Pour one out for an App Store classic. Mozilla has just announced it’s phasing out its read-it-later service, Pocket, as part of a broader effort to double down on its focus on Firefox. Here’s how it’s going to work.
In its announcement, Mozilla says it needs to “be intentional about where we invest our time and resources.” And right now, that means Firefox.
Pocket and Fakespot: sunsetting timelines
Pocket, which has been around for over a decade, will officially shut down on July 8, 2025. The news comes less than two years after the shutdown of the Pocket app for Mac.
Starting today, users can no longer download the app or subscribe to Pocket Premium. The company says annual subscribers will be refunded automatically starting in July.
Mozilla says saved items can be exported until October 8, which is when user data will be permanently deleted. The Pocket API will also go dark on that same date.
Top comment by Vincent Ferrari
Many many years ago, Pocket started forcing people to their homepage which was a bunch of curated bubble-centric garbage from their world. As a paying member, I asked them if I could change my default page to MY stuff and they said no. I promptly left the service behind and never looked back. I wasn't paying for Pocket to read what they decided the world needed to be interested in; I already made that decision with the things I shared and that's what I want to see. Glad to see it die, but it lost its way long ago.
As for Fakespot, which the company acquired in 2023, it will be wound down even sooner. Its Firefox integration, Review Checker, shuts off on June 10, and the Fakespot browser extensions, mobile apps, and website will all stop working as of July 1, 2025.
Mozilla says the decision reflects changes in how people browse and save content today:
Pocket has helped millions save articles and discover stories worth reading. But the way people save and consume content on the web has evolved, so we’re channeling our resources into projects that better match browsing habits today. Discovery 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.
In its sign-off, the company implies that it will focus on mode AI-powered features, a trend that became clear in Microsoft and Google’s recent developer events.
Were you a Pocket user back then? Do you have a favorite alternative read-it-later service? Let us know in the comments.
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