Apple News+ is absolutely worth paying $13 for

Spring has officially arrived, and I recently decided it would be a great time to do some spring-cleaning of all my subscription services, assessing which ones I need and what to cancel. While most of these services are streaming platforms (like Netflix and Disney+), there’s one in particular that isn’t — and I quickly realized I can’t live without it anymore. That service is Apple News+.

It’s no secret that a lot is happening in the world right now, and I’ve found Apple News+ to be the best way to keep up with everything in this constantly evolving 24/7 news cycle. Apple News first launched in 2015, and over the last decade, the app has changed a lot. It has added new features like a dedicated sports tab and expanded to countries other than the US, like Canada, the UK, and Australia.

Apple News+ costs $13 per month, or you can get it with an Apple One subscription, which varies in cost. Here are five reasons I can’t bring myself to cancel Apple News+ and why you may want to consider subscribing.

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5 Access to paywalled news articles

Read whatever you want

Apple / Pocket-lint

The main advantage of Apple News+ is that the subscription grants you access to paywalled news articles from hundreds of publications across the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia. These include outlets like the Wall Street Journal, the Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, and the Los Angeles Times, among many others.

If you often encounter paywalled news articles, an Apple News+ subscription is an excellent way to access all of them through one streamlined subscription instead of separate ones. It’s important to note that not every major publication is a part of Apple News, and if you’re wondering if your favorite ones are, you can check out a complete list on Apple’s website.

One of the main reasons I’ve stayed subscribed to Apple News for so long is that around 10 of my favorite publications are available on the app, and it just makes it so much easier to access all their content in one convenient spot. However, if the publications you read aren’t available on Apple News+, it won’t be of much help.

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4 Magazines

There are tons of magazines to read as well

Aside from articles, Apple News+ also has a treasure trove of magazines you can read, from outlets like Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Vanity Fair, The Hollywood Reporter, and more. Admittedly, I’ve never really been much of a magazine person in the past, but Apple News+ changed that.

Since magazines are bundled with Apple News+, I have found myself reading more of them since they’re so easy to access and flip through. If one of the magazines you like is on Apple News, all you have to do is search for it and tap its channel — then you can browse all the different issues they’ve released. For example, Empire is one of the magazines I like to read, and with Apple News+, I can read the latest issues and go back and check out a bunch of older issues as well. Plus, it has a content feature (essentially a table of contents) that lets you jump to any part of the magazine that interests you.

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3 Offline reading

You won’t be bored on a plane ever again

One feature I really appreciate that many streaming services have nowadays is the ability to download shows and movies for offline viewing. This is especially useful during travel when Wi-Fi might be unavailable and for those who prefer not to use in-flight entertainment options.

Similarly, Apple News+ offers offline downloads. I’ve frequently utilized this to save articles and magazines for flights when I have the time to read. The great thing is that the Apple News app automates this process for subscribers. To ensure this feature is active, open the Settings app, head to Apple News, and verify that Automatic Downloads is enabled. This setting automatically downloads recent stories, saved stories, magazines, and puzzles for offline use. If you want to guarantee that a specific article or magazine is downloaded, simply add it to your saved stories.

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2 Cross device access and puzzles

Who needs Wordle?

Another one of the reasons I can’t let go of Apple News+ is because of how easy it is to access all its content on my Apple devices, like my iPhone, iPad, Mac, and even my Apple Watch. When I’m on the go, it’s great to scroll through on my phone rather than doomscrolling social media apps like X or Instagram, and when I’m at home, I can easily read it on my iPad at night, almost like it’s a newspaper. Plus, when breaking news occurs, it alerts my phone, allowing me to check my Apple Watch to see what’s happening quickly.

Additionally, Apple News+ offers another appealing feature: puzzles. Admittedly, I’ve only done a few puzzles on Apple News, and it’s not something I’m particularly interested in. Still, I know puzzles and crosswords are a big part of print newspapers, and I know people who enjoy doing them regularly. Apple News+ refreshes four puzzle games daily for subscribers: Crossword, Mini Crossword, Quartiles, and Sudoku.

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1 Family Sharing

Split the cost of Apple News

Apple / Pocket-lint

Finally, Apple News+ is worth it because you can share it with friends or family members at no extra cost. Family Sharing isn’t unique to Apple News+; you can also use it on other Apple services like Apple Music and Apple TV+. I currently use Family Sharing to share Apple News+ with one of my family members, and we split the cost 50/50.

If you want to start an Apple Family with a couple of friends, you can also do that and share it with them. It doesn’t even have to be someone you live with. You can share Apple News+ with up to six “family members.”

It’s important to note that your Apple ID account can only be part of one family at a time, and you can only join up to two Family Sharing groups per year, so keep that in mind if you plan on sharing Apple News+ or any other Apple subscription with others. Apple News+ is available for $13 per month, or you can get it through an Apple One subscription, which varies in cost depending on the type of plan you get.

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