Mixtapes forever changed how we listen to music. What if news got the same treatment? Enter “Your News Update,” a new way to listen to Vox on Google smart speakers and Assistant-enabled devices.

You’ll hear quick daily updates from your favorite Vox podcasts, like Today, Explained, plus new original content from our Politics and Policy, Culture, The Goods, Recode, and tech teams.

Here’s how it works: The Your News Update algorithm curates a selection of audio stories tailored to you. What you hear each day is ultimately determined by where you live, what you like, what you need to know that day, and the preferred sources you define in the Google Assistant app. By selecting Vox as a preferred news source, the Assistant will regularly surface stories from Vox in your update.

Your News Update is available on all Assistant-enabled devices, including smart speakers, phones, and tablets. Follow the steps below to select Vox as a preferred news source. To get the playlist, ask your Assistant to “Play Your News Update” or “Play Google News.” You can also find and hear all episodes in Vox Quick Hits.

How to make Vox a preferred news source

Download either the Google Assistant (free on Android or Apple) or the Google Home app (free on Android or Apple) on your phone or tablet.

For Google Assistant, open the app and tap the icon in the top right corner. Scroll down and select News. Make sure your News playlist format is set to Your News Update. Then search for Vox in the list of sources and tap the star so it turns blue.

How to set Vox as a preferred source on the Google Assistant app. Taylor Maycan/Vox

For Google Home, open the app and tap the icon in the top right corner. Scroll down and select Assistant Settings > News. Make sure your News playlist format is set to Your News Update. Then search for Vox in the list of sources and tap the star so it turns blue.

How to set Vox as a preferred source for Your News Update on the Google Home app. Taylor Maycan/Vox

Once you complete these steps, you’re ready to listen.

Start by telling your Google smart speaker, “Okay, Google, play Google News.” Move through your news feed by asking to “skip” or “play the next story” (but don’t forget to say “Okay, Google” first).

Tip: Shorter stories tend to play first; longer stories come later.

Prefer to listen on a phone or tablet? Open the Google Assistant or the Google Home app, then tap the microphone icon to ask for Your News Update. You can also tap the keyboard icon to type the request.

How to listen to Your News Update on mobile on the Google Assistant app. Taylor Maycan/Vox

You can read more about Your News Update and learn more about how to listen to podcasts and news through the Google Assistant. And, of course, you can listen to Vox’s full slate of podcasts any time on your favorite device.


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