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Lumia
February 3, 2014

The best RSS readers for Nokia Lumia and Asha



RSS readers are a godsend if you’re short on time, letting you catch up with the latest world headlines and dip into stories quickly. Here are some of the best for Nokia Lumia and Asha.

Windows Phone RSS Readers

Phonly

One of the good things about apps being based on the same platform – such as Feedly – is that, once you’ve set up your favourite RSS feeds, they’ll appear in any of the readers you use.

Phonly divides your feeds into sub categories: Saved for later, Popular and All. A swipe from left to right lets you explore these. Adding new feeds is a simple case of pressing the menu button and tapping ‘Add content’.

Why we love it…

Great design, with colours that are easy on the eye and perfect for reading.

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Swift Reader

Unlike the other apps here, Swift Reader is based on NewsBlur, and you’ll need to set up an account to get started. Thankfully it’s quick and easy to do: pick a username and enter your password. That’s it.

A search button at the bottom of the main screen lets you quickly find new feeds – no messing around with menus – and you can also swipe to the right to access different categories. It’s attractive, simple and easy to use. Even if you’re new to smartphones, there’s a lot to like about Swift Reader.

Why we love it…

A layout that’s perfectly matched with the Windows Phone OS, if you love the way your Nokia Lumia works, you’ll love Swift Reader.

RSS Central

One of the nicer-looking apps in this roundup, RSS Central features striking backgrounds and is fast and intuitive. It’s easy to find new types of content, and it looks like a lot of time and effort went into the little details.

There are loads of different options available – from changing backgrounds to changing font sizes and the way your feeds are organised. It’s one of our favourite all-round news readers.

Why we love it…

More options than you could ever need, giving you the most customisable experience.

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SimpiRSS

There’s no need to log into an account with SimpiRSS – just start it up and look for new feeds to add. You can search by different categories, or it’s also easy to add the URLs of specific sites if you know them.

Once you’ve set up some feeds, the app then organises them into different screens: All, Feeds, Unread and Starred, making it easy to flick through and pick out the feeds that you haven’t read.

Why we love it…

The most simple RSS reader around – simply search for feeds and off you go.

Pheeb

Out of all the apps we’ve tried here, Pheeb is probably the easiest to get started with. Simply log into your Feedly account, and you’ll be taken to the search screen to find new content. Type what you’re looking for, and select your feeds from the results.

Why we love it…

The ability to select from multiple templates to change how feeds are presented.

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NextGen Reader

NextGen Reader is based on Feedly, which means you’ll need to create a Feedly account to use it. If you already have one, once logged in all your followed feeds will be automatically imported.

The first time you use NextGen, the app offers an easy to follow tutorial, with arrows and instructions pointing out what the different buttons do. The app itself is particularly easy to use – from searching for new feeds, to accessing content and skipping through headlines.

Why we love it…

Easy to manage your feeds, highlighting everything you don’t want and ‘marking as read’ so they no longer show up.

 

Modern Reader

Modern Reader is one of the more simplistic apps we’ve come across. It avoids multiple pages and options in favour of a single colour screen, a single news feed and an UI that really couldn’t be easier to use.

With all feeds appearing on one page, the only real option in Modern Reader is to add new feeds. If you want something that’s stripped back and basic, it’s ideal.

Why we love it…

An RSS reader so straightforward, anybody will get to grips with it.

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RSS readers for Asha

You can also get RSS readers for your Nokia Asha 500, Asha 501, Asha 502 and Asha 503.

RSS Reader

The RSS Reader app on the Nokia Store comes with a range of categories pre-selected, from high-ranking new sources, to the top tech titles. Titles are divided into separate buttons – simply tap one to see the latest headlines. Tap again to open the full story.

Why we love it…

Pre-selected RSS categories; just open the app and pick the subjects you’re interested in.

News Headlines

News Headlines offers a similar experience to the RSS Reader app, with a group of pre-selected sites included as standard. From the BBC, to CNN and Yahoo! News, there’s everything you need to keep up with news around the world.

Why we love it…

Big, finger-friendly buttons to help you navigate the app.