iPhones don’t have built-in FM radio receivers, but that doesn’t mean you can’t groove to your favorite radio stations. Thanks to many top-notch radio apps that transmit tunes over the internet, you can have FM radio at your fingertips. We’ve dialed in the frequency and tuned into the signal to bring you the five best FM radio apps for your iPhone. Let’s take a closer look!
Tip: you can stream much more content than just internet radio stations using your iPhone.
1. TuneIn Radio
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Compatibility: Requires iOS 14.0 or later
Offering over 100,000 AM, FM, and internet radio stations from 197 countries, TuneIn Radio has everything from CNN and FOX News for news junkies, to NFL and NHL for sports fans, to popular podcasts and audiobooks, to a vast selection of music channels for every mood. The app first appeared in the App Store in 2009, and it has since then been consistently hovering near the top of the “Music” category.
TuneIn is a free radio app for iPhone that is supported by ads. You can cut back on the ad interruptions by purchasing a premium plan, and you might feel forced to do so because the ad frequency can be irritatingly high at times.
If you decide to purchase a TuneIn Premium subscription, then you’ll also gain the ability to listen to live sports. This makes TuneIn a great choice for sports enthusiasts, especially when combined with the option to choose your favorite team and instantly receive gametime notifications.
Good to know: own a Mac or PC? Discover 8 free radio stations for music listening that you can access online.
2. myTuner Radio
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Compatibility: Requires iOS 12.1 or later
myTuner Radio is another heavy hitter in the radio app market, offering a mind-boggling choice of more than 50,000 radio stations spanning 200 countries and territories. Whether you’re into music, sports, news, or podcasts, this app likely has something for you.
When you launch the app, you’re presented with a list of top stations in your region. You can start listening immediately by selecting any available station, or you can switch to the “Stations” tab and look for specific stations using the provided filter and search options.
Despite its impressive range of stations, myTuner Radio isn’t without its flaws. Users have reported issues with overlapping icons and problems with favorites disappearing. The intrusive, full-screen ads have also been an annoyance for free users.
Tip: looking for a more curated radio solution? Discover how to create your own radio station in Apple Music.
3. Simple Radio
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Compatibility: Requires iOS 12.0 or later
Simple Radio is another radio app for iPhone that brings together a trove of 50,000+ AM, FM, and online radio stations from around the world. The app has an intuitive interface that lets you tune into your favorite stations with a single tap. Whether you’re into music, sports, news, or in search of some intriguing talk radio, this app has you covered.
The user interface is divided into three main sections: “Favorites”, “Search”, and “Jukebox”. While the first two sections are self-explanatory, the last one offers an interesting twist. Jukebox functions as a quick station selector based on your preferred genre. All you need to do is pick a genre, and Jukebox will automatically select a radio station that aligns with it.
Simple Radio is supported by ads and you can subscribe to premium plans to remove the ads. The premium version also allows you to set a sleep timer, which may come in handy if you enjoy dozing off to your favorite radio station.
Good to know: level-up your music library by gaining free access to Apple Music.
4. RadioApp
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Compatibility: Requires iOS 15.0 or later
Simplicity is often the key to a great user experience. RadioApp understands this concept well, opting to emulate the vintage charm of a physical radio. The app features a unique analog-like FM/AM tuner that’s both visually pleasing and nostalgic. As you tune in, the name of the currently playing song is displayed when available, providing a seamless integration of modern digital features with an old-school interface.
Even with its minimalistic design, RadioApp still lets you add stations to a list of favorites for easy access. The selection of stations, while growing, isn’t as expansive as some of the more established apps. Patience will be a virtue in this instance, as the developers continue to add more stations.
Unlike the other apps, the free version of RadioApp doesn’t come with ads. However, CarPlay support and a few other features are not available in the free version though.
Tip: learn how to turn off Do Not Disturb mode while driving so that you don’t miss important phone calls while listening to your favorite radio station in your car.
5. Radio FM
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Compatibility: Requires iOS 12.0 or later
If you’re looking for an all-in-one radio app, Radio FM might be the perfect choice. Boasting thousands of internet radio stations from all corners of the globe including various genres like Rock, Country, Rap, Hip Hop, Jazz, Pop, Reggae, Metal, and many more.
With Radio FM’s “Car Mode”, you can enjoy your favorite stations without distraction while driving. And if you take advantage of the ability to create Siri Shortcuts for your favorite radios for quick access, then you can effortlessly tune into your preferred stations with a simple voice command, minimizing distractions even further.
Radio stations are automatically recommended based on your location, but you can also customize your region settings to explore radio stations from around the world. This feature is especially handy if you’re living abroad and want to stay connected to your home country, or if you’re simply curious to discover what’s playing on the airwaves in different corners of the globe.
Good to know: discover how to remove duplicate songs in your Apple Music library from your Mac.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I listen to AM/FM radio on my iPhone without internet access?
Unfortunately, iPhones (unlike many Android devices) don’t come equipped with built-in FM radio tuners, so you can’t listen to FM radio without internet access.
How much data do radio apps for iPhone use?
The amount of data used by radio apps varies based on the quality of the stream and the duration of listening. A standard 128 kbps audio stream, for example, consumes approximately 60MB of data per hour.
How do radio apps for iPhone compare to streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music?
Audio apps provide a wide range of radio stations, covering news, sports, talk shows, live concerts, and different genres of music from all over the world. Streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music focus more on individual songs and albums, curated playlists, and podcasts.
Image credit: Pexels. All screenshots by David Morelo.
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