Looking for some reliable apps to keep you posted about what is going on in the world? The list list below has you covered. In it I featured five of the best news aggregators out there. A news aggregator collects news from around the web and organizes it into a single reader friendly interface for you to read at your own pace. 


Instead of checking individual news sites and reading their stories, why not have them come to you . You save time and effort and you get a better news reading experience. As an educator, I had teachers and fellow educators in mind while composing this list but the apps are also ideal for anyone else interesting in staying in the know of world news. For kids, check out best kids friendly news websites.

1. Feedly

Feedly is definitely one of the best news aggregator out there. I have been recommending it for teachers and educators for several years. Feedly collects news feeds from all your favourite news websites and arranges them into a single reader friendly interface. The way Feedly works is simple: Open an account (registration is free) and start adding your news sources (e.g., news sites, Twitter feeds, podcasts, blogs, etc). 


Feedly collects news from these sources and keeps you updated whenever something new is published. Feedly also offers shared boards where you can curate and share news insights with your colleagues, or even students.

App details:
Age: 17+
Price: Free, offers in-app purchases.
Compatibility: iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) and Android.

2. Google News

Google News app is a free news aggregator app that curates and organizes news stories from all around the world and provide them to you in a clean reader interface. Google News has a unique feature called Briefing which provides you with personalized news briefings based on your own preferences. 


You can also opt for Full Coverage and learn about how different news sources cover the same story.Google News also allows you to access news stories by location. You can choose multiple locations and access local news and stay in the know about what’s going on in your community. The Stories for You section is where you can take control and customize news stories you want to read.

App details:
Age: 12+
Price: Free, offers in-app purchases.
Compatibility: iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) and Android.

3. Apple News

Apple News is another powerful news app to try out. It brings the world news into one place. Using smart technology, Apple editors collect and share with you well-sourced and fact-based stories from authority news sites such as The Washington Post, Politico, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angels, Times, The Globe and Mail, Time, The Atlantic, New York Magazine, The New Yorker and many more. 


The more news stories you reader the better the app recognizes your style and preferences and start sending you personalized news stories. Apple News also offers a premium subscription that costs $9.99 which allows you to access tons of magazines and premium newspapers.

App details:
Age: 12+
Price: Free, offers in-app purchases.
Compatibility: iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch).

4. Pocket

Pocket is a content curation app that enables you to saves content that matters to you for later access. You can save new stories, magazine articles, web pages, blog posts, articles, and videos from any device and any publisher or app. Pocket offers a clutter-free reading environment where you can focus on the information at hand. 


Pocket even offers special themes such as dar and sepia that reduce visual stimulation before sleep. Text to speech or read aloud is another powerful feature in Pockets. It helps you listen to your news stories, articles, and blog posts while driving, working out, walking, etc.

App details:
Age: 4+
Price: Free, offers in-app purchases.
Compatibility: iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) and Android.

5. SmartNews

SmartNews is a local news app that sources news headlines from various reputable news outlets including NBC News, MSNBC, USA Today, TIME, The Huffington Post, The Verge, Vice, VOX, Reuters, Buzzfeed, and many more. Some of the features it offers include offline news, notifications for breaking news stories, over 300 top US and World news publications, the ability to customize your channels the way you want, and many more.

App details:
Age: 17+
Price: Free, offers in-app purchases.
Compatibility: iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) and Android.

This post originally appeared in Educational Technology and Mobile Learning ( www.educatorstechnology.com ).