Washington Post: Live News icon
Washington Post: Live News App Review - Comprehensive Analysis

by The Washington Post

4.5
ANDROIDNews & Magazines
The Washington Post's Android app delivers professional journalism through multiple consumption formats. It combines breaking news alerts, audio articles, and personalized content for engaged news consumers seeking depth beyond headlines.

Detailed Review

The Washington Post: Live News app represents a sophisticated digital news platform that brings the publication's award-winning journalism to Android devices. As one of the few news apps developed directly by a major newspaper rather than serving as a news aggregator, it offers exclusive content and features tailored to subscribers and casual readers alike. The app's core functionality centers around its 24/7 news feed, morning briefing feature called The 7, and customizable alert system. Particularly noteworthy is the audio article functionality, which uses realistic text-to-speech technology to convert written articles into listenable content. The My Post section provides personalized recommendations based on reading history, while the print replica feature maintains the traditional newspaper layout for readers preferring that format. The app also incorporates AI-powered comment summarization and offline reading capabilities. Navigation proves intuitive with clear section divisions and persistent reading history tracking. The interface maintains visual consistency with The Washington Post's brand while implementing practical mobile design principles. Real-world usage patterns show strong engagement during morning hours with The 7 briefing and consistent audio usage throughout the day, particularly during commutes or multitasking scenarios. The night mode feature and customizable text sizing enhance accessibility for extended reading sessions. User feedback consistently highlights the audio functionality as a standout feature, with Jeffrey Youens (May 13, 2025) praising the realistic voices and Brian Szuter (May 20, 2025) noting the AI comment summarization. Multiple reviewers including Adam Winkler (August 15, 2025) appreciate the continuous audio playback that creates a radio-like experience. The app maintains a 4.5-star rating with particular recognition for its reliability and depth of content compared to news aggregators. The app's strengths include its comprehensive audio integration and personalized content delivery, though some users note editorial changes may not align with all reader preferences. The requirement for subscription access to most content represents both a quality guarantee and potential limitation for casual users. Ideal for professionals seeking in-depth coverage and commuters benefiting from audio features, the app serves readers who value journalistic depth over brevity.

Key Features

  • Audio Article Conversion transforms written content into natural-sounding audio using advanced text-to-speech technology for multitasking scenarios
  • The 7 Morning Briefing delivers curated essential stories each morning with intelligent prioritization of developing news events
  • Customizable News Alerts allow users to select specific topics and receive immediate notifications for breaking developments
  • Personalized My Post Feed utilizes reading history and preferences to recommend relevant articles and opinion writers
  • Print Replica Mode preserves the traditional newspaper layout and formatting for readers preferring the classic experience
  • Continuous Audio Playback automatically queues related articles creating radio-style listening sessions without manual selection

Why Users Love It

Comprehensive audio integration
Personalized content delivery

Perfect for: Professionals seeking in-depth news coverage with audio convenience

Screenshots

Washington Post: Live News screenshot 1Washington Post: Live News screenshot 2Washington Post: Live News screenshot 3Washington Post: Live News screenshot 4Washington Post: Live News screenshot 5Washington Post: Live News screenshot 6

User Reviews

Jeffrey Youens
May 13, 2025

I thoroughly enjoy the WaPo articles. The "Listen to Article" Feature is so helpful! I can listen to articles as I go about my daily activities. And the voices are so normal and realistic, too. Thanks for that Feature! 😷

Brian Szuter
May 20, 2025

This is by far the best News app (not news aggregator) that I've used. Easy and intuitive navigation for both standard articles and the "print replica". It remembers articles I started to read, highlights opinion writers I often read, and has a cool AI that summarizes the comment threads. My only complaint is the ads. This is 2025, not 1980: Ads should not exist for paid subscribers. 5/20 update: Problem with crashing whenever I open an article (started 5/19) has been fixed. Thanks!

Larry Dabbert
May 2, 2025

Been with you for close to two years now and appreciate your sustaine digital news integrity and my occasional help desk usage attention. Thank you for being here for me... Larry Dabbert

Daniel Thompson
Apr 18, 2025

I've subscribed online for over 4 years and read the top news and politics articles almost every day, AFTER I read the comics section as soon as they are available. (Dang. Now 6 AM, was 2AM-ish) BTW later in this review, the Post posed the question, "Can you use this app to read offline?" To which I answered "Yes", but one caveat is in order here. To do so, I download the print edition option first. Once in my phone, I can read it at my leisure offline. (Rev. 4/18/2025)

Adam Winkler
Aug 15, 2025

Although I don't like the editorial changes made recently at WaPo, I especially love the listenable articles. In particular, is you start with one article, you can allow it to continue reading other articles chosen automatically. It becomes like a radio station! Also, I appreciate night mode...

App Details

Developer

The Washington Post

Platform

android

Rating

4.5

Last Updated

9/7/2025