Firefox Maker Mozilla Discontinues Pocket and Fakespot to Focus on Browser

[frozencarbonite]

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.

I feel the same way. I used it for articles and interesting pages that I didn't think needed a browser bookmark for. I also loved that it had recommended other popular articles that other users had saved.

Why buy a company just to abandon it? And they only just bought it in 2017.

Suffice to say, I'm frustrated. Not sure what else I can switch to now and that's also free to use. Tired of companies shutting down totally useful apps like this and Google Reader.

 

[SeaFox]

By Mozilla "focusing on the browser" I hope they mean actually focusing on the application, and its rendering of websites, and not trying to add some AI feature BS to the browser while continuing to ignore long-standing bugs.

 

[Azzamaurice]

Literally the first thing I disable after installing Firefox!

 

[QuantumPulse]

I use Safari but I'm glad FFX is around.

 

[krspkbl]

Good. Focus on Firefox. We need it to stick around.

I hope they add Gemini/ChatGPT to the browser.

 

[dizmonk]

Checkout raindrop.io

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

I just did and exported my Pocket files. Seems to be working seemlessly. I'm gratefully relieved. Thanks.

 

[iObama]

Used Pocket back in the day, but have always disabled it on FF, which has been my main desktop browser the past couple years.

Not sad to see it go.

Hope FF can survive the Google antitrust suit. Multi-Account Containers are such a game changer.

 

[jpcyr]

Long life to Instapaper... The first and only... Still going strong and fully independent.

 

[McNoise]

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.

... and another useless comment has seen the light of day on the internet ... no, two (mine included).

 

[owidhh]

Good. Focus on Firefox. We need it to stick around.

I hope they add Gemini/ChatGPT to the browser.

They did a few months ago. On the sidebar there’s an AI thing that hooks into ChatGPt, Claude and some others… has right click integration too on webpages and an annoying sparkle icon when you select text (I think that icon can be disabled though).

 

[SomnambulantSurgeon]

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.

If they can't make it work, they should give it to me. 10 million users? Firefox is just another big predatory company.

 

[hagar]

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

Safari’s Reading List is a joke. It’s so poorly implemented it’s hardly usable for serious collections. And Apple hasn’t touched it in a decade.

 

[b0fh]

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 all sucked. I looked into them previously, because each new version of Pocket sucked more and more, never addressing the issues, and always chasing after up shiny UI, while working features stop working.

The Read aloud function (useful on long drives) used to work very well in version 3. Then broke in version 4. Then fixed in later versions of 4. Then broke in 5. Then fixed in later versions of 5. And repeat with each new version. Until now. Never worked in the current version. WTF?!

The Project Manager for it never used Pocket before in their life.

If they're going to kill the project, they should open source it. I want to be able to run my own pocket server, damnit.

 

[robvalentine]

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.

I find FF much more reliable, plus syncs on other platforms. Only reason I didn't use it when I was on iPhone is because apple intentionally cripples any non safari browsers (basically reskinned safaris).

I study at the open university and trying to login with safari is a nightmare, where as chrome and firefox (outside of iOs) just work.

 

[turbohatq]

I switched from Pocket to Goodlinks

 

[Volk.JP]

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.

Try Raindrop.io

 

[turbo79]

Try https://wallabag.it. It has iOS and Android clients, and is cost effective. If you're a power user then you could run your own server for free. Also offers Kobo downloading integration (with some effort).

They need to pay more attention to interface design, but it's the closest successor to Omnivore that I've come across. Even imports pages behind paywalls because it scrapes the page whilst you're on it -- that's one thing Pocket can't do.

 

[Populus]

It’s a pity, Pocket was nice and I liked it better than Instapaper…

At least I was able to jump ship few years ago, when I discovered GoodLinks, and I exported all what I had in Pocket, made a manual selection, and added the keepers manually to GoodLinks.

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.

Check out GoodLinks. It’s just $9,90 once, the Premium in-app purchase is completely optional and not necessary (just adds highlighting). It has a really nice UI, and it works great.

 

[arcite]

I’ve used Firefox since the beginning. Never used Pocket.

 

[TydalForce]

NOOOO I love Fakespot! I use it constantly!
I'd actually pay for it if there was a subscription option

 

[dannys1]

I LOVED the idea of Pocket but i'd NEVER actually go back and read the articles.

It sort of that had that perfect fake marketing image usage about it where someone sits down at a perfectly neat desk with a steaming hot cup of coffee and unlocks their iPad to read the saved articles.

In theory amazing - in reality, never did it once.

 

[FelixDerKater]

Who knew it existed?

 

[wanha]

Unfortunate but probably inevitable.

Being a browser company in 2025 is tough sledding, since they are generally a free, commoditized product with lots of alternatives.

The problem is monetization, which is why so many browsers are trying to offer VPNs and other services to generate recurring revenue

 

[th0masp]

Who knew it existed?

Those who install and set up Firefox? Hard to miss ... as one of the things to disable.


Looks like belt-tightening at Mozilla to me. They are being financed by Google to a large degree, isn't that right?
Anyway I'm using Waterfox on my Macs currently. Firefox is primary on the (Android) phone. That combination with NoScript, uBlock and cookie popup suppression addons is sublime. No ads, no enforced auto updates and no constant nagging - like software used to be.

Really wouldn't want to see Firefox fade away.

 

[azentropy]

I used to use FakeSpot quite a bit, but not as much lately. Still I will miss it.