Sometimes listeners want to browse, and sometimes they just want their station. iHeartMedia is adding a toggle to its mobile app that strips the homepage down, giving users a one-tap switch between the full app and a stripped-down “just essentials” version.
The Lite Mode toggle sits at the top of the iHeartRadio app’s homepage, on both iOS and Android. In Lite Mode, the interface centers on the content currently playing and lets users move between Presets, Recently Played, and Local Radio without leaving the screen.
iHeart positions the feature as a response to two kinds of listening: people who want to browse and discover, and people who want to go directly to a favorite station or personality. The company says the ability to switch between the two lets listeners make each experience the right one for them.
iHeart Chief Programming Officer Tom Poleman said, “We know that listeners have enormous loyalty to their favorite radio stations and personalities: The average radio listener listens to 2-3 radio stations in a month vs. watching 40 TV channels in a month. Lite Mode serves a real purpose when listeners are trying to quickly get to the shows and personalities they’re passionate about and aren’t looking to browse the entire service. We know that people use the iHeartRadio service at different times for different reasons, and the ability to seamlessly switch between those two functionalities serves that need.”
iHeart Digital Audio Group CEO Conal Byrne added, “Radio is uniquely personal — it’s about companionship. Our listeners sometimes want to browse and discover, and at other times they simply want to go directly to what they’re looking for. This new ability to toggle between full functionality and Lite Mode, which has just the essentials, gives them the opportunity to make every experience the right one for them.”
