This version is excellent improvement over the last version (4.5.x). I use this app to read the news I am interested in and now I can quickly scroll through the stories. The content and writing is excellent but I do miss the space allowed for reader comments.
My husband and I have been supporters of WPR for a very long time because I am an avid fan of Chapter A Day. (My parents listened to the program during the school day back in the 1940s and 50s!) The update is so different and not accommodating. I try to listen each day during the broadcast time but sometimes can’t. Before the update, I could find the program later in the afternoon or evening and listen and keep up with the story. Now I must wait at least until the next day and sometimes Monday of the following week to listen. I don’t like the Main Page at all. I can’t get to the choices I want. The previous Home Page worked well. I also encounter many of the same buffering problems and get “kicked off” the program when I pause. It’s not that I’m an older adult not navigating the site well. The previous format made sense and was easy to use. I feel my choices are limited, now. At least when I go to Florida this winter I can TRY to keep up with the stories. Thank you for continuing Chapter A Day all these years. It’s just harder to enjoy, now.
Some Simple changes and bug fixes would make this a four-star
I’m glad to have the ability to listen to over the air radio on my phone, but this app could use some work. A) The news articles on the landing screen should have the option to listen to the story without having to go to the website. B) The bottom of the screen with the play control covers up the link to the Npr website and in some cases it impossible to click to go to the website. The play button at the bottom of the screen seems to be completely useless since you have to go to View the website version in order to listen to the story, and ironically the play button covers up that link
I love this App. No more driveway moments. When I drive to work listening to WPR on the care radio and have to be on time I finish listening to to the sowe on demand latent in the day. When I drive listening to WPR are on the radio don't get into my driveway, my phone connects to my home WiFi and I keep continue listening to WPR through the live stream. And if I have those I herded on WPR moments I go too the on demand section and play the part I'm referring too. The new version is great. And everyone how complainers, should take their time to get familiar with something new before thy give a rating.
Delightful music, interesting and captivating programs, and easy to digest news coverage. WPR is always excellent. The app only improves in my personal opinion. Some are saying when they call or look at something else they are kicked off their program. This does not happen on my phone. If I use sound in other apps I can return and pick up right where I left off. I’m listening to it as I write this review. The update color and design is neat, clean, and organized. An overall very satisfying experience. More than any other app I have. What would I do without WPR. Thank you.
LOVE the On Demand section. The lineup of WPR and national programs is outstanding. The live streams, though... 🤦♀️. The initial promo/Info spiel at launch can be absurdly long (don’t count on catching all the top-of-the-hour news unless you launch the app well ahead of time), the feed is unreliable, and ID spots sometimes break randomly into programs rather than at the standard breaks. I have superfast WiFi and robust cell service, and my phone is my radio, so the buggy performance is maddening. I have the WNIJ, WBEZ, and WBUR apps on my phone so I can switch when the WPR app lets me down.
I've lost track of every program I've started to listen to since I updated 2 days ago. When my phone rings or for some other reason I have to leave the WPR app, when I get back it doesn't just pick up where it left off; it's not intuitive how to continue from where I left off. So far very unimpressed with this update. I don't want to spend a week learning an app that I have come to rely on to be my constant companion throughout the day and night. If I have the time to learn this app and I find I love it, I'll change my rating. But for now it's a 2.
There are only a few fresh WPR news feed stories added each day (at best), but there is plenty of content on the WPR site that could be migrated onto the app. This makes no sense and is a huge miss given how many of us get news on our mobiles now. The NPR app has a great feed, so there is no need for me to get their content from the WPR app. There are only 2 things this app needs to do well: streaming and a story feed. It seems like a part-time intern could do the postings, so… what gives?
For years I’ve listened during the morning especially. Now for the last 2+ months I have been constantly kicked out. I’ve tried moving locations in my house, time of day, staying in place - nothing works! I can’t even remember the last time I heard a whole report without interruptions! Ugh! Please fix this now! Your program is especially important now during the epidemic. As a long time supporter I feel especially frustrated and disappointed. Yours is the only local/national news I can trust without hesitation.
I’ve used this app for years and am a huge fan and member of WPR. At times, and seemingly more frequently with the latest upgrade, the app nearly constantly pauses for buffering. The sponsor message will often reply when the stream goes again. I’ve switched to other streaming services at the same time, including NPR One, to test if it is the Wi-Fi connection and had no problems with the streaming on those apps.
After some muddling around, I figured out how to get to the on demand programs I want. 2 things REALLY need improvement: 1. Programs should pick up where I left off-even if I pause, or completely leave the app, leave it on my phone and restart on my iPad. If SiriusXM cAn do this, so can WPR. From: A long time fan of WPR!
Wow, what a huge change! The new update works well, and I love all the features. Haven't had any issues in a week if using it, and I love that I can now pause/play from the lock screen. Great idea with the alarm/sleep setting, email the station, and of course, the donate button. Nice work, guys!!!
I could very quickly get to many programs and find out the day's schedule on the old app. Now much harder to find what I want and it take a lot more navigation to get where I want to go.
Works well when it works. Frequent live stream crashes are annoying. Used to be rock solid, but then previous version also began crashing live stream. New version doesn't remember where you were before crash, so you must click through to get back to live stream. I don't remember having to do that with the old version.
And I can’t live without it! If I am home where I can get it on FM radio I don’t need the app. But when I am traveling and in AZ for the winter months it truly is my salvation! The news and programming from Wisconsin Public radio is so much better, and provides me with my favorite programs!
This app inexplicably drops the stream every few minutes. When it picks up, you are treated to a sponsor message. The problem has always been there but has gotten progressively worse to the point this app is now practically unusable. My Alexa speaker has no problem streaming WPR with no interruptions on the same WIFI and other streaming apps have no problem on my iPhone. This proves the issue is this poorly performing app. I am buying a small FM radio for work.
The app was changed recently and I no longer can easily listen to the live morning edition or weekend edition shows. I have to navigate multiple steps to the website. Inconvenient! I listen every day there should be an east way to tune in
I’ve always been a fan of WPR. They do a great job of coverage and staying as unbiased as possible. Their programs are amazing. I’ve been a sustainer for a year now and I can’t think of a better way to spend hours in a day.
One of the better public radio apps out there. I like that I can listen to all three public radio stations, and also read news articles from both WPR and NPR.
Although we now live in Portland, Oregon, I got hooked on Wisconsin Public Radio when we lived in NE Iowa for 9 years. Is supported them now, and I still do. Thanks to this app, we can still enjoy their programming from 2,000 miles away!
I moved away from Wisconsin but I continue to donate to WPR because I listen to some of the programming on the app, like old time radio drama. I've had to restart the app three Times & now I'm asked to enter a review before I can listen to the show. Still hoping this latest upgrade turns into something worthwhile. 🤞🏻
The updated version works much better than the previous one, less buffering and issues with connectivity. I love being able to listen to WPR where ever I am!
I had a classical music app subscription, but felt like it is the same as donating to my local classical NPR, so that. I always enjoy opening it up and enjoying what playing. And hear new things. Nice.
I find the app easy to use, and it works well for me as a way to listen to WPR or just catch up on the news headlines. (I still think radio belongs on the FM and AM bands, but that is another topic altogether.)
I have been listening to WPR on my phone since it became available. Every time there are changes there are problems. I try to open the app and it closes. This happens many times in a row. This is very frustrating. WPR/NPR are my favorite news sources but this needs to be fixed.
Love the app, especially now that we are Safer at Home for the next month. Gives me a link to the world with my favorite radio network from a place I don’t get great reception!
If an alarm goes off on my phone, either I have to start all over again with the app or at the very least I have to tell it to resume playing. Could do better.
Nice mix of written and radio features. I wish there was a state news list that was more robust. Often crashes during morning and evening news. Like, very often.
The WPR app is fairly easy to navigate and find desired content. Some areas are designed for discovery. Crashes or freezes happen too often / hacking??
The basic design seems clean and intuitive, but there seems little interest in fixing two serious issues. The app often simply quits for no discernable reason. It's not ad-free - there are 'thank you's to sponsors' that are ill-timed, invariably cutting off parts of news stories. Fortunately there are other, more thoughtful public radio stations with good apps.
No more radios in every room. My morning routine is streamlined because WPR is in my pocket. From coffee on the deck to feeding the pets and taking a shower, Morning Edition is always playing on the app.
I find this new design confusing and cumbersome. It does not function any better in my experience than the last version technically. I seem to need several more steps to get to where I want to be in the app. The added bells and whistles are not music to my ears.
Really disappointed in the update. There are too many steps to stream live shows. Also, the app turns off all the time. Hope you change it back or at least fix it in the future. I love WPR, I’m a member but I find myself looking for NPR apps that are more user friendly.
I liked being able to search for topics across many public radio stations from different areas in the old app. Can’t seem to listen to live broadcast very easily. User interface is cumbersome. Not a fan of the home page either. Sorry :/
Love it. However, when playing music and my Bluetooth headphones disconnect, the sound starts playing from the speakers, which not everyone wants to hear, and is embarrassing. Heaving earbuds in, sometimes I’m the last to know 😕
App is efficient n easy to navigate. WPR is a great station with listening options for all ages and interests. Love the valences programming is today’s decisive world.
I don't mean any ill will to WPR (love you folks!) but the app isn't great. In order to listen to either the classical or talk network, one must make Three clicks. That's crazy. No one should have to click three small links just to start a radio station on an app that IS A RADIO STATION. Thanks, love you
Wisconsin Public Radio App: The Wisconsin Public Radio App allows you to listen to WPR’s Ideas Network, News and Classical Network, and 24 Classical Network live, pause and rewind the live audio, and view the program schedule for all the WPR streams at once! You can explore On Demand content, search for programs, bookmark a program for later, and wake up to WPR with the alarm clock! Live Streaming • DVR-like controls (pause, rewind, and fast forward). You can pause the live stream to have a conversation and pick up right where you left off! Or rewind to catch a comment you just missed! • Listen to live streams from WPR even while traveling! • Integrated program schedules for every WPR stream! • One click stream switching – flip over to the program you noticed on another stream with a single click. • Listen to WPR in the background while browsing the web or catching up on your emails! On Demand • Access WPR’s programs easily and quickly. • DVR-like controls. Pause, rewind and fast forward your program with ease. • When listening to programs, individual segments (when available) are listed so you can review and choose one or listen to the entire program. • Easy to access past programs. • The Wisconsin Public Radio App displays the web page associated with the program or program segment you are listening to On Demand so you can explore for more information. WPR News • Catch up on all WPR news headlines in a single easy to read screen. Click to read the entire story or share with a friend. Additional features • Easily share stories and programs with family and friends via the “Share” button. • A built in Sleep Timer and Alarm Clock allows you to go to sleep and wake up to your favorite station. The Wisconsin Public Radio App is brought to you by the people at WPR and Public Media Apps. We work to provide our valued listeners with great solutions to find what you want, when you want it, and where you want it. Please support WPR by becoming a member today! http://www.wpr.org http://www.publicmediaapps.com
