KQED: Bay Area News

I use this app quite often because it’s pretty nice to be able to listen to the radio on my phone. There’s a nice big play button when you open the app, making it easy to start listening right away (of course a 3D Touch shortcut would be even better.) Aside from that much appreciated play button, the rest of the ui has looked mostly unappealing and I haven’t bothered to explore whatever else is on offer. Now here comes the major flaw; when you first start listening, there is the paid sponsorship statement of about 10 seconds or so, this isn’t that bad and not the problem here— the problem is that whenever the phone switches from LTE to WiFi, the app completely cuts the stream AND makes you listen to the sponsored statement again! This is a huge annoyance when I’m paying close attention to an interesting statement and my phone decides to switch networks. This happens a lot when pulling into the driveway and my phone pick up the WiFi. Anyway, this app is a pretty good way to get a high quality stream of KQED aside from that one annoyance. Of course, the real reason I can’t listen to the actual 88.5 FM signal is only because Apple won’t unlock the iPhone’s FM radio to developers, but that’s a different issue altogether.

I listen to KQED all the time, and would dearly love to see fixes to the below listed issues. This app has difficulty with switching between wireless networks in my home, and from wireless to cellular data. When I walk from downstairs to upstairs, I have to stop and restart the app when the phone switches networks. The app usually requires the same protocol when I leave my house and the phone switches from one of my wireless networks to cellular data. On the upside, I prefer listening to KQED on my phone (rather than my car radio) because the reception is never interrupted by static. Today, when I opened the App Store to write this review, I noticed a note that said “Fixes for iOS 10.3 available.” iOS 11.1.2 has been out for a week. Thanks for any action you can take on these issues.

The app works great if you’re sitting in one place. However, the app continually connects and disconnects, making you listen to the introductory sponsorship message. I often listen to KQED as I am riding my bicycle and I’m having to listen to the sponsorship message what seems like every five minutes. It’s quite annoying. I don’t have this issue with my Pandora app, I never hear interruption whatsoever. Hopefully improvements can be made to stay better connected or buffer more data so there are less interruption. I have read other reviews with the same complaint.

I am blind, and utilize voiceover, the accessibility feature for the iPhone, and this app is quite surprisingly in accessible. The play button to start the radio station appears to be the only part of the app that is accessible. I am a sustaining member, and am quite disappointed I am unable to utilize other aspects of this app.

I realized how much I depend on this app because I no longer have a radio. So when it became buggy and I couldn’t play the KQED stream directly from the app, I was very unhappy. Thanks for fixing it promptly.