Pandora overhauls mobile apps with personalized 'For You' feed

Starting today, Pandora users on iOS and Android are getting an updated version of the app that features the Pandora Modes station already offered on the service's desktop site, as well as a new 'For You' tab that features extremely personalized content based on the user's own streaming habits. The update builds upon the company's personalized nature, enabling users to discover new music and podcasts they're most likely to enjoy.

The new 'For You' tab is home to a content feed designed to update throughout the day, giving users personalized music and podcast recommendations tailored to the user's tastes, including what may be relevant for a particular day of the week and time of day. Users will find music mixed with Pandora Stories and SiriusXM talk show content, plus podcast episodes, a relatively new offering on the platform.

Pandora gathers a large amount of information on users, slowly forming an understanding about what any given user may like based on the content they listen to, the songs they thumb up and down, and more. Within 'For You,' users can browse recommended content broken down into user-specified categories, such as the music genre, podcasts, and playlists.

Beyond that, and as with a number of competing services, users can also select curated music playlists that are based on 'Moods & Activities,' giving them access to popular content that'll pair well with a morning jog or a rainy day.

As mentioned, the Pandora Modes feature already offered on the Web has arrived on mobile, too. With this, users can customize their stations, choosing to focus on things like new releases and hit tracks. Beyond that, users in search of new favorites can use 'Discovery' to get a serving of new artists related to the station.