Haystack News: Local TV News

A Google user

5 years ago

Great idea, but buffers constantly. I haven't been able to get through 1 news story without constantly being interrupted. I tried both WiFi and cell service multiple times and locations. YouTube tv (live programming as well as recorded shows) and Netflix do not have this problem. I will change my rating if you can fix this app.

A Google user

5 years ago

It is a good organization of what I like to get news about, but I only have one or two times a week that I ha e time to catch the news. So, during that time buffering is out of line. To be able to set the high definition quality to a lower setting could remedy that, but it is not an option. And predownloading my headlines is only done using Wi-Fi witch I am never on therefore not an option for me either.

A Google user

5 years ago

Used to be great. Haystack has been my main source of news for the last few years, I have always liked how the news would be aligned with my preference and how up to date they were. In the last months I started seeing a lot of repetition of news that i have seen before and less of a good mix of sources and videos. For example, what triggered me to write this review is because I was just presented with the same video its being showed to me for tge last two weeks everery day.

Ro-gelio

1 year ago

I love Haystack for the content on my Roku TV, but using the app on my Samsung Galaxy flip 4 has been not so great. When I try to preview the notification pop-up videos and then try to open the app full-screen it really bugs out and doesn't even let me close until I kill it. Last update also says they fix some notification feature but keeps reverting back to my default message sound and the vibrate turns back on which I hate because then I think I'm getting a text message. Please fix. Thanks!

A Google user

6 years ago

Nice idea and execution. The app however forced me to reset my Google password after signing in from a new device. Huge inconvenience. Also, commercials play Much louder than the rest of the content, forcing you to stay by your volume controls. Would be nice if there was a premium subscription version available. I'd be willing to pay up $4.99/month for no ads. Work out the kinks and and address the ad issue and you legitimately have a 5-star app on your hands

J F

4 years ago

You can not get the app to stop sending you entertainment and sports news. I have down-thumbed those stories every time, I have NOT clicked that as an interest, yet, every 10 minutes, i get more entertainment and sports stories. HOW TO STOP THAT??? Otherwise, I like this app a lot and it acts differently on different types of TVs or phones or laptops. On some TVs i get offered a list for late night TV, but not on my other Tvs. odd. But i very much DO like being able to get the news from other sources besides the cable news channels. And i like that international news is offered. I do wish the late night option was offered on Every tv set i have.

Steve

2 years ago

This is an awesome news program. I think (but not sure) that the last time I used it the app, it didn't ask for news preferences. In any case, this time, I carefully selected what I would like included and what is now presented is EXACTLY what I set my preferences to. Haystack is also available on the Roku - so I immediately added it to all of them, again with preferences. (My wife would've probably preferred I didn't include politics... but I didn't include her when I set my preferences! 😀)

A Google user

5 years ago

Please please fix the stopping video bug. Not sure what happened, used to be flawless, loved it even with the stories not being updated frequently but now I can't even use it. The videos keep stopping, won't restart, pain in the butt. Uninstalled and reinstalled to no avail. Says there was a bug fix for this, nope not for the s10 plus, at least not mine. Fix and will change rating. Very annoying!!!!!

Jason Salis

3 years ago

This is a very good app, but they stated the premium version is commercial free. After signing up for the premium version, however; I was still getting as many commercials as before. I reached out several times with no response and out of total frustration, I finally cancelled the premium subscription. If you want a good news agitator and do not mind LOTS of commercials, use the free version.

SloppyGoat

4 years ago

I only wish there were more options, and quicker updates. Otherwise, it is the best damn news app I've ever seen. Although, I really hate the new ticker. That's just annoying as hell, for anyone who has OCD and/or ADHD. And it just repeats the same things all the time anyway, distracting me from watching the video, and sometimes covering up running headlines at the bottom of the screen.

E S

4 years ago

If only the app wouldn't be so buggy in Samsung split screen view (s10+), it would be perfect for those that like to have the news on in the background. In split screen view, the videos either don't play, turn black, or jump around. And if you get a video to work resizing or focusing off the window screws everything up again. As a standalone app, not too shabby. Unfortunately, that's not my use case.

Domagoj Babic

2 years ago

Ads are in the wrong language (Chinese and Spanish in the Bay Area). Personalization is not that great, it still takes a lot of browsing to find the stories I care about. I also wish there were a wider selection of news sources. Update: Personalization got better, but the app (both on the phone and TV) became very slow. It often takes 30+ seconds for the next story to play. Also, the TV app now often freezes for a minute or two.

A Google user

5 years ago

I recently bought a hisense 65h9f android tv that includes this app. Excellent I'm a news hound. Before paying for a subscription I tried it out for a while. According to to pop up add pushing for the sub it says to turn off the ads sign up. I have no problem paying for a useful service. Here's the thing. Since 1st using it, it has been showing the same 10 video clips every once in a while 1 will change out. Along with advertisements. It gives far less then Google or MSN news. Which are free.

A Google user

5 years ago

great app for personalized news. Issues, does not stop once you close app on phone, it runs in backround. why does it keep showing me commercials in Spanish? there are no ad preference settings. Update. It is still a very intrusive app, takes over the Chromecast to a point it can't cast anything else and have to unplug Chromecast or reset through Google home app. It won't skip forward, the commercials are still in Spanish.

J Kaufman

1 year ago

News variety is great. What is completely unacceptable is that it automatically plays a video, with very loud sound, every time you open the app. (And YES, I turned off the "Auto-play videos on start" option in settings. It STILL automatically plays the "My Headlines" videos with audio.)

CYNTHIA WRIGHT

1 year ago

I love the app but it has a dark side. It is a data hoarder. I have it installed on my Nvidia Shield as my primary news source since I don't have cable. Recently just this year seems every 3 to 4 weeks I get a notification that my storage space is critically low & when I look into it, Haystack is up to a whopping 6.09 GB. And it's all in the data. The cache is only 38.32mb. Clearing the data brings it to 20.48kb I DO NOT like/ save videos so why is this happening NOW to a long time user???

Cynthia Hill

1 year ago

I love this app, it's my go to when I want to see the weather report or to find info on a news story or just to see what's happening in the world. It can be added to Roku as well as phones. It offers local news clips as well as nationally and then has entertainment, politics, editors choice, and more categories to scroll thru each story has a headline & is in video form which you can either watch or skip & I love being able to see different news stories on the same thing from more than 1 source