Head-to-head
KHON2 News vs WHIO News
KHON2 News
55
Winner
Tie
WHIO News
58
Both KHON2 News and WHIO News struggle significantly with app functionality and excessive ads, making neither a clear winner, but WHIO News has a slight edge in content variety and reliability.
Full reviews: KHON2 News · WHIO News
Both KHON2 News and WHIO News are free news apps that receive consistent praise for their local news coverage but are plagued by severe usability issues, including frequent freezing, excessive ads, and broken notifications. While KHON2 News is praised for its Hawaii-specific updates, WHIO News offers a broader range of local and national news, despite similar technical problems.
Head to head
KHON2 News KHON2 News users appreciate the app for its up-to-date local news, weather, traffic, and sports, especially for Hawaii residents and those who have moved away R2R5. However, some users desire more articles instead of videos and podcasts, and a community bulletin board for local events R9R10. There are also complaints about the app being too sports-oriented and not emphasizing top stories enough .
WHIO News WHIO News is valued for its comprehensive local news, weather, and traffic updates in the Montgomery County and Miami Valley area . Users appreciate being able to listen to news even if they can't watch it . However, there are frequent complaints about old stories, especially in the sports section, and a lack of updates . Some users also report a lack of coverage on specific national or local events .
KHON2 News KHON2 News users find navigation difficult due to excessive ads and pop-ups R19R40. The back button often doesn't work, especially after selecting a notification R3. Many users are frustrated that notifications lead to a live stream or TV schedule instead of the actual story, making it hard to find the content they want R12R24. Some also dislike having to open a link to the website for articles R6.
WHIO News WHIO News users report a horrible user interface and experience, with ads blocking content and making navigation difficult . Similar to KHON2, notifications often lead to the app but not the specific story, or the story is not found . Users also complain about videos playing automatically and unrelated content auto-playing . Some find it difficult to navigate to other stories after clicking a live story .
KHON2 News KHON2 News is frequently described as buggy, freezing, and stopping randomly R1R8R43. Live streams often don't start or are significantly delayed, sometimes by an hour R1R12R16. Notifications are a major pain point, often leading to dead ends or not showing the story R12R24.
WHIO News WHIO News also suffers from significant reliability issues, with the app often freezing, stuttering, or crashing R66. Videos are particularly problematic, often not playing, playing double, or having offset audio . Users report issues with the app not launching at all for weeks . Notifications are unreliable, sometimes leading to no story or an error .
KHON2 News KHON2 News is free to download, but users complain about being required to sign up for Nexstar to view live broadcasts R4 and being asked for credit card information to utilize some videos R14. The sheer volume of ads is a major detractor, making the app feel like 'ad clickbait' R1R13R19.
WHIO News WHIO News is also free to download, but users are overwhelmed by the number of ads, which often block content, stutter, and interrupt reading . Many feel the ads are excessive and detract significantly from the app's value, with some even deleting the app because of them . Users also dislike having to watch long commercials before getting to video content .
Pick KHON2 News if
You are specifically interested in Hawaii local news and are willing to tolerate significant app performance issues and a high volume of ads R2R5. You prioritize staying updated on Hawaii-specific events and weather, even with the app's flaws R2R5.
Pick WHIO News if
You are in the Montgomery County/Miami Valley Ohio area and need local news, weather, and traffic updates, and are prepared to deal with a glitchy app and numerous ads . You appreciate a news app that allows you to listen to content even if you can't watch it .
Evidence note: Both apps are free, and the negative reviews heavily focus on technical issues and ad saturation, which is common for free news apps. The positive reviews for both often praise the news content itself rather than the app's functionality.
Frequently asked
Do KHON2 News and WHIO News have a lot of ads?
Are notifications reliable for these news apps?
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.
- [R2] KHON2 News KHON2: Appreciate you! Up-to-date news! Thank you.
- [R5] KHON2 News Always there for us!: We always turn to you for knowing what’s up! Thank you for the great service!
- [R9] KHON2 News Too much streaming???: Would like to read more articles as oppose to watching videos or listening to podcasts.
- [R10] KHON2 News Community Going’s On: i’m looking for events in Honolulu or Big Island free or otherwise like bondsnces and community. Maybe a community bulletin board. week ends, walks, rummage sales, donation of households.Not
- [R3] KHON2 News Back button: I love how the back button literally never works if you select a notification, on the most sold phone in the world. I don’t expect anybody to actually read this review to change that, but figured I’d shoot my shot :) KHON keep doing your thing. App team for KHON, please contact California. Much mahalos.
- [R6] KHON2 News Love the App but...: It needs to be where the articles are within the app not where you have to open up a link to the website. Also, too many ads on the videos. Hopefully these issues will be fixed on the next update.
- [R12] KHON2 News It ain’t the app, it’s the notifications.: Ugh! I get a push notice to tune in and I tap the notice. First there’s and advertisement, then a dead end. Live streaming won’t start for 3 minutes!! It’s like the app craps out. Video won’t start. I’ve been trying for 2 years. You can’t go back to the notice because it’s cleared out.
- [R19] KHON2 News Too many ads: So many ads. Navigation is not easy and having to dismiss all the ads and pop ups is not enjoyable. I understand ads pay for the services but ads shouldn’t be more than news stories.
- [R1] KHON2 News Buggy and stops working: When I click on watch now or livestream or watch living808 it stops playing randomly and asks to reload page. It just ends up playing the same ads over and over and you never get to see the content.
- [R8] KHON2 News Glitches: I enjoy having the news app, but however, it always glitches out on my iPhone every time I open up the notification button, and now, when I open the app. I do not have a problem with this on my iPad.
- [R16] KHON2 News LIVE broadcast news is a lie!: KHON was my favorite when I had cable TV and one day I realized I’m paying $80 a month just to watch the news so got rid of cable. From the app where they claim there’s a live news stream it’s always at least an hour behind. This renders it completely useless if you’re trying to use it to check live traffic. HNN app actually is live news and loads a lot quicker.
- [R4] KHON2 News Junk: Now you need to sign up for Nexstar to view live broadcast. It gotten worst!
- [R13] KHON2 News Ad after ad after ad: It’s an ad clickbait!
- [R14] KHON2 News Great information: I love KHON2 and their quality presentation of what is happening both locally and nationally. The app is useful but I don’t want to input my credit card number to utilize some of the videos. I also thought I opted out of traffic push notifications but it seems that I still get them. Overall, I really like the app but no CC info from me. ❤️
- [R40] KHON2 News Less Ads, Please!: I enjoy this app + use the push notifications to track breaking news for the island. But I find it nearly impossible to read stories or browse because of the immense amount of ads on each page. These are the same garbage ads on misc sites - clean out your ear wax, fix your saggy arms - and IMO they don’t have any place on a local news app. Not professional when you have an ad in
- [R24] KHON2 News Notifications, then no story!: I like this app, but when I click the notification headline, the story isn’t there.
- [R46] KHON2 News Notifications do not take you to the story: Thee most irritating thing about this app is that the notifications take you to a page showing the KHON2 TV schedule rather than the story itself. This app has great notifications and is generally 1st in notifying me about current events which makes this issue even more infuriating. Use the Hawaii News Now app until this is fixed.
- [R58] KHON2 News Notifications flaw!: When there are notifications sent from this news app and you click on them it only takes you to a live feed of the news currently playing and not to an article about the story. If you get a notification, but then 5-10 min pass before you are able to look at it....then the live stream is over or you have missed the story of interest to you on the live news feed. This is very an
- [R43] KHON2 News Freezing app: This app freezes frequently in the middle of scrolling due to the amount of video adds
- [R50] KHON2 News Need to update: Open the app and it freezes.
- [R66] WHIO News Average performance app: The app often paints the screen in a stuttering manner, loading some elements, then stalling out, then loading more text and photos, if it doesn’t freeze entirely. It makes you wonder if it’s loaded with all sorts of background scripts, trackers, etc.
Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store