Philstar.com launches redesigned mobile app with new features
MANILA, Philippines — Philstar.com, the online arm of the STAR Group of Publications, celebrated another milestone in its 26-year existence with the launch of its redesigned mobile app on Friday, August 14, at a well-attended event in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
The launch, held at Seda BGC's Sikreto Place, gathered Philstar.com’s advertisers, sponsors and partners in a night of revelry highlighted by a trivia contest and raffle draws.
A brainchild of Philstar.com's Head of Products Sebastian “Basti” Belmonte, the latest version of the website’s app boasts a plethora of new features, including a redesigned interface that’s more intuitive and visual, quicker loading times for articles, and a text-to-speech option, among others.
"With the new Philstar app, our goal is to make it easier than ever for Filipinos to make news part of their daily routine and stay connected to the country. This launch is just the beginning. We’ll keep iterating and improving with every update," Belmonte said.
At the launch, he and the Philstar.com team unveiled the app and thanked partners and guests in attendance.
Philstar.com President and CEO Kevin Belmonte, in a video message, said the improved app is a testament to the company’s capability to adapt to how readers consume news content.
“When my late mother, Betty Go Belmonte, co-founded the Philippine STAR 40 years ago, she established our mantra, ‘Truth Shall Prevail.’ And this has continued to guide us,” the elder Belmonte said in a video message.
“We launched Philstar.com 26 years ago. And we have grown by remaining responsive to our readers here and globally to an ever-changing media landscape. Through all these changes, one principle has continued to guide us: Truth. Truth matters,” he added.
An app-exclusive Events section is among the welcome additions of the app, which also puts emphasis on flexibility as it allows users to customize notifications according to their preferred sections.
Other app features are as follows:
- Reels: Bite-sized news summaries for quick, 30-second reads.
- Save/bookmark: Save articles, reels, or events to catch up on later.
- Comments and reactions: Share thoughts, send GIFs and emojis, give thumbs up/down and sort by newest or most engaged.
- Audio articles: Listen to news on the go with our text-to-speech feature.
- Dark mode toggle: Switch between light and dark themes for comfortable reading anytime.
- Notification settings: Full control over push notifications, email alerts and in-app message.
- Swipe to explore: Easily browse articles with a smooth horizontal swipe.
“Our goal is not simply to keep pace with change, but to ensure that Filipinos, wherever they may be, continue to have a reliable source of information as they make sense of the issues affecting their lives,” President and CEO Belmonte continued.
The Philstar.com app is now available on both Apple’s Appstore and Google Play.
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