Microsoft launched new MSN news beta apps on iOS and Android earlier this year, which introduced a simplified UI with a bottom navigation bar. While this new design has yet to roll out to the public, beta testers can see this week that MSN News has been renamed to “Microsoft News,” and the latest version also uses a red icon just like the one on the Windows 10 app.
Other than the name change, this latest beta update doesn’t seem to bring any new features, though you’ll notice a new splash screen when you launch the app.
It’s not clear yet if Microsoft plans to phase out the MSN brand, which remains a popular destination on the web, though maybe Microsoft wants to better align with Apple and Google which both have their own “News” apps. It also remains to be seen if the other MSN apps (Weather, Sports and Money) could also drop the MSN branding going forward, though these apps are probably not as popular as the main News app.
Do you like the new “Microsoft News” name, or do you still prefer the decades-old MSN brand? Sound off in the comments below.
