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

MS NOW vs CNN

MS NOW 4.1★ · Free to download 40
Winner CNN
CNN 4.8★ · Free + IAP 65

CNN is the better choice for general news consumption due to its higher reliability and responsive customer support, despite its paywall for articles, while MS NOW struggles with consistent technical issues and a reliance on TV provider logins.

Full reviews: MS NOW · CNN

CNN offers timely news and generally responsive support, though many articles are behind a paywall. MS NOW, while providing good content, is plagued by persistent technical glitches, login issues, and a lack of basic features like dark mode.

Head to head

Features & Content tieR1R2R15R26
MS NOW MS NOW users appreciate the content but are frustrated by the lack of full live shows without a cable subscription, only getting snippets or half-hour segments R1. Many desire a dark mode R2R26 and better accessibility features like font size adjustment and landscape mode for iPads R15.
CNN CNN provides timely news coverage and in-depth reporting . However, many users are frustrated by the paywall that limits free article access R64R67R82. Some also dislike the heavy reliance on video content over readable articles and the lack of a dark mode R98.
Ease of Use & Reliability edge: CNNR6R7R11R12
MS NOW MS NOW is widely criticized for being buggy and unreliable, with frequent freezing, crashing, and difficulty opening R7R11. Users also report constant login issues, often requiring re-authentication with TV providers daily or even mid-show R12R19R47R51. The app also has problems with volume levels, either being too low or having commercials that are uncomfortably loud R6R14.
CNN CNN users experience issues with widgets not working or showing blank content after updates . Some subscribers report daily validation requirements for their TV provider and difficulty accessing content across multiple devices . There are also complaints about videos starting halfway through or crashing , and the app freezing when scrolling articles . Audio control issues, where the app hijacks phone audio, are also noted .
Platform Compatibility edge: CNNR5R8R9R10
MS NOW MS NOW has significant issues on Apple TV, with users reporting the app not working, freezing, or failing to authenticate with TV providers R5R8R9R34. Roku users also report error messages after a few minutes of streaming R10. The app has also been reported to be incompatible with older iPads after updates .
CNN CNN users report widget issues on iOS 26 and iPhone 17 . Some users also have trouble with Airplay connectivity .
Price/Value tieR1R3R4R14
MS NOW MS NOW is free to download but requires a TV provider login for live content, which frustrates users who have dropped cable or wish to pay a small fee for access R1R3R22R32. Many users are annoyed by repetitive and excessively loud commercials, even during paid subscriptions R4R14. Some users who upgraded to premium experienced issues with podcasts being delayed or unavailable .
CNN CNN offers a free tier but heavily restricts article access behind a paywall after a few articles R64R67R82. Paid subscribers complain about a poor user experience, including repetitive ads and the inability to resume videos where they left off .
Support edge: CNNR11R34R47R65
MS NOW MS NOW users frequently report that the app malfunctions consistently and is not user-friendly R11. They also mention that developers do not seem to be fixing persistent bugs, such as login issues and Apple TV problems R34R47.
CNN CNN has demonstrated responsive customer support, with one user reporting quick assistance to unlock their account after subscription issues R65. However, some users note that settings within the app do not work, preventing access to saved stories .
Pick MS NOW if

You are a dedicated MSNBC viewer with a cable subscription and are willing to tolerate significant app instability and frequent login issues for the content R1R3R11R19.

Pick CNN if

You want timely news coverage and are willing to pay for a subscription to access most articles, or you primarily consume news through video and live streams R64. You also value responsive customer support when issues arise R65.

Evidence note: MS NOW has a significantly lower lifetime rating and far fewer ratings than CNN, suggesting a smaller user base and potentially more pronounced issues for its users. The free-to-download nature of both apps means that negative reviews often stem from friction with free-tier limitations or technical issues that prevent access to content, regardless of payment status. For CNN, the paywall is a major point of contention for free users, while MS NOW's issues are more about core app functionality.

Frequently asked

Can I watch live shows on MS NOW without a cable subscription?
No, MS NOW requires a cable TV provider login to watch live broadcasts and full shows; without it, you can only access snippets or half-hour segments R1R3R22R32.
Does CNN have a paywall for articles?
Yes, CNN limits the number of free articles you can read before requiring a paid subscription to continue accessing content R64R67R82R94.
Are there frequent login problems with MS NOW?
Yes, many MS NOW users report having to constantly sign in with their network provider, sometimes daily or even in the middle of a show, and occasionally needing to delete and reinstall the app to resolve login issues R12R19R47R51.
Do either of these apps offer a dark mode?
Neither MS NOW nor CNN consistently offers a dark mode, with users requesting this feature for both apps R2R26R98.

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] MS NOW 2/5 · US No live shows!: I recently dropped my streaming service, so msnbc went away. I thought that would be ok, because I new this app existed. So, I downloaded it and all I can find is snippets of shows! I can’t watch a full show the day after it was live, I can watch a half hour of an hour long show the next day, but then it switches to a different show! Not even close to what I thought it would be!
  2. [R2] MS NOW 5/5 · US Great App, but….: Awesome User Experience except that there is no dark mode. Can you add a toggle for dark mode in the settings. Thanks
  3. [R15] MS NOW 3/5 · US Doesn’t use accessibility features for font size: I appreciate this reporting and listen often, however the site doesn’t allow the accessibility features of iPhone. The font is small and thin, doesn’t rotate when I turn the phone, and pinching it larger then requires an annoying back and forth movement to read. For an entire article or several articles, this is just too frustrating. Your content i
  4. [R26] MS NOW 3/5 · US No dark mode: I enjoy the app, but it needs to have a dark mode, the white background it’s very strong and it makes it very hard to read, especially at night
  5. [R6] MS NOW 3/5 · US App volume is too low!: I love the content but the volume on live streaming of the tv channel is set way too low. I have to put my Ipad volume all the way to maximum in order to hear the app at a reasonable volume. They need to fix this. It’s a problem.
  6. [R7] MS NOW 2/5 · US Junk: Worst app ever ….!!!!
  7. [R11] MS NOW 5/5 · US Love MS NOW Hate the APP: The app malfunctions consistently - very frustrating - not user friendly.
  8. [R12] MS NOW 3/5 · US Needs work…: You have to log into your isp every few days, sometimes in the middle of a show. Lately I can’t get the audio loud enough to hear in my earbuds while walking. Kind of defeats the purpose.
  9. [R5] MS NOW 5/5 · US Verizon TV Provider login broken on Apple TV: The app works fine on iPhone I can sign in and link my Verizon Fios account no problem. But on Apple TV it redirects to Verizon’s site and throws a generic error saying it can’t process the request. Tried it on two completely different Apple TVs with the same result, so this is definitely a bug in the tvOS app, not a device or account issue. Hoping the
  10. [R8] MS NOW 4/5 · US MS Now app on Apple TV needs immediate support please!: I use the MS NOW Apple TV app daily, and for almost 2 days it hasn’t been working, just the spinning/loading wheel. Thank you.
  11. [R9] MS NOW 3/5 · US Apple TV: Works fine on iPad and iPhone. Periodically need to delete and reinstall then works fine until next Appletv update
  12. [R10] MS NOW 1/5 · US used to work fine…now, not so much!: This app used to work fine on my roku, but about a week ago it started giving error message after a few minutes of streaming ! Did you update something that created the glitch? I suppose I will have to subscribe to it on youtube and catch clips! This is not acceptable! 🥵
  13. [R3] MS NOW 3/5 · US MS NOW LIVE ON THERE APP ONLY: Why can’t MS NOW show there live broadcasts on there app like NBC news does instead of going thru a subscription TV NBC News have a live take every time you watch NBC News
  14. [R4] MS NOW 1/5 · US FIX THE COMMERCIALS!!!: The news part of this app is just fine. The shows work, the articles work, the videos work. But god help you if you listen to the live tv app during the work day. The same freaking commercial will play like five times in a row EACH commercial break all day long. It’s driving me insane. I’m so close to ditching this app all together just because of the commercials. Fix this!
  15. [R14] MS NOW 4/5 · US Volume levels awful during commercials!: Why do the volume levels get uncomfortably higher each time the MSNOW shows take commercial breaks on the iPad and iPhone apps . Can’t that be fixed. It’s awful. I have to manually turn it down during those breaks!
  16. [R34] MS NOW 3/5 · US “Frustrating App Performance: MS Now Regularly Fails to Open on Apple TV”: The app almost always fails to open on my Apple TV. Based on other reviews, clearly I’m not alone. I’m astounded that they’ve allowed this to persist since the app’s launch and haven’t been able to fix it. It occasionally works on my iPad, but I didn’t download this app specifically for that purpose. I want to watch it on m
  17. [R47] MS NOW 1/5 · US Worst app ever: I have been writing to this company in hopes they would fix this buggy app but they seem incapable of creating a simple app. Not only do I have to log in every other day instead of staying logged in through my provider (xfinity), but it worked for a few days on my iPad and then suddenly all I get is a black screen when attempting to log in through xFinity. Why can’t they seem to fi
  18. [R65] CNN 5/5 · US Great response: I had given the 3 stars this morning when all of the sudden I was getting a message telling me to Subscribe when my subscription was good until next May. I could not get it to work on either iPad or iPhone. The AI system provided a way to email for help. They responded quickly and were able to unlock my account. Thank you for all your help.
  19. [R22] MS NOW 1/5 · US Cut the cable.: Why can’t we watch this channel without a cable provider? Everyone doesn’t have cable. Cut it because it’s really high.
  20. [R32] MS NOW 3/5 · US no cable/big problem: If you want to watch live you must have a cable subscription. I’m not opposed to paying a small fee (like other streaming apps) to access this. When will these sites realize we don’t all worship cable companies?
  21. [R64] CNN 2/5 · US Deleting app: Every time I try to read an article newsworthy it says I reached my free limit.
  22. [R67] CNN 1/5 · US Used to be free news reading: This app used to be free to read articles but I guess they don’t get enough ad revenue. I use to use it with Fox News to get balanced reporting, but now I’ll use Fox only (which I trust better anyway).
  23. [R82] CNN 1/5 · US Reading limit.. horrible: I think it’s horrible that CNN limits the amount of stories you can view. Capitalism at it’s worse. You have sponsors and now subscribers but you still have to limit how many stories we can view. Stupid
  24. [R94] CNN 1/5 · US Greedy: You can only read 5 articles until you have to become a paid subscriber to keep reading
  25. [R19] MS NOW 1/5 · US Fix the sign in!: Have to sign in every single time and now it doesn’t work at all. Frustrating
  26. [R51] MS NOW 2/5 · US Sign in problems: I find myself having to constantly sign in with my network provider and then it still tells me I have to sign in. I go to settings where it shows I'm already signed in with Directv and sign out. Then I sign in again and it still won't let me watch. This happens every other day or so and it's made this app completely useless to me. I'm looking for a news alternative because I can'
  27. [R98] CNN 4/5 · GB Love the app: But could really do with “dark mode “ x

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