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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
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The verdict on

Simple Radio

65
User verdict / 100 High confidence Divided

Simple Radio offers a vast selection of international and local radio stations, praised for its ease of use and ability to access heritage content, but it is significantly hampered by frequent and intrusive ads, persistent streaming issues, and confusing subscription practices.

4.7★ lifetime (523,144) Free + in-app purchases since 2014 by Streema, Inc. updated 2.4 mo ago recent negative 20% 120 reviews across 1 regions
Advertisements Streaming Reliability Station Selection Ease of Use Subscription/Payment Issues
5★98
4★13
3★9
2★8
1★22
recent reviews across 1 regions, vs the 4.7★ lifetime average

Simple Radio is a popular app for streaming radio stations globally, with many users appreciating its wide variety and simple interface. However, recent reviews highlight major frustrations with excessive and unskippable advertisements, frequent audio dropouts, and issues with the paid ad-free version still displaying ads.

What users like

  • Provides access to a wide variety of international and local radio stations.R4R7R16R17
  • Easy to use interface and simple station selection.R20R41R53R55
  • Allows users to listen to heritage or back-home stations.R7R18R30R34
  • Supports Apple CarPlay and Apple Watch for on-the-go control.R53

What users complain about

  • Frequent and intrusive advertisements, including unskippable video ads with audio, disrupt the listening experience.R3R21R43R47
  • Ads are difficult to close, sometimes requiring app restart or leading to external websites.R3R47R64R72
  • Stations frequently cut out, stop, or drop connection, making the app unreliable.R5R9R11R12
  • Some paid users still experience advertising, contradicting the subscription benefit.R27R135
  • Issues with app launching after updates or not working for certain stations.R1R8R24R58
  • Difficulty canceling subscriptions or deleting the app.R35R58

Latest update · v11.7.0

What the developer says changed (the verdict above weighs this against what reviewers report):

Bug fixes and improvements

Recurring themes

Advertisements negative
Many users are highly frustrated by the quantity and intrusiveness of ads, including unskippable video ads with audio. They report difficulty closing ads, which often leads to external websites or requires restarting the app. Some paying subscribers also report still seeing ads.R3R21R43R47
Streaming Reliability negative
A significant number of reviews mention frequent dropouts, stations cutting out, or the app stopping and restarting. This issue affects both local and international stations and severely impacts the listening experience.R5R9R11R12
Station Selection positive
Users consistently praise the app for its wide variety of radio stations, both local and international. Many appreciate being able to listen to stations from their home countries or explore new content.R4R7R16R17
Ease of Use positive
Many users find the app simple and intuitive to use, appreciating the straightforward interface for finding and saving favorite stations.R20R41R53R55
Subscription/Payment Issues negative
Users report deceptive pricing, with no clear price displayed until after a free trial, leading to unexpected charges. There are also reports of paid subscriptions not removing ads and difficulty managing or canceling subscriptions.R2R27R58R74

Who it's for

This app is for users who want to access a broad range of international and local radio stations and appreciate a simple interface R4R7. It is particularly suitable for those who want to listen to stations from their heritage or overseas R7R18R30R34. It is not for users who are sensitive to frequent, intrusive, and sometimes unskippable advertisements, or who require a highly stable and uninterrupted streaming experience R21R47.

Evidence note: The recent reviews skew heavily negative, particularly regarding ads and streaming stability, which contrasts with the high lifetime rating. This suggests a recent decline in user satisfaction, possibly due to increased ad monetization or technical issues not addressed by the 'Bug fixes and improvements' in the latest update. The developer notes are too vague to assess if they directly contradict user complaints.

Frequently asked

Does Simple Radio have a lot of ads?
Yes, many recent reviews indicate that Simple Radio has frequent and intrusive advertisements, including unskippable video ads with audio, which significantly disrupt the listening experience R21R47R64R72.
Do paid subscriptions remove ads in Simple Radio?
Some users who paid for a non-advertising version of Simple Radio still report experiencing ads, indicating that the subscription may not always remove them as expected R135.
Does Simple Radio have issues with stations cutting out?
Yes, numerous users report that stations frequently cut out, stop, or drop connection, making the app unreliable for continuous listening R5R9R11R12.
Is it easy to cancel a Simple Radio subscription?
Some users have reported difficulty canceling subscriptions within the app, with one user stating there was "no way in the app to cancel subscriptions or contact the company" R58.

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. [R4] 4/5 · AU Ante: Great for listening to radio stations around the world 😊
  2. [R7] 5/5 · AU Best online Radio: I have been using Simple Radio for a very long time. I listen to my back home overseas stations and local stations and it works absolutely well. I really want to thank Simple Radio. THANK YOU.
  3. [R16] 5/5 · AU Best thing since Marconi invented long distance radio: Despite the advent of TV, internet and global media feeds, there is still something magical about being able to listen to voices, sounds and non-curated content from around the world. Simple radio brings this magic straight to you in a format that is as easy to use as turning the dial on your old vacuum-tube radio set.
  4. [R17] 5/5 · AU Simple radio: The greatest little app around pick your music from around the world and enjoy your heritage and rock on .
  5. [R20] 5/5 · AU Review: Long time to install app, but once done easy to use and a comprehensive list of stations around the world.
  6. [R41] 5/5 · AU Brilliant App: Easy to use and favourite’s can be saved for regular listening
  7. [R53] 5/5 · AU Tick Tick Tick: As the name suggests it’s simple but that’s what’s best about it. Find a station, save it as a favorites, sort them in any order. Simple and intuitive Plus it’s Apple CarPlay friendly as well as Apple Watch for east on the go control 👍
  8. [R55] 5/5 · AU Simple Radio: It’s absolutely fabulous, easy to access and great music. I love it.
  9. [R18] 5/5 · AU Great: I can stay in contact with my country
  10. [R30] 5/5 · AU Hindu Music: We use it to play Hindu songs day to night We live the nice music it deserves a 5 star We come from fiji and listen to the Hindi songs we love the Romantic content Kind Regards Meera&Kushi
  11. [R34] 5/5 · AU buena musica: this is my go to radio station when i am in Australia and away from Medellin it keeps me feeling closer muy gracias y me gusta mucho
  12. [R3] 2/5 · AU Steve: I get the concept of advertising, but it’s frustrating that I cannot easily ‘x’ out of ads to go back to the station list. Frequently adding the ‘x’ in the top right makes it hard on my iPhone to shut down.
  13. [R21] 1/5 · AU Money hungry: This app used to be great but now they play ads every 2 seconds making it impossible to listen to any station. Deleted immediately. Greedy cash grabbers 👋
  14. [R43] 4/5 · AU Too many ads: Too many ads
  15. [R47] 2/5 · AU Drops out & Cant close stupid ads: Ads are really annoying and pop up straight away - some have small cross in corner that does not readily close so very damn annoying... let alone stupid irrelevant adds too🤬
  16. [R64] 1/5 · AU Adam: The ads are killing me. Can’t close them so need to log out of the ap and hen back in toy change channel.
  17. [R72] 1/5 · AU The App That’s King of Spam Ads: This app used to be great, but just like many other apps, has given way to spam adverts to become one of he worst. I don’t have any problems with the app using adverts, but when you try clearing the adverts from your screen, but it then takes you automatically to the sellers website, it is simply a pathetically low act.
  18. [R5] 5/5 · AU Love it: Can listen to the stations I like, but sometimes the International stations drop out (Australia)
  19. [R9] 1/5 · AU Radio off: Why does the radio turn off when I go to another app to read.regards Greg
  20. [R11] 1/5 · AU Wasted my money: Useless, keeps dropping out, wish I hadn’t bothered
  21. [R12] 5/5 · AU 2SM keeps cutting out.: Unsure if it’s the apps fault or fault of the radio station. Very annoying.
  22. [R27] 2/5 · AU Deceptive advert😒: No payment is displayed until an alert appears “Free Trial”. And still NO PRICE. I feel sucked in😳. Is this an Apple intention? Or a Designer’s intention? a price eventually revealed when Apple’s Invoice appeared 1 month later! = $29.95. Dishonesty will be rewarded with cancellation 👎 Alan.
  23. [R135] 2/5 · AU I PAID AND STILL PLAYS ADVERTISING??: What did I pay for when I paid for non-advertising version? Why are ads forced over stations which don't have advertising??? Really? LIARS.
  24. [R1] 5/5 · AU Mr: Unable to access garam masala radio Perth Western Australia Thank you.
  25. [R8] 2/5 · AU App won't launch after update: I have just updated the app today and now it wont launch. Please fix
  26. [R24] 1/5 · AU Looked Great…. But: Looked awesome, subscribed and found that 8 of the 12 stations I use ( Melbourne ) don’t work and are unavailable.
  27. [R58] 1/5 · AU Worst app ever- do not use!!: No way in the app to cancel subscriptions or contact the company who supplies/created the app! I only wanted one radio channel and it does not load/ work!!! I WANT TO CANCEL MY SUBSCRIPTION NOW!!!
  28. [R35] 1/5 · AU Delete: How do I delete this app from my iPad? I’ve tried the usual way but it doesn’t work. Annoying...
  29. [R2] 4/5 · AU Indispensable: I use this app almost daily for Italian radio and 24 hr news. Thank you for your service. Only giving 4 stars because it’s not totally free
  30. [R74] 5/5 · AU App not working: Yesterday I was listening to this app and it kept closing down and coming back up and I was receiving commercials. I deleted the app and re-installed and now they want to charge me again for the subscription even though I have paid for one until Feb 2023. Has anyone else experienced the same?

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