Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Want a daily digest of the top Nashville news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Nashville newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Columbus news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Columbus newsletter.
Want a daily digest of the top Dallas news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with the Axios Dallas newsletter.
Sign up for Axios NW Arkansas
Stay up-to-date on the most important and interesting stories affecting NW Arkansas, authored by local reporters
JASON REDMOND/AFP/Getty Images
Microsoft is rebranding its news apps on iOS and Android as "Microsoft News," as a part of a new push to house most of its news products under an AI-powered "Microsoft News" umbrella.
Why it matters: Microsoft has been experimenting with news products for years, but many have struggled to break through. Their efforts to consolidate all of their news efforts into one "News" destination more closely mimics the cross-platform strategies of Google News and Apple News.
Microsoft has attempted to rival Google News as far back as 2003, when it launched an an automated news service product called MSN Newsbot. In 2016, it launched of NewsPro, an app powered by a customized news bot called "Rove."
What it includes: The new "Microsoft News" brand will encompass news across Microsoft's properties, including its Microsoft Edge web browser, news sites like MSN.com, the News app in Windows 10, Skype, Xbox and Outlook.com, according to a statement. MSN.com will keep its name.
- The new apps will include new personalization features, continuous reading breaking news alerts, and a dark mode for night reading.
How it works: The company says its News brand will use its "long-tested approach" of curating news via publishing partnerships, human editors, and AI. "We work with more than 1,000 premium publishers and more than 3,000 brands," the company says, citing editorial partnerships ranging from The New York Times to Fox News.
- The mix of humans, partnerships and algorithms makes it more like Apple News than Google News, which has relied almost exclusively on algorithms
Our thought bubble: Microsoft's efforts could be bolstered by its Windows product, which reaches a significant number of desktop users.
- At the same time, it’s unclear how many of those will be avid enough users to take up the app on other platforms, like iOS and Android where Apple and Google already have more established news apps.