Import
Pocket alternative: read it later in Readbird
Pocket is gone. Readbird does the same job — save a link, read it later in a clean view, even offline — and adds highlights, notes and listening on top. If you still have your Pocket export file, it moves over.
What to use instead of Pocket
Readbird’s “Later” list is a read-it-later list: you save a link by pasting it or by sharing it to Readbird from another app, and the article opens in a clean reader. Saved articles stay readable without a connection.
Beyond saving, you can highlight passages while reading — they are kept in Notes, under the Highlights filter — write notes, listen to an article read aloud, and translate it. Tags and an archive are there too.
Readbird runs in any modern browser and installs to your home screen or desktop; there is also an Android app. Servers are in the EU, there are no ads, and every feature is free while Readbird is in beta.
If you still have your Pocket export file
Pocket stopped exporting on 12 November 2025, so a new file cannot be obtained any more. If an old export is still on your disk — usually pocket.zip, or the older ril_export.html — Readbird can read it.
How to move the file
- Open Readbird, choose “Add content” and go to the “Move everything to Readbird” block.
- Pick the file as it is. Do not unpack pocket.zip: it holds several CSV files and Readbird joins them itself.
- Wait for the report. It shows how many links were found, how many were imported and what was skipped.
What moves over from Pocket and what does not
| What | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Links and titles | Moves over | Every saved link with its title. Repeated links are merged into one. |
| Tags | Moves over | Pocket’s tags come across as tags. |
| Save date | Moves over | The original date you saved the article is kept. |
| Archived state | Moves over | Articles you had archived arrive as archived. |
| Highlights | Partly | Only if the export has an annotations folder and each highlight carries a link. Highlights that cannot be matched to an article are counted in the report, not guessed. |
| Article text | Does not move | Pocket exports never contained article text. Readbird loads it from the original page when you open the article, if that page is still online. |
Limits to know about
- One import takes up to 20,000 new links. Run the same file again and it continues where it stopped; links already imported are skipped.
- Up to 200 highlights are kept per article.
- The “Later” list loads up to 5,000 saved items. Imported highlights go to Notes (the Highlights filter): it also loads up to 5,000 and draws the first 500, then more as you scroll or tap “Show more”.
Import
Questions about moving from Pocket
Can I still export from Pocket?
No. Mozilla switched Pocket off on 8 July 2025 and disabled the export on 12 November 2025. Only a file you saved earlier can be imported.
I do not have an export file. What now?
The file cannot be recovered from Pocket. Start fresh in Readbird: save new links as you go. Links also stay in your browser history, bookmarks and shared messages — pasting them into Readbird saves them too.
Will my articles be readable offline after the import?
The export has no article text, so Readbird loads each article from its original page when you first open it. After that it stays available offline. If the original page has disappeared, the text cannot be loaded.
Does importing cost anything?
No. Import is free, and so is leaving: one button in Settings exports everything you have in Readbird.
Switching
Bring your reading list over
Start with the import window, or simply save your first link.