Review Insights · App Store
BBC: World News & Stories
BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. · 72,180 ratings · ★ 4.5
4.5
★★★★★
72,180 ratings
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Top complaints - extracted from 87 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
"news"
36 negative reviews mention this · 41% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Moving on to something else. App crashes immediately ever since last update. Also annoyed that I can’t read anything besides live news anymore without paid subscription." - SpinyEel
2
"subscription"
30 negative reviews mention this · 34% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Moving on to something else. App crashes immediately ever since last update. Also annoyed that I can’t read anything besides live news anymore without paid subscription." - SpinyEel
3
"paywall"
20 negative reviews mention this · 23% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Paying a subscription - still getting advert pop-ups???. A few years ago they screwed up/ lessened the apps functionality which was pretty annoying. I finally succumbed to paying to get through their paywall. Fair enough (although it seems they're only doing it to the Americans (perhaps a couple …" - Tompsk644
4
"update"
17 negative reviews mention this · 20% of all complaints
★★★★★ "App crashes after update. The app forced me to update to view content. Now when I click on the app it only stays on the page for a short moment before closing. Tried a few times with the same results. Deleting it now" - BDJackson319
5
"read"
13 negative reviews mention this · 15% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Moving on to something else. App crashes immediately ever since last update. Also annoyed that I can’t read anything besides live news anymore without paid subscription." - SpinyEel
6
"crashes"
12 negative reviews mention this · 14% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Fail. This app now crashes every time I try to open it in OS 26.4.2" - dsug1
7
"paying"
12 negative reviews mention this · 14% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Paying a subscription - still getting advert pop-ups???. A few years ago they screwed up/ lessened the apps functionality which was pretty annoying. I finally succumbed to paying to get through their paywall. Fair enough (although it seems they're only doing it to the Americans (perhaps a couple …" - Tompsk644
8
"articles"
12 negative reviews mention this · 14% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Sudden Subscription. Adding a subscription requirement for users based on location is wild. I can’t trust news networks in my own country and now I can’t even read articles from another. Deleting this app. :/" - Grunnykins
9
"free"
12 negative reviews mention this · 14% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Paywalls keep the poor uninformed. Access to quality journalism is becoming a privilege of the elite and unobtainable to the poor. We wonder why, in the age of the internet, so many are turning to extremism. This is why. The BBC should be free to everyone. Centuries ago, the…" - KaylinAsh
10
"paid"
11 negative reviews mention this · 13% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Moving on to something else. App crashes immediately ever since last update. Also annoyed that I can’t read anything besides live news anymore without paid subscription." - SpinyEel
11
"every"
10 negative reviews mention this · 11% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Fail. This app now crashes every time I try to open it in OS 26.4.2" - dsug1
12
"information"
10 negative reviews mention this · 11% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Used to be my favorite. It seems very out of touch for this app to change to a paid subscription model at this time in history. People are struggling with higher costs of living and mental health challenges. Books are being banned and it’s hard to figure out where…" - EmArtsy
📋 All 87 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").
Fail
This app now crashes every time I try to open it in OS 26.4.2
App crashes after update
The app forced me to update to view content. Now when I click on the app it only stays on the page for a short moment before closing. Tried a few times with the same results. Deleting it now
Broken bad update
Bad update the app crashs as soon as you try to scroll through the stories. Unusable.
App crashing after update
App crashing after update on iPhone Air
Most recent update crashes!
The most recent update crashes on opening
Moving on to something else
App crashes immediately ever since last update. Also annoyed that I can’t read anything besides live news anymore without paid subscription.
Force closing on startup
App will not open. Every time it tries, it force closes
App Crashes After App Update
On iPhone when I I try to open the app it instantly closes now. This wasn’t an issue several days ago.
2026.3.0 crashes as soon as I start scrolling through headlines
App currently unusable … and has been so for a long time, counting by days now.
Recent update is a disaster
No way to report this kind of issue to App support.
App support only deals with user error, not app dysfunction.
No response from tech or customer service, which are also problematic when trying to report this kind of dysfunction.
This over reliance on automation is maddening when a user is just trying to report a problem
Recent update is a disaster
No way to report this kind of issue to App support.
App support only deals with user error, not app dysfunction.
No response from tech or customer service, which are also problematic when trying to report this kind of dysfunction.
This over reliance on automation is maddening when a user is just trying to report a problem
Crashing immediately
Title says it all. Crashing immediately starting with today’s update.
Paying a subscription - still getting advert pop-ups???
A few years ago they screwed up/ lessened the apps functionality which was pretty annoying. I finally succumbed to paying to get through their paywall. Fair enough (although it seems they're only doing it to the Americans (perhaps a couple of other countries)), journalism costs but to still be subjected to pop-up adverts is pretty galling and a good strategy to having people check out Reuters etc. instead. What are the idiots at the BBC thinking?
after the latest update，the app keeps crashing
after the latest update，the app keeps crashing please fix it thank you becasue I really like BBC
Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse
Latest update…2026.3.0 won’t even launch.
Crashes
App crashes when trying to scroll any amount.
Subscription only
This app was my go to for news until they made a paid subscription a requirement.
App Crashes
Version 2026.3.0 crashes constantly. Unusable.
App just crashes
Opens for one to two seconds and crashes
Terrible, now paid subscription?
I’m not paying to read news, used to be good app but now it appears developers got greedy and charging subscription (which is a lot) just to read the news! There should be profit from the ads, why this is not enough?? Anyhow, now the app is useless and going to uninstall it!!
Sudden Subscription
Adding a subscription requirement for users based on location is wild. I can’t trust news networks in my own country and now I can’t even read articles from another. Deleting this app. :/
Advertisements but now want subscription
Used to be my go to for news and they’ve always had ads included. Now can’t read any articles without h paying for subscription. Deleted.
leftist sided
BBC News mostly interviews leftist American people. They speak down to the country and do not represent most of the American here.
Bye BBC! Paywall
Deleting the app on all my devices as soon as I finish this review because of this asinine subscription business.
Used to be my favorite
It seems very out of touch for this app to change to a paid subscription model at this time in history. People are struggling with higher costs of living and mental health challenges. Books are being banned and it’s hard to figure out where to find information that’s not regurgitated ai. You have an opportunity to bring international readers together and be a source of help. I don’t know what your criteria is for keeping articles behind paywalls but everything I have clicked on recently brings me to a subscription pop up. Your app feels like a waste of time now.
Paywall
Absolutely criminal to put all news behind a paywall in this day and age. There’s no other way to say it.
Subscription Model = Uninstall
Title says it all..
Paywall
Most if not all articles are now on a paywall. Not paying for news I can get somewhere else.
Subscription base now
Can’t read anything anymore. Use to be my favorite news to get accurate information.
Paywalls keep the poor uninformed
Access to quality journalism is becoming a privilege of the elite and unobtainable to the poor. We wonder why, in the age of the internet, so many are turning to extremism. This is why. The BBC should be free to everyone. Centuries ago, the poor were controlled and kept disenfranchised by limiting access to food. In the 21st Century, those in power have learned information can be far more effective.
Ridiculous update request for old iOS users
Old iOS (mine 15.4.1) can't update for newer version, but the app refuses to work if you don't update. Ridiculous!!!
Cash grab
App now forcing you to sign in to view news stories. I don’t want a BBC account I just want to view news stories. Seems like a way to get more $$ or just sell our data. Uninstalling after 10+ years of use.
“”Update, no I’m not going to open a support ticket. This went from a free news app to requiring 8.99 a month or an annual fee. If it was still free, great! Paid = why waste your money, it’s not like BBC is a small independent news outlet.
“”Update, no I’m not going to open a support ticket. This went from a free news app to requiring 8.99 a month or an annual fee. If it was still free, great! Paid = why waste your money, it’s not like BBC is a small independent news outlet.
Longtime user but paywall = Deleted
I used the BBC website and then later this app for decades! A core trusted source for news, as far as I am concerned. But recently I opened the app to find that every single article is now behind a paywall. And here’s the thing: I would consider paying something either per month or per year. But I can get Netflix for cheaper than they’re asking. $2-3 per month and I might consider it. But $9 per month? Forget it. Especially when at least some of their news content is available through Apple News+ which I pay for. I will just find it there.
You must buy a subscription to read.
I used to like BBC. It’s nice to see how other countries view the US. Now you must buy a subscription to read the articles. I will be deleting this app.
Failure to provide
I rely on this unbiased source for work and arguments. So, when you tell me that I have to pay a subscription to cite information on a topic I already know about my own country. You fall out of any favor I held for you. You have failed. News organizations are supposed to educate and report what is going on to all who it may concern. Not to hoard reliable knowledge and news from all who refuse to pay your fee. I made an account and yet I can’t even read the article I signed up for. I am sorry to say that I will be going elsewhere for the time being.
Paid news subscription is a joke
Why would ANYONE pay for your news?!? I’ve deleted your app because paying for your brand of entertainment news is a waste of money
Broken
Latest update to the app has resulted in consistent crashing. The app will automatically self-close even with video playing, but doesn't log any error prior to doing so. Reinstalling the app also doesn't resolve as it continues to happen regardless. Pretty much unusable in its present form.
Paywall? Bye Bye
I used this app years to keep an eye on UK perspectives. Now they have imposed a paywall upon US-only visitors. Seriously? I have deleted the app.
BBC is Great, the Subscription is a Scam
The BBC is a superb source of news.
The subscription to the app is a scam. I bought it and there are still ads everywhere. Articles have ads. The live TV has ads, multiple ones. Watching brief videos requires 15 second of ads.
Another issue is with the app. Controlling podcasts, finding films or podcasts, news personalization, and screen casting the live stream are all clunky.
Another issue is that it is unclear why certain content is available or not. Some Americast podcasts are available, others not. Inside Science seems to have been suspended and has not been updated with new episodes available elsewhere.
I have requested a full refund. Shame on you for false advertising
The subscription to the app is a scam. I bought it and there are still ads everywhere. Articles have ads. The live TV has ads, multiple ones. Watching brief videos requires 15 second of ads.
Another issue is with the app. Controlling podcasts, finding films or podcasts, news personalization, and screen casting the live stream are all clunky.
Another issue is that it is unclear why certain content is available or not. Some Americast podcasts are available, others not. Inside Science seems to have been suspended and has not been updated with new episodes available elsewhere.
I have requested a full refund. Shame on you for false advertising
Crashes/closes
The app crashes/closes after looking at it for more than about 10 seconds. Makes it hard to read articles!
Paywall BS
We're supposed to trust them with the truth?
They feed us ads and ruthlessly track us only to sell our information to marketers...
And now they want money?
BS
They feed us ads and ruthlessly track us only to sell our information to marketers...
And now they want money?
BS
Terrible app
Crashes 100% of the time unless I use a VPN to Uk
Great news too many ads
This app was great when they didn’t ask you to pay 50$ for a yearly subscription and block pretty much every article
One star for the redesign
I really hate the redesign of the app. I used to get a wealth of information from all over the world, now I get very little. All the aspects I enjoyed are gone. Who is working so hard to ruin the bbc? Bit by bit what gives joy disappears. No more readings by authors of their works, it’s been gone ten years and I still feel the loss. I just don’t get it. And now this, sucking the juice and flavor out of the app. What’s the point of having an app that is so stingy? And the science podcast is gone! Damn you to hell bbc. And damn all these podcast jerks ruining the form, using it to make money first and foremost, cluttering the field will shiny candy wrappers. We are doomed. Money is great, but it isn't above all else. To put it there is to suicide.
British Biased Corporation
Political news and analysis is completely biased and untrustworthy.
Good for science, arts and other non-political information.
Good for science, arts and other non-political information.
Free?
This should NOT be labeled as “free”. Subscription required.
Paywalls everywhere…
Paywalls everywhere…
Pay wall
Disappointing
Almost everything is behind paywall now
Everything changes and now MOST, almost all, articles are behind a paywall. It’s useless now unless you want to pay as much as a video streaming service .
Ultra left
I check here to see what America did wrong today. When Biden was president bbc ignored his senility and incompetence. They are not at all objective but if you want to learn about what’s going on you read everything for all angles. bbc is the far left extreme.
No longer Free News
They now require you to pay for a subscription in order to read the news. Don’t bother with yet ANOTHER subscription based platform
Why is everything now under a paywall?
All articles here used to be free and this was a good app. However, after the last update, every article requires an expensive subscription to read. I will be deleting. BBC world service app still works, though.
+ 37 more in the clipboard copy
Sentiment summary
89%
Positive (4-5★)
3%
Neutral (3★)
8%
Negative (1-2★)