By AppHub Editorial Team · Updated August 3, 2026
CNN: Live & Breaking News
Overview
News & Magazines
CNN
Free
Apr 18, 2011
26.4.0
8.1
$3.99 - $69.99 per item
No
Feb 13, 2026
Features
The CNN app is your destination for unrivaled, fact-based reporting. Stay informed at every turn as the story breaks through short-form videos, interactives, articles, podcasts, live audio and more. Easily discover the day's top news from politics, health, world news, climate and beyond.
Download the CNN app to start making sense of the world today.
START STREAMING THE CNN EXPERIENCE TODAY. Now watch unlimited streaming, including 24/7 global news, daily programs from trusted journalists, awar...
The CNN app is your destination for unrivaled, fact-based reporting. Stay informed at every turn as the story breaks through short-form videos, interactives, articles, podcasts, live audio and more. Easily discover the day's top news from politics, health, world news, climate and beyond. Download the CNN app to start making sense of the world today. START STREAMING THE CNN EXPERIENCE TODAY. Now watch unlimited streaming, including 24/7 global news, daily programs from trusted journalists, award-winning shows and films, and more. FOLLOW LIVE UPDATES. Set custom alerts and notifications so you can follow developing stories. Our "live update" articles evolve as the news comes in, giving you accurate updates as they happen. WATCH THE STORY UNFOLD. See it for yourself with CNN’s live video or be in the know quickly with CNN Shorts. STAY SHARP WITH EXPERT INSIGHTS. Delivering in-depth analysis and context that matters from award-winning journalists, so you're prepared for what's next. DIVE DEEPER WITH LIVE REPORTING. Enjoy a 5-minute preview of CNN live. Unlock unlimited viewing, including CNN's original series and documentary collection, CNN, CNN International, and HLN by logging into your TV provider. Stay caught up with video clips, no login necessary. TAKE A BREAK. From travel and style news to the latest in entertainment, discover feel-good stories and get a daily dose of positivity. LISTEN TO STAY CONNECTED. Listen to top headlines anywhere you go with live audio from CNN, CNN en Español, CNN International and HLN. Hear the week's biggest and most talked-about stories with the "1 Thing" podcast. DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION (Available in the United States)All Access plan
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Official Links
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Ratings breakdown
588,000 reviewsDeveloper contact
Name
CNN Interactive Group, Inc.
Address
1050 Techwood Dr NW Atlanta, GA 30318-5604 United States
Website
http://www.cnn.comPhone
+1 855-442-6629
Support
android@cnn.com
Privacy
View policyFrequently Asked Questions
Is the CNN app free to use? high
The CNN app is free to download and offers some free content, including a 5-minute preview of CNN live. However, recent user reviews indicate much content is behind a paywall, and a subscription is required for unlimited articles and premium features like 24/7 streaming, exclusive videos, and original series.
Source: app_metadata, user_reviews
How much does a CNN subscription cost? high
The app offers in-app purchases ranging from $3.99 to $69.99 per item. According to the app description, there are two subscription plans: Basic (unlimited articles) and All Access (streaming, exclusive videos, and more). Subscription prices are subject to change and auto-renewal.
Source: app_metadata
Does the CNN app still have free articles? medium
User reviews from 2025 report that nearly all content is now behind a paywall, with some users stating there are no free articles available. The app description mentions a 5-minute preview of CNN live, but access to most content requires a subscription.
Source: user_reviews, app_metadata
Why does the CNN app keep crashing or not loading? medium
Several recent reviews report that the app frequently does not load, showing a black screen with the CNN logo. Users have had to force close the app or reinstall it to fix the issue temporarily. This appears to be an ongoing problem reported as early as 2021 and as recently as 2025.
Source: user_reviews
Can I watch live TV on the CNN app? medium
Yes, the CNN app offers live TV streaming. A 5-minute preview is available without a subscription, but unlimited access requires logging in with a TV provider or subscribing to the All Access plan. One reviewer noted difficulty returning to the main app after the live preview ends.
Source: app_metadata, user_reviews
How to Use
The CNN app provides fact-based news reporting, short-form videos, articles, podcasts, live audio, and streaming, with options for free and subscription-based access. (app_description)
Getting Started
Source: app_description_and_user_feedback_noted
- Download the CNN app from the Google Play Store.
- Open the app and grant necessary permissions (notifications, location if desired).
- Browse articles, videos, and live content. A 5-minute live preview is available for free.
- To access unlimited content, subscribe to either the Basic plan (unlimited articles) or All Access plan (streaming, exclusive videos, etc.) via in-app purchase.
- For audio features, tap the listen icon to hear top headlines or podcasts like '1 Thing'.
Key Features (from app listing)
Source: app_description
- Live streaming: 24/7 global news, daily programs, shows, and films (subscription required).
- Live updates: Custom alerts and notifications for developing stories, with evolving articles.
- Video content: Short-form CNN Shorts and full live video coverage.
- Expert insights: In-depth analysis from award-winning journalists.
- Audio: Listen to live audio from CNN, CNN en Español, CNN International, and HLN, plus the '1 Thing' podcast.
- Feel-good stories: Travel, style, and entertainment sections for a break from hard news.
Based on user complaints about loading failures (recent_reviews #4 and #5) and repetitive ads in audio (recent_reviews #2 and #3). Subscriptions are mentioned in app description as a solution for premium access.
How this content was created
Content type: pattern_analysis_of_user_reviews_and_metadata
AI generated: Yes
- Google Play user reviews (12-20 preferred; may be smaller if source data is limited per app), Nov 2018 - May 2025
- Google Play ratings distribution
- App Store listing metadata
- Review samples are not statistically representative of all user sentiment
- High-engagement negative reviews can overrepresent complaints
- Claims labeled 'low confidence' are based on single-review observations only
- No real-world app testing was conducted
- Feature availability may vary by region, device, and app version
- Only recent_reviews bucket was available (5 reviews). No high-engagement negative, positive, or mixed reviews were in the input.
Pros & Cons
Based on analysis of Google Play user reviews
Pros
- Provides reliable news content without requiring a subscription fee.
Theme 'Free news' identified in recent_review #2
Evidence (1)
“I appreciate I can get reliable news at any time without a subscription fee.”Rating: 5★ November 03, 2018 1,205 likes - Offers live video and short-form videos (CNN Shorts) for quick news updates.
Theme 'Video content' identified in app description
Evidence (1)
“See it for yourself with CNN’s live video or be in the know quickly with CNN Shorts.”Rating: 5★ November 03, 2018 1,205 likes - Includes live audio and podcasts for listening to news on the go.
Theme 'Audio features' identified in app description
Evidence (1)
“Listen to top headlines anywhere you go with live audio from CNN, CN”Rating: 1★ January 16, 2025 209 likes
Cons
- Many articles and features are hidden behind a paywall, even with ads present.
Theme 'Paywall' identified in recent_review #1
Evidence (1)
“Now everything is hidden behind a pay wall. And I mean everything. Not a single article for free.”Rating: 2★ May 23, 2025 1,183 likes - App frequently fails to load, showing a black screen and requiring force close.
Theme 'Loading failures' identified in recent_review #4 and #5
Evidence (2)
“when you open the app, it's a black screen with a logo and you have to force close it and try 2 or 3 times to reload.”Rating: 1★ April 09, 2025 85 likes“Several times a day it will not load. Uninstalling and reinstalling fixes it for a few hours.”Rating: 1★ November 26, 2021 199 likes - Audio streaming has excessive repetitive ads and cuts out mid-broadcast.
Theme 'Poor audio experience' identified in recent_review #3
Evidence (1)
“About 3 mins of content and 10 mins of the same ads over and over. And almost everytime I use it... the transmission just cuts out”Rating: 1★ January 16, 2025 209 likes
Recent Reviews
Lucas Gleber
2★This used to be a great app but not anymore. Now everything is hidden behind a pay wall. And I mean everything. Not a single article for free. CNN is not worth paying for in my opinion, especially when they still serve ads with a subscription. Apparently advertisements as well as tracking and selling my data wasn't enough money for them. Now they want to do that plus charge money. 2 stars since the app itself is good if you want to pay.
A Google user
5★I appreciate I can get reliable news at any time without a subscription fee. However, the ads play before nearly every video clip and are so extremely repetitive it gets maddening. Also, when I accidentally get taken into the "Live" TV section, when the time runs out, I'm unable to get back to the site. I have to turn off my phone, then on again to get to any other CNN story or any other application.
Dustin Hudson
1★The app itself not to bad. Has plenty to read on. But when it comes to the listen feature. It's trash. About 3 mins of content and 10 mins of the same ads over and over. And almost everytime I use it(which is alot) sometimes the transmission just cuts out and straight to an adult. Or ad cuts out and straight to the middle of a broadcast. Very close to deleting. If I can find an alternative.
Sabrina S.
1★I used to love this app and the notifications and emails I got all day to update on the latest news. Like others, when you open the app, it's a black screen with a logo and you have to force close it and try 2 or 3 times to reload. This is annoying and cumbersome for something that used to be so simple. Additionally, I have stopped getting email alerts entirely since the last update despite checking and resaving my email preferences via the app and the website. C'mon CNN .... what happened??
Ed Muns
1★Several times a day it will not load. Uninstalling and reinstalling fixes it for a few hours. After finishing an article and backing out, it goes to the top of page rather than staying where you were reading. These and other problems have been reported for a long time, but no fixes. Fox, NYT, WP and others don't have these issues.