Are you looking for a way that you can watch true AM or FM radio without using up your data on the Galaxy Note 9? The good news is that most smartphones have an FM transmitter inside them, which allows you to pick up AM and FM radio signals. The bad news? Most carriers don’t enable this transmitter. Unfortunately, there’s no way that you yourself are able to enable that transmitter either, which means you’re stuck using streaming to access your local radio stations.
However, not all hope is lost! If you follow along below, we’ll show you two great apps for streaming content from your favorite local radio stations, as well as at least one way that you can stream AM/FM radio by using your headphones as a antenna! Here’s how.
TuneIn Radio
TuneIn Radio is one of the world’s most favorite ways to access local AM/FM radio stations. If you didn’t know, TuneIn is actually able to broadcast well over 100,000 radio stations across not only the Untied States, but other countries, too. Not only that, but there are plenty of on-demand programs and podcasts that you can listen to as well. TuneIn Radio is available on a multitude of platforms as well — you can easily go from your Galaxy Note 9 over to your tablet or your computer to continue listening to your favorite station.
One of the neat things about TuneIn Radio is the support it has for hands-free access. If you’re on the road or out on a jog, you can very easily just say “OK Google, listen to ESPN Radio” or “OK Google, listen to Nash FM.”
Suffice to say, you cannot go wrong with TuneIn Radio for all of your listening needs.
Download it now: Google Play
iHeartRadio
Our next favorite for listening to local radio stations is iHeartRadio. iHeartRadio is a great way to listen to all types of content — local radio stations, streaming music, podcasts, and even for listening to radio personalities. And the best part? iHeartRadio is completely free — you can download it right now on your Galaxy Note 9 and start listening to your favorite radio stations or music immediately after making an account.
The neat thing about iHeartRadio is the mixture of content. If you want to listen to Nash FM or WYCD (one of the biggest radio stations in Country Music), iHeartRadio has that functionality built right in — however, if you want to catch specific songs, such as No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande, you can do that, too. And like we mentioned, you can very easily listen to radio personalities with iHeartRadio as well, shows like The Dave Ramsey Show, Ken Coleman, Joe Rogan, and others are just a tap away.
But, if you want some extra functionality, iHeartRadio does have a subscription service where you have unlimited skips, replay capability, and the ability to save songs from the radio. There’s even offline listening available.
Download it now: Google Play
NextRadio
NextRadio might be last on our list, but it’s the closest you’re going to get to playing AM and FM radio without streaming or through a data connection. Again, the FM Receiver chip needs to be enabled for you to play music off of this. If it is, you can very easily download the app and listen to your favorite local AM/FM stations on your Galaxy Note 9 this way. It’ll even use your headphones as an antenna for a better signal.
However, if you don’t have that FM Receiver chip enabled, NextRadio can also stream content from your local AM/FM radio stations. You’ll be using up your data plan this way, but at least you’ll be able to hear your favorite stations.
One of the best aspects of NextRadio is that it streams efficiently when you are using a cellular connection — that means it isn’t going to eat through your data plan in just a couple hours of listening. Suffice to say, you won’t have to worry about going your limit and having additional gigabytes of data you have to purchase to get through the month!
Download it now: Google Play
Verdict
As you can see, unless you have the FM Receiver chip in your smartphone turned on, tuning into AM/FM radio by way of FM frequencies is nigh impossible. However, you can still listen to your favorite radio stations through streaming, even if it isn’t the most optimal situation. Do you have a way that you listen to FM radio on your smartphone? Let us know in the comments section below.