Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

CBS News vs NewsBreak

CBS News 3.7★ · Free + IAP 40
Winner NewsBreak
NewsBreak 4.8★ · Free to download 65

NewsBreak is generally preferred for its local news and crime mapping, despite issues with ads and AI-generated content, while CBS News struggles with app stability and perceived editorial bias.

Full reviews: CBS News · NewsBreak

NewsBreak offers extensive local news and crime maps, which users appreciate, but it's plagued by numerous ads and AI-generated content. CBS News, while providing live and breaking news, suffers from frequent app crashes, missing basic features like dark mode, and significant user distrust due to perceived political bias.

Head to head

Features edge: NewsBreakR1R3R8R17
CBS News CBS News is criticized for lacking basic features like dark mode and adjustable font sizes, which users frequently request R1R3R8R17. Some users also report issues with articles not fully loading and videos defaulting, making the app difficult to use R10R12.
NewsBreak NewsBreak is praised for its local news and crime mapping features R68R71R111. However, users report issues with the crime map's accuracy and zoom functionality R63R92. Recent updates have also disabled GIF functionality and introduced a problematic swipe-back feature .
Ease of Use & Reliability tieR4R6R10R12
CBS News CBS News users frequently report app instability, including constant buffering, crashes, freezing, and pages not fully loading R4R6R10R12. The app is also criticized for excessive notifications, especially for non-breaking news .
NewsBreak NewsBreak users experience frequent issues with ads, which are described as numerous, unstoppable, and often scam-related R64R69R88R92. The app also suffers from loading problems, with users reporting blank screens and slow reporting .
Content Quality & Objectivity tieR7R16R19R25
CBS News Many CBS News users express significant distrust in the content, citing perceived political bias, loss of journalistic integrity, and a shift towards propaganda R7R16R19R25. Some also find the news lacks detail R19.
NewsBreak NewsBreak is heavily criticized for its content, with users reporting it's full of AI-generated articles and videos, often poorly written, misleading, and promoting far-right conspiracy theories . Users also complain about irrelevant or old notifications .
Price/Value tieR26R48R60R67
CBS News CBS News is a free app, but users complain about an excessive number of commercials and ads R26R48R60.
NewsBreak NewsBreak is free to download, but users report being forced to pay for a 'Premium' plan to remove relentless spam and scam ads R67.
Pick CBS News if

you prioritize traditional news sources and are willing to overlook app stability issues and perceived bias for live and breaking news .

Pick NewsBreak if

you are primarily interested in local news and crime updates, and are prepared to navigate frequent ads and potentially questionable content sources R68R71R111.

Evidence note: Reviews for CBS News are heavily skewed towards negative feedback regarding perceived political bias and app performance. NewsBreak reviews are more mixed, with strong positive feedback for local features but significant criticism for ads and AI content.

Frequently asked

Does CBS News have a dark mode?
No, many CBS News users complain that the app lacks a dark mode option, despite it being a frequently requested feature R1R3R8R17.
Is NewsBreak reliable for local crime information?
NewsBreak is popular for its local crime map, with many users finding it useful for staying informed about their area R68R71R111. However, some users report inaccuracies, issues with zooming, and medical emergencies being mislabeled as crimes R63R92.
Are there many ads in NewsBreak?
Yes, NewsBreak users frequently complain about an excessive number of ads, describing them as unstoppable, pop-ups, and often scam-related, with some suggesting a paid 'Premium' plan is necessary to remove them R64R69R88R92.

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. [R1] CBS News 2/5 · US No dark mode is an example of how behind it is. STILL!: Needs to catch up on a lot of basic missing features in 2021.
  2. [R3] CBS News 3/5 · US No dark mode: Create a dark mode option
  3. [R8] CBS News 4/5 · US Nice App: Two desirable features are dark mode and larger fonts
  4. [R17] CBS News 4/5 · US Dark mode iPhone?: So far so good, but it’s unclear how to enable dark mode? The app does not automatically use dark mode according to iPhone setting. If the option exists, the locations is not intuitive.
  5. [R4] CBS News 1/5 · US App breaks daily: Constant buffering and crashes. Even after upgrading my internet, this app is practically unusable. It constantly loses connection and dies, especially on my Apple TV. Highly disappointed
  6. [R6] CBS News 3/5 · US Fair App: Fair at best, gets stuck a lot, no way to turn off stories with a blank black screen. Keeps ads going and can’t shut off.
  7. [R10] CBS News 2/5 · US Pages not fully loading: Many of the pages are only partially loading. Typically the starting pages load but the last half doesn’t load leaving a blank screen as I scroll through the article
  8. [R12] CBS News 3/5 · US Gone downhill: I used to be able to read an article in full. With recent updates, the video player seems to cause the feed for the article to stop refreshing. Have to back out of the app multiple time just to complete one article now and my phone starts to overheat.
  9. [R7] CBS News 2/5 · US I no longer trust CBS News: I make this short a sweet. I used to love CBS News. But I lost my trust in them thanks to Bari Weiss. However I will continue to support the local CBS News.
  10. [R16] CBS News 1/5 · US No more freedom of the press: CBS sold out, sad this was my favorite source of news and now I can't trust it to tell the truth
  11. [R19] CBS News 1/5 · US Unreliable: App freezes too often. “News” lacks the detail and objectivity one can find on other news apps. Dokoupil is a MAGA hand puppet. Niki Glaser said it best, “CBS News, America's newest place to C BS news”
  12. [R25] CBS News 1/5 · US No more independent reporting: CBS is lost! The flag ship of U.S. news reporting is gone. Barri Weiss is apparently blind to the right wing push from CBS ownership. As a registered independent voter I don’t want bias in my news. That is why I have watched CBS for decades (I am 73). I am outraged that S. Pelley has been fired along with so many other storied reporters. I am removing my CBS app
  13. [R26] CBS News 3/5 · US CBS mornings Ad: Thank you for this news App, I watch it often however the cbs morning Ad repeats so often and it’s very annoying, it’s got to a point where I just switch to something else!
  14. [R48] CBS News 1/5 · US Unreadable. Infested with ads.: Only reason to have this ap is to watch 60 minutes because it’s impossible to find it on TV. Now you have 160 minutes I will delete the app and never watch anything on CBS or Paramount+
  15. [R60] CBS News 2/5 · US Way Too Many Commercials: The number of commercials you have to watch to see any real news is just unbelievable. Truly.
  16. [R67] NewsBreak 2/5 · US Pay now: I just updated now my saved won’t return to the app. I have to pay
  17. [R68] NewsBreak 5/5 · US AMAZING APP: I think the app is really good for finding crimes in your area I highly recommend.
  18. [R71] NewsBreak 5/5 · US It’s good: 5 stars it’s good for crime maps
  19. [R111] NewsBreak 5/5 · US I love it: It tells me bad stuff Ang good stuff around me so if I’m in that place I would know
  20. [R63] NewsBreak 3/5 · US it’s alright: okay so first they should add more zoom in on the maps because I tried looking at a sex offender that was extremely close to me yet I couldn’t click on it
  21. [R64] NewsBreak 1/5 · US Adds are scams: Made two purchases of tools and portable ac both scams. Ac purchase took money and no refund.
  22. [R69] NewsBreak 3/5 · US Frustrated: Too many advertisements. I keep seeing sources i don’t want to see
  23. [R88] NewsBreak 1/5 · US Ads: Cannot watch or read anything without spectrum ad popping up several times. I’m already spectrum customer so I don’t need to be sold over & over again.
  24. [R92] NewsBreak 1/5 · US Positive feedback is false: Full of ads, uses AI in their ads and doesn’t show any crime or danger on my map.

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