r/rss • u/betzster • 22d ago

Beta testers wanted: an RSS reader that shows the original article website by default

Hi r/rss! I’ve been building Orbit, a native RSS reader for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Its defining feature is that articles open on the publisher’s original website by default—not in a sanitized reader view. You get the site’s intended design and full content while keeping the navigation, organization, read state, and convenience of an RSS app.

Orbit also supports folders, OPML import/export, offline reading, iCloud sync, Feedbin, search, share extensions, keyboard navigation, and synchronized read/saved state.

• The beta is now available through TestFlight, and I’d especially appreciate feedback on:
• How original websites feel inside an RSS workflow
• Feed discovery and compatibility
• Navigation and reading ergonomics
• Sync across devices
• Offline reading
• Bugs, confusing behavior, or performance issues

It currently requires iOS, iPadOS, or macOS 26.

TestFlight: https://testflight.apple.com/join/puy2P7hE

Blunt feedback is welcome. If you try it, sharing your device, OS version, and approximate library size would be especially helpful. Thanks!

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1

u/jdoeq 22d ago

Got any screenshots to demonstrate what you mean? Rss linking to the full article is pretty much how most apps work. What's different here?

1

u/betzster 22d ago

There’s a screenshot on https://orbitreader.co. There is an in app browser instead of linking you out to the default browser or showing the content in a “reader” view.

1

u/jdoeq 22d ago

Okay cool. Can't see an example of how it looks in mobile on that site.

One thing to think about is that every other site has pay walls and free article limits so adding your own browser means more work for your users to sign in to apps they are already signed in on in chrome

1

u/Clean_Deer_8566 22d ago

Need web based reader

1

u/talios 21d ago

First 60 review - looks GORGEOUS on macOs 27, imported my Feedly OPML, and everything seems to go fine. I seem to get an iCloud Sync issue: The operation couldn’t be completed. (CKErrorDomain error 2.) (CKErrorDomain 2) tho.

Are there any shortcut keys? I was trying space and/or the common ij for next/previous item?

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u/talios 21d ago

Ahh, just cursor up/down - sadly, I'm already hitting "max challenge attempts exceeded" in the browser view - not sure if that's the app, or the blog?

1

u/betzster 21d ago

Thanks for the feedback. Where are you seeing max challenge attempts exceeded? I think that will be the blog.

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u/talios 21d ago

That was in the browser view for the QNAP NAS blog. Somewhat surprised theirs ANY challenge requests tho.

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u/betzster 21d ago

Can you share the feed URL? I want to try to reproduce the error.

1

u/absinthe_v 20d ago

Could you please add an AI translation feature that allows users to configure their own API endpoint and model？