Report updated Apr 17, 2026
Times Union
For residents of the Capital Region interested in local news, investigative journalism, and community-specific commentary.
Times Union is a challenged news app that is available. With a 4.5/5 rating from 5.4K reviews, it faces significant user friction. Users particularly appreciate quality of local journalism, though technical glitches and navigation remains a common concern.
What is Times Union?
Current Momentum
v202603.8 · 3w ago
MaintenanceThe Times Union app is currently in maintenance mode, with no major feature updates identified in the provided history.
Active Nemesis
WTEN News10 ABC
By LIN Television
Other Rivals
7-Day Rank Pulse 🇺🇸
NewsNo ranking data
Rating Pulse 🇺🇸
Recent User Mood
What makes this app unique?
What Does It Look Like?
What Are The Key Features?
Access to deep-dive investigations and commentary specific to the Capital Region.
Digital replica of the print newspaper available within the app.
Provides full access to news stories, investigations, and commentary across all devices.
How much does it cost?
- Free trial: 1 month free
- Premium tier: $14.99 per month
Uses a 'freemium-to-subscription' funnel, leveraging existing print subscribers by offering bundled digital access to increase retention.
Who Built It?
Hearst Newspapers
Providing residents of major US metropolitan hubs with hyper-local investigative journalism and digital newspaper experiences.
Portfolio
7
Apps
What other apps does Hearst Newspapers make?
Explore the full Hearst Newspapers report
Portfolio breakdown, audience, momentum, and every app published by Hearst Newspapers.
What do users think recently?
High confidence · Latest 100 of 4.9K total reviews analyzed
How did the latest release land?
What is the recent mood?
Recent user voice shows a frustrated sentiment. Users appreciate quality of local journalism and digital e-edition experience, but report technical glitches and navigation and intrusive advertising.
What Users Love
What Frustrates Users
View the full user-sentiment analysis
Mood gauge, ratings & review-volume history, every praise / complaint / request, and sentiment over time.
What is the competitive landscape for Times Union?
How's The News Market?
How does it evolve in the News market?
Rank progression
1 active ranking tracked — 30-day window
The rivals identified
The outtake for Times Union
Strengths to defend, gaps to attack
Core Strengths
- Superior depth in investigative journalism
- High-fidelity e-Edition for traditional readers
- Strong regional brand authority
Critical Frictions
- Severe technical instability (navigation/zoom glitches)
- High-friction authentication/login loops
- Intrusive ad rendering that deletes content
Growth Levers
- Capture audience from News10 ABC by offering better technical reliability
- Expand hyper-local community features to compete with Patch
- Improve aggregator discovery via NewsBreak
Market Threats
- High churn from paid subscribers unable to bypass login prompts
- Free alternatives winning on breaking news speed
- Aggressive ad placement degrading the premium brand value
What are the next best moves?
Resolve Authentication/Login Loops
Users report being unable to access content despite active subscriptions, which is a direct churn risk and the top complaint theme.
Audit and Fix Ad Rendering Logic
Evidence shows ads are 'deleting part of writings,' which fundamentally breaks the core product utility for a paid service.
Stabilize Navigation and Zoom Controls
Users describe the app as a 'glitchy nightmare' specifically when zooming or switching sections, impacting the e-Edition experience.
Feature Gaps vs Competitors
- Video-centric reporting and live streaming (available in News10 ABC)
- Interactive local weather radar (available in News10 ABC)
- AI-driven personalization (available in NewsBreak)
- Hyper-local event calendars and community posts (available in Patch)
Key Takeaways
Times Union's investigative journalism is a powerful moat, but the technical execution is currently a liability. If I were the PM, I would halt all new feature development to fix the authentication loops and ad-rendering bugs, as these are actively driving away the high-value subscribers who provide the app's #91 Grossing revenue.
Where Is It Heading?
Declining
Upset mood label driven by high-frequency technical glitches and login failures.
v202603.8 update focused on stability, but user reports suggest core UX issues remain unresolved.
Intrusive ads are now reported to overlap and delete news text, indicating a regression in ad-tech implementation.