Instapaper Updated for iOS 8 With Enhanced Saving Features, Now Free to Download

Popular read-it-later app Instapaper today received a significant update for iOS 8, bringing a redesigned user interface, enhanced saving capabilities, and deeper integration with notifications. The app is also now available for free, as users also have the option to pay for premium features.

instapaper_ios8

Users can now save content to Instapaper from any application that supports iOS' built-in share functionality by way of a new app extension. The app also includes text-to-speech functionality, and curates saved articles in iOS 8's Notification Center on a daily basis. A $2.99 per month or $29.99 per year subscription to Instapaper Premium unlocks a number of other features, including full-text search, unlimited highlighting in articles, and text-to-speech playlists.

Instapaper is a free app for iOS devices and can be downloaded from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

(View all)

blairwillis

64 months ago

So those of us that paid for the app before won't have access to the paid features now without paying more?

No thanks. I'll stick with Safari reading list. There are an increasing number of what I'd consider $3-5 apps getting into this subscription model and I just don't see $30 a year being worth it. Hopefully effective competition will balance the playing field.

Currently paying subscription fees on Simplenote and Wunderlist, but about to cut one or both of them, too.

Rating: 5 Votes

Rigby

64 months ago

Anyways, on topic: Is Instapaper relevant in times of Pocket and Reading List and also Reader mode in Safari?

Pocket is quite similar to Instapaper, but the latter has IMO the better reading options (font selection and themes). But this is largely a matter of taste.

Reading List has one big flaw in my experience that makes it pretty much unusable for me: Saving the page for offline reading is not reliable. I have often tried to save some pages to the Reading List to read offline on a long flight, only to be told "Safari cannot open the page" as soon as I actually tried to read it offline.

Rating: 5 Votes

Glassed Silver

64 months ago

Weird to live in times when the first thing you think of a free app is:
Okay, which horrible business model ruins this otherwise potentially decent app?

Anyways, on topic: Is Instapaper relevant in times of Pocket and Reading List and also Reader mode in Safari?
I'm genuinely interested, since I think I might be missing something big here.

Glassed Silver:mac

Rating: 5 Votes

Frosties

64 months ago

If you don't have time to read an article you really need to organise your life better. Another fine example of laziness and stupidity and people pay for it - what fools.

Eh, on a plane, being in an area with spotty 4g etc etc. Start to think and stop being lazy.

Rating: 5 Votes

lincolntran

64 months ago

I just hate software that force users in to subscription. Sometimes it legitimate but most of the time it's a cheap shot of squeezing money from your own users who supported you in the first place.

Rating: 5 Votes

nutmac

64 months ago

I would like to support the developers, but $29.99/year? That's too rich for my blood. Oh well, I guess I will just become a free user and pay them nothing.

----------

Too bad it's not optimized for the new iPhones.

The app is optimized for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

Rating: 3 Votes

WilliamLondon

64 months ago

If you don't have time to read an article you really need to organise your life better. Another fine example of laziness and stupidity and people pay for it - what fools.

What a wonderful gem of judgment.

Rating: 3 Votes

ArmCortexA8

64 months ago

If you don't have time to read an article you really need to organise your life better. Another fine example of laziness and stupidity and people pay for it - what fools.

Rating: 2 Votes

marmiteturkey

64 months ago

If you don't have time to read an article you really need to organise your life better. Another fine example of laziness and stupidity and people pay for it - what fools.

You're a very special kind of stupid.

Rating: 1 Votes

octothorpe8

64 months ago

With desktop browsing rapidly going away

Really? Because I'm in front of a computer at work for 8 hours a day most days, and I suspect a huge number of people also are. That just sounds like hyperbole to me.

----------

I don't fully comprehend the point to this app... is it like an RSS feed? Maybe it just doesn't fit my lifestyle. I tend to read the entire article right then and there and if I didn't finish it it's because I didn't care enough to. I tried Pocket and other apps that do similar things and I just don't get the point of it.

Have you ever come across an article on your computer and wanted to save it to read it on your phone/tablet/other computer later? Have you ever wanted to read some stories/articles/whatever on your phone on a plane or anywhere you don't have internet access? Those are a couple pretty common use cases.

Rating: 1 Votes

[ Read All Comments ]