BBC News app to receive major overhaul in design and customization features

The BBC News app for Android hasn’t received a proper redesign in years, and that’s finally changing. The news organization has just announced a new update to both Android and iOS applications that brings a redesigned look and a slew of new customization options. Users will now be able to enjoy local and national news coverage, and even follow specific topics of interest. Specific topics are stowed away in a new section of the app called My News, which will also give recommendations based on the most-read stories.

Here are all of the new features that will be available in the BBC News update:

• A wider range of content than the previous app – including for the first time, local news content
• Features and expert journalism from around the globe
• World class imagery and video from the stories that matter to you
• The ability to follow topics , from Ebola to Women’s rights, from Arts and Entertainment to Local News
• Customise your news experience with the My News section – bringing all the topics you’re interested in to one place
• Choose to follow topics from either within an article or in a list of suggested topics based on what you’ve read or where you are
• Follow multiple topics to create a personalised view of BBC News and, when relevant, share the content via a wide range of sharing tools
• Live – instant access to the BBC News channel on-the-go with just one click
• Catch-up highlights – from the stories you’ve missed
• Video features – with in-depth video articles, whenever you want them
• From global events, to national and regional news, and information about your local area, you can choose what you want, when you want it
• Full location feature – surfacing news based on where you are at that moment in time
• Welsh news content – that you can find and follow from the touch of a button

BBC plans to roll out the updates to the app in the UK over the next few days, and global updates will be available in the coming months. In addition to the app overhaul, the news network is also bringing the new redesign to BBC’s homepage on the web.