Pocket, One of the Only Apps I Ever Liked, Is Shutting Down

Pocket, an app for saving and reading articles later, is shutting down on July 8, Mozilla announced today.Β
The company sent an email with the subject line βImportant Update: Pocket is Saying Goodbye,β around 2 p.m. EST and I immediately started wailing when I saw it.Β
βYouβll be able to keep using the app and browser extensions until then. However, starting May 22, 2025, you wonβt be able to download the apps or purchase a new Pocket Premium subscription,β the announcement says. Users can export saved articles until October 8, 2025, after which point all Pocket accounts and data will be permanently deleted.Β
The Mozilla-owned Pocket, formerly known as "Read It Later," launched in August 2007 as a Firefox browser extension that let users save articles to... well, read later. Mozilla acquired Pocket in 2017.Β
βPocket has helped millions save articles and discover stories worth reading. But the way people save and consume content on the web has evolved, so weβre channeling our resources into projects that better match browsing habits today,β Mozilla said in an announcement on Distilled, the companyβs blog. βDiscovery also continues to evolve; Pocket helped shape the curated content recommendations you already see in Firefox, and that experience will keep getting better. Meanwhile, new features like Tab Groups and enhanced bookmarks now provide built-in ways to manage reading lists easily.βΒ
In that announcement, it also said itβs sunsetting Fakespot, Mozillaβs failed attempt at consumer-level AI detection tools. The Distilled announcement post says the company made the choice to shut down these products because βitβs imperative we focus our efforts on Firefox and building new solutions that give you real choice, control and peace of mind online.β It also says the choice will allow Mozilla to βshape the next era of the internet β with tools like vertical tabs, smart search and more AI-powered features on the way.β Which is what everyone wants: more AI bloat in their browsers.Β
The βPocket Hitsβ newsletter will continue, the company says, under a new name starting June 17. βWeβre proud of what Pocket has made possible over the years β helping millions of people save and enjoy the webβs best content. Thank you for being part of that journey,β the company said.
As I said, Iβm upset! I use the Pocket Chrome extension almost daily, and itβs become a habitual click for articles I want to save to read later even though I fully know I never will. Before the subway had Wi-Fi, back when I commuted to work 45 minutes each way every day, I used Pocket to save articles offline and read outside of internet access. Anecdotally speaking, Pocket was a big traffic driver for bloggers: At all of the websites Iβve worked at, getting an article on Pocketβs curated homepage was a reliable boost in viewers.Β
404 Media contributing writer Matthew Gault suggests copy-pasting links to articles into a giant document to read later. Now that Pocket is no longer with us, I might have to start doing that.Β
Pocket and Mozilla did not immediately reply to a request for comment.Β