Microsoft has made it's news app useless for VO users

By Louise, 11 July, 2024

Forum
iOS and iPadOS

I use to use Microsoft's Start app for ios every day to read the national, world and local news. It worked great with Voiceover until about a month ago. Now, the news is presented in very inaccessible formats with carousels and a mess of unlabeled tabs.

I have provided feedback in the app on several occasions, and I contacted the Microsoft disability desk. subsequent updates to the app haven't fixed the issue.

I have looked for another news app but with little success. Any recommendations?

Options

Comments

By Brian on Sunday, July 14, 2024 - 20:44

Yes, agree Microsoft Start is all but useless now, unless you just use a web browser, but then you get to be bombarded with ads.
Good times.
No, have not had any luck finding a reliable news app as of yet, just been doing it the old fashioned way for the time being; that is to say, with a web browser. ☹

By Roxann Pollard on Sunday, July 14, 2024 - 20:44

Good morning. I'm certain you are aware, but Apple does have a News app, that works at least reasonably. However, I believe this is a subscription model. Can anybody say I hate that? Lol anyway, there is a very large variety of newspapers and periodicals, magazines, etc. if you are interested in that. It's an all in one app, and you do not have to use a browser, and get smashed with ads. Maybe this is an option for you?

By Mert Ozer on Sunday, July 14, 2024 - 20:44

I just use Twitter for news and such, but it has disadvantages. Because it's a social media platform, it only suggests content you're interested in and only the accounts you share the same ideas with. And, Elon Musk made this app terrible, both in turms of accessibility and usebility...

By Dave Nason on Sunday, July 14, 2024 - 20:44

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

I quite like Google News. Very accessible too.
Dave

By Louise on Sunday, July 14, 2024 - 20:44

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I use Google News, and it's not bad, but Start use to be so good, and it's sad to see it become needlessly inaccessible, all while Microsoft claims to invest in accessability.
I tried Apple, and was even willing to subscribe, but they aren't great with local news sources in Canada. Maybe I'll try it again.