Before the smartphone cell phone with radio tuner  most cellphones came with a FM radio chip that allowed users to pick up local broadcasts through a spare wire in their headsets. It bit into the revenue from carriers, however, who often had the chip crippled or told manufacturers to stop including it in hardware altogether. The fact that streaming drains data three to five times more quickly than FM does has made it even more of a hassle to access free radio on smartphones.

Signal Strong: The Best Cell Phones with a Built-in Radio Tuner for On-the-Go Listening

Fortunately, there are several apps that can enable your phone’s FM chip to work again. One such app is NextRadio, which uses your device’s earbud or headset (or anything else that plugs in and has a wire) as an antenna. After confirming your phone has an activated FM chip, the app will scan for stations in your area and list them for you. You can also add specific stations as favorites.

Another app, Spirit FM, can use your Android’s existing receiver chips to tune to FM frequencies, but it’s only compatible with rooted phones running on AOSP firmware like CyanogenMod or stock Android. It costs $6.99 and offers a 30-day money back guarantee. Radio broadcasts are often the best source of information during disasters. Unlike cellular or Internet service, FM signals can travel long distances and penetrate through walls. They’re also still up when the power goes out, unlike a lot of other infrastructure that’s prone to going down during and after disasters.