News that
respects your time
BriefBref delivers the day's essential stories in 60 seconds. Bilingual. Ad-free. No algorithms — just clarity.
The Experience
Informed in sixty seconds
Swipe. Read. Done.
A clean vertical feed of 60-word summaries. Swipe through the day's news faster than scrolling social media. Tap any story for the full article.
Bilingual by Design
Switch between English and French with one tap. Every story is available in both languages. Built in Montreal, for all of Canada.
No Algorithms
We don't trap you in a bubble. Every reader sees the same core stories — curated by AI, refined by humans, never driven by outrage or engagement metrics.
Local First
Montreal, Quebec, and across Canada — the news that matters near you. Choose your province for relevant stories without losing the national picture.
Ad-Free. Always.
No banners. No sponsored content. No tracking. Your attention is the product we're protecting, not selling. $1.49/week — that's it.
AI That Respects You
Every summary links back to the original source. We aggregate, we don't steal. Transformative fair dealing under Canadian law — transparency is built in.
Why We Exist
Because the news
shouldn't feel like noise
We built BriefBref because staying informed shouldn't feel like a second job. The modern news cycle is designed to exhaust you — endless notifications, algorithmic rabbit holes, and headlines engineered for outrage.
We asked: what if the news respected your time? What if you could know what's happening in the world in sixty seconds, in your language, without anyone tracking what you read?
That's BriefBref. A quiet, thoughtful alternative. Built in Montreal. For Canadians who want to stay informed without the noise.
Try It
Tap to flip — just like the app
Swipe through headlines, tap to reveal the 60-word brief. Here's a taste.
60-Word Brief
Canada's inflation rate dipped to 2.7% in June, down from 2.9% in May, Statistics Canada reported Tuesday. The decline was driven by lower gasoline prices and slowing food costs. Economists say the data keeps the Bank of Canada on track for another rate cut in September.
Headline → Brief → Source
Every story follows a simple three-tap flow. See the headline, read the 60-word summary, and — if you want more — tap through to the original article. No endless scroll. No doomscrolling.
Get the App
Start your day with clarity
Available on Android. iOS coming soon.
Coming Soon
$1.49/week — early bird pricing
No ads. No tracking. Cancel anytime.