Best RSS Reader App

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johnjohn25

Member
Jun 7, 2010
32
3
Austin
I'm wondering what RSS reader/google reader type apps you guys are using?

I have gReader Pro, Reader HD, FeedR, and NewsRob Pro. I have already also used the default google reader app and Just Reader and a few others. I still haven't found a google reader app that looks and works great. The main issues I have with the listed reader apps are that most don't display images properly, as in 70% of the screen is for the feed but pictures from flickr rss feeds or tumblr only show up as a small box fitting 10% of the screen; tons of unused space. Would be nice for an RSS reader app that smartly adjusted pictures for optimal screen usage.

Wish they'd make Reeder for android, that rss app is nearly perfect.
 

bcvictory

Senior Member
Oct 6, 2011
566
482
Bendigo
Reader HD or the official Reader App for me. Maybe flip board when it gets optimized for tablets.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
 

E_man5112

Senior Member
Jul 13, 2010
649
34
What don't you like about JustReader? My go to tablet reader. Pictures show up pretty good, though not perfect. As for why an app doesn't do what you want it to do, trust me, it's a stupidly hard thing to do. You'd think it would be built in to android to make that an option, but by the time you are allowed to measure pixel size, all the automatic calls have passed. It takes some rewriting of how views measure themselves. I went through that with my Read It Later app I was working on before I canned it when Pocket came out.

For the apps that overcame that issue (JustReader being one of them) you then have the problem of online pictures being small. A 320x480 picture would be about 2.7" diagonally on a 7" 1280*800 screen. If you look at a feed like The Verge that uses large pictures, you will seem them fill edge to edge (on JustReader). However, other places use much smaller pictures. Then you have the problem that a lot of places send smaller pictures over RSS. For example, LifeHacker uses ~600x400 pictures on their website, but half that size on their RSS page. I will say I wish Just Reader handled images a little better in that it still centered the picture above the text (not hard to do, but I guess that was the devs design choice), but it scales pictures up to, but not past the devices native resolution, but it cannot magically make pictures higher res. None of these can. The alternative is super pixelated larger pictures.

*I don't mean to sound like a JustReader fanboy, it's simply the app I use and have experience with. I'm sure many of the other apps handle this the same way. I also feel that this is the most "Reeder" like app I've used. In fact, I prefer it due to the more customizable swipe gestures.
 
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ace7196

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What don't you like about Just Reader? My go to tablet reader. Pictures show up pretty good, though not perfect. As for why an app doesn't do what you want it to do, trust me, it's a stupidly hard thing to do. You'd think it would be built in to android to make that an option, but by the time you are allowed to measure pixel size, all the automatic calls have passed. It takes some rewriting of how views measure themselves. I went through that with my Read It Later app I was working on before I canned it when Pocket came out.

For the apps that overcame that issue (Just Reader being one of them) you then have the problem of online pictures being small. A 320x480 picture would be about 2.7" diagonally on a 7" 1280*800 screen. If you look at a feed like The Verge that uses large pictures, you will seem them fill edge to edge (on Just Reader). However, other places use much smaller pictures. Then you have the problem that a lot of places send smaller pictures over RSS. For example, LifeHacker uses ~600x400 pictures on their website, but half that size on their RSS page. I will say I wish Just Reader handled images a little better in that it still centered the picture above the text (not hard to do, but I guess that was the devs design choice), but it scales pictures up to, but not past the devices native resolution, but it cannot magically make pictures higher res. None of these can. The alternative is super pixelated larger pictures.

*I don't mean to sound like a Just Reader fanboy, it's simply the app I use and have experience with. I'm sure many of the other apps handle this the same way. I also feel that this is the most "Reeder" like app I've used. In fact, I prefer it due to the more customizable swipe gestures.

Is Just Reader and app, or do you mean Google Reader?

If you mean Google Reader, does it work with podcasts?
 

NZtechfreak

Senior Member
Sep 5, 2008
2,573
999
gReaderPro. Best RSS reader available for Android from the functionality point of view, if you subscribe to dozens of feeds like I do it is really the way to go. If your RSS needs are more casual stuff like Flipboard and Currents or Pulse may suffice (prettier to look at).
 
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jcjr81

Senior Member
Jan 7, 2010
146
7
Greader Pro. Its the best I've used. The layout is good, it's fast and it's reliable.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda premium
 

wugui

Senior Member
Apr 6, 2009
76
4
You guys not using google current? You could import your rss from your google reader directly in the apps itself, pretty awesome
 

johnjohn25

Member
Jun 7, 2010
32
3
Austin
What don't you like about JustReader? My go to tablet reader. Pictures show up pretty good, though not perfect. As for why an app doesn't do what you want it to do, trust me, it's a stupidly hard thing to do. You'd think it would be built in to android to make that an option, but by the time you are allowed to measure pixel size, all the automatic calls have passed. It takes some rewriting of how views measure themselves. I went through that with my Read It Later app I was working on before I canned it when Pocket came out.

For the apps that overcame that issue (JustReader being one of them) you then have the problem of online pictures being small. A 320x480 picture would be about 2.7" diagonally on a 7" 1280*800 screen. If you look at a feed like The Verge that uses large pictures, you will seem them fill edge to edge (on JustReader). However, other places use much smaller pictures. Then you have the problem that a lot of places send smaller pictures over RSS. For example, LifeHacker uses ~600x400 pictures on their website, but half that size on their RSS page. I will say I wish Just Reader handled images a little better in that it still centered the picture above the text (not hard to do, but I guess that was the devs design choice), but it scales pictures up to, but not past the devices native resolution, but it cannot magically make pictures higher res. None of these can. The alternative is super pixelated larger pictures.

*I don't mean to sound like a JustReader fanboy, it's simply the app I use and have experience with. I'm sure many of the other apps handle this the same way. I also feel that this is the most "Reeder" like app I've used. In fact, I prefer it due to the more customizable swipe gestures.

I just retried JustReader and you were right! So far on the Nexus 7 it seems to work the best for what I'm looking for. I spend way too much money on RSS apps lol, but thankfully I already owned JustReader from a few months ago. Thanks man.
 

bobsilver

Member
Jan 8, 2011
7
0
Try Freely. Great RSS app much like Flip board. I love it

Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app
 

guthrien

Senior Member
Feb 26, 2011
1,212
277
Reader HD isn't just a good rss app it's one of the better android apps I've used. Very slick and just loaded with features. I'm impressed and happy every time I use it.

Sent from my Nexus 7
 

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    What don't you like about JustReader? My go to tablet reader. Pictures show up pretty good, though not perfect. As for why an app doesn't do what you want it to do, trust me, it's a stupidly hard thing to do. You'd think it would be built in to android to make that an option, but by the time you are allowed to measure pixel size, all the automatic calls have passed. It takes some rewriting of how views measure themselves. I went through that with my Read It Later app I was working on before I canned it when Pocket came out.

    For the apps that overcame that issue (JustReader being one of them) you then have the problem of online pictures being small. A 320x480 picture would be about 2.7" diagonally on a 7" 1280*800 screen. If you look at a feed like The Verge that uses large pictures, you will seem them fill edge to edge (on JustReader). However, other places use much smaller pictures. Then you have the problem that a lot of places send smaller pictures over RSS. For example, LifeHacker uses ~600x400 pictures on their website, but half that size on their RSS page. I will say I wish Just Reader handled images a little better in that it still centered the picture above the text (not hard to do, but I guess that was the devs design choice), but it scales pictures up to, but not past the devices native resolution, but it cannot magically make pictures higher res. None of these can. The alternative is super pixelated larger pictures.

    *I don't mean to sound like a JustReader fanboy, it's simply the app I use and have experience with. I'm sure many of the other apps handle this the same way. I also feel that this is the most "Reeder" like app I've used. In fact, I prefer it due to the more customizable swipe gestures.
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    gReaderPro. Best RSS reader available for Android from the functionality point of view, if you subscribe to dozens of feeds like I do it is really the way to go. If your RSS needs are more casual stuff like Flipboard and Currents or Pulse may suffice (prettier to look at).
    1
    I use Feedly, works great on android and on desktop in Firefox or chrome

    Sent from my Galaxy Nexus
    1
    Use Taptu that can integrate with Google reader and social networks etc :)
    1
    ReaderHD. That's my favorite RSS reader app..

    Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium HD app