checking this app out daily, but more often than not, the Entertainment portion has not been updated in several days. There are times I start to watch the news on television and see a tease that I am interested in watching, but somehow miss it. I wish every story you broadcast could be easily searched (and found) on the app.

   aliwalter22 · 30 Aug 2026

2. 3/5I like the app,but the ads are excessive!

   I've been watching their news since I was a teenager, long before it became WCVB. I always liked their format, and the news people. So, when the app came out, it was a no-brained to download it. And, I like the notices I get on my iPad to breaking news. It's gone through several updates over the years, but they all had one thing in common, too many ads! I understand that they need to make money, but there are WAY too many ads. Every time I want to read an article, I need to watch an ad! Ridiculous! I like the weather, too, and being able to check the radar when storms are coming. But, I don't use it as much as I would because of the ads. I can get the news and weather from other places without all the ads. It's just TOO MUCH for too little.

   Opinion02122 · 30 Aug 2026

3. 2/5Still needs work...lots of work

   Okay, so you use this app to get the “local” news, etc., but it’s still not user friendly. I still remember the old app as preferable in many ways, but now we have this. It leaves a lot to be desired. How many enjoy watching a 30 second ad to see a 20 second video? Not me. I get the 15 second ad, but the big boy news apps let you back out after 15 seconds if the ad is longer. Basically, if I see an ad over 15 seconds, I don’t watch it or the video...lose, lose. And maneuvering is still not very good. If you want to go back, you don’t end up where you started and need to work at finding the articles you were planning to read as next in sequence. If that sounds confusing, it is. Again, this site gives you the news and weather, but it could be so much better.

   The Real Little Rascal · 30 Aug 2026

4. 3/5Ads are constantly in reruns

   I downloaded the app because I love Channel 5. Even though we are from the Fall River area, we have been watching its news programs regularly ever since our son went to Boston University in 1995. I like the latest iteration of this app ( I hated the slide shows of the earlier version), but there is one feature that I find extremely annoying. I wouldn’t mind watching an ad prior to watching a newscast, or watching the commercials on the newscast, but I do not want to watch the same ad repeatedly in one session. When I am watching a newscast, the app pauses (presumably when the show goes to commercials) but before the next story starts, poof! There’s the same ad. And it’s a long time before I can skip it and get back to the news. Please stop this practice.

   Ads in reruns · 30 Aug 2026

5. 5/5Exceptional news service but the app is drenched in advertising

   I’ve been a faithful viewer of WCVB for many years. The news is first rate, the anchors exceptional and it’s always my go to for weather. The app is generally favorable but the number and the placement of the advertising is off putting. I often get frustrated and just click out. I most often go here to watch the weather forecast video but I’m always forced to watch an ad first. It’s too much. I do wish there was a bit more coverage of national news issues, despite it being a locally based program.

   TGrrl222 · 30 Aug 2026

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