To make sure you always have instant access to the freshest, most personalized news the moment you open the app, SmartNews automatically updates your feed in the background. Because we prioritize keeping your news delivered in real-time, we do not currently offer an app setting to switch entirely to manual-only refreshing.
However, you can still take complete control and force an instant update whenever you want!
How to Manually Refresh SmartNews (iOS & Android)
If you’ve been away from the app for a bit or just want to see if new breaking stories have developed, you can trigger a manual refresh in seconds:
Open SmartNews and navigate to any Channel View (such as Top News, Local, or your favorite followed topic).
Touch the screen and pull down firmly.
You will see a loading indicator appear at the top of the page. Release your finger, and your feed will instantly update with the latest headlines.
💡 Quick Tip: If your feed ever feels stuck or isn't updating after a manual pull-down, simply force-close the SmartNews app from your device's multitasking menu and reopen it to establish a fresh connection to our servers.