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On Not Being the Free Alternative
NetNewsWire is free and open source, but it’s not the free alternative to apps such as Reeder and Unread.
In other words, it’s not the job of NetNewsWire to implement every feature of for-pay RSS readers just so that there’s a free version of those features. The opposite is true — if a feature exists in another RSS reader, that’s a pretty good reason not to do that feature.
We realize that free and open source apps often do have the mission of mimicking the features of some one or several commercial apps, as if they’re Prometheus bringing features to the common computer user — but that is not our mission.
Our mission is to make the best RSS reader that we like making. We value stability, high performance, clarity, and lots of figurative air and space rather than a mélange of features.
It’s free because we want to make sure a great, free RSS reader is available to everyone with a Mac, iPhone, or iPad.
But sometimes — often, even — we’re not going to do a feature that you liked in another app. We’re picky and careful about adding features.
And we’re glad those other apps exists — because, among other things, it means those features have already been done and we don’t have to do them!
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TestFlight Reminder
Reminder — we post TestFlight betas for NetNewsWire for iOS. You can sign up here.
Our current TestFlight build fixes — we think and hope — a crash on launch that can happen on iPads in landscape orientation.
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NetNewsWire 6.0.1 for iOS
NetNewsWire 6.0.1 for iOS is now available on the App Store.
Changes since 6.0
- Fixed bug where BazQux-synced feeds might stop updating
- Fixed bug where words prepended with $ wouldn’t appear in Twitter feeds
- Fixed bug where newlines would be just a space in Twitter feeds
- Fixed a crashing bug in Twitter rendering
- Fixed bug where hitting b key to open in browser wouldn’t always work
- Fixed a crashing bug due to running code off the main thread that needed to be on the main thread
- Fixed bug where article unread indicator could have wrong alpha in specific circumstances
- Fixed bug using right arrow key to move focus to Article view
- Fixed bug where long press could trigger a crash
- Fixed bug where external URLs in Feedbin feeds might be lost
- Fixed bug where favicons wouldn’t be found when a home page URL has non-ASCII characters
- Fixed bug where iCloud syncing could stop prematurely when the sync database has records not in the local database
- Fixed bug where creating a new folder in iCloud and moving feeds to it wouldn’t sync correctly
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NetNewsWire 6.0.3 for Mac
Check for updates or download the latest. 🐣
Changes since 6.0.2
- Feedly: preserve custom feed names with Feedly when moving them between folders
- Fixed bug where external URLs in Feedbin feeds might be lost
- Feedly: handle API change with deleting and don’t show a spurious error
- NewsBlur: don’t fetch articles marked hidden by NewsBlur
- FreshRSS: add API endpoint URL example in setup form
- iCloud: fixed bug not retaining feeds in a folder where the folder hasn’t been synced yet
- Fixed bug where iCloud syncing could stop prematurely when the sync database has records not in the local database
- Preferences: use full-width row style in accounts and extensions panes
- Fixed a crashing bug triggered by running some UI code outside of main thread
- Fixed a crashing bug that could happen when the app tries to find a feed for a website
- Fixed a crashing bug that could happen when rendering tweets
- Twitter extension: fixed weird bug where an extra https:/ could appear in tweet text
- Changed how images are placed in Twitter articles so that you can better see who Tweeted the image
- Fixed bug where words prepended with $ wouldn’t appear in Twitter feeds
- Fixed bug where newlines would be just a space in Twitter feeds
- Fixed bug where BazQux-synced feeds might stop updating
- Fixed bug where favicons wouldn’t be found when a home page URL has non-ASCII characters
- Feeds list: smart feeds remain visible despite Hide Read Feeds setting
- Keyboard shortcuts: fixed regression where L key wouldn’t go to next unread when feed is all read
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NetNewsWire 6 for iOS: iCloud Sync, Widgets, and More
NetNewsWire 6 for iOS is now available on the App Store!
This release brings new features — iCloud sync; sync with BazQux, Inoreader, NewsBlur, The Old Reader, and FreshRSS; home screen widgets; special support for Twitter and Reddit feeds; and more.
And it fixes bugs — and it’s faster. (We love apps that go fast!)
It’s free. It’s open source. We hope you love it! 🎉
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NetNewsWire 6.0.2 for Mac: Fixes L Key, Calls Inoreader Less Often
The latest release fixes a regression with the L shortcut, and it calls Inoreader way less often (so we don’t go over the API rate limits). 🎩
Check for updates or download the latest.
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How to Help Test NetNewsWire 6 for iOS Via TestFlight
If you’d like to help test NetNewsWire, you can! You’ll need to sign up for TestFlight — please see our page on testing.
If you had already signed up for NetNewsWire 5 testing, you’ll need to sign up again. We were getting close to the maximum number of testers, so we figured the fair thing was to remove that group and start fresh.
Please also note that this really is a test version. We know it has bugs. For instance, we’ve already found that adding the Twitter extension may not work for everyone. We’re sure there are other bugs, too — they could even be crashing bugs or data loss bugs.
PS Don’t bother reporting the Twitter bug! But please do report other bugs. :)
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TestFlight Build Waiting for Review
NetNewsWire 6 for iOS is waiting for review — once it gets through, then we’ll start TestFlight builds. There will be a new public link to sign up, and we’ll announce it here.
(If you signed up via the public link for NetNewsWire 5, you’ll need to do it again. We were too close to filling up all our slots, and it seemed like the fair thing was to start fresh.)
Anyway… review will take some time, and it’s always possible there could be an issue. But, if no issue, then a TestFlight build seems likely in a few days. 🐣🐥🕶
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NetNewsWire 6.0.1 for Mac
Check for updates or download the latest build.
Changes since 6.0:
- Twitter: fixed a date parsing bug that could affect people in some locales, which would prevent Twitter feeds from working for them
- Preferences: adjusted layout of the add account sheet so that it fits on smaller monitors
- Feeds list: properly scale the smart feed icons when sidebar is set to large size in System Preferences
- Feeds list: fixed bug where newly added feed would be called Untitled past the time when the app actually knows its name
- Timeline: fixed bug where next-unread command wouldn’t wrap around when you got to the bottom of the Feeds list
- Timeline: fixed bug updating article display when an article with the same article ID appears more than once (which can happen when a person has multiple accounts)
- iCloud: won’t add feeds that aren’t parseable, which fixes an error upon trying to rename one of these feeds
- Feedbin: fixed a bug with read/unread status syncing
Note about iOS
Yes, we’re working on the iOS app. We wanted to get these quick-but-important fixes out right away, though.
We’ll announce a TestFlight beta for iOS on this blog once it’s ready.
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NetNewsWire 6.0.1b2 for Mac
Check for updates (be sure your prefs are set for test builds). Or download the latest build.
Changes since 6.0.1b1:
- Twitter: fixed a date parsing bug that could affect people in some locales, which would prevent Twitter feeds from working for them
- Feeds list: fixed bug where newly added feed would be called Untitled past the time when the app actually knows its name
- Fixed bug where next-unread command wouldn’t wrap around when you got to the bottom of the Feeds list
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NetNewsWire 6.0.1b1 for Mac
Check for updates (be sure your prefs are set for test builds). Or download the latest build.
Changes since 6.0:
- Timeline: fix bug updating article display when an article with the same article ID appears more than once (which can happen when a person has multiple accounts)
- iCloud: won’t add feeds that aren’t parseable, which fixes an error upon trying to rename one of these feeds
- Feedbin: fixed a bug with read/unread status syncing
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Feedly Currently Down for Maintenance
FYI: Feedly is currently undergoing maintenance. If you see a Feedly-related error in NetNewsWire, it’s because of that.
See status.feedly.com and @feedly on Twitter for more info and updates.
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NetNewsWire 6.0 for Mac
NetNewsWire 6.0 for Mac is a big release with a bunch of new features. You can download it here — or Check for Updates if you’re already a NetNewsWire user.
Changes since 5.1.3:
- Big Sur app icon
- Big Sur UI (when running on Big Sur)
- App is now sandboxed
- Apple Silicon native code
- Syncing via iCloud
- Syncing via BazQux, Inoreader, NewsBlur, The Old Reader, and FreshRSS
- Share extension, so you can send URLs to NetNewsWire
- Special support for Twitter and Reddit feeds
- Sidebar contextual menu commands for turning on and off Reader View and for notifications
- High resolution icons in the sidebar (when available)
- External link, when available, shows in article view
- Preference to change article text size
- Preference to set preferred browser
NetNewsWire requires macOS 10.15 or newer. Runs great on Catalina; runs great on Big Sur.
What about iOS?
NetNewsWire 6 for iOS will have all the applicable features from above. Next on our to-do list is TestFlight betas — we’ll make an announcement on this blog once we’ve got this going.
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NetNewsWire 6.0b5 for Mac
This is a final candidate build — yes, a second one. We’re hoping not to make any more code changes before shipping NetNewsWire 6.0 for Mac.
If you’re already running a 6.0 test build, you can check for updates (be sure your prefs are set for test builds). Or you can download the latest build.
Changes since 6.0b4:
- Fixed a bug where sometimes the app wouldn’t automatically refresh after the Mac wakes from sleep
- Updated the Help book link to the 6.0 Mac help book website
- App now displays a helpful error message if you don’t have iCloud Drive enabled and were able to successfully add an iCloud Account
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NetNewsWire 6.0b4 for Mac
This is a final candidate build. We’re hoping not to make any more code changes before shipping NetNewsWire 6.0 for Mac.
After we ship the Mac version, we will be working on iOS, and we’ll start TestFlight builds as soon as we can.
If you’re already running a 6.0 test build, you can check for updates (be sure your prefs are set for test builds). Or you can download the latest build.
Changes since 6.0b3:
- Feedly: Deleting a feed successfully no longer shows an alert and leaves the feed in the sidebar
- iCloud sync: fixed a bug where, in some circumstances, dragging a feed from elsewhere in the sidebar to the iCloud account could trigger the feed-finder
- NetNewsWire will now refresh on launch if you have the Debug menu enabled
- Article view: footnotes should now work with articles from a Feedly account
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NetNewsWire 6.0b3 for Mac
If you’re already running a 6.0 test build, you can check for updates (be sure your prefs are set for test builds). Or you can download the latest build.
Changes since 6.0b2:
- Article view: fixed bug where URL status field might not disappear when switching articles
- iCloud sync: dragging feeds from elsewhere in the sidebar to the iCloud account won’t trigger the feed-finding process since this is a better experience for migrating
- Syncing: fixed a bug authenticating with some sync services when the user has some special characters in their password
- Preferences: removed checkbox for showing unread count in the Dock — control this instead via System Preferences > Notifications > NetNewsWire > Badge app icon
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Twitter Search Feeds
On his blog, Brent writes about the new-in-NetNewsWire-6 feature Twitter search feeds.
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NetNewsWire 6.0b2 for Mac
If you’re already running a 6.0 test build, you can check for updates (be sure your prefs are set for test builds). Or you can download the latest build.
Changes since 6.0b1:
- Feeds list: when dragging feeds/folders from one account to another, the operation is now always copy, to avoid data loss due to misunderstanding that moving a feed between accounts does not move its read/starred statuses
- iCloud sync: refined logic to improve performance of large uploads
- Fixed a crashing bug that could happen when deleting an iCloud-synced folder
- Fixed a crashing bug, triggered by bad server data, that could happen when validating credentials with syncing systems that use the Reader API
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NetNewsWire 6.0b1 for Mac
This is the first beta release of NetNewsWire 6! We believe the app is freakishly stable, and we’ve fixed a bunch of bugs since the earliest test builds.
It’s still a test build, though, and you should use your best judgment as to whether or not to run it.
If you’re already running a 6.0 test build, you can check for updates (be sure your prefs are set for test builds). Or you can download the latest build.
Important note: we don’t have test builds for NetNewsWire 6 for iOS yet. We’ll probably ship NetNewsWire for Mac first, and then start testing on iOS. (We realize this isn’t ideal, but it’s easier to manage. The quality of the apps is more important than the timing.)
Changes since 6.0a6:
- Article view: fixed several layout edge cases, including with fullscreen
- Timeline: fixed a bug scrolling up via arrow key where a row might not be fully visible when it should be
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NetNewsWire 6.0a6 for Mac
If you’re running a 6.0 test build, you can check for updates (be sure your prefs are set for test builds). Or you can download the latest build.
Changes since 6.0a5:
- Article view: make code and preformatted fonts and sizes follow Apple’s precedents more closely
- Article view: removed a stray line next to the timeline/article separator
- Debug menu: add Force Crash command (beware: works in production)
- Debug menu: allow Test Crash Log Sender to work in production
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NetNewsWire 6.0a5 for Mac
If you’re running a 6.0 test build, you can check for updates (be sure your prefs are set for test builds). Or you can download the latest build.
Changes since 6.0a4:
- Performance boost: use compression with content synced in CloudKit
- Fixed bug where detail view title bar could be overlapped by toolbar when in full screen
- Fixed bug where add-feed window could block when syncing CloudKit statuses
- Added hidden pref to mark all as read in a feed when double-clicking on it in the sidebar and opening its home page (
defaults write com.ranchero.NetNewsWire-Evergreen GruberFeedDoubleClickMarkAsRead -bool true) - Switched the crash log catcher URL to our brand-new crash log catcher server
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NetNewsWire 6.0a4 for Mac
If you’re running a 6.0 test build, you can check for updates (be sure your prefs are set for test builds). Or you can download the latest build.
Changes since 6.0a3:
- Fix a bug with keyboard shortcuts on Big Sur (for real this time)
- Change drag-and-drop behavior to default to copy when dragging between accounts
- Show a single error message when dragging feeds into an account and some of the feeds can’t be found
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NetNewsWire 6.0a3 for Mac
If you’re running a 6.0 test build, you can check for updates (be sure your prefs are set for test builds). Or you can download the latest build.
Changes since 6.0a2:
- Use the new URL for the crash report catcher (so that we actually get crash logs again)
- Update other URLs to point to netnewswire.com when correct
- Fix a bug with keyboard shortcuts on Big Sur
- Show folders more quickly in the iCloud account when dragging a folder into that account
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NetNewsWire 6.0a2 for Mac
If you’re running a 6.0 test build, you can check for updates (be sure your prefs are set for test builds). Or you can download the latest build.
Changes since 6.0a1:
- Fix regression in Preferences toolbar (placement of icons was wrong on Big Sur)
- Fix regression in Twitter support (it wasn’t working)
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NetNewsWire 6.0a1 for Mac
If you’re running a 6.0 test build, you can check for updates (be sure your prefs are set for test builds). Or you can download the latest build.
Changes since 6.0d5:
- Feeds list: added contextual menu items for always showing reader view and for notifications
- Feeds list: now respects the size chosen in System Preferences > General > Sidebar icon size
- iCloud syncing: don’t inadvertently clear progress indicator when copying a folder and an error was encountered
- Notifications: don’t open app when closing a notification
Note about iOS: we’re getting closer to a TestFlight build. We’ll announce it on this blog once it’s ready.
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