iHeartRadio’s new app adds lyrics and might make your car radio obsolete

By Simon Cohen Published December 13, 2024

iHeartRadio's redesigned mobile app. — iHeartMedia

iHeartRadio has launched a redesign of its mobile app — the first major overhaul since it debuted in 2011 — and it might make you ditch your car’s radio controls. That’s because the new interface takes its inspiration directly from the most popular car radio features, including station presets, a scan button, and even a live radio “dial.” It also includes a lyrics display for live radio — a first for digital radio apps, according to iHeartRadio.

The company says that the redesign’s initial rollout began December 12 and will be available to all listeners on Android and iOS by December 17.

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“Our listeners have made it clear that they want a streaming audio platform that’s intuitive and familiar, reflecting the simplicity of the car radio while embracing the full capabilities of streaming technology,” said iHeartMedia chairman and CEO Bob Pittman in a press release. “The redesigned iHeartRadio app does just that, bringing together the best features of the car radio and the mobile app.”

Previously, the iHeartRadio app focused on three main categories: radio, podcasts, and playlists. It used a combination of content suggestions, genres, and a user search tool to help listeners find the content they wanted.

The new design keeps these elements, but adds several new features to the top of the home screen:

Presets: Just like a car radio, custom presets let you save up to 15 of your favorite radio stations, playlists, podcasts, and artist radio stations.

Scan button: Lets you quickly sample nationwide radio stations, or filter by city or genre.

Live radio dial: Swipe left or right to find and access national radio stations, organized by genre and location.

What’s trending rankers: See what’s most popular right now with fellow iHeartRadio listeners across Top Podcasts, Top Playlists, and Top Artist Radio stations. It also highlights features that are trending on the streaming service.

Lyrics: See lyrics for the song you are listening to on live radio. There’s also a karaoke-style lyrics display for tracks on artist radio and playlists.

The iHeartRadio app has more than 167 million registered users, and is available on over 500 platforms and over 2,000 different connected devices. It has been downloaded 3 billion times.

Contributing Editor, A/V

Simon Cohen is a contributing editor to Digital Trends' Audio/Video section, where he obsesses over the latest wireless…

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