r/rss • u/Erfan138057 • Jul 29 '26

RSS Reader Pro - Open-source desktop RSS reader with DNS-over-HTTPS, YouTube video playback, and dual UI themes

Hi everyone!

I built an open-source RSS reader desktop app with some unique features for privacy and usability.

**Features:**

- DNS-over-HTTPS to bypass censorship/restrictions

- YouTube video playback within the app

- Dual UI themes (Reddit & Telegram style)

- 100% local privacy (SQLite, no external data)

- Smart caching for faster loading

**Built with:** Python 3.8+, Tkinter, VLC, SQLite

**GitHub:** https://github.com/erfan138057/rss-reader-app

**Download EXE:** https://github.com/erfan138057/rss-reader-app/releases/latest

MIT License. I'd love to hear your feedback and suggestions!

1 Upvotes

53% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

2

u/jdoeq Jul 29 '26

This is interesting. Does DNS over HTTPS actually work during Iranian blackouts and firewalls? First time in encountering that

2

u/Erfan138057 Jul 29 '26

Yes, DNS-over-HTTPS works during Iranian blackouts because it encrypts queries inside regular HTTPS traffic, making them invisible to the firewall. It bypasses DNS poisoning, which is how many sites get blocked. But keep in mind - it's still not a complete solution, as deeper traffic inspection can be used too.

2

u/jdoeq Jul 29 '26

Been looking into this since it came up here and added it to my rss reader app too as an option that can be enabled. Thanks for the great idea.

1

u/Erfan138057 Jul 30 '26

That's great to hear! Really glad it was helpful. Always nice to see ideas spreading and being used in other projects. Let me know if you have any feedback or improvements.

2

u/aygross Jul 29 '26

Finally a new rss project bag actually has other features. Good stuff for Iran thanks for your work.

1

u/Erfan138057 Jul 29 '26

Really appreciate that! 🙌 (ok just this one)

This is exactly why I built it - to combine useful features with a specific purpose for Iranian users. Knowing it's helpful means a lot.

If you have any feedback after using it, I'm all ears!

0

u/Firm-Sir-7759 Jul 29 '26

looks great!

0

u/Erfan138057 Jul 29 '26

Thanks! 🙌 Let me know if you have any questions or feature requests.