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Next Issue promised a simple change to magazine reading: pay one monthly fee and access a large library of titles instead of buying individual issues. Launched in 2012, the publisher-backed service was often called the “Netflix for magazines.” In October 2015, it relaunched as Texture with a new design and a broader focus on article discovery, recommendations, and curated collections. Apple acquired Texture in March 2018, and the standalone service shut down on May 28, 2019, after Apple News+ launched.
Texture is therefore not a current app. Its importance is historical: it helped establish the subscription and product model that Apple later incorporated into Apple News+.
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What Next Issue was
Next Issue launched on Android tablets in April 2012 as a digital magazine subscription service. Instead of paying separately for every publication, subscribers paid one recurring fee for unlimited access to a selection of magazines.
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The service was tablet-first and backed by major magazine publishers. Its appeal was clearest for readers who bought several magazines regularly and wanted a cheaper, lighter, searchable digital library. A subscriber could sample titles without purchasing every issue and carry a collection without carrying a stack of paper.
Why people called it the “Netflix for magazines”
The comparison referred mainly to the business model:
- one recurring subscription payment;
- access to a broad catalog;
- the freedom to try publications without buying each one individually; and
- a shift from owning individual issues toward ongoing access.
But the analogy had limits. Next Issue was closer to a digital newsstand than to a literal magazine version of Netflix. Readers still browsed recognizable magazine brands, opened complete issues, and encountered the publishing schedules and layouts associated with print. Magazines are designed objects with recurring identities; they are not simply interchangeable items in an endlessly updated video stream.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThat distinction created the central product challenge. A large catalog can offer excellent value to a curious reader, but its size does not automatically make discovery easy or make every included title relevant.
The problem with an electronic newsstand
The original experience largely followed a familiar sequence: choose a title, open an issue, and read it digitally. That preserved the structure of print, which was useful for readers who already knew what they wanted. It was less effective for someone asking a different question: What should I read next?
A subscription library needs more than access. It needs ways to surface relevant material, encourage sampling, and turn an archive into a habit. The challenge was especially pronounced when a reader subscribed for a few favorite magazines but ignored most of the catalog.
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Next Issue’s 2015 relaunch addressed that problem by changing not only the branding but also the unit of discovery. The company wanted readers to encounter stories, themes, and recommendations—not just magazine covers.
Texture was more than a new logo
In October 2015, Next Issue relaunched as Texture. The company’s announcement described access to 160 magazines at launch, with subscriptions starting at $9.99 per month. Contemporary coverage from TechCrunch and the company’s relaunch announcement presented the change as a redesigned content experience rather than a cosmetic rebrand.
Texture retained access to complete magazine issues, but added a more layered discovery system that included:
- curated collections;
- personal collections;
- trending stories;
- editorial recommendations;
- personalized discovery; and
- article-level browsing alongside issue-level reading.
This was a strategic shift. The complete issue remained important because it preserved the design, sequencing, and identity of each magazine. Article-level discovery made the same catalog feel more flexible and searchable. A reader could follow a subject across publications rather than staying inside one issue at a time.
That approach also introduced a tension. Separating articles can make a subscription easier to explore, but it can weaken the sense that a magazine is a distinctive editorial product. Texture was trying to do both: preserve the magazine while making its contents behave more like a modern content library.
Why the name changed to Texture
The name “Next Issue” emphasized the traditional publishing cycle: the next edition of a known magazine. That was increasingly narrow for a product built around archives, recommendations, collections, and stories drawn from many titles.
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According to Lexicon Branding, “Texture” was intended to suggest layers, depth, interconnected content, and a richer reading experience. The branding firm also said the company wanted to move beyond the frequently used “Netflix of magazines” label. That is the branding firm’s account of the naming process, not independent evidence that the comparison had definitively damaged the business.
The name fit the product ambition: a collection of overlapping subjects, voices, formats, and publication identities rather than a queue of isolated issues.
The publisher-backed business model
Next Issue and Texture were built with the participation of major publishers. The 2015 relaunch announcement identified a group including Condé Nast, Hearst Magazines, Meredith, News Corp., Rogers Media, Time Inc., and KKR. When Apple announced its acquisition in 2018, it listed Condé Nast, Hearst, Meredith, Rogers Media, and KKR as Texture’s owners. Because the lists differ, they should be treated as dated descriptions of the ownership or backing structure, not as one unchanged roster.
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The bundle offered an obvious consumer benefit: more reading for one predictable fee. It could encourage sampling and help a reader discover publications that would otherwise never be purchased individually.
However, the model raised unresolved industry questions. Would readers become more loyal to the bundle than to individual magazine brands? Would additional reading time translate into sustainable publisher revenue? How should subscription income be allocated among titles? The available public record does not establish a definitive answer for Next Issue or Texture’s profitability, publisher payouts, or commercial success. The shutdown proves that the standalone service ended; it does not, by itself, prove why or establish that the product was financially unsuccessful.
Apple acquired Texture
On March 12, 2018, Apple announced an agreement to acquire Texture. Apple gained an established magazine-subscription product, publisher relationships, and experience with a paid reading service.
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- Perfect for App Store purchases and subscriptions—get apps, games, music, movies, TV shows, and more.
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- Available in $15 - 500, Card delivered via email or SMS
- Use it for purchases at any Apple Store location, on the Apple Store app, apple.com, the App Store, iTunes, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple News+, Apple Books, Apple Arcade, iCloud+, Fitness+, Apple One, and other Apple properties in US only
The acquisition mattered because Apple was building a broader role for Apple News. Texture supplied relevant technology, expertise, and publishing relationships, but Apple News+ was not simply Texture with a different name. It was a new Apple News subscription product integrated into Apple’s ecosystem.
Apple announced Apple News+ on March 25, 2019. Texture then stopped functioning as a standalone service on May 28, 2019, according to contemporary reporting from MacRumors.
What replaced Texture?
The closest successor-like product is Apple News+, but it should not be described as the same service. Apple News+ is a paid tier within Apple News and combines magazines with newspapers and other premium content. Apple currently promotes features including cover-to-cover magazine issues, offline reading, audio stories, puzzles, recipes, and Family Sharing.
Apple’s U.S. page has displayed a price of $12.99 per month after a one-month free trial, while Apple One Premier is listed at $39.95 per month and includes Apple News+ among other services. Prices and offers are region-specific and can change. Apple Support lists Apple News+ availability in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Apple’s marketing pages have used different catalog descriptions, including “500+” magazines, newspapers, and digital publishers and other counts on related listings. These numbers should not be treated as a single audited catalog total. Availability varies by country, title, date, and counting method. Readers should check Apple’s current publications list for particular magazines.
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Current alternatives for magazine-first readers
No current service is the exact continuation of Next Issue or Texture. The practical choice depends on the reader’s devices, country, must-have titles, and preference for complete issues or broader content discovery.
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- Perfect for App Store purchases and subscriptions—get apps, games, music, movies, TV shows, and more.
- The perfect gift to say happy birthday, thank you, congratulations, and more.
- Available in $15 - 500, Card delivered via email or SMS
- Use it for purchases at any Apple Store location, on the Apple Store app, apple.com, the App Store, iTunes, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple News+, Apple Books, Apple Arcade, iCloud+, Fitness+, Apple One, and other Apple properties in US only
Apple News+
Best for: people already using iPhone, iPad, or Mac who want magazines alongside newspapers and Apple ecosystem features.
Limitations: it is not a pure magazine-only service, and it is unavailable on some non-Apple platforms and in unsupported countries. Verify both regional availability and title inclusion before subscribing.
Readly
Best for: readers who prioritize magazine volume, international publications, hobbies, and back issues.
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ZINIO Unlimited
Best for: readers who want a large magazine catalog and already use ZINIO’s digital-magazine ecosystem.
The U.S. App Store listing for ZINIO Unlimited has displayed $9.99 per month for access to more than 5,000 magazines, with a first-month-free offer. App Store listings and promotional terms can change, and a catalog headline does not guarantee access to every particular title or back issue.
How to choose a modern replacement
- Check your devices. Apple News+ favors Apple households; other services may offer broader platform coverage.
- Search for essential titles first. A large catalog is not useful if it excludes the magazines you actually read.
- Decide whether you want magazines only. Newspapers, puzzles, recipes, and audio may add value—or add cost you will not use.
- Compare issue access with discovery. Some readers want cover-to-cover editions; others prefer article search and recommendations.
- Check back issues and offline reading. These features vary by service and title.
- Separate introductory pricing from renewal pricing. Promotional offers are not reliable indicators of the ongoing subscription cost.
- Confirm country availability. Catalogs, platforms, prices, and rights differ by market.
The legacy of Next Issue
Next Issue correctly anticipated that readers might prefer access to a magazine library over buying individual issues. Its 2015 transformation into Texture recognized a harder problem: aggregation alone is not a complete reading experience.
The service had to balance two competing goals. It needed to preserve the identity and design of the magazine issue while making a large catalog easy to search, browse, and personalize. Texture’s redesign was an attempt to solve that problem through collections, recommendations, and article-level discovery.
The standalone brand ultimately disappeared, but the underlying idea survived. Apple News+ carried the magazine-bundle concept into a broader ecosystem, while services such as Readly and ZINIO Unlimited continue to pursue the magazine-first version of the model. The important distinction is that these are descendants or alternatives—not evidence that Next Issue or Texture is still operating.
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