Firefox Maker Mozilla Discontinues Pocket and Fakespot to Focus on Browser

[MacRumors]

Mozilla today said that it is shutting down Pocket, the read-it-later service that allows users to save articles, videos, and webpages to view later. The company also plans to end work on Fakespot, a browser extension and website that analyzes the authenticity of online product reviews.

Pocket is a well-known service that streamlines articles, offering a distraction-free reading experience. It includes offline access, text-to-speech options, and tagging capabilities. Pocket has been integrated in Firefox since 2015, and Mozilla bought the service in 2017.

Fakespot is an online review checking website that Mozilla bought two years ago and integrated into Firefox, but Mozilla said Fakespot "didn't fit a model [it] could sustain."

Pocket is no longer available for download as of today, and there is no longer an option to purchase a Pocket Premium subscription. The Pocket shutdown will happen on July 8, 2025, and users will have until October 8, 2025 to export Pocket data before they are permanently deleted.

Pocket Premium monthly and annual subscriptions will be canceled automatically, and annual subscribers will receive refunds after July 8. Access to the Pocket API will end on October 8, and data will need to be exported before then.

Mozilla is shutting down the Fakespot extensions, mobile apps, and websites on July 1, 2025 and the Fakespot Review Checker in Firefox will shut down on June 10, 2025.

According to Mozilla, while Pocket is popular and has over 10 million users, "the way people save and consume content on the web has evolved." As a result, the company plans to focus time and resources on Firefox, and develop projects that better match current browsing habits.

Pocket users who are looking for an alternative have a number of options to consider, including Instapaper, Wallabag, and Raindrop.io.

Article Link: Firefox Maker Mozilla Discontinues Pocket and Fakespot to Focus on Browser

 

[Think|Different]

Damn. Haven't heard that app name in a LONG time.

 

[dizmonk]

Okay this sucks. I've got hundreds of news articles saved there. In all this obsession about big data, if an app has millions of users, why would they end it? This is annoying. I don't like instapaper and haven't used any of those other apps. I guess I'd better figure this out quickly.

 

[tennisproha]

This is why I dislike using 3rd party services for this sort of thing. Cancelled functionality with no recourse. Are they going to develop a tool for users to export to another service?

 

[McWetty]

Okay this sucks. I've got hundreds of news articles saved there. In all this obsession about big data, if an app has millions of users, why would they end it? This is annoying. I don't like instapaper and haven't used any of those other apps. I guess I'd better figure this out quickly.

Can you use something like Reeder or Safari’s Reading List?

 

[ToothBlueth]

This is why I dislike using 3rd party services for this sort of thing. Cancelled functionality with no recourse. Are they going to develop a tool for users to export to another service?

Already exists, I believe it is getpocket.com/export.

I find this one annoying as well (it integrates very well with Kobo ereaders), but most open source software has the option to export. Apple for example does not in many cases, e.g. in notes, podcasts.

 

[carniesandrubes]

Okay this sucks. I've got hundreds of news articles saved there. In all this obsession about big data, if an app has millions of users, why would they end it? This is annoying. I don't like instapaper and haven't used any of those other apps. I guess I'd better figure this out quickly.

They are probably worried about losing their $ from Google for being the default search engine and want to cut anything not related to the core browser.

 

[Reason077]

"Pocket is a well-known service that streamlines articles, offering a distraction-free reading experience."

I guess Pocket got obsoleted by AI-generated summaries in the LLM era?

 

[zachz]

I’ve used this for years on my Kobo, it was nice being able to instantly send longer articles directly to my Kobo to read later without needing to do anything. Sad this is going, hopefully there’s something else Kobo can implement without needing to jailbreak. Though I was surprised to see how off putting Pocket seemed to be for Firefox users based on Verge/Ars/Reddit comments haha

 

[KurtWilde]

I just hope people use Firefox

 

[coolfactor]

I just hope people use Firefox

Never heard of these services, and I only fire up Firefox maybe 2 or 3 times a year. Offers very little that I need over Safari.

 

[hieranonymous]

Pocket had been shedding features for a while. The writing was on the wall.

There’s a great app called Matter that I’ve been using over the past year that has all the features Pocket used to have—and it’ll import your Pocket library too.

 

[HiVolt]

Longtime FF user here, I've never used this feature.

 

[mansplains]

This is why I dislike using 3rd party services for this sort of thing. Cancelled functionality with no recourse.

Companies should have to open source and/or release a version capable of self hosting when they cancel on millions of users

 

[svish]

Have not used this. Occasionally use FireFox. Fakespot could have been continued.

 

[SoyMaxV]

Pocket had been shedding features for a while. The writing was on the wall.

There’s a great app called Matter that I’ve been using over the past year that has all the features Pocket used to have—and it’ll import your Pocket library too.

I truly appreciate your post, I'm a long term Pocket user and was going to need to find an alternative...this really helps! Thanks

 

[ZipZilla]

I still use Firefox. Great browser to use on older Mac hardware. Latest version still works on Catalina

 

[dizmonk]

Longtime FF user here, I've never used this feature.

I've used both for years. I only use Safari when I have to.

 

[Westside guy]

Longtime FF user here, I've never used this feature.

Disabling Pocket is always the #1 item on my list with a fresh Firefox install!

 

[Westside guy]

I still use Firefox. Great browser to use on older Mac hardware. Latest version still works on Catalina

I use (up-to-date) Firefox as my primary browser.

I also keep a 2015 version of Firefox available for those rare occasions when for some I need to access some old, non-upgradable hardware that has a web interface (I sometimes get surprised by what I run into in some of our research labs).

 

[russell_314]

I just hope people use Firefox

I was using it before all the privacy drama. I had to let it go.

Right now using Orion browser as a Firefox replacement. It’s Webkit like Safari so better than Google.

 

[MacHeritage]

Okay this sucks. I've got hundreds of news articles saved there. In all this obsession about big data, if an app has millions of users, why would they end it? This is annoying. I don't like instapaper and haven't used any of those other apps. I guess I'd better figure this out quickly.

Other then something like Safari's Reader List, I use SingleFile to download any story I want to read later. Totally offline with the full web site as seen saved. Saves me tons of time and can save a ton of pages in a short amount of time. I used to go through Reader -> Print -> Save as PDF and then have to name it on macOS 10.14 or later. On 10.13 it would automatically name the file with the title of the web site page.

SingleFile is so much faster and easier. It can be opened by any Browser and saved as PDF later on if so desired. Great for Archiving or reading later.

Edit: It is a Safari extension that you can find on the Mac App Store: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/singlefile-for-safari/id6444322545

 

[fraXis]

Okay this sucks. I've got hundreds of news articles saved there. In all this obsession about big data, if an app has millions of users, why would they end it? This is annoying. I don't like instapaper and haven't used any of those other apps. I guess I'd better figure this out quickly.

Checkout raindrop.io

I have been using it for years and it works great.

 

[yesiamroy]

I moved away from Pocket when Readwise Reader popped up on my radar. I'm feeding everything I want to read and/or want to save for later in there now. It even takes newsletters directly via a custom email address.

 

[Bustycat]

Although I like Firefox, Mozilla Foundation hasn't done anything really good at all for many years.