The Observer: News & podcasts
by The Observer team
· News & Magazines
· Free
On Google Play since March 2019
· Data updated
The Observer: News & podcasts is made and published by The Observer team. AppBrain is an independent app data site and isn't affiliated with The Observer team. The app name, icon, screenshots and description belong to The Observer team and are shown as published on Google Play.
AppBrain's verdict
Established- Total installs
- 53 thousand
- Best rank
- #33
- Top Free, United Kingdom
- Rating on Google Play
- 3.22
- 409 ratings
- Last updated
- October 21, 2026
The Observer: News & podcasts has 53 thousand installs. Users are divided: 3.2 stars from 409 ratings. Its best ranking is #33 in Top Free, News & Magazines in United Kingdom.
Installs
Tracked by AppBrain- Last 30 days
- 1.5 thousand
- Per day
- 50
- 30-day average
- Play install range
- 50+ thousand
- Launched
- March 2019
Installs over time
The Observer: News & podcasts has been installed 53 thousand times. Over the past 30 days, it averaged 50 installs per day.
Rankings
Google Play top charts- Highest rank
- #33
- Chart
- Top Free
- News & Magazines
- Country
- United Kingdom
Google Play Rankings for The Observer: News & podcasts
Top rankings
| Rank | Country | Category | List |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | United Kingdom | News & Magazines | Top Free |
Ranking history in United Kingdom
Competitors
Similar apps and more from The Observer teamAlternatives to The Observer: News & podcasts
Also available on the App Store
Releases
Updates seen on Google Play- Version
- 3.2.0
- Launched
- March 2019
User feedback
Ratings and reviews on Google PlayGoogle Play Rating history and histogram
Comments on The Observer: News & podcasts for Android
★★★★☆
PGS Post
· Jun 2, 2025
Unfortunately this isn't all free but £6.99 a month isn't much to ask of most people. It's not easy to navigate and find programs/podcast choice but no doubt time will help. However, excellent 5* content and choice of investigative podcasts etc. Really enjoying the quality, having first found one or two Tortoise investigations on BBC Sounds. No adverts on that app obviously but ads are minimal here to be honest and easy to fast-forward. Vast choice of quality listening. Delighted.
★★★★☆
olbol dblrev
· May 13, 2026
Weird design flaw in swiping left - it hides the app. In most other media apps it takes you back to the home screen. Makes me think that the app was designed by a left-handed - the back icon is under the left thumb. Right-handers scroll with left thumb so left swipe as going back is ergonomically optimal
★★★★☆
lulu
· Sep 1, 2024
Amazing service with outstanding investigative journalism. The app can sometimes be glitchy and won't download something or queue the same podcasts episode over and over. However, for a small news organization, this app is perfect.
★★★★☆
Damian Smith
· Mar 10, 2023
Superb news and analysis. Well worth subscribing to. Genuine investigations with care and thought: think panorama, file-on-four, or private eye. The app is a little crunchy, though. Swiping between stories seems to keep going too far, or not far enough; and the podcast player forgets where I'm up to and which stories I've listened to.
★☆☆☆☆
Ray Hodge
· Nov 29, 2022
Used the app for 5 minutes before being outraged at how mean it is. I had heard online that this app was awful towards disabled and trans people. Decided to see for myself. It took only 5 minutes to see conditions I have being spoken over and my right to exist being debated by people who don't have said conditions. It's not news, it's opinion pieces and podcasts from awful people.
★★☆☆☆
Emma Springate
· May 7, 2026
This is a very attractive news app, with a lovely layout and font. However, the amount of news has reduced considerably now that the Observer is owned by Tortoise. There is more podcast-quality content instead of actual news journalism. In addition, the crosswords don't work properly - they variously don't open, scroll or re-scale. The Every man crossword used to be available from the Guardian app, which does work properly. Overall, very disappointing.
★☆☆☆☆
Mike Hannah
· Jan 14, 2026
Terrible app. I subscribed to the Observer and downloaded the app to listen to Tortoise podcasts but the podcasts often cut out or just don't play. Very frustrating.
Technology
Found in the app by AppBrain- Ads
- No ads
- Price
- Free
- Libraries
- 57
- App size
- 90.4 MB
- Needs Android
- 6.0+
- Content rating
- Low
Technologies used by The Observer: News & podcasts
27 permissions
·
57 libraries
Subscribe to see full permission and library details
About the app and developer
About The Observer: News & podcasts
The Observer: News & podcasts is a news & magazines app developed by The Observer team.
Install Statistics
The Observer: News & podcasts has been installed 53 thousand times. In the last 30 days, the app was installed 1.5 thousand times. It is ranked in the top 100 news & magazines apps.
User Ratings
The Observer: News & podcasts is rated 3.22 out of 5 stars. The rating is based on 410 ratings.
App Information
The Observer: News & podcasts is freely available from Google Play. The app size is 90.41 MB. The latest version available is 3.2.0. The last update was on October 21, 2026.
Technical Requirements
The Observer: News & podcasts requires Android 6.0+ or higher. The app has a content rating of Low Maturity. The app has been available on Google Play since March 2019.
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Store listing
By The Observer team, from Google Play“Independent journalism since 1791 — investigations, culture, podcasts & puzzles”
Screenshots by The Observer team, from the Google Play listing
Description by The Observer team Written by the developer, not by AppBrain. Click to read.
The Observer: Independent journalism that matters
The Observer has been challenging power, explaining the modern world and celebrating arts, culture, food and the things that make life worth living since 1791.
Our subscriber-only app brings together The Observer’s award-winning journalism, the complete weekly print edition, exclusive digital stories, ad-free podcasts, puzzles, recipes and more, all in one place.
Download The Observer app to enjoy:
UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THE OBSERVER
Read our journalism every day of the week, with in-depth reporting, investigations, analysis and comment on politics, world affairs, climate, culture, ideas, food, travel and more.
EXCLUSIVE DAILY STORIES
Discover digital stories published exclusively for subscribers, with journalism from observer.co.uk and the weekly newspaper.
THE COMPLETE PRINT EDITION
Read the full Observer newspaper every Sunday on your phone or tablet, including the Observer Magazine and New Review.
Browse every page in our digital edition and enjoy the experience of the Sunday newspaper wherever you are.
EXCLUSIVE, AD-FREE PODCASTS
Listen to award-winning podcasts, investigations and original audio series without advertising.
Hear major series including We Call Her Emma and Foundling, as well as behind-the-headlines conversations and reporting from Observer journalists.
Subscribers can also access exclusive and ad-free Observer audio through their preferred podcast app.
PUZZLES FOR EVERY DAY
Take a break with a growing selection of digital puzzles, from accessible daily challenges to The Observer’s famously demanding cryptic crossword.
The Observer published the world’s first cryptic crossword more than a century ago. Our app continues that tradition with puzzles designed to test, entertain and delight.
OUR NEW CULTURE CLUB
Observer subscribers receive unlimited access to Culture Club, with a wide range of cultural benefits and exclusive offers.
Enjoy access to special offers, experiences and events, including events in our newsroom featuring famous authors and conversations with leading cultural figures.
RECIPES FROM NIGEL SLATER AND OUR FOOD TEAM
Find trusted recipes from Nigel Slater and The Observer’s food writers, presented in an easy-to-follow format that is simple to use while you cook.
EXCLUSIVE NEWSLETTERS
Stay close to the subjects that matter to you with subscriber newsletters from leading Observer writers.
Receive insight and analysis from voices including Rachel Sylvester on Westminster, Ben Zaranko on economics, Rory Smith on football, Patricia Clarke on artificial intelligence, and more.
DARK MODE
Read comfortably at any time of day with a night-reading-friendly dark mode throughout the app.
INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM, SINCE 1791
For more than two centuries, The Observer has looked beyond the headlines: holding power to account, investigating the stories that matter and finding joy in culture, food, ideas and everyday life.
Download The Observer app today and enjoy everything your subscription has to offer.
Terms of Use
https://observer.co.uk/policy/terms
Editorial Guidelines
https://observer.co.uk/news/about-us/article/the-observers-editorial-guidelines
Privacy Policy
https://observer.co.uk/policy/privacy
Recent changes:
Bug fixes & improvements
The Observer has been challenging power, explaining the modern world and celebrating arts, culture, food and the things that make life worth living since 1791.
Our subscriber-only app brings together The Observer’s award-winning journalism, the complete weekly print edition, exclusive digital stories, ad-free podcasts, puzzles, recipes and more, all in one place.
Download The Observer app to enjoy:
UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THE OBSERVER
Read our journalism every day of the week, with in-depth reporting, investigations, analysis and comment on politics, world affairs, climate, culture, ideas, food, travel and more.
EXCLUSIVE DAILY STORIES
Discover digital stories published exclusively for subscribers, with journalism from observer.co.uk and the weekly newspaper.
THE COMPLETE PRINT EDITION
Read the full Observer newspaper every Sunday on your phone or tablet, including the Observer Magazine and New Review.
Browse every page in our digital edition and enjoy the experience of the Sunday newspaper wherever you are.
EXCLUSIVE, AD-FREE PODCASTS
Listen to award-winning podcasts, investigations and original audio series without advertising.
Hear major series including We Call Her Emma and Foundling, as well as behind-the-headlines conversations and reporting from Observer journalists.
Subscribers can also access exclusive and ad-free Observer audio through their preferred podcast app.
PUZZLES FOR EVERY DAY
Take a break with a growing selection of digital puzzles, from accessible daily challenges to The Observer’s famously demanding cryptic crossword.
The Observer published the world’s first cryptic crossword more than a century ago. Our app continues that tradition with puzzles designed to test, entertain and delight.
OUR NEW CULTURE CLUB
Observer subscribers receive unlimited access to Culture Club, with a wide range of cultural benefits and exclusive offers.
Enjoy access to special offers, experiences and events, including events in our newsroom featuring famous authors and conversations with leading cultural figures.
RECIPES FROM NIGEL SLATER AND OUR FOOD TEAM
Find trusted recipes from Nigel Slater and The Observer’s food writers, presented in an easy-to-follow format that is simple to use while you cook.
EXCLUSIVE NEWSLETTERS
Stay close to the subjects that matter to you with subscriber newsletters from leading Observer writers.
Receive insight and analysis from voices including Rachel Sylvester on Westminster, Ben Zaranko on economics, Rory Smith on football, Patricia Clarke on artificial intelligence, and more.
DARK MODE
Read comfortably at any time of day with a night-reading-friendly dark mode throughout the app.
INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM, SINCE 1791
For more than two centuries, The Observer has looked beyond the headlines: holding power to account, investigating the stories that matter and finding joy in culture, food, ideas and everyday life.
Download The Observer app today and enjoy everything your subscription has to offer.
Terms of Use
https://observer.co.uk/policy/terms
Editorial Guidelines
https://observer.co.uk/news/about-us/article/the-observers-editorial-guidelines
Privacy Policy
https://observer.co.uk/policy/privacy
Recent changes:
Bug fixes & improvements