Outdated news stories
VICE News hosts recent stories on situations around the world. With this app, it’s all available in the palm of your hand.
Global coverage
VICE News makes an attempt to provide top-notch news articles on your phone. It fails, though, on multiple levels.
There’s more to this app than news stories to read through. There are documentaries, video dispatches, live streams, photojournalism, and more. Sadly, you’ll find yourself scrolling through older content most of the time. Some articles that are marked as new stories sometimes go back more than three weeks.
The quality and angle of the news coverage are aspects that each person can evaluate for themselves, but the strong focus on U.S events goes against the claim that the app offers tons of worldwide information. The documentaries are intriguing, to say the least, but they’re available on numerous streaming and video platforms already.
Crashes plague VICE News. Most of the time, the app will shut down upon opening it. If you manage to reach an article or documentary to sift through, you can expect the application to close within a few minutes. Trying to read up on world news while wondering when the source you’re using will terminate itself is uncomfortable.
Some articles can be viewed without even having an internet connection. For this feature, you log in, find something that sparks your interest, and make it available offline. This is a great way to avoid the ads that come with the app.
Where can you run this program?
This application runs on Android devices using version 4.2 and later. It’s also available for iOS.
Is there a better alternative?
Yes. Any application you’re going to use shouldn’t crash on a consistent basis. Alternatives that work properly include RT News and AP Mobile.
Our take
VICE News is an unoptimized app for its purpose. It does have a lot on offer, but it will only be viable once they’ve handled all of the major issues.
Should you download it?
No. If you’re looking for a functional news app, you should look elsewhere.