Is NBC News: Breaking News & Live a scam?
The reviews do not suggest a fake app or a classic scam, but they do show a major trust problem: many recent users say articles that used to be free are now locked behind “subscribers only” paywalls. If your concern is being pushed into a subscription after installing a free app, the recent reviews strongly support being cautious.
Nearly every article now is For Subscribers Only. I just counted 24 articles, and only 9 are free, no subscription required. This is really really greedy. Time to delete the app. I'm totally disappointed in NBC News.
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reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Is NBC News: Breaking News & Live legit?
Yes, reviewers treat NBC News: Breaking News & Live as the real NBC News app and some praise it as accurate, dependable, and easy to use. The main caveat is that many longtime users say the app has become much less useful without a subscription because so much content is subscriber-only.
I love the accuracy! you guys are a great dependable way to know what is going on around the world that effects everyone so great job!
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reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Can I read NBC News: Breaking News & Live for free, or do I need a subscription?
The app is listed as free, but recent reviews repeatedly say that many articles are now restricted to subscribers. Free users may still find some content, but reviewers who mention this issue often say they have to scroll past locked stories or are uninstalling because too much is behind the paywall.
I've followed NBC news for years as a trustworthy news source, but lately they just seem to be money-grabbing with so many "only for subscribers" content. I opened my news app this morning and had to scroll past 5 subscriber-only articles to find one I could actually open. So disappointing!
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reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Why are so many NBC News: Breaking News & Live articles locked behind a paywall?
The reviews do not explain NBC’s business decision, but they clearly show this is the biggest recent complaint. Longtime users say the app used to be their main news source, then more articles, including some breaking news, became paid or subscriber-only, which made the app feel much less useful to them.
This used to be my favorite app to read the news each day, but now nearly all stories are for paid subscribers only. it's difficult to find stories that are free to read. Even some breaking news stories are for subscribers only. Very disappointing.
2
reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Does NBC News: Breaking News & Live still show ads if I subscribe?
At least one reviewer says ads remained even after paying, and other reviews complain about pop-up ads, banners, or being “slammed with ads.” The sample does not prove what every subscriber sees, but it does suggest that paying may not necessarily mean an ad-free experience.
Most of the articles are behind a paywall. Even if you pay for access, there are still ads. The shameless greed of NBC is truly astounding. Who raised the individuals making these decisions??
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reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Does NBC News: Breaking News & Live recognize paid subscriptions correctly?
Some paid users report subscription-recognition problems, including being asked to subscribe again or having subscriber-only articles fail to unlock after logging in. This does not appear in every review, but it is a real issue raised by subscribers in the recent feedback.
Constantly having to log in again to verify subscription. After login, still have articles that say "subscriber only" that do not properly detect my subscription and require multiple attempts to access these paid articles. Super annoying!
2
reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Does NBC News: Breaking News & Live crash or lock up?
A smaller cluster of reviews reports stability problems, including crashes in the middle of stories and pages locking up when video appears. Other reviewers do not mention crashes, so this may depend on device or usage, but it is a recurring enough complaint to consider before installing.
Crashes in the middle of stories constantly,no other news apps do this.Have tried clearing cache etc...
3
reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Can I stop autoplay videos in NBC News: Breaking News & Live?
Several reviewers complain that videos autoplay while scrolling or pop up over stories, and one says the video can prevent them from reading. The reviews do not confirm a setting that reliably turns this off, so users sensitive to autoplay video may find the app frustrating.
some video always pops up then I go to the web page and I can't close it. It eventually locks up and I can't look at anything. Please turn off the automatic video!!! It's annoying and prevents me from reading your stories.
2
reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Can I customize breaking news notifications in NBC News: Breaking News & Live?
Reviewers complain that notifications can be too frequent, not truly breaking news, or lead to subscriber-only content. One reviewer says the app’s notification settings only route to phone-level on/off controls, not more detailed preferences, so customization may feel limited.
Why is there no way to select or streamline the notifications. Notification Settings takes you to the phone settings to turn notifications on or off. There's is no way to reduce the breaking news notifications and every notification they send is not Breaking News. it's just a way for the app to remind you that it's there. I will keep searching and uninstall this one
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reviewers mentioned this in the last 60 days
Answers above are generated from real Google Play reviews of NBC News: Breaking News & Live, not editorial opinion.