Instapaper#The Feature

Instapaper started out as a simple web service in late 2007 with a "Read Later" bookmarklet and stripped-down "Text" view for articles. When Marco Arment launched the service publicly on January 28, 2008,{{cite web |url= http://www.marco.org/2008/01/28/instapaper |title= Instapaper |first= Marco |last= Arment |authorlink= Marco Arment |work= Marco.org |date= January 28, 2008 |accessdate= December 21, 2011 |df= mdy-all |archive-date= October 9, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201009061748/https://marco.org/2008/01/28/instapaper |url-status= live }} its simplicity rapidly earned accolades from the press, including Daring Fireball{{cite web|url=http://daringfireball.net/linked/2008/01/30/instapaper|title=Instapaper|first=John|last=Gruber|authorlink=John Gruber|work=Daring Fireball|date=January 30, 2008|accessdate=December 21, 2011|df=mdy-all|archive-date=December 18, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111218220259/http://daringfireball.net/linked/2008/01/30/instapaper|url-status=live}} and TechCrunch.{{cite web |url=https://techcrunch.com/2008/01/30/simple-bookmarking-now-available-with-instapaper/ |title=Simple Bookmarking Now Available with Instapaper |first=Henry |last=Work |work=TechCrunch |date=January 30, 2008 |accessdate=December 21, 2011 |df=mdy-all |archive-date=December 30, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111230165120/http://techcrunch.com/2008/01/30/simple-bookmarking-now-available-with-instapaper/ |url-status=live }}

In April 2013, Arment sold a majority stake in Instapaper to Betaworks.{{cite web|title=Instapaper acquired by Betaworks, owner of Digg|url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/4/25/4266980/instapaper-acquired-by-betaworks-owner-of-digg|website=The Verge|date=April 25, 2013 |publisher=Vox Media|accessdate=23 August 2016|df=mdy-all|archive-date=May 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180504163804/https://www.theverge.com/2013/4/25/4266980/instapaper-acquired-by-betaworks-owner-of-digg|url-status=live}} Afterward, the service's web interface was redesigned.{{cite web |title=Instapaper gets complete redesign after Betaworks purchase, new mobile apps soon |url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/8/28/4669332/instapaper-web-interface-completely-redesigned |website=The Verge |date=August 28, 2013 |accessdate=23 August 2016 |df=mdy-all |archive-date=March 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170325025012/http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/28/4669332/instapaper-web-interface-completely-redesigned |url-status=live }}

On August 23, 2016, Instapaper was acquired by social networking service Pinterest.{{Cite web |last=Newton |first=Casey |date=2016-08-23 |title=Instapaper has been acquired by Pinterest |url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/8/23/12595940/instapaper-acquired-pinterest-newsreading-app |access-date=2025-01-27 |website=The Verge |language=en}}{{Cite magazine |last=Alba |first=Davey |title=Pinterest Buys Instapaper, the Popular 'Read Later' App |url=https://www.wired.com/2016/08/pinterest-buys-instapaper/ |access-date=2025-01-27 |magazine=Wired |language=en-US |issn=1059-1028}} The service continued to operate, and the Instapaper staff worked on development for both Instapaper and Pinterest.{{cite web |last= Lynley |first= Matthew |title= Pinterest acquires Instapaper, which will live on as a separate app |url= https://techcrunch.com/2016/08/23/pinterest-acquires-instapaper-which-will-live-on-as-a-separate-app |website= TechCrunch |date= August 23, 2016 |accessdate= 23 August 2016 |df= mdy-all |archive-date= October 24, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201024041355/https://techcrunch.com/2016/08/23/pinterest-acquires-instapaper-which-will-live-on-as-a-separate-app/ |url-status= live }} On November 1, 2016, Instapaper announced that it would discontinue its subscription model and offer its "Premium" features to all users.{{cite web |title= Instapaper drops monthly subscriptions |url= https://www.theverge.com/2016/11/1/13478060/instapaper-drops-monthly-subscription-premium-features-free |website= The Verge |date= November 2016 |accessdate= 1 November 2016 |df= mdy-all |archive-date= April 20, 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170420025310/http://www.theverge.com/2016/11/1/13478060/instapaper-drops-monthly-subscription-premium-features-free |url-status= live }} On July 16, 2018, it was announced that Pinterest would sell Instapaper to InstantPaper, Inc, "a new company owned and operated by the same people who’ve been working on Instapaper since it was sold to Betaworks by Marco Arment in 2013".{{cite web |last= Krumparak |first= Greg |title= Instapaper is leaving Pinterest, two years after being acquired |url= https://techcrunch.com/2018/07/16/instapaper-is-leaving-pinterest-two-years-after-being-acquired/ |website= TechCrunch |date= July 16, 2018 |accessdate= January 11, 2024 |df= mdy-all |archive-date= January 11, 2024 |archive-url= https://archive.today/VU0LU/ |url-status= live }}{{cite web |title= Instapaper is going independent |url= https://blog.instapaper.com/post/175953870856/ |website= Instapaper |date= July 16, 2018 |accessdate= January 11, 2024 |df= mdy-all |archive-date= July 17, 2018 |archive-url= https://archive.today/ITGz4/ |url-status= live}}

On May 23, 2018, Instapaper announced that it had suspended its services for residents of the European Union in order to address compliance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements.{{Cite news |url= https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/23/17387146/instapaper-gdpr-europe-access-shut-down-privacy-changes |title= Instapaper is temporarily shutting off access for European users due to GDPR |work= The Verge |access-date= 2018-05-24 |df= mdy-all |archive-date= May 24, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180524013709/https://www.theverge.com/2018/5/23/17387146/instapaper-gdpr-europe-access-shut-down-privacy-changes |url-status= live }} Service was restored on August 7, 2018.{{Cite web |url= http://blog.instapaper.com/post/176732408411 |title= The next ten years of Instapaper |date= August 7, 2018 |access-date= August 7, 2018 |df= mdy-all |archive-date= August 7, 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180807133120/http://blog.instapaper.com/post/176732408411 |url-status= live }}

Instapaper can be used via a web-based interface, or through mobile apps for Android and iOS. Within a web browser, a "Read Later" bookmarklet can be used to save pages to a user's personal unread queue on Instapaper. Every article is automatically reformatted to remove excessive formatting and graphics.{{cite magazine | url= https://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/08/instapaper-a-5-app-that-justifies-your-iphone-purchase/ | magazine= Wired | first= Dylan | last= Tweney | title= Instapaper: A $5 App That Justifies Your iPhone Purchase | date= August 28, 2009 | df= mdy-all | access-date= March 7, 2017 | archive-date= February 20, 2014 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140220163408/http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/08/instapaper-a-5-app-that-justifies-your-iphone-purchase/ | url-status= live }}

Instapaper was initially distributed as a paid app. Later, the app became a free service, but with certain features exclusive to a "Pro" version of the app, and later an "Instapaper Premium" subscription, such as ad-free browsing, full-text search, and voice dictation on supported platforms. These features became free for all users on November 1, 2016.

Instapaper's free iPhone app (removed from the App Store on March 12, 2011{{cite web |first= Marco |last= Arment |authorlink= Marco Arment |url= https://marco.org/2011/04/28/removed-instapaper-free |title= Why Instapaper Free is taking an extended vacation |work= Marco.org |date= April 28, 2011 |accessdate= August 24, 2016 |df= mdy-all |archive-date= May 4, 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160504192053/https://marco.org/2011/04/28/removed-instapaper-free |url-status= live }}) with offline reading was one of the first apps in the App Store on July 12, 2008.{{cite web |first= Marco |last= Arment |authorlink= Marco Arment |url= http://www.marco.org/2008/07/12/instapaper-now-available-offline-id-really |title= Instapaper: Now available offline |work= Marco.org |date= July 12, 2008 |accessdate= December 21, 2011 |df= mdy-all |archive-date= October 9, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201009061753/https://marco.org/2008/07/12/instapaper-now-available-offline-id-really |url-status= live }}{{Better source needed|date=November 2016}} Instapaper's paid app, then called Instapaper Pro, launched shortly afterward on August 26, 2008 and introduced tilt scrolling, which automatically scrolls a column of text when the device is tilted slightly up or down.{{cite web |first= Marco |last= Arment |authorlink= Marco Arment |url= http://blog.instapaper.com/post/47448197 |title= Instapaper Pro with tilt scrolling |date= August 26, 2008 |accessdate= December 21, 2011 |df= mdy-all |archive-date= April 26, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120426064220/http://blog.instapaper.com/post/47448197 |url-status= live }}

On March 10, 2011, with the launch of the 3.0 app, Instapaper added social sharing and browsing features.{{cite web |first= Marco |last= Arment |authorlink= Marco Arment |url= http://blog.instapaper.com/post/3772087268 |title= Instapaper 3.0 is here |date= March 10, 2011 |accessdate= December 21, 2011 |df= mdy-all |archive-date= December 28, 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20111228031803/http://blog.instapaper.com/post/3772087268 |url-status= live }} Later in 2011, the redesigned 4.0 app added full-text search of all saved articles for customers with the optional $1/month subscription.{{cite web |first= Marco |last= Arment |authorlink= Marco Arment |url= http://www.marco.org/2011/10/17/instapaper-4-released |title= Introducing Instapaper 4.0 for iPad and iPhone |work= Marco.org |date= October 17, 2011 |accessdate= December 21, 2011 |df= mdy-all |archive-date= November 12, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201112031919/https://marco.org/2011/10/17/instapaper-4-released |url-status= live }}

The Instapaper iPad app launched with the iPad itself on April 3, 2010.{{cite magazine |url= https://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/04/10-apps-were-excited-to-try-on-ipad-launch-day/all/1 |title= 10 Apps We're Excited to Try on iPad Launch Day |first= Brian X. |last= Chen |magazine= Wired |date= April 1, 2010 |accessdate= December 21, 2011 |df= mdy-all |archive-date= January 11, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120111203825/http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/04/10-apps-were-excited-to-try-on-ipad-launch-day/all/1 |url-status= live }}{{cite web |url= http://www.macworld.com/article/150587/2010/04/ipad_apps.html |title= The eight best iPad apps so far |first= Mitch |last= Wagner |work= Macworld |date= April 13, 2010 |accessdate= December 21, 2011 |df= mdy-all |archive-date= January 18, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120118084031/http://www.macworld.com/article/150587/2010/04/ipad_apps.html |url-status= live }}

The Instapaper for Android was built by development shop Mobelux{{Cite web |url=http://mobelux.com/ |title=Mobelux |access-date=September 5, 2013 |archive-date=October 26, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131026062300/http://mobelux.com/ |url-status=live }} in 2012 and supports Android phones and tablets.

An automatic send-to-Kindle feature was added on March 8, 2009.{{cite web |first= Marco |last= Arment |authorlink= Marco Arment |url= http://blog.instapaper.com/post/84727433 |title= Kindle support now available |date= March 8, 2009 |accessdate= December 21, 2011 |df= mdy-all |archive-date= January 3, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120103102754/http://blog.instapaper.com/post/84727433 |url-status= live }} The Kindle feature alone is used by over 60,000 Kindle owners as of late 2011.{{cite web |first1= Marco |last1= Arment |authorlink= Marco Arment |first2= Dan |last2= Benjamin |author2link= Dan Benjamin |url= http://5by5.tv/buildanalyze/56 |title= Build and Analyze #56 |work= Build and Analyze |publisher= 5by5 Studios |date= December 19, 2011 |accessdate= December 21, 2011 |df= mdy-all |archive-date= January 6, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120106025048/http://5by5.tv/buildanalyze/56 |url-status= live }} Manually sending individual articles, or digests of recent articles, from the Instapaper app is currently a Subscriber feature.

On June 1, 2008, Instapaper launched Give Me Something to Read, a standalone website that featured a few high-quality, longform, nonfiction articles every day from Instapaper's most frequently saved articles.{{cite web |first= Marco |last= Arment |authorlink= Marco Arment |url= http://www.marco.org/2008/06/01/im-now-officially-launching-give-me-something-to |title= Officially launching Give Me Something To Read |work= Marco.org |date= June 1, 2008 |accessdate= December 21, 2011 |df= mdy-all |archive-date= October 9, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201009051902/https://marco.org/2008/06/01/im-now-officially-launching-give-me-something-to |url-status= live }}

Unlike a conventional social news website, which carries stories posted automatically by popularity, Give Me Something to Read is human-edited. Marco Arment was the editor for the site's first year. On July 27, 2009, Arment hired Richard Dunlop-Walters as a part-time contractor to take over as editor.{{cite web |url= http://givemesomethingtoread.com/about |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120710035541/http://givemesomethingtoread.com/about |url-status= dead |archive-date= July 10, 2012 |title= About Give Me Something To Read |accessdate= December 21, 2011 |df= mdy-all }} As of March 2011, Dunlop-Walters was Instapaper's only employee besides Arment.

On March 22, 2012, Give Me Something to Read was renamed The Feature.{{cite web |first= Marco |last= Arment |authorlink= Marco Arment |url= http://www.marco.org/2012/03/22/the-feature |title= The Feature |work= Marco.org |date= 2012-03-22 |accessdate= March 29, 2012 |df= mdy-all |archive-date= October 9, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201009043302/https://marco.org/2012/03/22/the-feature |url-status= live }} The articles are still hand-picked, and they are featured in Instapaper's website as The Feature, and in the iOS app as The Feature section.

Instapaper is one of several "read it later"{{cite news|title=It's The Battle of the Read It Later Apps! Read It Later vs. Instapaper vs. Readability|last=Chan|first=Christine|date=March 10, 2012|url=http://appadvice.com/appnn/2012/03/its-the-battle-of-the-read-it-later-apps-read-it-later-vs-instapaper-vs-readability|work=AppAdvice|df=mdy-all|access-date=November 23, 2013|archive-date=December 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202235159/http://appadvice.com/appnn/2012/03/its-the-battle-of-the-read-it-later-apps-read-it-later-vs-instapaper-vs-readability|url-status=live}} (also known as "read later"{{cite web |website=Lifehacker |last=Gordon |first=Whitson |title='Read Later' Apps Compared: Pocket vs. Instapaper vs. Readability |date=August 27, 2013 |url=http://lifehacker.com/5894995/bookmark-and-read-later-apps-compared-read-it-later-vs-instapaper-vs-readability |df=mdy-all |access-date=November 23, 2013 |archive-date=November 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131123105402/http://lifehacker.com/5894995/bookmark-and-read-later-apps-compared-read-it-later-vs-instapaper-vs-readability |url-status=live }} or "saving"{{cite news |last=Glazer |first=Emily |date=October 21, 2011 |title=Worth It? Saving Websites to Read Offline |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2011/10/21/worth-it-saving-websites-to-read-offline/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111224005812/http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2011/10/21/worth-it-saving-websites-to-read-offline/ |archive-date=December 24, 2011 |accessdate=December 21, 2011 |work=The Wall Street Journal |df=mdy-all}}) services. In November 2013, Mashable named Instapaper and the following four clients as the "5 Best Read-It-Later Apps";{{cite news|work=Mashable|url=http://mashable.com/2013/10/10/read-it-later-apps/|date=October 10, 2013|last=Ang|first=Sarah|title=5 Best Read-It-Later Apps|access-date=November 23, 2013|archive-date=November 22, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131122040558/http://mashable.com/2013/10/10/read-it-later-apps/|url-status=live}} they all support a variety of devices and other apps.

• Pocket (originally titled "Read It Later"), began as a Firefox extension in late 2007, similar to Readeroo but using local browser storage,{{cite web|website=Lifehacker|url=http://lifehacker.com/322646/save-a-link-for-later-with-read-it-later|date=November 14, 2007|last=Pash|first=Adam|title=Save a Link for Later with Read It Later|df=mdy-all|access-date=January 27, 2014|archive-date=January 20, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140120004630/http://lifehacker.com/322646/save-a-link-for-later-with-read-it-later|url-status=live}} before matching Instapaper's core features later in 2008{{cite web|website=Idea Shower Blog|url=http://blog.ideashower.com/post/15139664140/read-it-later-099-released|date=October 2008|last=Weiner|first=Nate|title=Read It Later 0.99 Released|df=mdy-all|access-date=January 27, 2014|archive-date=January 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101023403/http://blog.ideashower.com/post/15139664140/read-it-later-099-released|url-status=live}} and 2009.{{cite web|website=Idea Shower Blog|url=http://blog.ideashower.com/post/15139665330/read-it-later-iphone-app-released|last=Weiner|first=Nate|title=Read It Later iPhone App Released|date=April 2009|df=mdy-all|access-date=January 27, 2014|archive-date=April 4, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140404011557/http://blog.ideashower.com/post/15139665330/read-it-later-iphone-app-released|url-status=live}} As of October 2013, it integrated with more than 300 apps, such as Flipboard and Twitter.{{cite news|work=Mashable|url=http://mashable.com/2013/10/10/read-it-later-apps/#gallery/best-read-later-apps/5280044297b2f87ab4009e1f|date=October 10, 2013|last=Ang|first=Sarah|title=5 Best Read-It-Later Apps: Pocket|df=mdy-all|access-date=November 23, 2013|archive-date=November 22, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131122040558/http://mashable.com/2013/10/10/read-it-later-apps/#gallery/best-read-later-apps/5280044297b2f87ab4009e1f|url-status=live}} Mozilla discontinued Pocket in 2025.{{Cite web |last=Roth |first=Emma |date=2025-05-22 |title=Mozilla is shutting down Pocket |url=https://www.theverge.com/news/672924/mozilla-pocket-fakespot-shutting-down |access-date=2025-06-09 |website=The Verge |language=en-US}}
• Readability, released in 2009 and discontinued in 2016, allowed users to share to their social media accounts and easily send articles to their Amazon Kindle. Top Reads displayed the most popular Readability articles and was fully integrated with Flipboard, Longform, Pulse, and Twitter clients such as Tweetbot.{{cite news |work=Mashable |url=http://mashable.com/2013/10/10/read-it-later-apps/#gallery/best-read-later-apps/5280044297b2f87ab4009e21 |date=October 10, 2013 |last=Ang |first=Sarah |title=5 Best Read-It-Later Apps: Readability |access-date=November 23, 2013 |archive-date=November 22, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131122040558/http://mashable.com/2013/10/10/read-it-later-apps/#gallery/best-read-later-apps/5280044297b2f87ab4009e21 |url-status=live }}
• Evernote, rolled out in 2011, allows users to download articles to the Evernote app as well as to the Chrome, Firefox, or Opera browser; it also works with Evernote Business and in conjunction with the Evernote Web Clipper. Web Clipper works with the aforementioned browsers, as well as Internet Explorer and Safari.{{cite news|work=Mashable|url=http://mashable.com/2013/10/10/read-it-later-apps/#gallery/best-read-later-apps/5280044297b2f87ab4009e22|date=October 10, 2013|last=Ang|first=Sarah|title=5 Best Read-It-Later Apps: Evernote Clearly|df=mdy-all|access-date=November 23, 2013|archive-date=November 22, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131122040558/http://mashable.com/2013/10/10/read-it-later-apps/#gallery/best-read-later-apps/5280044297b2f87ab4009e22|url-status=live}} As of January 22, 2016, Evernote discontinued support for Clearly. It is no longer available for download, and no further updates will be made to the extension. Customers with existing installations of the Clearly browser extension can continue using it.{{Cite web |url= https://blog.evernote.com/blog/2015/12/17/evernote-to-end-support-for-clearly-evernote-for-pebble-and-versions-of-skitch/ |title= Evernote to end support for Clearly, Evernote for Pebble, and versions of Skitch |date= 2015-12-17 |website= Evernote Help & Learning |language= en-US |access-date= 2017-06-28 |df= mdy-all |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180613184249/https://blog.evernote.com/blog/2015/12/17/evernote-to-end-support-for-clearly-evernote-for-pebble-and-versions-of-skitch/ |archive-date= June 13, 2018 |url-status= dead }}
• ReadKit is an app for Mac devices (only) that supports Instapaper, Pocket, and Readability as well as Delicious, Feed Wrangler, FeedBin, Feedly, Fever, NewsBlur, and Pinboard. The app aggregates all of one's content from the abovementioned sources, so one need not switch from one app to another.{{cite news|work=Mashable|url=http://mashable.com/2013/10/10/read-it-later-apps/#gallery/best-read-later-apps/5280044297b2f87ab4009e23|date=October 10, 2013|last=Ang|first=Sarah|title=5 Best Read-It-Later Apps: ReadKit|df=mdy-all|access-date=November 23, 2013|archive-date=November 22, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131122040558/http://mashable.com/2013/10/10/read-it-later-apps/#gallery/best-read-later-apps/5280044297b2f87ab4009e23|url-status=live}}

• IFTTT
• Pinboard

{{reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://www.instapaper.com/}}

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