The Telegraph: UK & World News

What it does

The Telegraph app is a digital news platform that provides access to the newspaper's reporting, analysis, and opinion. It's more than just a live feed of articles. The app bundles several distinct experiences into one subscription: a continuously updated news section, a digital replica of the daily and Sunday print editions, and a surprisingly deep section of interactive puzzles like crosswords and Sudoku.

Where it shines

The app's strength lies in its multi-product approach. It successfully caters to different reading habits by offering both a modern, scrollable news feed and a traditional, page-by-page digital newspaper (07:07). This honors its print legacy while embracing digital immediacy. The integration of a dedicated Puzzles hub (08:44) is another high point, creating a strong daily engagement loop that exists independently of the news cycle. This bundling strategy makes the subscription feel substantial.

UX highlights

Granular Controls: The app gives users impressive control from the start, particularly with its detailed notification preferences screen during onboarding (00:07).
Clean Article Layout: Articles are presented with clean, readable typography and logical content hierarchy, making long-form reading comfortable (01:25).
Interactive Data: In sections like the Olympics hub, the app uses simple animations and clear tables to make data, like the medal count, digestible and engaging (02:10).
Clear Sectioning: The main navigation cleanly separates distinct content verticals like News, Olympics, Sport, and Business, allowing users to dive into specific areas of interest (03:41).
Intuitive Digital Paper: The 'Today's Edition' reader is straightforward, using familiar swipe gestures to turn pages and pinch-to-zoom, effectively mimicking the print experience (07:14).
Smart Search Filters: The search functionality is enhanced with filters, allowing users to narrow down thousands of results by topic with a few taps (05:04).

Monetization & growth

The Telegraph employs a soft paywall strategy. Users can browse headlines freely, but an attempt to read a full article triggers the subscription screen (00:50). This contextual trigger links the value directly to user intent. The app offers a single plan with a generous 3-month free trial to lower the barrier to entry. The paywall itself cleverly uses a carousel (00:51) to advertise the full breadth of its content bundle—news, the digital edition, and puzzles—justifying the subscription beyond access to a single article.

Who it’s for

The app is built for current or potential readers of The Daily Telegraph who want a comprehensive digital experience. It serves those who prefer a traditional, curated newspaper format as well as those who want a modern, live news feed. The inclusion of puzzles broadens its appeal to users looking for a daily mental challenge and entertainment, not just news consumption.

Notes & opportunities

While generally polished, the transition between the main news app and the Puzzles section can feel slightly disjointed, almost like launching a separate app. The home feed is information-dense, which might be overwhelming for some users. However, the clear navigation helps mitigate this. The in-app purchase flow is seamless, using the native iOS system for a trusted and low-friction checkout experience.