Use FreshRSS on iPhone and Mac
PoweReader connects to your FreshRSS server and syncs unread and starred articles both ways, along with your categories. Connecting and reading are free.
- Price
- Free. Connecting and reading don't need Premium
- Platforms
- Native apps for iPhone and Mac
- Before you start
- Turn on API access in FreshRSS and set an API password
- You enter
- Your FreshRSS address, username, and API password
- Syncs both ways
- Unread and starred articles
- Categories
- Synced from FreshRSS
- Optional AI
- Premium adds AI summaries, translation, and audio summaries
How to connect FreshRSS
- In FreshRSS, turn on API access and set an API password for your user. FreshRSS's mobile access guide (freshrss.github.io/FreshRSS/en/users/06_Mobile_access.html) shows where both settings are.
- On iPhone, tap + in the account list. On Mac, open Settings › Accounts and click Add Account.
- Choose FreshRSS.
- In API Endpoint, enter the address you open FreshRSS at, such as https://freshrss.example.com. Leave off /api/fever.php and /api/greader.php: PoweReader adds the path it needs.
- Enter your FreshRSS username and the API password you set, not your login password.
- Tap Add (on Mac, click Add). PoweReader checks your details, closes the form, and loads your feeds and articles in the background.
Which API PoweReader uses
PoweReader talks to FreshRSS through its Fever-compatible API at /api/fever.php, which FreshRSS turns on together with API access. That API checks the API password, which is why your normal login password won't work here. If FreshRSS shows your Fever address as https://freshrss.example.com/api/fever.php, enter everything before /api/fever.php.
What syncs
Unread and starred articles sync both ways. Mark an article read or starred in PoweReader and the change goes to FreshRSS. Changes you make in FreshRSS or in another app show up in PoweReader on the next refresh. If you're offline, PoweReader keeps your changes and sends them when the connection is back.
Adding and removing feeds
FreshRSS stays the place where you add, remove, and organize feeds. PoweReader reads your feed list from FreshRSS on every refresh, so a feed you add there appears in PoweReader after the next refresh. Your FreshRSS categories come along, and each feed stays in its category. You can export your feed list as OPML from PoweReader at any time.
If the connection fails
"Incorrect username or password" means FreshRSS rejected the username and API password: check that API access is on and that you used the API password. "Invalid server URL" means the address isn't a valid URL. Any other message comes from your server, followed by "Verification failed. Check your account details and try again".
AI on top of your feeds
Reading is free. If you want help with long or foreign-language articles, Premium adds AI summaries, inline translation, and audio summaries for every article, including the ones from FreshRSS.
Frequently asked
- Which password does PoweReader need for FreshRSS?
- The API password you set in FreshRSS, not the password you use to sign in on the web. Turn on API access first, or FreshRSS won't accept it.
- What address do I enter for FreshRSS?
- The address you open FreshRSS at, such as https://freshrss.example.com. PoweReader adds /api/fever.php itself, so don't include it.
- Does PoweReader use FreshRSS's Google Reader API?
- No. It connects through the Fever-compatible API, which works once API access is on.
- Is PoweReader free to use with FreshRSS?
- Yes. Connecting FreshRSS, syncing, and reading are free on iPhone and Mac. Premium is only needed for AI features.
- Can I add feeds to FreshRSS from PoweReader?
- No. Add and remove feeds in FreshRSS. PoweReader picks up the change on the next refresh.
Try PoweReader free
Reading RSS is free, forever. Add AI summaries, translation, and audio when you want them.
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