Review Insights · Google Play
CNN: Live & Breaking News
CNN · 587,929 ratings · ★ 4.3
4.3
★★★★★
587,929 ratings
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Top complaints - extracted from 54 negative reviews
Recurring phrases mined from 1-2★ reviews. The bigger the percentage, the more users have the same problem. Fix the top 2-3 in your version and you have product-market fit on day one.
1
"read"
16 negative reviews mention this · 30% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Have to pay to read stories, not free" - Kevin Oates
2
"news"
15 negative reviews mention this · 28% of all complaints
★★★★★ "CNN is making a subscription package for news... to me such things should be free. I will rather use other portals or apps" - Sandarva Khanal
3
"articles"
11 negative reviews mention this · 20% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Worse update ever......crashes constantly and now have to pay to read articles even though you pay for it through your cable provider. I'll get my news from the BBC app." - A Google user
4
"subscription"
10 negative reviews mention this · 19% of all complaints
★★★★★ "This app is terrible. I signed up for an annual subscription, and the app acts as if I don't have a subscription, so now I am screwed. Logging in and out doesn't help. And if I look at my account, it shows that I have a paid subscription. S…" - eugny1969
5
"free"
8 negative reviews mention this · 15% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Have to pay to read stories, not free" - Kevin Oates
6
"already"
7 negative reviews mention this · 13% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Bias is already showing after the sale" - G4 IVIN
7
"access"
7 negative reviews mention this · 13% of all complaints
★★★★★ "I cant read the news on the app anymore without paying?! I already pay for a cable service that gives me access to CNN. I'm not paying more just to read their news on an app! Deleting app...will use NBC and other apps for my news now" - Cindy P.
📋 All 54 negative reviews
Every 1-2★ review we fetched. Use the copy button to grab them all for your own analysis (paste into ChatGPT/Claude with a prompt like "summarize core user problems, group by theme, ignore bugs, focus on missing features").
Have to pay to read stories, not free
This app is terrible. I signed up for an annual subscription, and the app acts as if I don't have a subscription, so now I am screwed. Logging in and out doesn't help. And if I look at my account, it shows that I have a paid subscription. So what gives? Also, found out after I paid the app doesn't work on Samsung TVs for some reason. I threw away over 70 dollars on this garbage app/service.
App not working
not true
totally sucks. won't even let you read some headline stories if your not a subscriber. as if we don't deserve the. ews if we can't afford it
Tired of "Subscription Required" showing up when I click a story. I'll keep the app downloaded but removing from my screen.
CNN is making a subscription package for news... to me such things should be free. I will rather use other portals or apps
Bias is already showing after the sale
Don't even bother wasting your time. Every story is behind the pay wall and even when you pay you are still inundated with ads.
A terrible app. So happy that it's finally asking me to pay. Great reason to just totally dump this dumpster fire.
I'll pay to watch or I'll have ads. I will not have both
Worse update ever......crashes constantly and now have to pay to read articles even though you pay for it through your cable provider. I'll get my news from the BBC app.
I used to love CNN, but paying for news is bs. I just deleted the app.
I paid for a basic subscription. I is not worth the money. I thought it would include some of the types of articles I wanted to read. No. Every time I hit an article it offers me an upgrade opportunity. That is misleading. Can't differentiate between a basic article and a premium article until I choose. Just offer one paid version and be upfront. I bought the Reuters app and will continue to use it after CNN basic expires.
Terrible app. restricted view
well the app is good but apparently I ran out of "Free" articles which is crazy at first it was certain articles now I can't read any but I can go to website and view all the articles this isn't smart
why pay for an app when the website is free
The shameless self aggrandizing of A. Cooper's grief podcast makes me want to barf.
You now have to pay, to read the news. An absolute new low for CNN.
I hadn't opened the CNN app for a while. when I did, I thought I was looking at Instagram. On the one hand I respect the high factuality of their stories. On the other, it doesn't matter when you can't tell the difference between an ad, comment, story, and editorial. Skip the app, rely on your search engine.
I have already subscribed twice and the app keeps asking me to subscribe. Not anymore, no thank you.
this app sux!!!! no real news, unlike the tv show. After a few days you have to subscribe just to try and get actual info or opinions. Hate it.
no stock graphs
Watch your data. CNN - B.B.
By the time this app loads mankind will be extinct never mind the current world conflicts being over!!
I cant read the news on the app anymore without paying?! I already pay for a cable service that gives me access to CNN. I'm not paying more just to read their news on an app! Deleting app...will use NBC and other apps for my news now
was a great app that I used throughout the day but now they're charging for use- it already had ads. why get greedy? no more CNN. looks like I'll use associated press, usa today and bbc apps instead
Horrible. Only word for it. Would give it 0 if I could. Uninstalled! Ad machine. Deceptive ads presented as 'news' leading to blatently false sites. Openly biased and opinionated. Obscene ads disguised as 'news'. 1-2 star reviews predominate but the google review summary is 5? FAKE! And now with paywall it is useless'
Its been bad with ads galore and links to products buy, but now they want me to subscribe to read their stories? No thanks. The same content is available elsewhere. Its a bait and switch app. Click on a headline and then told you have to be a subscriber. Remove the advertising and I'll use the app again.
It does not allow Network TV only the generic CNN coverage
Stil unusable to even see the news. Everything is subscriber only with paywall for everything else. Would not recommend.
always tells me to sign up to read more i already did. when I sign in, read an article .then told to sign in again. what garbage
I regularly read CNN on my tablet every day but since the change requiring a subscription after reading the alloted amount of articles, I will be deleting it and changing to another news source. I pay to stream access to CNN and MSNBC news on my TV, hitting me up for more money because I prefer to read the CNN app on my devices is greedy.
So now you need a subscription to read the articles on CNN. UNINSTALLING!
Awful to see a once great news service now force you to subscribe to read news articles. shame on you
Articles free at first, then lock down behind a subscription paywall. Disappointed to see a reputable (and formerly respectable) news source holding informative hostage.
Loaded with commercials, even when you pay. I cancelled payments.
unreliable and biased information
A disaster. I paid 49.95 for all access subscription and it fails as I read articles. I am going to contest the charge through my credit card company like I would after receiving any defective, unusable product.
It's just a bunch of ads that you can't skip.
what the hell? no longer works. won't open: splash screen appears then just quits. while you're at it: fix the fkn aliexpress ads: the SLIGHTEST touch and you're redirected to AE and have to hit back three times to get back to cnn.. it's the ONLY ad that does it: i think they're manipulating the touch event somehow.
Crashes immediately latest One Ui update - April 3rd, 2026.
CNN has been my go-to news service for many years, on cable TV, computer and phone. I already pay CNN through my cable TV service, so I should not have to pay CNN for on my computer and phone. The new pay wall limits the number of articles that I can read. Oddly I can read more articles by computer than by phone. I have since switched to Associated Press (AP) News, which is free but I am happy to make a reasonable monthly donation because AP News is a nonprofit news organization.
Scrolling over ads activates the add.
I'm not paying for CNN
no way i,m going to pay
would not play video at all. waste of a download.
Has not allowed access since last update. Prior to that I looked forward to the news every day.
If I already have a damn subscription to your app, how come when I try to watch the video about weddings in India, I get a notice saying: "Subscription plans are available through your CNN app. Learn more"? Then when I click on the "Get Help With Your Subscription" link, I get a screen reading: "Access Denied Your request has been blocked by our security system. If you believe this is an error, please contact the site administrator." How the hell am I supposed to reach the site administrator?
CNN now charges to view some of their content. Also saving stories is a joke because to can't retrieve them to read at a later date. You pay and get less than when it was free.....seems like a rip off to me.
+ 4 more in the clipboard copy
Sentiment summary
85%
Positive (4-5★)
3%
Neutral (3★)
12%
Negative (1-2★)