Feeder review: a private Android RSS reader

Feeder is a free open-source RSS reader for Android.¹ It suits anyone who wants new posts from chosen websites in one place, without a reading account. The phone keeps that list, and posts already downloaded stay available when you are offline.¹

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

What it is: An open-source reader for RSS, Atom and JSON feeds¹

Works on: Android 10 and newer²

Price: Free.¹ The device-sync screen mentions optional community donations⁶

Licence: GNU GPL v3.0 only²

Best for: A reading list that stays on your Android phone

Official site: Feeder News⁴

What Feeder does (and how it protects your privacy)

A feed is a web address that lists new posts from one site. Feeder understands RSS, Atom and JSON Feed.¹ You choose the sites, and downloaded posts can be read with no connection.²

Everyday reading needs no account. The project says Feeder runs on the phone, and that no registration is required because it does not use the usual remote feed servers.¹ Contributor notes say the core app needs no account and no backend.⁵ The subscription list lives on the device. Checking a feed means the phone contacts that website, so the site can see a request from your network.

The current release is version 2.25.0, published on 23 October 2026.⁴ F-Droid added that version on 27 October 2026, and it requires Android 10 or newer.² The licence is the GNU General Public License version 3.0 only.² That is a free-software licence: you may use the program, share it and change it. Google Play lists the developer as Jonas Kalderstam, under the name NoNonsenseApps.³ The source has been public since 2014.¹

Key Feeder features

Offline reading. Posts already downloaded can be read with no connection.²
Background updates and alerts. Feeder can check feeds in the background and notify you about new items on the feeds you pick.²⁶
A portable list. Import and export feeds as OPML, a standard file of feed addresses, and export saved articles too.²⁶
A block list. Hide posts whose titles contain words you choose. The same list can apply to summaries and to links.⁶
Cleaner links. Version 2.20.0, released on 15 May 2026, strips tracking parameters before Feeder opens a web address.⁴
The full article, spoken or played. You can fetch the full article, use text-to-speech, and play an attached audio file.⁶
Rules on a single feed. Version 2.24.0, released on 10 October 2026, adds per-feed rules. Matching posts can be left undownloaded.⁴⁶
Optional sync and translation. Beta device sync copies subscriptions and read status between devices.⁶ Cloud translation uses a key you provide, or you can download an offline engine.⁵⁶

Pros and cons

Pros

Free to use, and ordinary reading needs no account.¹
For ordinary reading, the list and downloaded posts stay on the phone.⁵
F-Droid builds the main package from the published source and signs that build.²
An OPML export keeps a copy of the subscription list you can move later.⁶
Still maintained: version 2.25.0 was published on 23 October 2026.⁴
Tracking parameters can be removed from links before a page opens.⁴

Cons

Current builds require Android 10 or newer. This project publishes an Android app.²¹
Feeder does not sign in to the usual remote feed servers.¹
Device sync is labelled beta, and the contributor notes call it experimental and not 100% reliable.⁶⁵
F-Droid’s page for the Play build says the app connects to news.nononsenseapps.com when it starts.⁸ Contributor notes describe the F-Droid and Play builds as the same code apart from a donation message.⁵
Cloud summaries and translation stay off until you add your own key, for an OpenAI-compatible service, Azure OpenAI or DeepL.⁵⁶
Offline translation downloads a 4.9 MB runtime from the Mozilla Bergamot project. The app says F-Droid does not build or check that code.⁶

Is Feeder safe and private?

For day-to-day reading, Feeder is a local app. Contributor documentation says it runs entirely on the device, with no account and no backend required for that core use.⁵ Google Play’s data-safety form, filled in by the developer, says no data is collected and no data is shared with third parties. Play notes that the developer provided this and may update it.³

Device sync is optional. It copies feed subscriptions and which articles you have read.⁶ The screen calls it a beta, tells you to export OPML first, and says to treat the joining link like a password, because anyone with the link can read the synced data.⁶ The separate sync-server project lists client-side encryption, syncing of subscriptions, and syncing of read articles.⁷ The app notes still describe the feature as experimental and not 100% reliable.⁵

Translation is optional in the same way. A cloud provider stays unused until you enter its key.⁵ Offline translation downloads the Bergamot runtime, then works with no connection. The first download can be 20 to 50 MB.⁶ F-Droid builds and signs the main package from the published source.² The Play edition is the build F-Droid flags for the news-site connection at startup.⁸ The project has been public since 2014, and Google Play names Jonas Kalderstam as the developer.¹³

How to get started with Feeder

Install Feeder from F-Droid or from Google Play.¹ The F-Droid package is the build F-Droid compiles from the public source.²
Open the app. Ordinary reading does not ask you to create an account.¹
Use Add feed and enter the site’s feed address.⁶ That address is the link the site uses for its post list, often labelled RSS.
Wait for the first download. Turn on “Notify for new items” for the feeds you want to hear about.⁶
Read in Feeder. Stored posts remain available offline.² You can save an article, or fetch the full article.⁶
Export your feeds to OPML and keep that file. If you try device sync, the app asks for this backup first, because the feature is in beta.⁶

Who should use Feeder (and who might prefer something else)

Feeder fits someone who reads on an Android phone and wants a short list of trusted sites stored on that phone. It is a strong choice when one device is enough and you would rather skip a reading account.

A self-hosted reader is the closer match when the same list should be waiting on a computer as well as a phone. FreshRSS and Miniflux keep selected sites in a reader you run yourself. Feeder will not log in to those servers.¹ You can still move the subscription list with an OPML file. When the habit is saving single pages, wallabag keeps articles for later. When podcasts are the main reason you open a feed app, AntennaPod is a player organised around podcast feeds. Feeder can play audio attached to a post, and it remains a reading app first.⁶

Frequently asked questions

Is Feeder free?

Yes. The project says Feeder is free to use.¹ Device sync is included, and that screen says the service is paid for by the community and invites a donation if you find it useful.⁶

Is Feeder safe?

Everyday reading stays on the phone, with no account.⁵ The developer’s Play data-safety form says no data is collected and none is shared with third parties.³ Device sync and cloud translation are separate switches.⁵ Keep the device-sync link private if you turn that beta feature on.⁶

Does Feeder work on iPhone?

Feeder is an Android app.¹ The version on F-Droid requires Android 10 or newer.² A computer can still take an OPML file from Feeder if you move the subscription list to another reader.⁶

Does Feeder need an account to sync?

Ordinary reading needs no account.¹ Device sync, which is optional and marked beta, links devices with a sync code.⁵⁶ The app says anyone who has that link can read the synced data.⁶ The sync server’s description lists client-side encryption, syncing of subscriptions, and syncing of read articles.⁷