The Daily Beast

Review by eFreeware

Keeping up with the news usually means choosing between two unsatisfying options: a firehose of headlines that takes an hour to sort through, or a handful of articles that leave you guessing about everything else. The Daily Beast's Android app tries to split the difference, mixing regular top stories with a condensed summary feature. It is published by Daily Beast, the outlet itself, and it is free to install.

The app has been on Google Play since mid-2022 and picked up a bug-fix update in March 2025. It has over 10,000 installs and holds a 3.4 average from 112 ratings, a middling score that suggests a mixed reception among the people who have tried it.

I will look at what the app covers, how the summary feature fits in, and what the free version actually involves, so you can decide whether it deserves space on your phone.

What the app covers

The Daily Beast app is built around the outlet's own reporting and opinion writing. The developer describes the coverage as spanning politics, pop-culture and world news, and pitches the reporting as award-winning and original. That range matters: it means the app is not a single-topic feed, and a reader who follows politics but also wants culture coverage can stay in one place.

Top stories are refreshed regularly, so the front of the app is meant to change through the day rather than sit static. The developer's framing leans on scoops, scandals and hidden worlds, which tells you the editorial tone is closer to tabloid energy than wire-service neutrality. Opinion is part of the package, not a separate section you have to seek out.

If you already read The Daily Beast on the web, this is the same editorial voice in a phone-shaped container. If you do not, the app is a way to sample it.

The Cheat Sheet and catching up fast

The feature that stands out most is The Cheat Sheet, which the developer describes as a fast, smart digest of the news you need and nothing more. In practice, that is a summary layer sitting alongside the regular stories: useful when you have a few minutes and want the gist rather than the full argument.

This is the part I would expect to carry the app for casual readers. A politics-heavy day produces a lot of copy, and a condensed view is a reasonable way to triage what deserves a longer read. Readers who want the full text of every story will still find it, but the summary is the shortcut.

The trade-off is that a digest is only as good as the editorial judgment behind it. You are trusting the outlet to decide what matters, which is a different relationship than scanning a headline list yourself.

Free to install, with ads and purchases

The app costs nothing to download, but it is ad-supported and includes in-app purchases, which is worth factoring into your expectations.

The app is rated for Everyone, which fits a general news product, though the subject matter it covers is not always light. It is designed for Android devices, and the most recent update was limited to bug fixes rather than new features.

A 3.4 average from a modest number of ratings is not a ringing endorsement, but it is also not a disaster for a news app, where scores often reflect disagreement with the content as much as the software. With over 10,000 installs, it has enough of an audience to suggest the app functions for most people who try it.

Who this news app is built for

This app suits readers who already like The Daily Beast's mix of politics, culture and opinion, and who want it on their phone with a quick summary option for busy moments. It also works for anyone who wants a single feed that swings between serious news and lighter culture coverage without switching apps.

It is less obviously suited to readers who want a neutral wire-service digest, or who prefer to assemble their own mix from multiple outlets. The app is one publication's voice, and the Cheat Sheet is that voice condensed, not a balanced survey of the day's coverage.

The ad-supported, purchase-including model also means it is best for people who accept that in exchange for free access to the reporting.

A reasonable install for Daily Beast readers

The Daily Beast's Android app does a focused job: it puts the outlet's politics, pop-culture and world news reporting on your phone, refreshes the top stories regularly, and adds a summary feature for the days when you cannot read everything.

The caveats are straightforward. It is free, ad-supported and includes in-app purchases. The 3.4 average from 112 ratings suggests not everyone has been won over.

If you read The Daily Beast already, or you want a single feed that mixes politics with culture and gives you a fast catch-up option, this is a sensible install. If you want a neutral summary of the day from many sources, this is one publication's take, and you should weigh that before downloading.

What's new in version 5.6.0

Bug fixes.