# Abridge News — Escape The Echo Chamber

> Curated opinion pieces on debate-worthy topics, presented with factual context. (iPhone/iPad app by David Byas-Smith.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abridge-news/id1410849452 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [David Byas-Smith](https://appshunter.io/developer/1410849451)
- Category: News
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 74 App Store ratings · 47 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 10.0 · 85 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2019-01-27
- Data updated: 2026-06-09
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abridge-news/id1410849452/reviews.md

## What is Abridge News?

Each day, our team (of humans) picks an interesting, debate-worthy topic. Often these are political, but sometimes, we cover sports, tech, and business. Then, our team combs the internet for four unique and interesting op-ed pieces rooted in fact, albeit sometimes a subset of facts. These op-eds make arguments on different sides of a debate. We arrange these topics side-by-side in our app, and you engage with them via our "spectrum" feature.
 
- Swipe LEFT for more left-leaning arguments
- Swipe RIGHT for more right-leaning arguments

We sort and categorize opinion pieces based on the substance of the arguments made, NOT the publication's reputation. For example, a conservative op-ed from a traditionally liberal publication would be placed on the right side of our spectrum.
 
After we select an opinion and place it on the spectrum, a team member carefully reads the article and pulls out the three most salient points to form a bullet point list that is quick and easy to read.
 
For each topic, our team writes a set of relevant facts that aim to provide a user with a brief objective framework. These facts help our users get up-to-date before engaging with opinions.
 
How to Use the Abridge News app:
- Swipe back and forth to scroll between topics. Topics are arranged in chronological order (with newer topics appearing first)
- Apply a category filter to the types of topics you like best: Politics, International, Sports, Culture, Business, & Science + Health
- Search our archive to find topics related to specific terms like: Immigration, Mueller, LeBron James, etc.
- Once you find a topic you like, scroll down to read our "Quick Facts"
- Then, click into our "Opinion Spectrum" to see four arguments representing different sides of the debate. Swipe left and right to switch opinions
- Express your own view by reacting to each opinion piece. Choose from a subset of choices that includes things like: "I strongly support this," "This doesn't paint the full picture," "I agree with some, but not all." After reacting, see a summarized breakdown of other users' reactions to see if others agree with your interpretation.
 
At Abridge News, our mission is to increase empathy and critical thinking in the world by promoting diverse perspectives. We hope you like our app, and would love to hear your feedback via a review. Enjoy! The Abridge News Team

## Key features

- Daily debate-worthy topics
- Four unique op-ed pieces per topic
- Opinion spectrum for left/right arguments
- Quick facts for objective framework
- Summarized salient points from articles
- User reactions to opinions
- Category filtering (Politics, Sports, etc.)

## Recent user reviews (10 of 47)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abridge-news/id1410849452/reviews.md

### 1/5 — App is dead

*2021-06-09, version 1.60*

What a wonderful concept, but as of jun21 this app is dead.  There are no news stories newer than nov20.  

The app developer must not have figured out a way to make money to keep this awesome concept sustainable

### 1/5 — Updates to Stories

*2021-04-23, version 1.60*

I think the app is amazing but doesn’t look like new stories are coming in.

### 3/5 — Great Idea, lacks execution

*2021-01-02, version 1.60*

I think that Abridge News does a good gob when it actually puts forth topics that are discussed, but it does so very scarcely. It barely puts new topics and could benefit from more ways of engagement.

### 1/5 — Transparently biased

*2020-09-20, version 1.60*

The concept of this app is terrific yet it’s an epic failure in its attempt to be unbiased. By using quotes from Op-Ed’s to show both sides of a topic, the founders/editors reveal their true bias. Do not waste your time on this app unless you are only interested in hearing the left leaning opinion and not really interested in having a fact based intellectually challenged representation. Using op-Ed’s is just quoting someone’s opinion. That is not journalism. This app could be great if they used researched backed facts about each topic rather than left leaning opinions. I think the makers of this app think the American people are stupid. DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME!

### 5/5 — So Important in These Times!

*2020-04-11, version 1.58*

What a great concept and app.  I’ve recommended to so many friends who struggle to understand how the news articles they see fit within the broader dialogue.  The app works great and the content is on point!

### 5/5 — This app is what I’ve been looking for

*2020-03-21, version 1.51*

This app finally provides news in an unbiased way. I don’t have the time to read multiple articles to understand what the truth is behind stories, and Abridge does that work for me. I love the reader highlights too, because it means I’m not just hearing from a single person or a single view point.  It’s easy to navigate and I can read about other topics when I just need a break from politics altogether.  This app is a keeper

### 5/5 — So good, actually!

*2020-03-21, version 1.51*

I was skeptical that I would enjoy this. But, now I look at it every day. They actually do a very good job of finding reasonable articles with opposing perspectives. And, I always check out the daily topic to see what’s most in the news. This app is good!

### 5/5 — Great

*2020-03-11, version 1.51*

Works great. Smooth and beautiful UI. Good perspective.

### 5/5 — Great app, highly recommend

*2020-03-10, version 1.51*

This is great - I can easily see various perspectives on hot-button topics of the day. Then I can vote my mind on opinions I like and dislike, all without feeling like the Internet is yelling at me.

### 5/5 — Great platform.

*2020-03-10, version 1.51*

Such an amazing app! I love it and use it everyday. Congrats to the whole team.

## Frequently asked questions about Abridge News

### What does the Abridge News app do?

Abridge News presents daily debate-worthy topics, often political, sports, tech, or business related. It provides four curated op-ed pieces offering different viewpoints on each topic, alongside a set of relevant facts to offer an objective framework.

### How does the 'spectrum' feature work?

The 'spectrum' feature allows you to engage with arguments on a left-to-right spectrum. You can swipe left for more left-leaning arguments and right for more right-leaning arguments, helping you visualize the range of opinions on a given topic.

### Is Abridge News free to use?

Yes, Abridge News is a free application. The description indicates it does not have in-app purchases or advertisements, suggesting a completely free user experience.

### What kind of topics can I find on Abridge News?

You can find a variety of topics including Politics, International affairs, Sports, Culture, Business, and Science & Health. The app focuses on debate-worthy subjects, often with a political slant, but also covers other significant areas.

### How does Abridge News help me understand different viewpoints?

The app's core mission is to increase empathy and critical thinking by presenting diverse perspectives. It does this by carefully selecting op-eds from various sides of a debate, summarizing key points, and providing factual context, encouraging users to engage with and react to different arguments.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.60 — 2020-09-03

- routine bug fixes

### 1.58 — 2020-03-25

bug fixes

### 1.51 — 2019-11-07

-bug fixes

### 1.48 — 2019-02-07

-update to notification options
-subscribe to email newsletter from the settings page

### 1.47 — 2019-01-28

-general stability improvements and bug fixes

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## Related topics

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-09.*
