About EL PAÍS
I downloaded the EL PAÍS app because my boss asked me to start tracking Spanish business news for a project. I figured I’d use it for a week and then forget about it. A month later, I’m still opening it most mornings. It just became my go-to for a different perspective than my usual news apps. I don’t speak perfect Spanish, but reading the articles has honestly helped me get better. It’s more than just a work tool now, which I didn’t expect at all.
Features & Highlights
The best part is the “Edición Impresa.” It’s the whole newspaper, laid out just like the print version. Last Sunday, I was scrolling through it on my couch and it felt like I’d picked up a paper in Madrid. That’s cool. I also set up “My Topics” to focus on Economy and Technology, and it actually listens. My main feed isn’t clogged with sports I don’t care about. Being able to download articles is a lifesaver for my commute on the Tube when the signal drops. The bookmarking is simple and works every time I want to save a long article for later.
User Experience
It mostly just works. Opening the app is fast on my OnePlus 11. Reading articles is clean and easy. But man, the ads can be jarring. Sometimes a full-screen video ad blasts out when you’re just trying to catch up on headlines. It feels cheap. I’ve also had it freeze on me twice, both times when I was trying to open one of those photo slideshows in an article. Had to close the app and restart. The notifications were a mess. I turned on breaking news alerts and my phone wouldn’t stop buzzing about things that didn’t feel very “breaking.” I shut those off after a day.
Pricing
It’s free, which is the right price for me. You get a ton of news for nothing. I hit a paywall sometimes, usually on the big investigative pieces or specific columnist opinions. They mark them with a little star. It’s a gentle nudge to subscribe, not a hard block. For my needs—getting the daily news and some deeper business stories—the free version is totally fine. If I was a superfan of a particular writer, I might feel differently, but I’m not.
Updates & Support
The app updates itself pretty often. I see the little notification every few weeks. I had one issue where my bookmarks weren’t syncing to my tablet. I emailed support not really expecting much. They got back to me after a few days, which was slower than I’d like, but the person was actually helpful. They asked for my OS version and walked me through a fix that worked. It wasn’t instant, but they solved the problem.
Security & Privacy
I didn’t dig too deep into this, but nothing feels sketchy. It asks for pretty standard permissions. I let it send notifications (before I turned them off) and that’s about it. I created an account with my email to sync my topics and bookmarks, and I haven’t gotten any weird spam from them. It seems like a normal, legit news app in that regard. I’m not worried about it.
Can I read the full print edition of EL PAÍS in the app?
Yes, the 'Edición Impresa' feature gives you the entire newspaper laid out exactly like the print version. It's great for getting that authentic Madrid newspaper feel right on your phone or tablet.
How do I customize my news feed to only see topics I care about?
Use the 'My Topics' feature to select specific areas like Economy or Technology. The app will then prioritize those topics in your main feed and filter out content you're not interested in, like sports.
The app keeps freezing when I open photo slideshows. What can I do?
This is a known issue with the photo slideshow feature. If the app freezes, try force-closing it and reopening. The developers may fix this in a future update, so keep your app version current.
How do I stop the app from sending too many annoying notifications?
Turn off breaking news alerts in the app's notification settings if you find them overwhelming. You can also adjust or disable notifications entirely from your phone's system settings for a quieter experience.
How does EL PAÍS compare to a general news app like Google News for Spanish business coverage?
EL PAÍS gives you in-depth, original reporting from a respected Spanish newspaper, while Google News aggregates headlines from many sources. If you want a focused, authoritative perspective on Spanish business and politics, EL PAÍS is the better choice.
