BBC redesigns international BBC News app

BBC redesigns international BBC News app

Editor
| 14 July 2015

As it digests the harsh realities of its new financial responsibilities from the UK Government, the BBC has announced a new international second-screen app for iOS and Android devices.

First launched in 2010, the BBC News app is one of the most popular in the world, with over 40 million downloads by users in around 200 countries and territories globally. The international version has seen tremendous growth over the past 18 months, with page views up 44% to nearly half a billion per month.

Already downloaded 1.5 million times since a soft launch on 10 July, the re-designed BBC News app offers content on a personalised basis - the new approach to services that BBC Director General Tony Hall promised earlier in 2015. The content on offer combines leading and most-watched stories with a set of personally selected or recommended topics, chosen from a range of over 50,000 subjects. There is also a My News section offering a direct route straight to the stories viewers care most about.

Viewers can also create a personal service with stories listed either chronologically or by topic, choosing to follow topics from within an article, through a list of suggested topics based on what they've read or via a search box. Other features include: mobile-first video designed specifically for digital platforms; live BBC World Service radio; most-read and most-watched sections; onward journeys to related articles and video, photo galleries and full-screen images; and support for Android wearables and the Apple Watch.

"Smart and discerning audiences are increasingly demanding tailored news at the swipe of a screen, and our mission is to ensure they always have instant access to the stories that matter to them most," commented Richard Porter, digital and editorial director for BBC Global News. "The launch of the new app is the latest development in a steady stream of innovative BBC News initiatives which have completely redefined the digital experience across apps, mobile, desktop and social."