# Belleville News-Democrat \| IL — Live & local St Louis articles

> Local news, sports, and video coverage from Belleville and surrounding Illinois areas. (iPhone/iPad app by The McClatchy Company.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/belleville-news-democrat-il/id485784497 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [The McClatchy Company](https://appshunter.io/developer/382902281)
- Category: News, Magazines & Newspapers
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.41/5 from 950 App Store ratings · 53 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 17.0 · 145 MB
- Languages: English, Spanish
- Released: 2011-12-09
- Data updated: 2026-08-30
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/belleville-news-democrat-il/id485784497/reviews.md

## What is Belleville News?

The Belleville News Democrat local newspaper app is faster and easier to use. Read or watch daily local news coverage, investigative reporting, national headline news, crime, sports, local business, and more from Belleville, Fairview Heights, East St. Louis, and surrounding communities in Illinois.

The Belleville News Democrat local newspaper is your trusted source for local, daily journalism serving the Belleville area. Our newsroom delivers reporting on local government, public safety, education, courts, business, and community issues affecting residents across Belleville and nearby Illinois communities, alongside statewide coverage and national headline news.

LOCAL NEWS
• Daily local news and stories from Belleville, Fairview Heights, and the East St. Louis area
• AI generated summaries on all articles reviewed by our newsroom
• The Belleville News Democrat local newspaper opinions, editorials and columns you love
• Edition, a digital destination for the latest news, features, and insights. Like the printed newspaper, it is intended to be a complete report of the day’s news compiled by our editors overnight

LIVE VIDEO
• Watch live video of local news stories and national news coverage
• View stunning photos and videos of local news and community events

LOCAL SPORTS
• Full coverage reporting on local, pro and college sports teams
• Stay connected to your favorite teams and favorite sports writers

PERSONALIZATION
• Stay informed on the topics and articles that matter to you
• Favorite topics to get personalized feeds. • Search for news articles, videos, games and more
• Bookmark news articles to read later
• Read articles your way with full support for dark mode and light mode

Other Features
• Browse articles by category
• Share articles on Facebook, X Twitter or by email
• Comment on news articles
• Access and download previous issues of our newspaper
• Recharge and unwind with our puzzles and games

GET DAILY NEWS AND MORE WITH THE BELLEVILLE NEWS DEMOCRAT LOCAL NEWSPAPER APP
Download our local newspaper app today to stay informed on local daily news, crime, sports, national headlines, and more.

Read our Privacy policy here: https://mcclatchy.com/privacy-policy 
Read our Terms of Service here: https://www.bnd.com/customer-service/terms-of-service/text-only/ 
For California Residents: To learn more about managing your sharing preferences and Do Not Sell My Info rights visit https://www.mcclatchy.com/ccpa-pp

## Key features

- Daily local news and stories
- AI-generated article summaries
- Live video news coverage
- Full local and pro sports reporting
- Personalized news feeds
- Bookmark articles for later
- Digital newspaper editions

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual Subscription | $159.99 | per year |
| Montly Subscription | $15.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $9.99 | per month |


## What do users think of Belleville News?

Overall sentiment: negative

**Pros**

- 🚀 Easy to navigate
- 📰 Important news source
- 👍 Keeps me up to date on local news

**Cons**

- 🐛 Constant crashes and freezes
- 🔒 Difficult to log in and access content
- 💰 Paywall restricts free content
- 🤖 Confusing and frustrating UI changes
- 📰 Lack of local coverage and high school sports

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Login issues
- Incompatibility with older devices
- Repeated crashes and freezes

**Most requested features**

- Search functionality
- Ability to access previous editions
- Improved stability and performance

## Recent user reviews (10 of 53)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/belleville-news-democrat-il/id485784497/reviews.md

### 1/5 — How can I cancel my subscription?

*2026-03-11*

My phone is so old that the new version of the BND app won’t install. 
I cannot find a telephone number to call.
Before the new app came out, I tried to cancel my subscription online. No matter what I did, nothing changed.

**Developer response:** I’m sorry for the issue you are experiencing. The latest version of The BND app requires iOS 17.1+, so older iPads that can’t upgrade won’t be able to run it. To make sure you can still access the app without interruption, we can provide a tablet device that’s compatible and will work with The BND app right away. If you’d like to proceed, email us at wecare@mcclatchy.com and include: Your full name Mailing address Best phone number (optional, for delivery questions) Once we receive that, we’ll get the replacement tablet arranged and share next steps. Thanks, Customer Care

### 1/5 — Constant changes

*2026-03-06*

Every time you make a change, I can’t get the paper.  You make it harder and harder to read the paper. By the time I figure it out, I’m to aggravated to read it.

**Developer response:** Dear valued customer,

I’m sorry the latest update has made the app feel unusable—that’s not the experience we want for you.

Please reach out to us at customerservice@mcclatchy.com with your contact information as we would like the opportunity to correct. In addition, can you provide us with the following:
- Device model, OS version 
-what exactly happens when you open the app (any errors or crashes) 
-whether you’ve tried reinstalling it. 

In the meantime, you can still access your subscription through a web browser while we work on this. We look forward to your feedback.

Thanks,
Customer Care

### 3/5 — Version update

*2026-03-05, version 10.4.0*

The latest version update is required for me to get paper. When I try to install it, it will not install because I don’t have iOS 17.0. My iPad says it has 16.7.14 and is up to date. Requiring this update to continue is a programming blunder that is unacceptable.
So, as far as you enhancing my user experience, it is a fail.

### 2/5 — Why do I have to log in every time I read an article?

*2021-07-10*

I have reloaded the app multiple times and log in everyone I reload and still I have to log in for every article I want to read. I’ll be canceling my subscription until someone fixes this issue.

### 3/5 — App subscription

*2021-05-27*

Well I subscribed just to stay in the loop of things going on back home in Belleville for me since I moved to the state of Washington. My only issue is the pop up to subscribe for each section I want to read. Being a subscriber why do I have to sign in each time while I’m in the app? Gets a little frustrating and if it continues I probably will dis-continue my subscription.

### 1/5 — BadApp

*2021-02-27*

I’ve called repeatedly to discuss the fact they can no longer play the crossword puzzle or any other game with your new beta app. This is a joke! I wish you would just go back to the old app that worked.

### 3/5 — Average Left Wing McClachy Run News Paper

*2020-05-10*

Paper reprints what Democrat politicians tell them.  Most news is a day or two old and comes from other McClatchy owned garbage news papers. If you want better quality news, read the St. Louis News Democrat.

### 2/5 — Reviews

*2020-05-09*

Based on all the reviews I have read, how on earth could there be a 4.4 rating?

### 1/5 — Disappointed reader

*2020-02-05*

Limiting the numbers of articles I read per month is not a way to grow revenue. Sell more ads if you need to pay the bills and tout the number of readers that will see them. Instead you cut the readers off after 10-20 clicks so the ads never get seen.

### 5/5 — New App

*2019-11-13*

I absolutely detest this new app. EVERY morning I have to battle to load the paper to read it and every morning it fails to load.  Go back to the old app

## Frequently asked questions about Belleville News

### What kind of news does the Belleville News-Democrat News app provide?

The app offers daily local news and stories from the Belleville area, including investigative reporting, national headlines, crime updates, sports coverage, and local business news. It also features opinions, editorials, and columns from the newspaper.

### Can I watch videos or view photos on the app?

Yes, you can watch live video of local news stories and national news coverage. The app also allows you to view stunning photos and videos of local news and community events.

### How can I personalize my news experience?

You can personalize your news feed by favoring topics that matter to you. This allows you to receive a customized feed of articles. You can also search for news articles, videos, and games, and bookmark articles to read later.

### Is the app free to download and use?

The app is free to download. Based on the information provided, it includes in-app purchases and advertisements, suggesting a freemium model.

### What are the main benefits of using this app for local news?

This app provides a faster and easier way to access local news, offering daily updates, AI-generated summaries, and digital editions of the newspaper. It also includes live video, comprehensive sports coverage, and personalization features to keep you informed on what matters most.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 11.1.17 — 2026-08-13

• Support for blockquotes on articles
• Adds support for article list HTML links 
• Push notification permission request delayed to News tab
• Other minor bug fixes and performance improvements

### 11.1.15 — 2026-07-08

Adds support for Edition banner ads

### 11.1.14 — 2026-06-26

• Video enhancements including support as lead media on article pages and vertical video display
• Enabled app store rating prompts
• Support for iOS 26
• Improved Welcome screen (optimized copy and new image)
• Improved support for BeOp poll embeds
• Improved support for inline vertical images
• Updated article byline to remove the word “to”
• Added publication nameplate to Edition front pages
• Updated ‘Manage Subscription’ button in account settings to read ‘Manage In-App Purchases’
• Other bug fixes and performance enhancements

### 11.1.1 — 2026-03-04

We designed this app with you in mind — making it easier than ever to read, explore and stay connected every day.
What’s new:
• Fresh new look: A complete redesign with a clean, modern feel.
• For You Page: A personalized feed that brings the topics you love most straight to the top.
• Key Takeaways: Article summaries to help you catch the most important points at a glance.
• Dark mode: Easy on the eyes, day or night.

### 10.4.0 — 2025-10-30

This hotfix release addresses edge cases where malformed HTML inputs in Edition could cause the app to crash.

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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 2026-08-30.*