ABC News launched a new version of its mobile app on September 20, 2022 with new features and updated underlying technology.
“We’re excited that the new updates to our signature digital app offer new ways to showcase our world-class journalism, engage consumers more deeply with our coverage, and improve the way audiences read everything from breaking news to our industry-leading news sees and reads election coverage and more,” Lulu Chiang, vice president of ABC News Digital Content, said in a statement.
This version of the app is built on the same platforms as other Disney-owned apps, allowing internal teams to iterate on new features faster while increasing scalability and performance.
The new app also features a new user interface with updated primary navigation that improves video access while adding picture-in-picture capabilities on compatible devices and operating systems.
ABC News Live, the network’s 24-hour streaming news service, is also more tightly integrated, and the interface now has a dark mode that’s easy on the eyes.
Meanwhile, ABC News editorial teams will have more flexibility in storytelling with new layout options for delivering breaking news and big coverage, including the ability to take over the app’s entire main screen. There are also improvements to photo gallery layouts and live blogging integration.
The new primary navigation now features View, Explore, Listen, and Search, as well as an updated My Messages section.
Users can easily add and change current interests with just a tap and curate those personalized news interests under “My Messages”.
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The app also now relies on an improved search algorithm that can also be modified based on breaking news, giving ABC the ability to increase visibility for trending stories and topics.
Listen provides users with an updated and improved library of audio content from ABC News, including the Start Here podcast, Good Morning America, the audio of the full episodes of World News Tonight, 20/20 ‘ and ‘Nightline’, FiveThirtyEight political podcasts, original storytelling and more.
During the upcoming 2022 election, the ABC News app will also provide updates to live, real-time election results data.
Additionally, election cards will have a new design and interaction, and in-app election coverage will for the first time provide historical data, allowing users to examine results from previous election cycles, setting the stage for upcoming midterm elections and on to 2024 anticipating the election cycle, according to the network’s announcement.
