WBEZ

Name: WBEZ
Rating: 4.392157 (920 reviews)
Author: Chicago Public Media Inc.

By: Chicago Public Media Inc.

Chicago’s NPR News Station

Features & Capabilities

The WBEZ Chrome extension brings Chicago's trusted NPR news station directly to your browser. Enjoy live radio broadcasts, podcasts, and on-demand audio featuring local, national, and international news. With the ability to rewind and replay shows from the past week, never miss a moment of investigative journalism, cultural reporting, or popular programs such as Curious City and Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me!

Designed for listeners who want reliable news and storytelling on their schedule, the WBEZ app also includes content from partners like NPR and BBC. As one of the largest public media stations in the country, WBEZ delivers quality journalism and engaging programs tailored for Chicago and beyond.

User Growth & Download Statistics

App News & Magazines Education Entertainment

By:

Chicago Public Media Inc.

Downloads:

95,492 3

Rating:

4.39

(920)

Version:

9.2.20 Last updated: 2026-04-30

Version code:

240090220

Creation date:

2011-02-01

Publisher country:

Permissions:

com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID Moderate risk
android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE Low risk
android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE_MEDIA_PLAYBACK Low risk
android.permission.INTERNET Low risk
android.permission.WAKE_LOCK Low risk
com.google.android.c2dm.permission.RECEIVE Low risk
com.google.android.finsky.permission.BIND_GET_INSTALL_REFERRER_SERVICE Low risk
android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE Safe
com.wbez.app.DYNAMIC_RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED_PERMISSION

Size:

39.84MB

Email:

we*****@wbez.org

URLs:

Website ,Privacy policy

Full description:

Source:

Google Play Store

Data ingested on:

2026-06-05

Compare stats and ranking:

Ranking

# 219,356 ▼ 750

Other platforms

WBEZ (v9.3.1)

4.70

(629)

For Developers

Monetize with App Pass Boost with Extension Booster

Contact the developer

Chrome-Stats does not own this Android app. Please use these information below to contact the Android app developer.

Developed by:

Chicago Public Media Inc.

Google Play Store

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wbez.app

Email:

we*****@wbez.org

Website:

https://www.wbez.org/mobileapps

User Reviews

Users appreciate WBEZ's high-quality content and podcast offerings but report significant app performance problems. Common issues include frequent crashes, unstable audio streams that stop unexpectedly, and sluggish or unusable playback controls. Many users find the app difficult to exit properly, resulting in battery drain, and are frustrated by intrusive ads during live streams. These problems persist across various devices and Android versions, undermining an otherwise valued service.

Pros

Great content with balanced reporting and a good selection of podcasts and stories.
Provides access to NPR and station programming that users value highly.
Generally stable streaming experience in some cases, particularly on certain devices or after troubleshooting.

Cons

App frequently crashes or fails to open, causing usability issues.
Audio stream is unstable and often stops playing unexpectedly, requiring frequent restarts.
Playback controls like pause, fast-forward, rewind, and seek are sluggish, erratic, or unreliable.
App continues running in background and is hard to properly exit or stop, leading to battery drain.
Advertisements interrupt live streams with no ability to rewind or skip, causing frustration.

Recent reviews

easy to use and always great content

Le*****, 2026-04-11

Love the WBEZ app! It allows me to listen to my favorite segments at any time. (Talking about you, Under The Influence!) if I wake up to the middle of an interesting report, I can go to the app to hear it from the beginning. It's easy to understand and find past segments.