Can I Listen to the Radio on My Phone? The Real Answer for 2026

You’re standing in a dead zone where the Wi-Fi is trash and your data plan is screaming for mercy. You just want to hear the local news or maybe a ballgame. You wonder, can I listen to the radio on my phone without burning through every gigabyte you own?

It’s a simple question with a surprisingly annoying answer.

Back in the day, every phone had a little FM chip. It was just there. Now? It’s complicated. Most modern flagship phones—think the latest iPhones or the newest Samsung Galaxy S-series—have physically removed the hardware or disabled the software needed to catch those invisible airwaves. But don't give up yet. Depending on what device is sitting in your pocket right now, you might actually have a portable transistor radio and not even know it.

The Secret FM Chip Hiding in Your Pocket

Here is the weird truth: many Android phones manufactured over the last few years actually have an FM radio chip built into the processor. Qualcomm, the company that makes the "brains" for a huge chunk of the world's smartphones, usually includes FM support in their Snapdragon chips.

So, why can’t you just open an app and listen?

Carrier politics. Honestly, it’s mostly about money. Years ago, groups like the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) lobbied hard to get phone makers to "light up the chip." They argued it was a matter of public safety. If the cell towers go down during a hurricane or an earthquake, the FM broadcast still works. It’s reliable. It’s free.

But wireless carriers like Verizon or AT&T didn't always love that idea. They’d much rather you stream high-definition audio through an app because that uses data. Data costs money. Money makes them happy. While the FCC has encouraged manufacturers to enable these chips, there is no federal law in the United States forcing them to do it.

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How to check if your Android is "Radio Ready"

If you have a mid-range Motorola, a Nokia, or an older Samsung (like the S7 or S8), you might be in luck. The easiest way to find out is to look for an app simply called "Radio" or "FM Radio" in your app drawer.

If it’s not there, go to the Google Play Store and download NextRadio. This is basically the industry-standard app for checking chip compatibility. If NextRadio opens and says your device is supported, you’ve hit the jackpot.

One huge catch: You almost always need wired headphones.

Why? Because the wire acts as the antenna. Without that copper cord plugged into the 3.5mm jack, the phone can’t "grab" the signal out of the air. This creates a massive problem for 2026 users who have gone entirely wireless with their earbuds. No jack, no antenna, no free radio.

What About iPhones?

If you’re an Apple user asking can I listen to the radio on my phone, the answer is a hard "No" regarding traditional FM waves.

Apple has never enabled FM chips in iPhones. In fact, starting with the iPhone 7, they moved away from the internal architecture that would even make it feasible. While some older teardowns suggested a chip existed, Apple officially stated that the iPhone 8 and later models don't even have the internal wiring or antennas required for FM reception.

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For iPhone owners, "radio" means one of two things:

1. Digital streaming via the internet.
2. Apple Music’s "Live" stations like Apple Music 1 (formerly Beats 1).

It’s not "true" radio in the sense of pulling a signal from a local tower. If you lose your 5G connection, the music stops.

The Streaming Workaround (And why it’s different)

Most people today "listen to the radio" through apps. This is technically "Internet Radio" or "Webcasting." It’s great because you can listen to a jazz station in Paris while sitting in a Starbucks in Topeka.

But it’s not free.

Even if the app is free, you are paying with your data. A standard 128kbps stream uses about 60MB per hour. If you listen to the radio all day at work on your data plan, you’re looking at nearly half a gigabyte daily. That adds up.

The Big Players in Streaming

• TuneIn Radio: This is the king of the hill. It carries over 100,000 real radio stations. If your local station exists, it’s probably on TuneIn.
• iHeartRadio: Owned by iHeartMedia, this app gives you access to all their branded stations (which is a lot of them in the US). It feels more like a polished Spotify-style interface.
• Audacy: This is where you go for specific sports talk and big-city news stations like WFAN or 1010 WINS.
• Direct Station Apps: Many local NPR affiliates or independent stations have their own dedicated apps. These are often better because they don't have the "middleman" ads that TuneIn sometimes inserts before the stream starts.

Why "True" FM Still Matters in 2026

We live in an era of hyper-connectivity, yet the grid is fragile.

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In 2023, during several major weather events in the Southern US, cellular networks became so congested that people couldn't load basic emergency websites. This is where the "Can I listen to the radio on my phone" question becomes a safety issue.

Traditional FM radio is a one-to-many broadcast. A single tower can reach millions of people without the "bottleneck" effect that happens when everyone tries to use the same cell tower at once. It’s also incredibly easy on your battery. Streaming audio requires your phone’s processor to work hard, downloading packets of data, decompressing them, and keeping the modem active. A dedicated FM chip uses a fraction of that power.

If your phone does have an FM chip, keep a cheap pair of wired earbuds in your glove box or emergency kit. They are your ticket to information when the internet goes dark.

Digital Radio and the Future of Mobile Audio

Beyond standard FM, there is also HD Radio. You’ve probably seen this in your car—it’s the "sub-channels" like 97.1-2 or 105.5-3. Unfortunately, HD Radio technology is almost non-existent in smartphones. The hardware required is bulkier and more power-hungry than standard FM.

Then there’s the global perspective. In parts of Europe and Asia, DAB+ (Digital Audio Broadcasting) is the standard. Some specialized phones in those markets actually come with DAB+ tuners. In the US, we skipped DAB+ in favor of HD Radio, which is largely why our phone-based radio options feel so stunted compared to some international models.

Real-World Troubleshooting: Why isn't it working?

Let’s say you have an Android phone, you have the NextRadio app, and you have wired headphones plugged in. It still won't play. Why?

• The "Stubborn Carrier" Issue: Even if the hardware is there, your carrier might have issued a software update that explicitly blocks the FM API. This is frustrating but common with some older "budget" phones from prepaid carriers.
• The Adapter Problem: If you’re using a USB-C to 3.5mm dongle, it might not work as an antenna. Not all dongles are created equal. You generally need a "passive" adapter that allows the phone's internal DAC to handle the signal, or a specific brand of headphones that the manufacturer designed to double as an antenna.
• Regional Restrictions: Some manufacturers disable FM in the US but enable it in Latin America or India for the exact same phone model.

Actionable Steps to Get Radio on Your Device

If you are determined to get local broadcasts on your phone, here is exactly what you should do right now:

1. Check for the "Radio" App: Swipe through your app drawer. Look for a literal icon of a radio. If it’s there, plug in any wired headphones and you’re good to go.
2. Download NextRadio (Android Only): This is the "truth teller." It will run a diagnostic and tell you if your hardware is capable. If it says "Digital Stream Only," your chip is either missing or permanently disabled.
3. Use the "Web-Only" workaround: If you don't have a chip, download TuneIn or Audacy. To save data, go into the app settings and lower the "Stream Quality" to 64kbps. It won't sound like a concert hall, but it will save your data plan.
4. Hardware Hack: If you absolutely must have off-grid radio and your phone doesn't support it, don't buy a new phone. Buy a portable Bluetooth FM transmitter/receiver or a tiny dedicated pocket radio. Some of these are the size of a credit card and can actually beam the radio signal to your phone via Bluetooth.
5. Check your Station's Website: Many local stations have a "Listen Live" button directly on their mobile site. This is often more reliable than a third-party app and doesn't require you to download anything extra.

Basically, the dream of "free" radio on a smartphone is slowly being killed by the push for digital subscriptions and data usage. If you have an iPhone, you’re stuck with streaming. If you have an Android, you have a 50/50 shot at using the actual FM airwaves. Either way, the music is out there—you just have to know which "door" to use to let it in.