What's new in FreeRadio: rankings, likes and filters

Over the last few weeks FreeRadio has received its biggest batch of improvements since launch. Here is a summary of what changed and how to make the most of each new feature.

Rankings on the home page

The home page now has four lists to help you discover what is going on:

• Most played: stations with the most clicks in the last 24 hours.
• Trending: the ones that grew the most over the last two days.
• Most liked: the community's all-time favorites.
• Playing now: stations someone has just tuned into.

If you use the app in Portuguese, the lists open with Brazil, and a switch lets you change to the World when you feel curious about something from abroad.

Liking a station

The player and each station page have a new like button. It records a public vote in the station database FreeRadio uses, Radio Browser, and helps the station climb the "most liked" ranking for everyone. It is different from the heart: favoriting saves the station only in your browser, while liking is a vote the community can see. One vote per station, and it cannot be undone.

Search filters

You can now refine your search. Combine several genres at once (a station must have all the ones you choose), pick the audio format (MP3, AAC, AAC+ or OGG) and set a minimum quality (64k, 128k or 192k). Filters work with or without text in the search box. Want only rock in good quality? Two taps.

More stations that play

Many large stations broadcast in a format called HLS, which not every browser understands on its own. FreeRadio can now play those stations in Chrome, Edge and Firefox. Some stations may still fail if their server blocks access, but the number of stations you can listen to has grown a lot.

A better phone player

We rethought the player for small screens: favorite, like and mute sit within reach on one row, and the play, previous and next controls sit right below. The play button no longer disappears while a station loads. The app is also designed to stay upright, like a pocket radio.

Favorites that stay current

Your favorites and history refresh themselves: if a station changed its name, logo or stream address, you do not lose it. Stations that are down show an OFFLINE badge, so you know the problem is not your device.

Privacy and security first

• Google Analytics only runs if you allow it. On your first visit a notice appears with Decline and Accept buttons of the same size, and you can change your mind at any time in Settings, Privacy.
• Before you choose, FreeRadio does not contact Google. Even the font is now served by the site itself.
• Your favorites, history, likes and language stay only in your browser.
• We added extra protections against malicious code injection and against the site being embedded in other sites.

What left: the News page

We removed the News page. It relied on third-party feeds that stopped updating without notice, and FreeRadio is, above all, a simple way to listen to radio. If you open the old address you are taken to the blog.

Install and listen

FreeRadio can be installed to your home screen as an app and opens even without internet (the interface loads, but you need a connection to listen to a station). Open Settings to see the install option on your device.

Have a suggestion, or found something that does not work? Tell us. Enjoy!