# Briefly: Minimalist News — Minimalist News > Minimalist news aggregator with customizable feeds and no account requirement. (iPhone/iPad app by Maxwell Andrew.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/briefly-minimalist-news/id1317499402 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Maxwell Andrew](https://appshunter.io/developer/1659599197) - Category: News, Lifestyle - Price: Free - Rating: 4.60/5 from 29 App Store ratings · 25 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 12+ - Requires: iOS 15.1 · 25 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2018-01-15 - Data updated: 2026-08-15 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/briefly-minimalist-news/id1317499402/reviews.md ## What is Briefly? Briefly is a private, ad-free, minimalist news app. Choose from 40+ sources from The New York Times and The Economist to Pitchfork, The Intercept, and Al Jazeera. Briefly streams the latest headlines into a beautiful feed. No algorithm. No personalization. Tap to read. No account. No trackers. No data collection. Nothing leaves your device. Adaptive dark mode. Pull to refresh. Shake to refresh. Designed for iPhone and iPad. ## Key features - Minimalist design - Customizable news feed - Top news sources - No account required - Distraction-free reading ## Recent user reviews (10 of 25) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/briefly-minimalist-news/id1317499402/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Amazing App *2026-08-02* Perfectly delivered app. More outlets such as Bloomberg, NHK World-Japan, and DW would be awesome. ### 5/5 — PERFECT for ADHD girlys! *2026-05-10* Usually I feel so overwhelmed by everything that’s going on in the world. I want to stay informed, but not sure where or how to sift through the important stuff. This app allows me to do that seamlessly. ### 5/5 — News On The Go *2026-05-10* So glad I found Briefly! Great to catch up on news when I only have a few minutes to spare. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a personalized platform. ### 1/5 — Democrat news *2025-09-09* Liberal news only ### 1/5 — only works 50% of the time *2024-09-17, version 1.2* tapping on articles only works 50% of the time, app regularly is unresponsive ### 4/5 — Awesome app - needs darkMode though *2022-02-06, version 1.2* Beautiful simple app enjoy it. Buy my eyes are burning!!! ### 2/5 — Huge potential, but… *2022-02-02, version 1.2* Has massive amounts of potential but is limited to only a handful of news outlets, and the app is broken for me as I seem not to be able to select stories or enter the app’s settings ### 3/5 — Seems buggy *2022-01-22, version 1.2* I like the look of the app but it doesn’t open the articles or the cog button for settings. So atm unusable for me. On iPad Pro 12 inch ### 4/5 — Great Looking News App *2022-01-04, version 1.2* I read a lot of news via apps, this app distinguishes itself by looking very clean. As an aside, the developer is very responsive to feedback. ### 3/5 — Great design, missing features *2021-10-28, version 1.2* This the most user friendly news app I have seen, my problem with this app though is that the outlet selection, you are very limited to just major outlets and there is no way to add your own feeds. Since I don’t like getting my news from these places unfortunately the app doesn’t have much use. ## Frequently asked questions about Briefly ### What is Briefly's update frequency? Briefly was last updated on March 20, 2020, with version 1.2. While the app has not received recent updates, it offers a stable minimalist news experience. ### Is Briefly available on Android? Briefly is currently supported on iPhone, iPad, and iPod devices. Information regarding Android availability is not provided. ### What is the age rating for Briefly? Briefly has an age rating of 12+. This suggests it is suitable for users aged 12 and above, with content generally appropriate for this demographic. ### How does Briefly compare to other news apps? Briefly differentiates itself with a minimalist design and a focus on distraction-free reading, allowing users to create custom feeds from top sources without needing an account. ### Can I use Briefly offline? The description does not specify offline functionality. Briefly's primary function is to provide a curated feed from top sources, which typically requires an internet connection. ### What do users like about Briefly? Users appreciate Briefly's minimalist approach and its ability to deliver breaking news without distractions. The option to create a personalized feed is also a frequently praised feature. ### Is there a paid version of Briefly? No, Briefly is completely free to download and use. The app does not have any in-app purchases or advertisements, offering a pure, free news consumption experience. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.3 — 2026-05-10 Briefly was rewritten from the ground up for improved reliability and user experience. Enjoy: - a more stable feed - a refreshed feed pulling from a broader variety of outlets - articles weighted for recency - a redesigned outlet selection page - adaptive dark mode including the app icon - enhanced iPad support ### 1.2 — 2020-03-20 Share articles with SMS! Look for the share icon at the top right when reading an article. Three new outlets: * The Intercept * Wall Street Journal * Ming Pao Bug fixes. Thanks for reading. ### 1.1.2 — 2020-02-20 5 news sources: * The Japan Times * Thrasher Magazine * El Economista * El Periódico * Rebelión Bug fixes and accessibility updates. Thanks for reading. ### 1.1.1 — 2019-11-09 Paper is now Briefly! Briefly has a fresh coat of paint, a bunch of new sources, and some usability updates. New sources include: Pitchfork Complex CBC El País The Onion The New York Times The Indian Express South China Morning Post Wired The Economist Thanks for reading. ### 1.0.8 — 2018-09-11 - New outlet - Bug fix Thanks for reading. ## Apps similar to Briefly | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [lire: RSS Reader](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lire-rss-reader/id1531976425) | 4.4 (150) | $9.99 | News | | [FeedFlow - RSS Feed Reader](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/feedflow-rss-feed-reader/id6447210518) | 4.4 (35) | Free | News | | [DailyBrief - News Briefings](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dailybrief-news-briefings/id1559506634) | 5.0 (2) | Free | News | | [Newsadoo: Daily Breaking News](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/newsadoo-daily-breaking-news/id1387917637) | 5.0 (4) | Free | News | | [Rize: Your AI News Digest](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rize-your-ai-news-digest/id6474220308) | 4.6 (49) | Free | News | | [Briefly: AI News & Markets](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/briefly-ai-news-and-markets/id6757350755) | 5.0 (2) | Free | News | ## Related topics [briefly](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/briefly) --- *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 2026-08-15.*