News app screenshots with large headlines

The numbers

139 of the 517 News screenshots read (27%) do this, across 60 of the top 98 apps (61%). 7 of the top ten do it (70%), against 53 of the other 88 (60%): the top ten do it more than the rest. Of the 23 categories read so far, News is 18th for this. It is most common in Food & Drink (84% of apps) and least common in Weather (48%).

12 examples from the chart.

12 of the 139 News app screenshots with large headlines, one from each app, the highest on the chart first.

All 139 on the wall

What these screenshots say, word for word.

The words on 40 of the 139 that carry any, as each app wrote them.

• “Be the first to know.”X · #1 · screenshot 1
• “Join conversations you care about”Reddit · #2 · screenshot 3
• Public-safety dispatch audio. Not an official report.“Stay Aware with Timely Alerts”CrimeRadar Dispatch Audio · #3 · screenshot 1
• “Read, watch, chat”Substack · #4 · screenshot 1
• “Get lifesaving, real-time alerts”Citizen: Safety & Live Video · #7 · screenshot 1
• Follow Today“Breaking news and live reporting.”NYTimes: US and Global News · #9 · screenshot 2
• MAJOR UPDATE“Lift the veil on media bias”Ground News · #10 · screenshot 1
• Make Posts“Share what's on your mind”Fizz: Your Authentic Community · #11 · screenshot 6
• “7500+ Streams”Real-time updatedPolice Scanner: Fire Radio · #14 · screenshot 2
• “Stream the latest headlines and events 24/7”FOX LOCAL: Live News & Weather · #15 · screenshot 6
• “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
• “THE WHITE HOUSE”PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMPThe White House · #19 · screenshot 5
• “Play daily games with friends”The Pour Over · #20 · screenshot 6
• “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
• “Your News, Your Language”Catch up on the news in Spanish, Chinese, and more.SmartNews: Breaking News · #24 · screenshot 1
• ◉ LIVE“Livestream BBC News directly from the app.”BBC: World News & Stories · #25 · screenshot 2
• “Active Fire Perimeters and Evacuation Orders”Watch Duty: Wildfire & Floods · #26 · screenshot 2
• “groups for every interest”Clubhouse · #28 · screenshot 2
• Castbox“50 MILLION+ FREE PODCASTS”Up-to-date ContentPodcast App & Player - Castbox · #29 · screenshot 1
• “Read Every Dispatch, Live”Police Scanner: Crime Radar · #32 · screenshot 2
• “The Associated Press”Advancing the Power of FactsAP News · #33 · screenshot 1
• “Start your day with the latest podcasts”Reuters - Breaking World News · #36 · screenshot 3
• “Listen to Dispatch Audio”Crime Radar · #38 · screenshot 2
• “Unlimited Access”All of our journalism, on any deviceThe Atlantic Magazine · #41 · screenshot 3
• “Watch live broadcasts & breaking news events”WEAR ABC 3 News · #43 · screenshot 3
• “Context changes everything.”Bloomberg: Business News Daily · #44 · screenshot 1
• “Understand the world today, and tomorrow.”The Economist: News & Analysis · #45 · screenshot 2
• “Immerse yourself in the mystery”TrueShort - Stream True Crime · #46 · screenshot 4
• “GIAO DIỆN MỚI TỐI ƯU TRẢI NGHIỆM”CẬP NHẬT TIN TỨC MỚI DỄ DÀNG - NHANH CHÓNGThanh niên Việt Nam · #48 · screenshot 1
• OWN THE EXPERIENCE“MAKE WIRED YOURS”WIRED · #49 · screenshot 2
• “Follow the topics that matter to you.”Medium: Read & Write Stories · #50 · screenshot 3
• “TOP STORIES AND BREAKING NEWS”Award-winning journalism and trusted analysis from NBC NewsNBC News: Breaking & US News · #53 · screenshot 1
• “Live Market Coverage”CNBC: Stock Market & Business · #54 · screenshot 1
• “Stories that Offer Context and Clarity”MS NOW: Live & Breaking News · #55 · screenshot 3
• The Washington Post“News happens fast. Don't miss a beat.”Washington Post: Breaking News · #56 · screenshot 1
• “Stream or download anywhere & anytime”Podbean Podcast App & Player · #58 · screenshot 3
• “ALWAYS CONNECTED. ALWAYS ON.”Your all-in-one destination for local news, weather forecasts and information.Spectrum News: Local Stories · #62 · screenshot 1
• “A much better core viewing experience.”20,000+ 5 Star ReviewsNarwhal for Reddit · #63 · screenshot 1

Top ten News apps that do it.

1. #1X3 of its 6 screenshots
2. #2Reddit2 of its 6 screenshots
3. #3CrimeRadar Dispatch Audio1 of its 4 screenshots
4. #4Substack1 of its 6 screenshots
5. #7Citizen: Safety & Live Video2 of its 6 screenshots
6. #9NYTimes: US and Global News2 of its 6 screenshots
7. #10Ground News1 of its 6 screenshots

The same tactic in other categories.

Headline readable at thumbnail size, across all categories

Related tactics.

Often on the same screenshot

• Has a subline56% of these screenshots, against 26% of all News screenshots
• Headline under five words63% of these screenshots, against 38% of all News screenshots
• Subline explains the headline37% of these screenshots, against 17% of all News screenshots
• Headline on one line25% of these screenshots, against 9% of all News screenshots
• Has a headline100% of these screenshots, against 84% of all News screenshots
• Headline in capitals26% of these screenshots, against 14% of all News screenshots

More in layout

• Screen fills the picture99%
• Phone drawn94%
• Whole phone shown90%
• A photograph89%
• Words at the top83%
• A person in the picture67%
• Illustration or mascot60%
• App icon shown52%
• Phone cut off at the foot41%
• Headline too small to read38%
• No phone, bare screen35%
• Arrows or callouts23%
• Words aligned left23%
• Two or more screens21%
• Phone cut off at the head16%
• Screen is small15%
• Phone at an angle13%
• Zoomed detail of the UI13%
• Words at the bottom11%
• A hand holds the phone8%
• No app screen at all8%
• Watch, iPad or Mac beside it6%
• Words over the screen6%

Questions, answered from the chart.