The BBC has unveiled a redesigned News app, which has seen 1.5 million downloads since its launch last Friday. It is designed to offer a personalised approach, combining top and most-watched stories with a set of personally selected or recommended topics, chosen from a range of over 50,000 subjects.
The My News section can be used to customise content: by choosing to follow topics from within an article, through a list of suggested topics based on what they’ve read or via a search box, users can collate stories of interest, listed either chronologically or by topic.
The new app offers a wider range of content from the BBC’s network of journalists from around the globe, and access to the BBC’s full international range of images, audio and video for the first time.
Other features include: mobile-first video designed specifically for digital platforms, live BBC World Service radio, most-read and most-watched sections, onward journeys to related articles and video, photo galleries and full-screen images, along with support for Android wearables and the Apple Watch.
“Smart and discerning audiences are increasingly demanding tailored news at the swipe of a screen, and our mission is to ensure they always have instant access to the stories that matter to them most,” said Richard Porter, digital and editorial director for BBC Global News. “The launch of the new app is the latest development in a steady stream of innovative BBC News initiatives which have completely redefined the digital experience across apps, mobile, desktop and social.”
The BBC first launched its News app in 2010. Today, more than 50 per cent of users consume BBC News on mobile and tablet, up from 12 per cent in 2012. The BBC News has received 40 million downloads since it launched, and users in around 200 countries and territories globally. The international version has seen tremendous growth over the past 18 months, with page views up 44 per cent to nearly half a billion per month.
