Apple introduced its News app with the release of iOS 9, which featured a coverage of current events curated by editors and specifically personalized for users. The app and its features were well-received by users who liked the layout and news coverage offered by the app.

We reported late last year that Apple was possibly gearing up to launch paid subscriptions for Apple News. This was finally released at a recent launch event in late March. Named “Apple News +,” this paid subscription service allows both newspapers and magazines to be offered, to be read on any Apple device. The subscription costs $9.99 and is currently only available in the United States and Canada, but should be released soon in other countries too.

The subscription gives users access to paid newspaper services (such as the Washington Post) alongside a number of magazines. The service features magazines from the National Geographic, Popular Science, New Yorker, Vogue, Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, etc. Unfortunately, the service is available on Apple devices only, meaning if you want to use Apple News+ on an Android device or Windows laptop, it’s currently not possible. This is in contrast to Apple’s other subscription service, Apple Music, that allows you to access your music library from a variety of devices.

If you haven’t used Apple News before, we’d suggest you try it out before you decide to purchase the subscription. There are a ton of free newspapers available in the app by default, so you can get a feel of how the app works, what’s the interface is like, and see if digital news is really for you or not. Apple is also offering a one-month free trial for Apple News+, so you can try it out before fully committing to the service.

If you do not currently reside in the United States or Canada but still want to try out Apple News on your device, first follow the steps below to change your device’s region:

  • Open Settings on your iOS device.Tap on General -> Language and Region -> Region.

  • Select United States.The region of your device will change, and you’ll now see the News app on your home screen.

To start an Apple News+ trial (and subsequent subscription) on your iPhone/iPad, simply follow the steps outlined below:

  • Open the Apple News app on your iOS device.In the options along the bottom, select News+.

  • Tap on “Try it Free.”  This will enable the initial 30-day trial period before the actual subscription starts.

  • Verify your Apple ID by logging in to your account or by using FaceID, and enter in any payment details if required. Once done, your trial period should automatically start, and you’ll be able to access various magazines and newspapers in the app.

Do remember that once you start the trial, the paid subscription service will start automatically and will charge your registered payment method after 30 days. Thus, if you don’t like the service during its trial and don’t think its for you, be sure to cancel the subscription to avoid being charged for it after the end of the trial period.

Did you find this guide helpful? Be sure to let us know in the Comments section below.

Shujaa Imran is MakeTechEasier’s resident Mac tutorial writer. He’s currently training to follow his other passion become a commercial pilot. You can check his content out on Youtube

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