Review Insights · App Store
CNN: Live & Breaking News
CNN Interactive Group, Inc. · 1,664,375 ratings · ★ 4.8
4.8
★★★★★
1,664,375 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
★★★★★ "Pay to read. I have to pay monthly to read news that I can get from other sites and apps for free? Easy pass and delete for me." - Kkjx
2
"articles"
23 negative reviews mention this · 26% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Used to be free news reading. This app used to be free to read articles but I guess they don’t get enough ad revenue. I use to use it with Fox News to get balanced reporting, but now I’ll use Fox only (which I trust better anyway)." - Indyguy33
3
"subscription"
23 negative reviews mention this · 26% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Unable to access multiple devices. So it appears that when I log into the CNN app on my iPad with the exact sign in credentials that I have for my iPhone, it does not recognize it. I have been unable to login to the CNN all access through my iPad for a month now since starti…" - rtejunior
4
"free"
16 negative reviews mention this · 18% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Pay to read. I have to pay monthly to read news that I can get from other sites and apps for free? Easy pass and delete for me." - Kkjx
5
"read"
15 negative reviews mention this · 17% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Pay to read. I have to pay monthly to read news that I can get from other sites and apps for free? Easy pass and delete for me." - Kkjx
6
"every"
12 negative reviews mention this · 14% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Deleting app. Every time I try to read an article newsworthy it says I reached my free limit." - Explorer11
7
"paid"
11 negative reviews mention this · 13% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Greedy. You can only read 5 articles until you have to become a paid subscriber to keep reading" - PANDA UNICORN PAYTON
8
"other"
9 negative reviews mention this · 10% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Pay to read. I have to pay monthly to read news that I can get from other sites and apps for free? Easy pass and delete for me." - Kkjx
9
"paywall"
9 negative reviews mention this · 10% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Why download CNN. It has turned into one of the most useless news apps that I have ever downloaded. Virtually every news article is behind a paywall. It’s basically just click bait at this point." - Chris From Fort Worth
10
"paying"
9 negative reviews mention this · 10% of all complaints
★★★★★ "Terrible user experience. I pay for the subscription to watch CNN‘s original shows and content, but the app is very outdated and has a poor user experience. For example, if I stop the video midway and shut down the app, I can’t return to where I left off when I reop…" - Toshiyo
📋 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").
Pay to read
I have to pay monthly to read news that I can get from other sites and apps for free? Easy pass and delete for me.
Widget totally broken
The widget doesn’t work at all on iOS 26.
Used to be free news reading
This app used to be free to read articles but I guess they don’t get enough ad revenue. I use to use it with Fox News to get balanced reporting, but now I’ll use Fox only (which I trust better anyway).
Unable to access multiple devices
So it appears that when I log into the CNN app on my iPad with the exact sign in credentials that I have for my iPhone, it does not recognize it. I have been unable to login to the CNN all access through my iPad for a month now since starting the service. I went ahead and made a cancellation on that subscription today. I want to be able to access the CNN all access through multiple devices.
Last update, made app is so bad
Listening CNN through Sirius
Widget
You guys just did a update but forgot to fix the widget
Utterly Horrible
Doesn’t offer the actual news shows one finds on the CNN channel itself. Plays the same commercials 2, 3 or four times in a row -DURING THE VERY SAME COMMERCIAL BREAK!!! Then, continues to rotate commercials for HBO or CNN original programs six or seven times an hour. It’s as if they’re trying to sabotage HBO, because nothing makes me want to watch a show LESS than being force fed ads for it over and over and over again within the superficial allusion to the news that one gets during a normal hour of the CNN app’s programming. Makes one wonder if the sale of the network to the Ellisons would actually be an improvement.
Reading limit.. horrible
I think it’s horrible that CNN limits the amount of stories you can view. Capitalism at it’s worse. You have sponsors and now subscribers but you still have to limit how many stories we can view. Stupid
Widget broken
Since yesterday the widget isn't displaying info. Lines where the info should be are just greyed out. If I tap on the widget it does open the app. But the widget is useless right now. I've tried all the things... Delete app, reinstall, remove the widget and try adding again etc etc etc... Time to go to NBC. That widget works.
Why download CNN
It has turned into one of the most useless news apps that I have ever downloaded. Virtually every news article is behind a paywall. It’s basically just click bait at this point.
Terrible user experience
I pay for the subscription to watch CNN‘s original shows and content, but the app is very outdated and has a poor user experience. For example, if I stop the video midway and shut down the app, I can’t return to where I left off when I reopen it. I have to start the video all over again, despite paying for the subscription. I also will not be renewing my subscription because it’s impossible to find my saved or favorite shows.
Greedy
You can only read 5 articles until you have to become a paid subscriber to keep reading
Paywalls block reading articles
I don’t understand how a news source that is supposed to communicate important events is forcing you to pay for everything. This app is not worth the space on your phone if it sends breaking news updates and then blocks you from reading it.
Worthless
As of this week it’s subcriber only. 🤮
“For subscribers” notifications
Please add a setting to disable Notifications that’s only catered to subscribers. I hate clicking on notifications just to find out it’s a paywall where we can only have access to it if we pay extra money I don’t understand how CNN thinks this is OK. Posting about the economic crisis, inflation, gas prices, and yet want us to pay extra for News articles just because we want access to national and international news is CNN really want to connect to their viewers they need to offer to not receive notifications that’s only for subscribers.
Used to be good when it was free
Uninstalling
Just say no to paywall
Doesn’t make the cut for a paid subscription.
How often do I need to register?
Each time a new revision of this app is released(?), it’s necessary re-register (re-login?) to the app.
Ugh
Was fine until they put everything behind a paywall. Deleted.
Money Grabs
Doesn’t let you read articles. Requires you to be a paid subscriber.
Really wanted to believe what they report but you can’t even read their articles without paying. Sad.
Really wanted to believe what they report but you can’t even read their articles without paying. Sad.
It free
Every article you want to read now requires a subscription. Not worth it to me
Another Scam!
Read a few articles and then you must become a subscriber.So they can track you and then solicit you! DELETE!!!
Goodbye
I like to check several news sources to see how differently things are covered and to try and break up the targeted nature of today’s feeds. CNN being just one of those sources. Not anymore. Too many articles are behind a paywall, rendering the app useless. Nickeled and dimed to death with subs enough as it is, so farewell CNN.
Worse APP
It glitches, having a very hard time to cancel… that make it very difficult. Volume comes and goes.i wish i had never signed up
Not worth it…
Pay for free news? Just another scam to take money WE DON’T HAVE!!!!
Pay for every piece of news? No thanks
Every notification and headline, even the headlines that are of public safety have been moved to behind a subscribers paywall. That’s ridiculous. I’ll be using virtually every other app from now on. CNN you’ve been deleted.
Read, Limit, Delete, Repeat
What a shame that’s such a useful source of daily news on my iPhone has become another greed driven app.
Went from five stars to one star due (Apple needs to make zero star an option on the App Store!) to it’s nonsensical reading limit, despite all the plethora of advertisements that pay for this app during daily use.
Also it is totally FREE in UK. Same for BBC app by the way.
Went from five stars to one star due (Apple needs to make zero star an option on the App Store!) to it’s nonsensical reading limit, despite all the plethora of advertisements that pay for this app during daily use.
Also it is totally FREE in UK. Same for BBC app by the way.
Required paid subscription
Articles require paid subscription for regular/daily news. Not a wise a move.
Article Limit??? Ridiculous
Started limiting articles. Deleted the app.
Paywall. 🤣😂🤣
Total joke. I guess fewer readers is the way to go.
No ‘all access’ support on Samsung TVs??
It’s 2026. Why can I not log in to my subscription on a Samsung tv.
You lost another customer
I can’t afford to pay for your bogus subscription.
Pay to play
What was once the standard in the news industry, CNN has fallen so hard that they now chargeto read the most basic stories. Why would I go to a now bottom tier bias news source and pay for it? Even with its fall to the complete and utter left, I still would check CNN to find all perspectives. Can't even do that anymore without paying. No thanks!
Another subscription app
After years of being a faithful follower of this app, it’s now a subscription only application to read articles and browse through the news!!
Deleted!!!
Deleted!!!
Great job geniuses
Way to drive viewers to other platforms for news (like the Fox News app) where you can still read propaganda without a subscription.
Money grab
I already pay for cable… now i need to subscribe??? Bye bye
App doesn’t work
I have had this ab since February 2026 and I have not been able to watch the news, I get an error page or I get this. Video is not available.
Why do I need to subscribe?
CNN already earns money from my cable subscription. Why do I have to pay more for app access? They can charge those who don’t have TV subscription but for people like me I refuse to pay them more when I am already a TV subscriber.
Limit Articles
Too many paid articles. Then reached limit of all articles after a few weeks.
No longer a good source for news
Every time I click on a story that seems important it says for subscribers only. It’s like a fun game to guess which news you’ll be able to get now. There are other news companies that genuinely care about providing news to people whether they can afford to pay or not. Don’t waste your time.
“Subscription only” has ruined the app
I have followed CNN for many years but it is so difficult to see subscription only for news you can find anywhere else for free. I am deleting the app.
Can't sign in with provider
I keep trying to sign in with provider but after I do so it just keeps saying sign in with provider. I click the link again and it does nothing. On top of that I guess we're expected to also subscribe to CNN just to view articles. How many times do I have to pay for CNN just to use the app? Hopefully you can fix it for future people but I'm done.
Scam subscription
A subscription is required. I purchase cnn all access for a year only to learn if I want to stream I need to have a tv provider. Deceptive in the sign up process. Cancel my subscription and will not renew. Very dishonest I guess that’s why it is referred to as communist news network
Lost me as a reader
Disappointed that CNN is now making followers subscribe to read their articles and opinions. I loved the way it was set up before to get current news, I was a follower for years. However with being frustrated and annoyed with seeing more and more requiring a subscription, I deleted the app and went to another news source.
Fake news
Used to be a big fan of CNN until they started to be infected by TDS. Deleted.
Subscription model for news
Absolute joke to charge for news articles.
I’m not paying
I’ve been using this app for years. Now they want to have you pay for a subscription when everything else is expensive. No thanks. I am deleting now.
Fake news
You’re fake news, CNN
Subscribe or sign in to keep watching
I am a subscriber, but why do I need to sign in weekly?? I do not experience this on any other streaming service. Fix this or I will not be renewing.
Unable to sign in to cnn
Need support to sign in with new subscription. Unable to use the subscription via the app
+ 37 more in the clipboard copy
Sentiment summary
96%
Positive (4-5★)
2%
Neutral (3★)
2%
Negative (1-2★)