News app screenshots with a photo background
A photograph behind the screen. A photograph behind the screen sets a scene, and the words need enough contrast to be read over it.
From the top 98 free News apps on the US App Store, read on October 9, 2026. Screenshots are the developers’ own, shown from Apple’s servers with a link to each app.
The numbers
Apps that do it
14% 14 of 98
Screenshots that do it
9% 45 of 517
The top ten
1 of 10 against 13 of the other 88
45 of the 517 News screenshots read (9%) do this, across 14 of the top 98 apps (14%). 1 of the top ten do it (10%), against 13 of the other 88 (15%): the top ten do it about as often as the rest. Of the 23 categories read so far, News is 19th for this. It is most common in Weather (46% of apps) and least common in Developer Tools (6%).
12 examples from the chart.
12 of the 45 News app screenshots with a photo background, one from each app, the highest on the chart first.
“Audio journalism and podcasts.”
“Walkie Talkie”
“Monitor Wildfires, Prescribed Burns, and Flooding”
“50 MILLION+ FREE PODCASTS”
“Discover Top Stories and In-Depth Coverage”
“Listen with Apple CarPlay”
“New original true crime shows”
“Watch clips of the latest headlines and top stories.”
“A Folder for every kind of podcast”
What these screenshots say, word for word.
The words on all 38 that carry any, as each app wrote them.
- Listen Today
“Audio journalism and podcasts.”
NYTimes: US and Global News · #9 · screenshot 4 “Walkie Talkie”
Push to talkPolice Scanner: Fire Radio · #14 · screenshot 1“Monitor Wildfires, Prescribed Burns, and Flooding”
Watch Duty: Wildfire & Floods · #26 · screenshot 1- Castbox
“50 MILLION+ FREE PODCASTS”
Up-to-date ContentPodcast App & Player - Castbox · #29 · screenshot 1 “Discover Top Stories and In-Depth Coverage”
FOX News: US & World Headlines · #31 · screenshot 1“Listen with Apple CarPlay”
+ Live radio + Podcasts + Audio articles and moreBloomberg: Business News Daily · #44 · screenshot 5“New original true crime shows”
TrueShort - Stream True Crime · #46 · screenshot 2- SEE IT HAPPEN.
“Watch clips of the latest headlines and top stories.”
Washington Post: Breaking News · #56 · screenshot 3 - Cleveland Police Dispatch and Metro Housing Au
“CPD TRANSPORTS”
Police Scanner + · #61 · screenshot 2 “A Folder for every kind of podcast”
Pocket Casts: Podcast Player · #72 · screenshot 3“Últimas noticias y titulares destacados”
Todo lo que pasa en el mundo, en tiempo real«Sigo creyendo en mi mismo»Prensa Abierta · #85 · screenshot 2“LIVE WORLD MONITOR”
Live World Monitor: GlobeAlert · #98 · screenshot 1“7500+ Streams”
Real-time updatedPolice Scanner: Fire Radio · #14 · screenshot 2“Active Fire Perimeters and Evacuation Orders”
Watch Duty: Wildfire & Floods · #26 · screenshot 2“Listen Anytime Anywhere”
Podcast App & Player - Castbox · #29 · screenshot 3“Real crimes Shocking stories”
TrueShort - Stream True Crime · #46 · screenshot 3“More episode. Less filler”
Pocket Casts: Podcast Player · #72 · screenshot 4“BREAKING, IN SECONDS”
Live World Monitor: GlobeAlert · #98 · screenshot 2“Listen to”
Live police & fire radioPolice Scanner: Fire Radio · #14 · screenshot 3“Live Doppler Radar with Futurecast”
Watch Duty: Wildfire & Floods · #26 · screenshot 3“Sleep Sounds White Noise”
Podcast App & Player - Castbox · #29 · screenshot 4“Immerse yourself in the mystery”
TrueShort - Stream True Crime · #46 · screenshot 4“Your next 14 hours, already sorted”
Pocket Casts: Podcast Player · #72 · screenshot 5“TRACKS CONFLICTS LIVE”
Live World Monitor: GlobeAlert · #98 · screenshot 3“Browse Feeds”
by location and genrePolice Scanner: Fire Radio · #14 · screenshot 4“Wind, Weather Stations, and AQI”
Watch Duty: Wildfire & Floods · #26 · screenshot 4“Customize Your Listening”
Podcast App & Player - Castbox · #29 · screenshot 5“Endless episodes to binge anytime”
TrueShort - Stream True Crime · #46 · screenshot 5“Every mood has a playlist”
Pocket Casts: Podcast Player · #72 · screenshot 6“STRATEGIC INTEL LAYER”
Live World Monitor: GlobeAlert · #98 · screenshot 4“Integrated Map”
View scanner locationPolice Scanner: Fire Radio · #14 · screenshot 5“Situational Awareness When it Matters”
Watch Duty: Wildfire & Floods · #26 · screenshot 5“Find Your Favorites”
Podcast App & Player - Castbox · #29 · screenshot 6“Vote to decide the next series”
TrueShort - Stream True Crime · #46 · screenshot 6“ALWAYS-ON INTELLIGENCE”
Live World Monitor: GlobeAlert · #98 · screenshot 5“Favorite List”
Save your favorite feedsPolice Scanner: Fire Radio · #14 · screenshot 6“Real-Time Fire Fighting Flight Tracker”
Watch Duty: Wildfire & Floods · #26 · screenshot 6“INTEL IN ONE SCREEN”
Live World Monitor: GlobeAlert · #98 · screenshot 6
Top ten News apps that do it.
- #9NYTimes: US and Global News1 of its 6 screenshots
The same tactic in other categories.
| Category | Apps that do it | Screenshots | Top ten |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weather | 46% 46 of 100 | 30% 166 of 555 | 5 of 10 |
| Shopping | 40% 40 of 100 | 16% 92 of 562 | 2 of 10 |
| Travel | 39% 39 of 100 | 25% 138 of 561 | 5 of 10 |
| Lifestyle | 36% 36 of 100 | 17% 92 of 556 | 6 of 10 |
| Food & Drink | 33% 33 of 100 | 15% 81 of 540 | 4 of 10 |
| Sports | 33% 33 of 100 | 16% 92 of 558 | 4 of 10 |
| Entertainment | 31% 31 of 100 | 14% 76 of 544 | 3 of 10 |
| Games | 31% 31 of 100 | 12% 67 of 567 | 3 of 10 |
| Navigation | 30% 30 of 99 | 13% 74 of 566 | 3 of 10 |
| Graphics & Design | 28% 28 of 99 | 11% 61 of 564 | 3 of 10 |
| Reference | 27% 27 of 100 | 11% 60 of 566 | 2 of 10 |
| Music | 26% 26 of 100 | 9% 47 of 550 | 2 of 10 |
| Photo & Video | 26% 26 of 100 | 10% 59 of 566 | 0 of 10 |
| Productivity | 20% 20 of 99 | 8% 46 of 551 | 2 of 10 |
| Social Networking | 19% 19 of 100 | 9% 48 of 554 | 2 of 10 |
| Health & Fitness | 18% 18 of 100 | 7% 43 of 574 | 2 of 10 |
| Business | 17% 17 of 100 | 6% 33 of 554 | 2 of 10 |
| Education | 15% 15 of 100 | 5% 27 of 555 | 0 of 10 |
| News | 14% 14 of 98 | 9% 45 of 517 | 1 of 10 |
| Finance | 14% 14 of 100 | 6% 32 of 581 | 3 of 10 |
| Utilities | 13% 13 of 100 | 5% 25 of 549 | 2 of 10 |
| Medical | 11% 11 of 100 | 3% 17 of 548 | 2 of 10 |
| Developer Tools | 6% 6 of 100 | 3% 14 of 507 | 1 of 10 |
Related tactics.
Often on the same screenshot
- A photograph98% of these screenshots, against 60% of all News screenshots
- High contrast words47% of these screenshots, against 20% of all News screenshots
- Dark58% of these screenshots, against 34% of all News screenshots
- Black, white or grey56% of these screenshots, against 41% of all News screenshots
- Red18% of these screenshots, against 6% of all News screenshots
- Headline under five words49% of these screenshots, against 38% of all News screenshots
More in look
- Black, white or grey60%
- Light58%
- Background is the icon’s colour56%
- Solid background54%
- Gradient background53%
- Blue50%
- Dark50%
- A word in a different colour43%
- High contrast words34%
- Low contrast words26%
- Orange18%
- The app itself is the background18%
- Serif headline16%
- Pattern or texture14%
- Red13%
- Teal9%
- Green7%
- Rounded headline type7%
- Yellow5%
- Purple4%
- Pink3%
- Condensed or display type1%
Questions, answered from the chart.
How many top News apps have App Store screenshots with a photo background?
14 of the top 98 News apps (14%) have at least one, and 45 of their 517 screenshots (9%) do it. Counted from the US App Store’s top free chart on October 9, 2026.
Which News apps have App Store screenshots with a photo background?
In the top ten: NYTimes: US and Global News (#9). Further down the chart: Police Scanner: Fire Radio (#14), Watch Duty: Wildfire & Floods (#26), Podcast App & Player - Castbox (#29), FOX News: US & World Headlines (#31) and Newsmax (#42), and 8 more.
Should my News app have App Store screenshots with a photo background?
The chart shows who does it, not whether it would work for your app. 1 of the top ten News apps do it (10%), against 13 of the other 88 (15%), so the top ten do it about as often as the rest. Ten apps is a small group, so read that as a description of this chart and not as a rule.
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