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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
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Better options than

WCVB NewsCenter 5 alternatives

WCVB NewsCenter 5 users often seek alternatives due to persistent app crashes, excessive ads, and issues with video playback. Many also report a desire for more frequent news updates and less biased reporting.

Why users look for alternatives to WCVB NewsCenter 5

The alternatives

NewsBreak
4.8★ · 1,368,453 ratings · Free

NewsBreak offers localized crime maps and alerts, which some users find useful for staying informed about their immediate surroundings R58R61. The app is generally considered good for finding local crime information R58.

Better for: NewsBreak is better for users primarily interested in hyper-local crime reporting and mapping features R58R61.

Head-to-head: WCVB NewsCenter 5 vs NewsBreak
The Boston Globe
4.6★ · 41,479 ratings · Free

The Boston Globe provides professional journalism with concise, unbiased reporting on national and world events R72R78. It offers both an app and a daily newspaper, allowing for flexible reading options R75.

Better for: This alternative suits users who value professional, unbiased journalism for national and world news, and who appreciate having both digital and physical newspaper access R75R78. It is also preferred by those who enjoy the overall publication R69R72.

Head-to-head: WCVB NewsCenter 5 vs The Boston Globe
StormTrack 5
4.8★ · 19,963 ratings · Free

StormTrack 5 is a dedicated weather app known for its detailed radar maps and accurate storm tracking R80R92. Users praise its ability to provide timely storm alerts and accurate forecasts, making it a reliable choice for weather information R86R89R92.

Better for: StormTrack 5 is ideal for users whose primary concern is accurate, detailed, and timely weather forecasts and storm tracking, especially those who rely on alerts for safety R80R86R92.

Head-to-head: WCVB NewsCenter 5 vs StormTrack 5
CBS News
3.7★ · 19,531 ratings · Free

CBS News provides live breaking news and top stories, including local news coverage R94. It is seen by some as a source for general news R94R101.

Better for: CBS News is better for users seeking a broad range of national and local news coverage, especially those who appreciate live breaking news updates R94.

Head-to-head: WCVB NewsCenter 5 vs CBS News
WMC5 First Alert Weather
4.7★ · 15,843 ratings · Free

WMC5 First Alert Weather is highly regarded for its accurate weather forecasts and effective storm preparation alerts R108R111R114R117. Users appreciate its ability to keep families safe and help with planning around weather events R114R117.

Better for: This app is best for users prioritizing accurate, reliable weather forecasts and critical storm alerts to ensure safety and aid in planning R108R114R117.

Head-to-head: WCVB NewsCenter 5 vs WMC5 First Alert Weather
Stick with WCVB NewsCenter 5 if

Users should stick with WCVB NewsCenter 5 if they value its engaging coverage of all of Massachusetts, appreciate its anchors, and trust it as their long-standing local news source, especially if they have a personal connection to its reporting .

Evidence note: NewsBreak has some mixed reviews regarding content quality and technical issues, with some users reporting ads are scams and content is 'horrible' or 'too much AI' . The Boston Globe has reports of subscription login issues on PC and a poor experience with games . StormTrack 5 has some complaints about recent updates causing crashes or clutter . CBS News has significant complaints about app crashes, buffering, and a lack of dark mode . WMC5 First Alert Weather has reports of alerts not working after updates, scam ads, and radar issues .

Frequently asked

Does WCVB NewsCenter 5 have issues with app stability?
Yes, many users report that WCVB NewsCenter 5 frequently crashes, freezes, or resets to the home page while they are trying to read articles or watch videos R6R9R30R32. This can make the app frustrating and at times unusable .
Are there many ads in the WCVB NewsCenter 5 app?
Yes, users frequently complain about an excessive number of ads in the WCVB NewsCenter 5 app, often appearing before video clips or news articles R3R4. Some ads have unskippable sound, which users find very annoying R27.
Is WCVB NewsCenter 5 considered a reliable source for weather?
Some users consider WCVB NewsCenter 5 to have the 'Best weather forecast' and trust its local programming, including weather R17R23. However, one user wished for dew point readings instead of humidity percentage in the weather description R15.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R6] WCVB NewsCenter 5 3/5 · US Constant crashes: I am NEVER able to read a story or check the weather without it suddenly closing and going back to home page. Extremely frustrating, especially since I keep the app updated and I am not using an old device. I’m guessing it’s the hundreds of ads trying to load that make the actual story close.
  2. [R9] WCVB NewsCenter 5 3/5 · US New bug renders app barely usable: The app is generally good one to use, but in the last month, it very frequently refreshes itself. This means if you are reading an article, it suddenly takes you back to the Home Screen. I’ve had it happen three times just trying to finish one article!
  3. [R30] WCVB NewsCenter 5 1/5 · US iOS 17 update failure: The app constantly crashes after every article read!
  4. [R32] WCVB NewsCenter 5 2/5 · US News stories cut out and return to home page: News stories stop in the beginning and/or middle (for both reading & video) and the app returns to the home page. This has been going on for several months, even after deleting and downloading the app again. Very frustrating as I like WCVB and prefer to get news and weather there. Seems to be a common problem. PLEASE FIX THIS APP.
  5. [R3] WCVB NewsCenter 5 3/5 · US Like It: But the ads before the video clips are annoying.
  6. [R4] WCVB NewsCenter 5 2/5 · US Too many Ads!!: Every news article starts with an Ad. It’s so annoying. Today, I was trying to watch a live broadcast of a news conference on an active shooter at a college. There should never be Ads to access this type of news. Shame on you WCVB. Do better!
  7. [R21] WCVB NewsCenter 5 3/5 · US Landscape mode on iPad not working: To read any article, I have to rotate the iPad to portrait view. I receive news alerts, yet when I click on them to read, the article doesn’t appear, nor can it be found on the app. The repetition of having to endure the same advertisement each time I click on the video for a story is beyond annoying.
  8. [R27] WCVB NewsCenter 5 3/5 · US Wcvb app annoyance: I really like this app, but may have to delete it because of your annoying video commercials - you cannot turn off the sound - even when you reach ‘skip ads’. You might think that ‘noise’ anywhere is appropriate, but it isn’t. Please let followers turn off the noise, or for me, the only option is to delete the app.
  9. [R1] WCVB NewsCenter 5 1/5 · US Terrible: None of the videos play for me
  10. [R20] WCVB NewsCenter 5 5/5 · US Videos Not Playing in News Stories: I’m experiencing an issue where videos embedded in news stories no longer play. This appears to be a recent problem, as playback was working previously.
  11. [R24] WCVB NewsCenter 5 3/5 · US Disjointed: The app on the iPad very difficult to navigate. Often click on a story and there will be some text but the rest of the story will be missing. Just clicked on a story now and after three sentences, the article ended midsentence. There is no ‘More’ button to click on for the rest of the story. Other local news apps have much better navigation and a better user experience on the iPad. The
  12. [R25] WCVB NewsCenter 5 1/5 · US Forced to do it: For some reason, my app is not working properly. Every time it comes to the first commercial break, the screen goes black and that is it. No more news. It's been slowly getting shorter and shorter time before the whole thing stops on me. I've sent several "bug fix" inquiries to WCVB with no response. I've deleted the app. Reinstalled the app a couple of times, shut down my phone,
  13. [R12] WCVB NewsCenter 5 3/5 · US News stories aren’t updated nearly enough.: Often the top story in the morning is the same story from the night before. Please update more often.
  14. [R22] WCVB NewsCenter 5 1/5 · US Same stories in for weeks: Hardly updated, have the same articles on for weeks. Has become very biased & political. So many other good apps available. Bye
  15. [R13] WCVB NewsCenter 5 1/5 · US Bias lies, bias, lies repeat. Mass one of the worse moonbat blue states. Gov’r ruined it with WuWu: This app or whoever is the person that post news….splits posting and they are cut off or hard to read. Like MSM it’s just as bad.
  16. [R16] WCVB NewsCenter 5 1/5 · US Communist news: They one way
  17. [R19] WCVB NewsCenter 5 1/5 · US Consistent bias reporting: Horrible representation of factual news completely biased only watch it for the weather
  18. [R7] WCVB NewsCenter 5 1/5 · US Alerts: They send breaking news alerts multiple times a day and very rarely are they actually breaking stories and My settings are for only breaking news stories.
  19. [R49] WCVB NewsCenter 5 4/5 · US Suggestion: It would be great if there was a way to filter out and not receive pop up notifications re: Trump
  20. [R10] WCVB NewsCenter 5 1/5 · US APP not opening.: I’ve had this app for many years. I haven’t left the area. It says it’s not available in my location. I’ve tried deleting it and downloading it again and that didn’t help. This was my go to app please help.
  21. [R58] NewsBreak 5/5 · US AMAZING APP: I think the app is really good for finding crimes in your area I highly recommend.
  22. [R61] NewsBreak 5/5 · US It’s good: 5 stars it’s good for crime maps
  23. [R69] The Boston Globe 5/5 · US Bucket list trip: Back to visit Beantown after 60 years. Still love the town AND the Globe. Keep up the good work.
  24. [R72] The Boston Globe 5/5 · US Boston Globe: Very well done publication
  25. [R75] The Boston Globe 5/5 · US Online: I love reading the Globe online and in the daily newspaper. Having both options is awesome. Such a great newspaper.
  26. [R78] The Boston Globe 5/5 · US Professional Journalism: Concise, unbiased reporting of national & world events. A pleasurable reading experience.
  27. [R80] StormTrack 5 4/5 · US Stormy Weather: The radar maps are detailed and are helpful, especially when they’re tracking nearby storms.
  28. [R86] StormTrack 5 5/5 · US Perfect: My go to weather app
  29. [R89] StormTrack 5 5/5 · US sub to my youtube: best local weather app and it’s free!
  30. [R92] StormTrack 5 5/5 · US Awesome: This is my only weather app I have and I have it on 3 devices the storm alerts are top notch and to think I can get regular heads up on tomorrow’s weather today the storm tracking system is exceptional along with the accuracy I would recommend this app to anyone who wants to know about the current and future weather conditions. Thank you to the developers for making a weather app that doe
  31. [R94] CBS News 5/5 · US Cbs news live breaking news: Top stories and local news
  32. [R101] CBS News 5/5 · US CBS newscast: Okay👍
  33. [R108] WMC5 First Alert Weather 5/5 · US The best app ever: This is the best app ever on my phone I love how y’all prepared for storms like tornadoes and severe thunderstorms, which we just had them on Monday and Tuesday not very much on Monday but a lot on Tuesday, please make more videos. I really wanna see what’s happening and I live in Memphis so yeah
  34. [R111] WMC5 First Alert Weather 5/5 · US So good: This app has everything you need for the weather
  35. [R114] WMC5 First Alert Weather 5/5 · US Keeps me alerted: The first alert weather keeps my family safe from the storm
  36. [R117] WMC5 First Alert Weather 5/5 · US Weather: I love this app! It keeps my family safe and helps us plan.
  37. [R15] WCVB NewsCenter 5 3/5 · US Weather Description: I Really wish the app designer implemented Dew Point readings on the Weather description instead of Humidity percentage. Dew point is way more accurate and easier to understand when it comes to knowing when it’s Comfortable, muggy or Oppressive. Why the meteorologist didn’t express to include this is beyond me.
  38. [R17] WCVB NewsCenter 5 5/5 · US Weather: Best weather forecast
  39. [R23] WCVB NewsCenter 5 5/5 · US My trusted source: Ever since the station was begun I have enjoyed and trusted your local programming most especially your news and weather. In this age of misinformation and pandering to petty bullies and government officials yours is a voice of integrity and reason.

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store