Last week at its annual I/O developer conference, Google unveiled its new AI-powered “Google News” application. Replacing the neglected Newsstand service from Google, and seen as a direct competitor to the Apple News app, Google News is now available on the App Store…
Google News relies heavily on the data it already has about you, paired with artificial intelligence. This means that once you download the app and sign-in with your Google account, Google News will already be populated with stories and headlines it thinks you will care about.
In the app, the “For You” tab houses a rundown of stories that Google thinks you’ll be interested in. For me, this ranged from some political news to technology and sports.
Meanwhile, the “Headlines” feature serves as way to quickly skim through the biggest news of the day. You can sort by the latest stories, as well as topics such as business, technology, sports, science, entertainment, and health.
In the “Favorites” tab you can add specific topics, sources, and locations that you’re interested in. This, in turn, will show you the top content from the criteria you select.
Finally, the Newsstand tab lets you see a magazine-like interface for specific publications, such as CNN, Fox News, The New York Times, Reuters, and more.
Here’s how Google describes the new application:
With Google News, you’ll see:
Your briefing – It can be nearly impossible to keep up with every story you care about. With your briefing, easily stay in the know about what’s important and relevant to you. Your briefing updates throughout the day bringing you the top five stories you need to know, including local, national, and world content.
Full coverage – Understand the full context on any story with just a tap. Google News gives you everything online about a story and organizes it for you – highlighting different perspectives, a timeline of key events, FAQs, important people, and more.
Credible sources – Find quality content from a diverse set of credible publishers and discover sources you haven’t heard of before.
Stories, for you – Keep up with what’s happening on the topics you care about, whether that’s travel, politics, sports, tech, or fashion.
Google News for iOS comes at a time when Apple is putting an increasingly heavy focus on its own Apple News app. The company recently published its first “Apple News Exclusive” piece, while its hiring trends suggest that the focus on editorial is only just beginning.
The Google News app is available for both iPhone and iPad on the App Store.