News app screenshots with a light background
A light picture overall. The App Store follows the device’s light or dark appearance, so a light screenshot stands out in one and blends into the other.
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
58% 57 of 98
Screenshots that do it
41% 214 of 517
The top ten
6 of 10 against 51 of the other 88
214 of the 517 News screenshots read (41%) do this, across 57 of the top 98 apps (58%). 6 of the top ten do it (60%), against 51 of the other 88 (58%): the top ten do it about as often as the rest. Of the 23 categories read so far, News is 16th for this. It is most common in Shopping (90% of apps) and least common in Entertainment (25%).
12 examples from the chart.
12 of the 214 News app screenshots with a light background, one from each app, the highest on the chart first.
“The heart of the internet”
“Read, watch, chat”
“Join over 100 million neighbors”
“Find the cheapest gas near you”
“Follow your interests in the You tab.”
“Lift the veil on media bias”
“What's happening in your world?”
“The Biggest Movers in the Market, Live”
“Breaking News”
“Add locations”
What these screenshots say, word for word.
The words on 40 of the 178 that carry any, as each app wrote them.
“The heart of the internet”
Reddit · #2 · screenshot 1“Read, watch, chat”
Substack · #4 · screenshot 1“Join over 100 million neighbors”
in 345,000 neighborhoodsNextdoor: Neighborhood Network · #5 · screenshot 1“Find the cheapest gas near you”
NewsBreak: Local News & Alerts · #6 · screenshot 3- Personalize Today
“Follow your interests in the You tab.”
NYTimes: US and Global News · #9 · screenshot 5 - MAJOR UPDATE
“Lift the veil on media bias”
Ground News · #10 · screenshot 1 “What's happening in your world?”
Fizz: Your Authentic Community · #11 · screenshot 1“Watch Live”
Local 10 + Platinum · #12 · screenshot 5“The Biggest Movers in the Market, Live”
Every stock on NYSE and NASDAQ, scanned in real time.Stocks.News－Market Alerts · #16 · screenshot 1“Breaking News”
Stay connected to the stories that matter.The Wall Street Journal News · #18 · screenshot 1“Add locations”
to receive the alerts most relevant to youAwareCA · #21 · screenshot 1“Millions of people making neighborhoods safer, together.”
Neighbors by Ring · #22 · screenshot 1“Hear the top stories of the day, curated by NPR”
NPR: National & Local News · #23 · screenshot 1“Your News, Your Language”
Catch up on the news in Spanish, Chinese, and more.SmartNews: Breaking News · #24 · screenshot 1“Monitor Wildfires, Prescribed Burns, and Flooding”
Watch Duty: Wildfire & Floods · #26 · screenshot 1“Catch up on top news with Your Briefing”
Google News · #27 · screenshot 1“explore live audio chat rooms”
Clubhouse · #28 · screenshot 1“Podcast App”
Find great podcasts.Podcast App · #35 · screenshot 1“Reuters Pure news. From the source.”
Reuters - Breaking World News · #36 · screenshot 1“Read high-quality answers on your custom feed”
Quora · #37 · screenshot 1“Listen to stories on the go.”
The New Yorker · #40 · screenshot 3“Make sense of the numbers.”
The Economist: News & Analysis · #45 · screenshot 4“Watch and listen to your favorite series and podcasts.”
Daily Wire · #47 · screenshot 4“GIAO DIỆN MỚI TỐI ƯU TRẢI NGHIỆM”
CẬP NHẬT TIN TỨC MỚI DỄ DÀNG - NHANH CHÓNGThanh niên Việt Nam · #48 · screenshot 1“Replace doom scrolling with meaningful reading.”
Medium: Read & Write Stories · #50 · screenshot 1“Stock Watchlists”
CNBC: Stock Market & Business · #54 · screenshot 3“Stay Informed and Connected”
Live Q&A Happening NowMS NOW: Live & Breaking News · #55 · screenshot 1- ASK AWAY
“Answers you don't have to question.”
Washington Post: Breaking News · #56 · screenshot 4 “Get local anytime anywhere.”
news, weather and sportsFOX10 News · #57 · screenshot 1“Your favorite podcasts & livestreams at your fingertips”
Listen/Watch/Learn/EnjoyPodbean Podcast App & Player · #58 · screenshot 1“Quick Links at your fingertips”
FEED Mobile · #59 · screenshot 3“Make your show the next big thing”
Connect with fans, track analytics, and grow your show on Spotify.Spotify for Creators · #60 · screenshot 1“ALWAYS CONNECTED. ALWAYS ON.”
Your all-in-one destination for local news, weather forecasts and information.Spectrum News: Local Stories · #62 · screenshot 1“Privacy first. No ads, no tracking.”
Narwhal for Reddit · #63 · screenshot 2“Read expert reporting”
that digs deeperFinancial Times: Business News · #64 · screenshot 2“BREAKING NEWS AS IT HAPPENS”
GET BREAKING NEWS ALERTSCBS News: Live Breaking News · #65 · screenshot 2“中国领事”
以人为本 外交为民中国领事 · #66 · screenshot 1“Talk Work. Stay Anonymous.”
Blind: Anonymous Work Network · #71 · screenshot 1“Fearless, independent journalism.”
The Guardian - US & World News · #80 · screenshot 1“Fearless Journalism.”
Epoch Times: Live & Breaking · #81 · screenshot 1
Top ten News apps that do it.
- #2Reddit5 of its 6 screenshots
- #4Substack5 of its 6 screenshots
- #5Nextdoor: Neighborhood Network3 of its 6 screenshots
- #6NewsBreak: Local News & Alerts3 of its 6 screenshots
- #9NYTimes: US and Global News2 of its 6 screenshots
- #10Ground News6 of its 6 screenshots
The same tactic in other categories.
| Category | Apps that do it | Screenshots | Top ten |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopping | 90% 90 of 100 | 67% 374 of 562 | 9 of 10 |
| Business | 86% 86 of 100 | 71% 396 of 554 | 9 of 10 |
| Education | 86% 86 of 100 | 66% 364 of 555 | 9 of 10 |
| Food & Drink | 86% 86 of 100 | 66% 354 of 540 | 8 of 10 |
| Medical | 85% 85 of 100 | 73% 398 of 548 | 9 of 10 |
| Productivity | 85% 84 of 99 | 67% 371 of 551 | 9 of 10 |
| Lifestyle | 81% 81 of 100 | 59% 328 of 556 | 9 of 10 |
| Finance | 78% 78 of 100 | 59% 343 of 581 | 8 of 10 |
| Health & Fitness | 78% 78 of 100 | 61% 352 of 574 | 7 of 10 |
| Travel | 73% 73 of 100 | 54% 301 of 561 | 6 of 10 |
| Reference | 71% 71 of 100 | 51% 290 of 566 | 8 of 10 |
| Utilities | 71% 71 of 100 | 55% 304 of 549 | 9 of 10 |
| Navigation | 65% 64 of 99 | 47% 265 of 566 | 7 of 10 |
| Social Networking | 61% 61 of 100 | 45% 252 of 554 | 7 of 10 |
| Developer Tools | 60% 60 of 100 | 48% 245 of 507 | 9 of 10 |
| News | 58% 57 of 98 | 41% 214 of 517 | 6 of 10 |
| Graphics & Design | 56% 55 of 99 | 48% 268 of 564 | 4 of 10 |
| Photo & Video | 50% 50 of 100 | 32% 179 of 566 | 5 of 10 |
| Games | 48% 48 of 100 | 31% 176 of 567 | 7 of 10 |
| Weather | 43% 43 of 100 | 25% 140 of 555 | 4 of 10 |
| Sports | 38% 38 of 100 | 25% 137 of 558 | 1 of 10 |
| Music | 35% 35 of 100 | 24% 133 of 550 | 1 of 10 |
| Entertainment | 25% 25 of 100 | 15% 82 of 544 | 1 of 10 |
Related tactics.
Often on the same screenshot
- Illustration or mascot38% of these screenshots, against 25% of all News screenshots
- States a benefit40% of these screenshots, against 34% of all News screenshots
- Plain tone67% of these screenshots, against 62% of all News screenshots
- Subline explains the headline22% of these screenshots, against 17% of all News screenshots
- Arrows or callouts12% of these screenshots, against 7% of all News screenshots
- Pattern or texture11% of these screenshots, against 7% of all News screenshots
More in look
- Black, white or grey60%
- 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%
- Photo background14%
- 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 light background?
57 of the top 98 News apps (58%) have at least one, and 214 of their 517 screenshots (41%) 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 light background?
In the top ten: Reddit (#2), Substack (#4), Nextdoor: Neighborhood Network (#5), NewsBreak: Local News & Alerts (#6), NYTimes: US and Global News (#9) and Ground News (#10). Further down the chart: Fizz: Your Authentic Community (#11), Local 10 + Platinum (#12), Stocks.News－Market Alerts (#16), 5-0 Radio Pro Police Scanner (#17) and The Wall Street Journal News (#18), and 46 more.
Should my News app have App Store screenshots with a light background?
The chart shows who does it, not whether it would work for your app. 6 of the top ten News apps do it (60%), against 51 of the other 88 (58%), 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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