Brandwave

How popular isNewsBreak?

In September 2026, people searched for NewsBreak by name about 301,000 times worldwide, an 18.2% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 3.6% of all global news app searches, placing NewsBreak second out of seven apps. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about news apps, NewsBreak appeared in two of the five answers and was the fourth most recommended of the seven.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

NewsBreak is the second most searched of 7 competitors and the fourth most recommended in AI answers.

  1. Google NewsShare of searches 90%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  2. NewsBreakShare of searches 3.6%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  3. Apple NewsShare of searches 3%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  4. Ground NewsShare of searches 3%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  5. SmartNewsShare of searches 0.4%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –

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Top news apps in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, NewsBreak was mentioned in two out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in both Google AI Overviews. NewsBreak is the fourth most recommended of the seven.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Google News1st
  2. Ground News2nd
  3. Apple News3rd
  4. NewsBreak4th
  5. Flipboard5th
  6. Feedly6th
  7. SmartNews–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Google News5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Ground News5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Apple News4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • NewsBreak2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Feedly1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Flipboard1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • SmartNews0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about news apps

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.

Which news apps compete with NewsBreak?

NewsBreak against news apps worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Google News, NewsBreak, Apple News, Ground News. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthGoogle NewsNewsBreakApple NewsGround NewsSmartNewsFeedlyFlipboard
Oct 202590.3%3.6%2%3.6%0.4%0.01%<0.01%
Nov 202591.2%3.7%1.6%3%0.4%<0.01%<0.01%
Dec 202592%3.7%1.4%2.5%0.41%0.01%0.01%
Jan 202690.3%3.6%2%3.6%0.4%0.02%0.01%
Feb 202691.9%3%1.7%3%0.41%0.01%0.01%
Mar 202690.5%3%2.5%3.7%0.33%0.02%<0.01%
Apr 202691.9%3%1.7%3%0.41%0.02%0.01%
May 202691.2%3.7%1.6%3%0.4%0.02%0.01%
Jun 202692.4%3%1.7%2.5%0.33%0.02%<0.01%
Jul 202691.2%3.7%1.6%3%0.4%0.02%<0.01%
Aug 202690.9%3.7%2%3%0.4%0.02%<0.01%
Sep 202690%3.6%3%3%0.4%0.02%0.02%
  1. Held 1st. 7.5M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.9 points.

  2. 2.NewsBreak

    3.6%

    Held 2nd. 301K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  3. Moved from 4th to 3rd. 246K estimated branded searches, +49.1% vs prior month. Share +1 points.

  4. Moved from 3rd to 4th. 246K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  5. 5.SmartNews

    0.4%

    Held 5th. 33.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  6. 6.Feedly

    0.02%

    Held 6th. 1.9K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  7. 7.Flipboard

    0.02%

    Held 7th. 1.3K estimated branded searches, +80.6% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare popularity between NewsBreak and its closest rivals

Every comparison with NewsBreak

6 comparisons

How has branded search demand for NewsBreak changed worldwide over the last 12 months?

2 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for NewsBreak worldwide fell from 368K to 301K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, NewsBreak rose from 3rd to 2nd among news apps worldwide.

How did search popularity change for news apps worldwide in September 2026?

6 changes
  1. In September 2026, Apple News overtook Ground News to rank 3rd among news apps worldwide, with 3% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, Google News lost share of searches among news apps worldwide, from 90.9% to 90%.

  3. Estimated monthly branded searches for Feedly worldwide rose 46.2% over 12 measured months, from 1.3K to 1.9K in September 2026.

  4. Estimated monthly branded searches for Flipboard worldwide rose 30% over 12 measured months, from 1K to 1.3K in September 2026.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for Ground News worldwide fell 33.2% over 12 measured months, from 368K to 246K in September 2026.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for SmartNews worldwide fell 18.3% over 12 measured months, from 40.5K to 33.1K in September 2026.

How are NewsBreak’s branded searches counted?

1 search term

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using NewsBreak’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for this branded term can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • newsbreak

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How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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Is NewsBreak your brand?

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