SmartNews: News That Matters
How does SmartNews personalize my news feed, and can I customize which topics I see?
SmartNews lets you pick interests like politics, tech, or local events to tailor your feed. However, the algorithm may occasionally show unrelated content, like celebrity gossip, and you cannot permanently hide specific sources or topics.
Can I read articles offline in SmartNews, and how does that work?
Yes, SmartNews offers offline reading—you can save articles while you have signal, like on a subway, and read them later without an internet connection. This feature works reliably on devices like the Galaxy A54 and is great for commutes.
Why does SmartNews keep asking for my location, and can I still get good local news without enabling it?
SmartNews prompts you to turn on location services for 'better local news,' but you can keep it off if you're concerned about privacy. Even without location, the app still delivers relevant local news based on your general area.
How can I deal with the full-screen video ads that pop up while reading articles?
SmartNews is free and supported by ads, including full-screen video ads that appear every few articles and some disguised as news stories. There is no paid tier to remove them, so your only option is to close the ad when it appears or consider using a different news app.
How does SmartNews compare to other free news apps like Google News in terms of privacy and data collection?
SmartNews collects your location, device info, and browsing data, with a vague privacy policy on data retention, and makes money through ads and data sharing. Google News also uses data for personalization but offers clearer privacy controls and a more transparent policy, making it a better choice if data privacy is your top concern.
