# The Desert Sun — Breaking News + eNewspaper

> Local news, in-depth journalism, and eNewspaper access for your community. (iPhone/iPad app by Gannett.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-desert-sun/id531366663 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Gannett](https://appshunter.io/developer/404843797)
- Category: News, Magazines & Newspapers
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.40/5 from 1,712 App Store ratings · 130 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 18.6 · 184 MB
- Languages: American English, Arabic, Armenian, Catalan, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French (France), German (Germany) and 21 more
- Released: 2012-08-02
- Data updated: 2026-08-29
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-desert-sun/id531366663/reviews.md

## What is The Desert Sun?

From critically acclaimed storytelling to powerful photography to engaging videos — The Desert Sun app delivers the local news that matters most to your community.

APP FEATURES:
• Access all of our in-depth journalism, including things to do around town, sports coverage from high school to the pros, and much more.
• Enjoy a streamlined, fast-loading experience that makes it easy to view the stories, photos, and videos that matter to you.
• Get breaking news, sports scores, and weather alerts with real-time notifications tailored to your interests.
• Customize your experience by saving your favorite stories, adjusting text size, using night mode, or reading offline.
• eNewspaper: Just like our print edition but accessible on your mobile devices. And access to USA TODAY and 200+ local eNewspapers. 

MORE INFORMATION:
• Privacy Policy: https://cm.desertsun.com/privacy/
• Terms of Service: https://cm.desertsun.com/terms/
• Help Center: https://help.desertsun.com
• Subscriptions are charged to your account at confirmation of purchase and automatically renew each month or year, unless turned off in your account settings at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage your subscriptions and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to your Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription, where applicable. See "Subscription Support" in the app's Settings for more details and customer service contact information.

## Key features

- In-depth local journalism
- Breaking news alerts
- Streamlined reading experience
- Customizable preferences
- Offline reading
- eNewspaper access

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Desert Sun Annual Digital Subscription | $69.99 | per year |
| Monthly Digital Subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| Monthly Digital Rate | $19.99 | per month |
| The Desert Sun Digital Subscription | $16.99 | per month |


## Chart rankings

- #129 in Top Grossing · News (US App Store)
- #93 in Top Grossing · Magazines & Newspapers (US App Store)

## What do users think of The Desert Sun?

Overall sentiment: neutral

**Pros**

- ⭐ Great local news coverage
- 🗞️ Helpful for staying connected to the community
- 📰 Comprehensive reporting on local events
- 🗓️ Useful for planning activities and events

**Cons**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 📱 Poor navigation and user experience
- 💸 Excessive ads and paywalls for subscribers
- 🔍 Difficulty finding desired content

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Login issues and frequent prompts to re-authenticate
- Formatting problems causing text to be cut off
- Unreliable delivery of breaking news notifications
- Inconsistent performance across different devices

**Most requested features**

- Bring back PDF download option for full newspaper
- Improve scrolling and page navigation
- Provide better account management and subscription controls
- Reduce intrusive ads for paid subscribers

## Recent user reviews (10 of 130)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-desert-sun/id531366663/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Great paper

*2026-07-23, version 8.10.2*

Helps me stay in touch with what’s happening in the valley

### 5/5 — Online News

*2026-06-08, version 8.10.2*

I love reading my Desert Sun Newspaper online. It’s convenient and up to date. All my local news at my fingertips on my iPad. 

Knowing my weather forecast in my city helps me plan my days.
Keep up the good work Desert Sun. I’m a happy subscriber.

### 4/5 — Desert news

*2026-04-28, version 8.9.0*

Love the local information and everything about the desert area.

### 1/5 — Terrible

*2026-04-06, version 8.9.0*

I have now paid twice for a subscription and cannot get further than the paywall. $120 down the drain!! I do not recommend this service.

### 2/5 — So bad

*2026-02-20, version 8.8.0*

This app and there costumer services are worthless

### 1/5 — Navigation very poor

*2026-02-01, version 8.6.0*

I want to report a missed delivery, or view my vacation hold and there is no option. “My Account” navigation or help does not exist

### 5/5 — Great paper!

*2025-12-14, version 8.6.0*

I really like The Desert Sun newspaper!  I got the paper edition for a couple of years when I lived in Indio.  I have read the online version since I moved 7 years ago.  The sports section is better than the printed papers here or USA Today.

### 3/5 — Enewspaper

*2025-12-06, version 8.6.0*

Can’t get full newspaper today. Only special sections available on-line

### 3/5 — Digital viewing

*2025-11-19, version 8.6.0*

Getting better but still quite finicky. Would like to be able to share an article with others

### 2/5 — So bad

*2025-11-11, version 8.6.0*

This app and there costumer services are worthless

## Frequently asked questions about The Desert Sun

### What kind of content does The Desert Sun app offer?

The app delivers local news, including in-depth journalism, community events, sports coverage from high school to professional levels, and engaging videos. It also provides access to an eNewspaper that mirrors the print edition, as well as other local eNewspapers and USA TODAY.

### How can I customize my reading experience?

You can customize your experience by saving favorite stories, adjusting text size for readability, utilizing a night mode for comfortable viewing in low light, and enabling offline reading to access content without an internet connection.

### What is the eNewspaper feature?

The eNewspaper feature provides a digital replica of the print edition, accessible on your mobile devices. It allows you to read the newspaper just as you would the physical copy, but with the convenience of digital access.

### How do subscriptions work?

Subscriptions are charged to your account upon purchase and automatically renew monthly or yearly unless turned off in your account settings at least 24 hours before the current period ends. You can manage your subscriptions and auto-renewal in your account settings after purchase.

### Is this app available on all devices?

The description mentions the app is accessible on mobile devices, implying compatibility with both iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. Specific compatibility details would typically be found on the app store listing.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 8.10.2 — 2026-05-27

• This update includes bug fixes and stability improvements.

### 8.10.1 — 2026-05-14

• This update includes bug fixes and stability improvements.

### 8.9.0 — 2026-03-10

• This update includes bug fixes and stability improvements.

### 8.8.1 — 2026-02-24

• This update includes bug fixes and stability improvements.

### 8.8.0 — 2026-02-12

• This update includes bug fixes and stability improvements.

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| [The San Diego Union-Tribune](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-san-diego-union-tribune/id1145952888) | 4.5 (2,075) | Free | News |
| [LAist](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/laist/id293825085) | 4.3 (634) | Free | News |
| [California Post](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/california-post/id6751343487) | 4.9 (1,761) | Free | News |

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All apps by Gannett: https://appshunter.io/developer/404843797

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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 2026-08-29.*