For years, one of the defining attractions that set Kobo e-readers apart from many of their competitors was the tight integration with Pocket, Mozilla’s popular read-it-later service. Readers could effortlessly save articles from the web and return to them later on the crisp, distraction-free screens of their devices, which made the Kobo experience especially appealing to information enthusiasts who wanted to combine the efficiency of digital reading with the focus of a dedicated e-reader. However, this longstanding convenience was suddenly thrown into uncertainty in late May, when Mozilla formally announced that it would be shutting down Pocket in July. That revelation created considerable anxiety and disappointment among Kobo users, who were left wondering how they would continue managing stored reading materials once the backbone of their workflow disappeared.
To Kobo’s credit, the company responded with commendable speed and transparency. In late July—barely weeks after the announcement of Pocket’s closure—the company confirmed that its engineering and product teams had already prepared a direct replacement. Rather than leaving users stranded, Kobo revealed that it would be partnering with Instapaper, a respected veteran in the read-it-later category. Instapaper has long been regarded by digital readers as a reliable and streamlined service, offering the ability to capture articles, essays, and other long-form content in a clean, stripped-down format designed for uninterrupted reading. By choosing Instapaper, Kobo reassured its community that the familiar workflow for saving and revisiting content could continue without significant interruption.
Even more impressive was the rapid implementation that followed. Within just a month of the initial announcement, full support for Instapaper integration had already been rolled out. Kobo distributed the feature as a free firmware update, meaning that no user was charged extra for the transition. Furthermore, this update extended to the entire family of currently supported Kobo devices—a roster that turned out to be longer and more inclusive than many expected, reflecting Kobo’s commitment to sustaining its hardware ecosystem and ensuring that even older devices were not quickly abandoned.
For the numerous Kobo readers who had been searching urgently for a viable replacement to Pocket—particularly in view of the looming October 8 deadline, when remaining user data on Pocket is scheduled to disappear—the integration of Instapaper now positions itself as the obvious successor. Importantly, Kobo’s partnership with Instapaper also brings a practical advantage: users can take full advantage of the integration without the necessity of subscribing to Instapaper Premium. This accessibility makes the transition smoother and ensures that the core functionality remains available to the widest possible audience. In contrast, the previous relationship with Mozilla had stagnated; Pocket integration on Kobo had not experienced meaningful innovation for several years and, by 2023, the service looked as though it might be discontinued altogether.
With Instapaper stepping in, the future feels more promising for Kobo owners who prize the ability to collect and read online content at their leisure. While time will reveal the depth and longevity of the partnership, the initial rollout suggests a renewed focus on user experience and on sustaining the value of Kobo devices as tools not only for ebooks but also for contemporary digital reading habits.
Sourse: https://www.theverge.com/news/767527/instapaper-replaces-pocket-on-kobo-e-readers
