- Mozilla closes the popular Read-it-Later App Pocket
- There are several alternatives that you can use instead
- FAKESPOT online shopping extension is also closed
Mozilla closes the popular pocket app, which allows you to save articles from the Internet so you can read them later. The company also closes FaEspot, a browser expansion used to postpone fake product assessments to help you avoid being misled when shopping online.
Pocket allows you to save articles on the app that you can then read at another time. While many of the best browsers like Google Chrome have built -in book marking, the pocket is different as it adjusts the experience to make reading more fun. To this end, it adds its own formatting so that articles appear in a uniform, readable style, and it also allows you to add tags and highlights to better organization.
In a blog post, Mozilla said the move was made to help it focus on its Firefox web browser, adding that “the way people save and consumer content online has evolved, so we channel our resources for projects that better match browsing habits today.” The company has also sent a more detailed guide to its decision and explained what comes next on its website.
Pocket closes on July 8, 2025. From now on, new users can no longer download the app or buy new pocket premium subscriptions where current subscribers are refunded on a pro rata base. Existing pocket users will be able to export their saved articles until October 8, 2025, after which their data will be permanently deleted. Mozilla has published a guide to exporting pocket savings to help with the process.
As for the faplespot, its apps, site and extensions will become inaccessible on July 1, 2025. The review checker feature built into Firefox Web Browser will stop working on June 10, 2025.
Hardly missed
I have used pocket religiously for many years and the move to close it came as an unwelcome surprise. Since I found out the move, I’ve been looking for alternative apps that let me save articles and read through them at my spare time.
So far I have seen instapapers come highly recommended. It is designed to help you store articles from the web and show them in a single, easy to read format. It can even speak articles loudly so you can listen on the go.
Another alternative is Readwise Reader. Like Instapaps, it’s great for saving from the Internet, but it also works with RSS feeds, X threads, PDFs, newsletters, YouTube videos and more. There is integration with Readwise’s highlighting features plus a beautiful design that is light on the eye.
There is also Raindrop, as some of my Techradar colleagues wholeheartedly recommend. This is invoicing itself as a bookmark manager, so it helps to organize almost everything you find on the web, not just articles. It is built for teams and will automatically back up all files and web pages you are adding, ensuring that you can continue reading even if the original source is lost.
Despite being over these alternatives, I can’t say I’m not disappointed to lose my pocket. One of its best aspects was its proposed articles that helped me find an incredible series of fascinating stories that I had otherwise never discovered. When it goes, it will be missed hard.
