Google Play Newsstand

Google Play Newsstand

Google Play Newsstand running on Android
Developer(s)	Google
Initial release	November 20, 2013; 3 years ago (2013-11-20)
Stable release(s)
Android 4.1.0 / January 31, 2017; 2 months ago (2017-01-31) iOS 4.1 / January 27, 2017; 2 months ago (2017-01-27)
Development status	Active
Platform	Android, iOS, web
Size	10.8 MB (Android) 13.2 MB (iOS)
Type	Digital newsstand, Feed reader
Website	play.google.com/newsstand/web

Google Play Newsstand is a news aggregator and digital newsstand service operated by Google. Launched in November 2013 through the merger of Google Play Magazines and Google Currents, the service lets users subscribe to magazines (in select countries) and topical news feeds, receiving new issues and updates automatically. Content can be read on a dedicated Newsstand section of the Google Play website or through the mobile apps for Android and iOS. Offline download and reading is supported on the mobile apps.

For publishers, Google offers a variety of tools for customization and optimization of their content, as well as the option to include ads through the use of DoubleClick for Publishers. Publishers can restrict geographic access to their content, and employ Google Analytics for aggregated readership data. Publishers can also offer discounts for Google Play subscriptions if a user is already a subscriber on another platform, such as print or digital.

Google Play Newsstand was launched on Android on November 20, 2013, through the merger of Google Play Magazines and Google Currents into a single service. The Google Currents app on the iOS platform was redesigned and renamed to Google Play Newsstand on September 23, 2014. A web application for Newsstand was launched on November 16, 2016.

The service has seen two major redesigns since its launch in 2013. The first, in October 2014, added elements from the "Material Design" design language for the release of Android Lollipop. The second, in November 2016, coincided with the launch of the website, and added machine learning technologies to better personalize the content to each individual user, including improved news recommendation, and expanded support for interactive, rich media.

Users can subscribe to digital magazines to receive new issues or access to content on an ongoing basis. Subscriptions renew automatically, with the user charged at the start of each subscription period. Users are notified of price increases. Google states that existing subscribers of a print publication may be eligible for a free digital subscription.