For a long time, I had only a hazy idea of what RSS feeds were and didn’t see them as a particularly compelling way to consume information. However, I’ve come to realize I was missing out on a remarkably efficient tool for gathering relevant, focused content in a single place, making it very easy to skim through everything and decide what’s worth a deeper read.
One of the reasons RSS didn’t click for me earlier was the lackluster RSS reading apps that made the entire experience feel clunky. However, everything changed when I discovered NetNewsWire.
Why NetNewsWire?
- It’s very simple to use, has a very good UI and UX.
- It’s FREE, available (at the moment) only in Apple’s ecosystem (iOS, iPadOS and macOS).
- Has iCloud sync (only between iOS and iPadOS from what I’ve seen, on macOS you can simply import the feeds in the macOS app).
The Double-Edged Sword of RSS
RSS feeds are a double edged sword. You can get information faster, better, with less actions and energy from your part, but at the same time the risk is that you can become overwhelmed with too much information and too many feeds to keep track of. This is something I’m personally going through and I’m thinking about ways to digest large quantities of valuable information easily.
The basic solution would be to just limit yourself to a few essential feeds to keep track of that are valuable to you and provide you with insight in critical areas of your interest.
Using RSS Feeds with Reddit
So I will give you an example how I am using NetNewsWire to keep track of Reddit content, an approach I find far more streamlined than using the official Reddit app/website. I will be using the “r/shortcuts” subreddit as an example, which is dedicated to the Apple Shortcuts app.
- Open NetNewsWire and tap the ”+” button.
- Choose “Add a Feed.”
- In the URL field, paste the RSS link for the subreddit or content you want to follow.
- Give the feed a title and assign it to a folder if you like.
It’s pretty straightforward and simple. That’s why I like NetNewsWire.
The most important section there is the “URL” one where you basically add the RSS feed link which will deliver you the content.
Subreddit Feeds
New posts:
https://www.reddit.com/r/subredditName/new/.rss?sort=newExample using “r/shortcuts” subreddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/shortcuts/new/.rss?sort=newAll comments in a subreddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/subredditName/comments/.rssExample using “r/shortcuts” subreddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/shortcuts/comments/.rssUser Feeds
Basic (all user activity)
https://www.reddit.com/user/userName/.rssUser’s Comments
https://www.reddit.com/user/userName/comments/.rssUser’s Submissions
https://www.reddit.com/user/userName/submitted/.rssSearching Reddit
You can create an RSS feed for a search query. For example, to search for “apple shortcuts”:
https://www.reddit.com/search.rss?q=apple+shortcuts&sort=newGet Top Threads from a Subreddit
Replace “shortcuts” with your desired subreddit.
Top of the year:
https://www.reddit.com/r/shortcuts/top/.rss?t=yearTop of the week:
https://www.reddit.com/r/shortcuts/top/.rss?sort=top&t=weekHot threads:
https://www.reddit.com/r/shortcuts/hot/.rssThe Reading Experience
Once you’ve added your chosen feeds, you’ll see them organized within folders in NetNewsWire. The default ones are: Smart Feeds, On My iPhone/iPad and iCloud. These cannot be deleted, but you can make subfolders. For instance, I’ve made a “Hobbies” folder under iCloud and it syncs via iCloud to both my iPhone and iPad.
When you open a particular feed you’ll see by default all the fetched items at a glance, and you can choose to see just the unread ones. Clicking on a post shows a summary, allowing you to quickly decide if you want to read more. If the title or summary catches your eye, you can:
- Open the full post in your browser or the Reddit app to read or comment.
- Bookmark the article as a favorite.
- Share it with others.
- Explore the user’s profile if you’d like to see more of their content.
This flexibility lets you decide at a glance which posts merit your attention, enabling you to consume large amounts of information more efficiently.
Final Thoughts
It’s worth rethinking how we gather our daily news and updates. Whether you’re browsing new posts, top threads, or specific user activity on Reddit, RSS feeds offer a powerful way to streamline your online reading routine. With a reader like NetNewsWire, you can centralize everything — not just Reddit — into one place, so you’re not juggling multiple apps or endless browser tabs or seeing ads. Just remember to curate your feed list to avoid information overload.
All in all, RSS feeds can transform the way you browse Reddit and the rest of the web, making each day’s information intake more efficient and enjoyable. If you haven’t tried RSS before, now’s the perfect time to dive in.
Happy New Year!