Help
  1. Frequently Asked Questions

    If your question isn't answered below, you can try posting it on our Discord.

    Getting Started

    • How much does Readup cost?

      Readup is free and supported by the donations of our generous readers on our Open Collective. Enjoy ad-free reading to your heart's content!

    • How do I get started on my iPhone (or iPad)?

      Download the app from the app store.

    • How do I get started on my Android?

      Shucks! Readup isn't currently available for Android. Tap the button below to get notified when we launch the Android app.

    • How do I get started on my computer?

      Get the browser extesion for your browser.

    • What's a reader name?

      The word "user" dehumanizes people. In lieu of "usernames," Readup has reader names.

    Using Readup

    • What can I read on Readup?

      Anything! Readup curates top-quality articles from across the web. Plus you can easily save (or "import") articles to Readup from pretty much anywhere.

    • I noticed a problem within an article. What do I do?

      Uh oh! All articles on Readup should display perfectly, but sometimes Readup's ad-destroyer (or "parser") makes a mistake. If you notice a problem within an article, please report it by clicking the flag icon in the top right corner. With our team of volunteers we try to take out these issues!

      Screenshot of how to report issues on Readup
    • When is the Article of the Day selected?

      The #1 Contender becomes AOTD at midnight Pacific Standard Time.

    • Can I use Readup to bypass paywalls?

      Yes. Readup is essentially a browser that cleans pages up by stripping away everything except the actual article. Many articles that are "hidden" behind soft paywalls are still "visible" in the code. Readup displays those articles.

    • Can I change my reader name?

      No. If you want a new reader name, you need to create a new account.

    Saving articles

    • Do I need to save articles?

      Nope. You can always just browse the articles that other people save. But it’s a good thing to know how to do in case you ever want to save a specific article to Readup.

    • How do I save articles to Readup on my iPhone?

      The Readup share extension in iOS makes it easy to save articles to Readup with just a few clicks. When you are viewing an article you want to save (for example in the Safari app) just click the share extension (a square with an up arrow) and then click the Readup icon. (Note: If you can’t find the Readup icon, you might need to click “More.”)

      You'll receive a notification that you can tap to open the article in Readup directly, and the article will appear at the top of your Starred list in My Reads.

    • How do I save articles to Readup on my laptop or computer?

      First, get the browser extesion for your browser. Then just click the browser extension button. When you view an article in Reader Mode, it will automatically be saved to the History section of My Reads.

    • Can I disable the automatic starring of saved articles?

      Yes, you can on the desktop apps! You'll find this setting in the extension options page. To find the options:

      • In Chrome, right-click the Readup extension icon and click "Options."
      • In Firefox, right-click the Readup extension icon, click "Manage Extension", then click the triple-dot menu next to the Readup extension, then click "Options."
      • In Safari, right-click the Readup extension icon, click "Manage Extension...", then click "Preferences" in the pane that pops up.
      • In Edge, right-click the Readup extension icon and click "Extension options."

      Disabling starring is not yet possible in our mobile apps. Let us know in our Discord if this is something you want!

    Privacy

    • Can people see everything I've been reading?

      No. Your reading history is 100% private by default. On an article-by-article basis, you choose what you want to post publicly.

    • Can I trust Readup?

      Yes! Our Privacy Policy is short and sweet. Read it.

    Writers

    • Why should I get verified?

      As a writer on Readup you get special powers. Articles you've written will appear on your profile. You can comment on your own articles without reading them, and your comments will be highlighted.

    • How do I get verified?

      Go to the Settings screen in the app. Click "Get Verified."

    Misc

    • Who owns Readup?

      Readup's is owned by co-founder Jeff Camera, who hosts the readup.org infrastructure.

      Readup is fully open-source under the AGPL 3 license, which means anyone can modify or reuse Readup as long as they respect the license.

      Volunteers led by Thor Galle maintain and develop the platform further. They organize their work and budget transparently on Open Collective.

    • I'm a developer. Can I help?

      Yes! Readup is fully open-source, we manage the code, issues and projects on our GitHub. If you need support, join our Discord & drop us a message in the #development channel.

    • I'm not a developer. Can I help?

      Possibly! Let us know how you'd like to contribute in our Discord. If you can work with relative independence, your skills in design/marketing/social media/community management/... would be much appreciated. You can also contact volunteer lead Thor directly at thorgalle+readup at gmail dot com.

      You can also donate. Supporting us financially on Open Collective helps us pay our server bills, and devote more time to improving Readup.