You can listen to many local AM and FM stations on an iPhone with a free radio app—but the app streams the station over Wi-Fi or cellular data. It does not turn the iPhone into an over-the-air radio receiver. “Free” usually means basic listening costs nothing; it does not mean no ads, no data use, or that every station in your area is available.
For a straightforward station finder, start with Simple Radio. Choose TuneIn for a broad directory, iHeartRadio for stations carried by iHeart, or Audacy for stations in its network. These recommendations are based on the apps’ listed features, not on a comparative hands-on test. The comparison focuses on the U.S. App Store; station availability and rights vary by country.
Quick comparison: free iPhone radio apps
| App | Best for | Local-station strength | Free listening and ads | Compatibility details established here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Radio | Simple searching and saving favorites | Broad directory; availability depends on each station’s stream | Free download with ads; paid Unlimited option removes display ads and unlocks a sleep timer | U.S. App Store listing requires iOS 15 or later and lists Apple Watch support, including standalone playback |
| TuneIn Radio | Broad general-purpose and international discovery | Large worldwide catalog; not a guarantee of coverage in your town | Free app; optional paid products. Station-inserted ads may remain | CarPlay and Apple Watch support: not stated in the cited sources |
| iHeartRadio | Stations and programming carried by iHeart | Strongest for iHeart’s local stations and partner content | Basic service is free and ad-supported; optional paid plans | CarPlay and Apple Watch support: not stated in the cited sources |
| Audacy | Audacy stations, local news, talk, and sports | Strongest in markets and formats represented by Audacy | Free app; the cited listing does not establish a general paid subscription price | CarPlay and Apple Watch support: not stated in the cited sources |
| myTuner Radio | A directory-style alternative | Current U.S. coverage and features: not established in the cited sources | Current free-tier and advertising terms: not established in the cited sources | Current U.S. App Store compatibility: not established in the cited sources |
| Radio Garden | Exploring stations by location | Current U.S. coverage and availability: not established in the cited sources | Current free-tier and advertising terms: not established in the cited sources | Current iPhone compatibility: not established in the cited sources |
The last two are alternatives to investigate rather than fully verified recommendations: current U.S. App Store details for myTuner Radio and Radio Garden are not established here. Check their live listings for availability, features, ads, and any in-app purchases before installing.
First, understand what an iPhone radio app does
These apps play an internet feed from a broadcaster. The station’s frequency—such as 88.5 FM or 740 AM—identifies its over-the-air broadcast, but the iPhone app sends audio through an internet connection. Simple Radio’s U.S. App Store listing says an internet connection is needed.
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- Local station: A broadcaster serving your area, if it offers an online stream and the app carries it.
- Local-to-a-network station: A station available through a group such as iHeart or Audacy, whether or not it is the only local option.
- Directory listing: A stream from another city or country that an app happens to include.
A station can be available on your car radio but absent from an app. It may not stream online, may restrict third-party access, or may require its own player. Conversely, a directory entry can be outdated or temporarily offline. Online audio may also differ from the terrestrial broadcast because of rights, geography, or digital ad insertion.
1. Simple Radio: best for straightforward searching
Simple Radio is the easiest starting point if you want a directory rather than a particular broadcaster’s ecosystem. Its U.S. App Store listing advertises more than 90,000 stations worldwide, including AM, FM, and online stations, and lets listeners save favorites. The station count is the app’s own listing claim, not a promise that every local feed works.
Free tier and features
The app is free to download with in-app purchases. The listing says its paid Unlimited option removes display ads and unlocks a sleep timer. The U.S. listing specifies iOS 15.0 or later and Apple Watch support, including standalone playback. Check the listing for current purchase terms; offers and prices can vary.
Trade-offs
The free tier includes advertising, and the size of the directory cannot compensate for a station that does not provide an accessible stream. The App Store privacy label says identifiers and usage data may be collected and that identifiers may be used for tracking across companies. Apple’s labels reflect developer disclosures, not independent audits.
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Source: Simple Radio on the U.S. App Store.
2. TuneIn Radio: best for broad discovery
TuneIn is a broad directory for listeners who want local stations alongside international radio, news, sports, music, podcasts, and audiobooks. Its U.S. App Store listing advertises more than 100,000 live AM/FM stations worldwide. That is a platform-wide catalog claim; it does not mean all listed stations are available in every country or at every moment.
Free tier and upgrades
The free app is available through Apple’s App Store. TuneIn also offers paid products with additional content or fewer ads for some listening. Its iOS support page distinguishes TuneIn Radio Pro, which it describes as having no banner ads and no TuneIn-provided pre-roll commercials. That does not establish that ads inserted by a station or rights holder disappear.
Trade-offs
A large directory can take more effort to navigate than a broadcaster-specific app, and streams or listings can change. Online listening should not be assumed to reproduce every part of a station’s terrestrial broadcast.
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Choose it if: you want one place to look for stations from many markets and countries. If you only want a few local stations, a simpler directory or the broadcaster’s own app may be more convenient.
Sources: TuneIn on the U.S. App Store; TuneIn iOS support.
3. iHeartRadio: best for stations carried by iHeart
iHeartRadio combines live radio with music, sports, talk, and podcasts. iHeart describes its free service as including live and local AM and FM stations, and its official app page promotes thousands of live and local stations. It is a strong choice when the station you want belongs to iHeart or is in its catalog—not a neutral directory of every broadcaster.
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Free tier and upgrades
iHeart’s free-service FAQ says the basic service remains free. Optional Plus and All Access plans add features, but they are not required for basic live-radio listening. iHeart’s plan information gives examples of $9.99 per month through iHeart.com or Google Play and $12.99 per month through the iOS App Store in its cited presentation. Those examples are not a universal current price; check the checkout screen for your region and signup channel.
Trade-offs
Coverage depends on what iHeart carries, and the free service is ad-supported. A small independent station may not be available. Network membership also does not guarantee that every station stream is available in every location.
Choose it if: your preferred station is part of iHeart’s lineup, or you want its mix of local radio, music, sports, and spoken-word programming.
Sources: iHeartRadio on the U.S. App Store; iHeart apps; iHeart free-service FAQ; iHeart plan information.
4. Audacy: best for Audacy local stations and sports talk
The free Audacy app brings together stations, local news, music, sports, and podcasts. Its U.S. App Store listing specifically describes local FM and AM stations and names examples including V103 in Atlanta, 106.7 KROQ in Los Angeles and Orange County, and 93 XRT in Chicago. It also lists sports talk, live play-by-play for many teams and leagues, and saved listening.
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Coverage and sports
Audacy is most useful in markets and formats represented by the company. A station’s presence on the terrestrial dial does not mean it appears in Audacy. Sports availability can depend on team and league rights, location, and blackout restrictions; the listing says many teams and leagues, not every game.
Choose it if: your local station is an Audacy property, or you want its mix of local news, talk, music, and sports. For stations outside its catalog, try a general directory or the broadcaster’s own player.
Source: Audacy on the U.S. App Store.
5. myTuner Radio: a directory alternative to check
myTuner is a plausible directory-style alternative to Simple Radio and TuneIn, but current U.S. App Store details for its station count, compatibility, discovery tools, ads, and subscription terms are not established in the sources cited here. Review its live U.S. listing before relying on it for a specific station or feature.
It may be worth comparing if the larger directories do not surface a station you want. Search by call sign, frequency, station name, and city, then confirm that playback works; a listing alone does not prove the stream is available.
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Radio Garden’s discovery approach is geographic: it is designed around exploring stations by location rather than starting with a network. Current iPhone availability, U.S. station coverage, pricing, ads, and features are not established in the sources cited here, so check its live App Store listing before treating it as a current free option.
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It is a potential fit for browsing stations around the world. If your priority is quickly finding one specific U.S. station, a search-based directory or the broadcaster’s own app may be more direct.
How to find and test your local station
- Install a candidate from the U.S. App Store and open its station search.
- Search the station’s call sign, frequency, brand name, and city or metro area. Try more than one term: a station may be indexed under its call letters rather than its on-air brand.
- Start playback and save the station as a favorite if the stream works.
- If reliable mobile listening matters, test once on Wi-Fi and once on cellular data.
- Lock the iPhone and check that audio continues in the background.
- If you cannot find the station, check the broadcaster’s official website or app. If a stream fails, try another directory; apps may point to different feeds.
There is no single search method or directory that guarantees complete local coverage. A missing or broken entry may reflect the station’s streaming choices, a temporary outage, geography, or an outdated listing—not an iPhone fault.
Why a station may be missing or sound different
- No online stream: The station may broadcast over the air without offering an internet feed.
- Third-party restrictions: The broadcaster may limit access to its own website or app.
- Geographic limits or rights: A stream may be unavailable outside a permitted area, especially for sports or music.
- Stale listing or temporary outage: A directory entry may no longer point to a working feed.
- Brand or ownership changes: The station may have changed call letters, name, or operator, making it harder to find.
- Different online programming: The digital feed may substitute content or ads for the terrestrial broadcast.
Radio apps and stations can also insert different kinds of advertising: the station’s original commercials, digital replacements, or ads supplied by the app. A paid app upgrade may remove the app’s own display or pre-roll ads without removing commercials supplied by the broadcaster.
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Streaming uses an internet connection
Live radio consumes cellular data when you are not on Wi-Fi. The amount depends on the stream’s audio bitrate and listening time, so there is no useful universal figure here. Use Wi-Fi or monitor cellular use if your plan is limited. Weak connections can cause buffering or stop playback.
Streaming is not offline radio
These apps generally need an active network connection for live stations. Downloaded music or podcasts, where offered, are separate from a live AM/FM stream. If you need radio during an internet or power outage, use a battery-powered radio rather than relying on an iPhone streaming app.
Privacy labels are disclosures
App Store privacy labels describe information developers say may be collected; they are not independent audits. Simple Radio’s listing, for example, identifies identifiers and usage data as information that may be collected and says identifiers may be used for tracking across companies. Review the current label for each app and consider its permissions before granting location access.
Which app should you choose?
- Start with Simple Radio if you want a straightforward directory and favorites.
- Try TuneIn if breadth and international discovery matter more than a focused interface.
- Choose iHeartRadio when your station is carried by iHeart or its programming mix suits you.
- Choose Audacy when your station is in its lineup, especially for its local news, talk, and sports offerings.
- Check myTuner or Radio Garden only after confirming their current U.S. app status and terms.
If no directory carries the station, use the broadcaster’s official app or website. For emergency preparedness or dependable listening without internet access, a real AM/FM or weather radio is the appropriate tool.
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