In the next few weeks, Betaworks (the company that now owns Instapaper as well as Digg), will also unleash revamped mobile apps, improved browser extensions and a handful of new features.
At a Glance
Expert’s Rating
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- Instapaper syncs the articles and videos you save so that they’re waiting for you on all your devices - iPhone, iPad, Android, or Kindle.You can read anything you save, anywhere and anytime you want, even offline!
Cons
Our Verdict
Most Mac Gems are programs you run on your Mac, but some Web-based services are so useful that they warrant similar recognition. Today’s Gem, Instapaper, definitely falls into that category.
If you haven’t heard of Instapaper, developer Marco Ament calls it “a simple tool to save Web pages for reading later.” But that’s a serious underselling of the service. Yes, Instapaper can save a Web article for later reading, which is especially useful when you come across an interesting article that you don’t have time to read immediately, or that’s too long to read comfortably on your iPhone, or that you just want to keep around for reference. But the way Instapaper performs this task, and the options it provides for reading, managing, and sharing saved articles, make it indispensable for heavy Web surfers.
You set up Instapaper by going to the Instapaper Website and setting up an account; then you drag Instapaper’s special Read Later bookmark—actually a JavaScript bookmarklet—to your browser’s bookmarks bar; the developer recommends Safari, Firefox, or Chrome. (There are separate instructions for Mobile Safari, or you can simply sync your Safari bookmarks from your Mac to your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad.) From then on, whenever you want to save an article for later reading, you just click the Read Later bookmarklet; the article is saved to your Instapaper account.
(As an aside, if you’ve been using Instapaper for a while, be sure to update your Read Later bookmark to the latest version; the bookmark’s JavaScript code is periodically updated, and the current version offers a number of improvements over older versions. For example, it even works within the Google Reader online RSS reader, correctly parsing the specific article you’ve selected and saving it to Instapaper.)
When you want to read your saved articles, point your browser at the Instapaper site; they’re all waiting patiently. You can click an article title to read the article on its original site, but where Instapaper really shines is in its own presentation of articles: Click the Text button next to an article and you can read the article reformatted for easier reading—sans ads, annoying Flash, and other distracting clutter. This sparse view is especially useful on devices with smaller screens—a laptop, a netbook, or one of Apple’smobiledevices. (Via your Instapaper settings, you can choose either of two text parsers; one strips all images but leaves more text; the other cuts extraneous text more aggressively, but includes some images.)
When you’re done reading an article, you can delete it, move it to a general Archive folder for later access, or file it into other folders you’ve created. You can also “star” your favorite articles: Other people can browse your starred items by adding them as a folder in their own account or subscribing to your starred-items RSS feed; you can similarly add or subscribe to other users’ starred items. This feature is a great way for you and your friends to share “I really liked this” articles with each other. (The main Instapaper Web page also lists Editor’s Picks and a few of the articles most-read by users.)
Extra features include a bookmarklet (similar to Readability) that immediately converts the current Web page to Instapaper’s text view for easier reading; a “Mobilizer,” designed for mobile-phone browsers, that lets you browse any Website in Instapaper’s text view; and an account-specific email address that lets you add any e-mail message—for example, a lengthy e-mail newsletter—to Instapaper by simply forwarding the message. You can also download your Instapaper archive in ePub format or convert it to a Web page optimized for printing, and you can even configure Instapaper to automatically send recently saved articles to your Kindle.
If you’ve got an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, the developer also provides outstanding apps—Instapaper Free and Instapaper Pro—that let you download and read your Instapaper-saved articles using an interface optimized specifically for each device’s screen. Instapaper Pro is one of the most-used apps on my iPhone and iPad.
Finally, the developer has created an API that lets other software developers include Instapaper support in their own software. For example, NetNewsWire for Mac, as well as many iPhone and iPad Twitter clients and RSS readers, include an option to send a link or Web page to Instapaper.
Because Instapaper gets the text of articles directly from their original Web pages, the service does have some limitations. Some Web pages that require a user account for access can’t be saved to Instapaper, and sites that block Web crawlers can interfere with Instapaper. Also, Instapaper grabs the specific page you’re viewing; for multi-page articles, that means only the current page is saved. If you want to save a multi-page Web article to Instapaper, look for a Print or Single Page button that displays the entire article on one page, then use your Read Later bookmarklet on that page.
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Below are some of the most frequently asked questions about Instapaper. You can also email support@help.instapaper.com & tweet at @InstapaperHelp with ideas, feedback, and questions not covered here. We always love to hear from you.
What does Instapaper do?
Instapaper turns web content – articles, stories, posts, videos, and even long emails – into a great reading experience.
Over the course of your day, you'll encounter things you want to save for later. With Instapaper, you simply push a button in your browser, or choose “send to Instapaper” in a linked mobile app. Instapaper then saves it for you, and makes it available in a beautiful, uncluttered, reading-optimized format on your mobile phone, your tablet, your Kindle, or your browser.
I can't get something to work, what should I try first?
- Make sure cookies are enabled in your browser.
- Make sure Javascript is enabled in your browser.
- If you're using Android or iOS, make sure you're using the same Instapaper username between your computer, the application, and your mobile browser.
- Switch to Safari, Chrome, or Firefox. There are plenty of other reasons to do this, too. If you're not sure how or why you should do this, ask your nearest computer geek, we assure you they'll have an opinion on the matter.
Will you add [some cool feature]?
Quite possibly! Please let us know what you'd like. We read every idea or suggestion. We make changes to Instapaper very carefully, but we aim to be constantly improving.
Are there storage limits?
There's no limit to how many articles you can store, and your archive of read items is kept indefinitely (unless you delete from it).
Does Instapaper make money?
Yes. We are a small team and our goal is to build a long-term sustainable product and business, without venture capital. In order to do so, it's essential that the product generates enough revenue to cover its cost. If you'd like to support Instapaper, the best way to do so is to purchase Instapaper Premium.
Instapaper Premium users receive:
- Full-text search
- Unlimited highlighting
- Third-party API access
- Better Kindle functionality
- Ads removed from website
I'm trying to create an account but it says my email is already taken.
Usually this is because you created another account with your email address sometime in the misty, distant past. Try logging in with the credentials you might have previously used.
If you want to get rid of the old account, you can rename or delete the old one from Settings when you're logged into it.
My device is telling me my password is incorrect but I can login with those credentials on web.
If you can login on web, chances are it's your device time that's incorrect. Please go to your device's date/time settings and make sure they're accurate. Setting your time to be set automatically is always the safe bet in this case.
How do I install the Instapaper bookmarklet on mobile Safari?
With the introduction of the system share sheet in iOS 8, mobile bookmarklets are no longer required. To save on mobile Safari, and any other compatible apps/browsers, please add Instapaper to the system share sheet. This can be done by opening the share sheet (box with arrow icon), scrolling all the way to the right of the top row, choosing 'More,' and enabling Instapaper. Instapaper will then be an option on the share sheet.
I save pages, but they don't appear in the app.
Please ensure that you're using the same account name on both the web browser (where you're saving articles) and the iPhone app (where you're reading them). Your account name is displayed:
- On the website: In the lower left, inside the nav bar.
- In the iOS app: In the Settings screen, under Account.
- In the Android app: In the Settings screen, under Your Account.
Why do I have to sign in every time I click the Instapaper bookmarklet?
First and foremost, please make sure you're not in Private/Incognito browsing mode.
If browsing mode is not private, please enable third-party cookies for: www.instapaper.com
If the issue persists, please reinstall your bookmarklet/extension from www.instapaper.com/save
Instapaper Login With App Online
When I click the Instapaper bookmarklet, nothing happens, or it hangs after '(Saving...)'. (Most commonly occurs with Firefox.)
Please make sure that you do not have any add-ons or settings that would interfere with Javascript's operation. This includes the Firefox NoScript add-on and some types of ad-blocking software.
Instapaper Login With Mac App
Why can't it save pages from [some site]?
There are many reasons why certain pages aren't accessible offline or in Text view. The most common:
- The page requires a login. The Instapaper server must fetch a copy of the page without knowing your username, password, or session details. Pages such as Gmail messages or travel itineraries generally can't be reached without logging in, so Instapaper cannot access them for offline saving.
- It does not allow this type of access. Some sites block access to web crawlers, which will block or restrict Instapaper from saving them.
We're always working to improve page compatibility, but the web is vast, complex, and always changing — so we can never guarantee perfect or complete compatibility with every site.
We encourage you to submit sites you're having saving issues with to Support so we can look into the saving behavior for you.
Are PDF files supported?
Instapaper currently does not support PDF files.
Amazon’s fees for 3G delivery
Instapaper uses Amazon's Kindle Personal Documents Service to deliver its documents to your Kindle.
Kindles with Wi-Fi only (no 3G) receive Instapaper's documents for free whenever they're connected to a Wi-Fi network.
For Kindles with 3G, such as the Kindle 1, Kindle 2, Kindle DX, Kindle 3 3G, Kindle Keyboard 3G, and Kindle Touch 3G, Amazon charges small fees for delivery over 3G when the Kindle is not connected to a Wi-Fi network.See this Amazon document for details.To avoid fees with 3G Kindles, use the @free.kindle.com option.
Instapaper Login With App Store
Instapaper assumes no responsibility for charges incurred by your use of this feature.