The New York Times – Personalized News Feed

Introduction

Using Google’s Tools

The versatile Google app has had the capability to display stories related to your search history on its main screen for some time. The software uses algorithms to pull content from a variety of outlets, but Google has recently introduced new ways for you to have more control over these results. Most notably, a recent update now allows users to manually select their favorite news sources.

To choose your preferred sources, first type a topic into the search bar. When the results appear, tap the icon to the right of “Top Stories”. This will open a window called “Choose your preferred sources,” where you can use the search box to find and select specific news sites. After you do this, those sources should appear more often in your results.

If you would rather use the Google News app to manage articles from different publishers, you can also customize the sources and topics featured. To do this, open the app, tap on the Newsstand icon, and then select the icons for the sources you prefer within categories like Sports or Business.

Within the Google News app, you can choose to follow specific topics or stories by searching for them and then tapping the star icon in the results to add them to your feed. To manage your feed, tap the Following icon at the bottom of the screen; from there, you can remove sources or choose to see more stories from a particular site. By tapping the three-dot “More” menu next to any article, you can access options to save it, share it, hide it, or request to see fewer stories about that particular topic.

Using Apple News

Apple’s news aggregation app is available in two forms: the standard — free Apple News, which offers a select number of sources, and Apple News+ — a premium subscription costing approximately $13 per month. The paid service provides access to articles, puzzles, recipes, and audio content from around 400 publications, including those that are typically behind paywalls.

To configure your preferences on an iPhone, tap the Following icon in the lower-right corner of the screen. Here, you can select topics and news sources—which Apple refers to as “channels”—to add to your feed. Tap “Discover Channels” at the bottom of the list to receive suggestions, or use the search box to look for specific subjects and sources. Siri, Apple’s virtual assistant, will also provide recommendations based on your geographical location and your history of searches and reading.

You can modify your Following list by tapping the Edit button in the screen’s upper-right corner. In this menu, you can mark specific items as “favorites” to see them more frequently, or you can tap the Delete icon to stop following a topic or channel altogether. (If you are using an iPad, you can customize your feed using the sidebar list and its Edit button.)

To perform actions such as sharing a story, saving it, following a channel, or blocking one, press and hold a story preview on the screen to open a context menu. Alternatively, you can tap the small three-dot icon located in the bottom-right corner of any story preview.

Athletic enthusiasts can search for, select, and follow their favorite teams simply by tapping the Sports icon within the app.

Using Other Apps

If you are looking for different functionalities or more news sources, explore your device’s app store. News-aggregator apps differ in their visual design and content offerings, but most operate similarly: you create an account and add your preferred news sources and topics of interest. While most apps offer a free basic service to new users, a paid subscription is often necessary to unlock all features, such as gaining full access to a broader range of publications (which might have their own paywalls).

Some widely-used applications include Flipboard (free), Yahoo! News (free), and SmartNews (free), along with its newer spin-off software, NewsArc, which uses artificial intelligence to refine your news feed. Another service, called Ground News, offers a free trial after which subscriptions start at about $3 per month. It claims to aggregate content from 50,000 sources and aims to provide a broader viewpoint by comparing how various news outlets report the same story. This function may help mitigate the potential “echo-chamber” effect that can occur with highly personalized news feeds.

For users who want complete control, R.S.S. (Really Simple Syndication) is a long-established technology that automatically fetches the latest updates from your favorite websites, content from social media feeds, blogs, and podcasts. R.S.S. readers, such as Feedly and Inoreader, provide free basic tiers for a start. They also offer subscription plans, typically costing around $8 per month, which grant you advanced tools to fine-tune your personal media dashboard.