Bye Bye Samsung Free (again) - Hello Samsung News!

Naveen Thakur

19 Apr, 2023

Bye Bye Samsung Free (Again) – Hello Samsung News!

If you're a longtime Samsung Galaxy user, you're probably used to seeing content services evolve — from Samsung Daily to Samsung Free, and now Samsung News is making a comeback. Yes, Samsung is officially replacing Samsung Free again with Samsung News in 2025 — this time, with more polish, better features, and a clearer purpose.

So, what’s the big deal? Why is Samsung rebranding (again)? And how will this change your day-to-day experience using a Galaxy phone or tablet?

Let’s dive deep into what this transition means, why it’s happening now, and what Galaxy users should expect moving forward.

🔄 A Brief History: From Samsung Daily ➡ Samsung Free ➡ Samsung News

Before we explore what’s new in Samsung News, let’s rewind the clock a little.

📅 Samsung Daily (2016 - 2020)

Samsung introduced Samsung Daily as a part of its Galaxy Experience UI. It served as a content aggregator on the left-most home screen, offering:

News articles
Sports updates
Calendar events
Personalized content from apps

Despite good intentions, Samsung Daily received mixed feedback, with users calling it clunky and limited in personalization.

📲 Samsung Free (2020 - 2023/2024)

Samsung responded with Samsung Free, which added:

Samsung TV Plus integration
Free podcasts
Tabbed UI for Watch, Listen, Read

However, by late 2023, Samsung began testing Samsung News as a replacement. Many Galaxy devices received this transition silently, while some remained on Samsung Free based on region.

📰 Samsung News: First Debut (2023)

Samsung News initially debuted as a standalone news app in the U.S., built in partnership with trusted news outlets. It offered curated categories like:

For You
Trending
National
Entertainment
Health
Science
Sports

Its early performance was solid, but Samsung didn’t officially kill Samsung Free until mid-2024. That brings us to 2025, where Samsung News is now officially the only content service being pushed across all Galaxy phones.

🚨 2025 Update: Samsung News Officially Replaces Samsung Free

As of July 2025, Samsung has started automatically replacing the Samsung Free app with Samsung News globally. This includes countries like:

India
USA
UK
South Korea
Germany
Australia

If you're seeing a sudden change in your app drawer or left-most home screen feed — you're not alone. Samsung News is here to stay, and Free is officially retired.

✅ What’s New in Samsung News (2025 Version)

The revamped Samsung News offers more than just a name change. Here’s what’s improved:

1. 🧠 Smarter Personalization

Samsung News uses AI-based content recommendations, tailored to your reading habits and device usage. It learns over time and prioritizes:

Your frequently read topics
Sources you trust
Time-of-day reading preferences

This makes your “For You” feed far more intelligent than anything Free ever offered.

2. 📚 Streamlined Categories

Say goodbye to random tabs. Samsung News now features:

Top Stories
Trending Now
Local News (geo-based)
Editorial Picks
Audio News (in select markets)

Everything is laid out for fast scrolling and minimal distraction.

3. 🎙️ Audio News is Expanding

While initially a U.S.-exclusive feature, audio news summaries are now rolling out in more regions. Samsung collaborates with outlets like:

Bloomberg
CNN
NPR
TechCrunch

You can listen to morning briefings or weekly roundups hands-free.

4. 🧩 Widget Support

Samsung News now supports home screen widgets, allowing you to:

Pin Top Headlines
View Breaking News in real-time
Launch directly into curated topics

This is a welcome change for multitaskers and productivity geeks.

5. 🌙 Dark Mode Support

Unlike Samsung Free, which had limited UI customization, Samsung News supports full dark mode, auto-synced with your system settings.

🤔 Why Did Samsung Kill Samsung Free (Again)?

Let’s face it: Samsung Free never really became a must-have feature. While it offered free content, the UI felt outdated, and most users preferred dedicated apps like Google News, Flipboard, or Pocket.

Here’s why Samsung likely made the move:

📉 Low Engagement

Samsung Free had lower retention and engagement metrics, especially after Samsung discontinued the “Listen” tab.

🌐 Market Trends

News aggregators are becoming AI-driven and minimalistic. Samsung News fits into this evolving trend, whereas Free felt bloated.

🧩 Unification Strategy

Samsung is clearly moving toward unifying experiences under fewer brand names:

Samsung Wallet
Samsung Health
Samsung News
Samsung SmartThings

Samsung Free didn’t align well with this cleaner brand approach.

🔁 Transition Experience – What Happens to Samsung Free?

If your Galaxy phone or tablet had Samsung Free installed, here’s what will happen:

The Samsung Free app icon will be replaced with Samsung News
Your left-most home screen will now show Samsung News instead of Free
All old content from Free (like Watch history or podcasts) will be deleted
You won’t be able to reinstall Samsung Free — it’s discontinued

You may need to update via Galaxy Store or Google Play if the transition hasn’t occurred automatically.

📱 Is Samsung News Better Than Samsung Free?

In a word: Yes — but it depends on your needs.

Feature	Samsung Free	Samsung News
News Curation	Basic	AI-driven
Audio Support	Limited	Expanding
Widget Support	No	Yes
Speed & UI	Slower	Fast & Minimal
Global Availability	Patchy	Wide rollout

If you're someone who likes quick, reliable updates across various news categories, Samsung News is a big step forward.

🌍 Global Rollout: Who Gets It First?

Samsung News is currently being rolled out to the following:

Galaxy S25, S24, S23 Series
Galaxy Z Fold & Flip Series
Galaxy A Series (A54, A34, A15, A05)
Galaxy Tablets (Tab S9, Tab S10 upcoming)

Mid-range and older models are also expected to receive the update via the Galaxy Store, though rollout speed may vary by country.

💬 How to Use Samsung News Effectively

If you’re just getting started with Samsung News, here are a few quick tips:

Enable Notifications: Get real-time alerts for breaking news.
Customize Topics: Use the three-dot menu on articles to block unwanted categories.
Save to Read Later: Tap the bookmark icon to save interesting reads.
Try Audio Summaries: Perfect for your morning commute.
Pin Widget: Add the News widget to your home screen for faster access.