# claw: Unofficial Lobsters App — Computing-Focused Community

> Unofficial Lobsters reader app for tech news and discussions. (iPhone/iPad app by Zac Gorak.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/claw-unofficial-lobsters-app/id1531645542 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Zac Gorak](https://appshunter.io/developer/916419489)
- Category: News, Developer Tools
- Price: $2.99 with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.70/5 from 11 App Store ratings · 6 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 17+
- Requires: iOS 26.0 · 9 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2020-09-16
- Data updated: 2026-08-21
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/claw-unofficial-lobsters-app/id1531645542/reviews.md

## What is claw?

Read trending tech, science, programming, and startup news from Lobsters (lobste.rs) with the only Lobsters Reader written in SwiftUI. Lobsters is a computing-focused community centered around link aggregation and discussion. claw is created specifically with iOS design guidelines in mind and the latest technologies, so it fits right at home on your device.

- Supports the hottest and latest stories from lobste.rs
- View stories by tag(s)
- View comments and user profiles
- Supports iOS 14's widgets
- No ads!

Note: Lobsters does not support 3rd-party logins. This is currently just an unofficial reader application for those that prefer a more native browsing experience.

This project is open source. Contributions are welcomed.

## Key features

- Read trending tech, science, and programming news
- View comments and user profiles
- Filter stories by tags
- Supports iOS widgets
- Native SwiftUI interface

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: $2.99.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cosmetic Upgrades (Monthly) | $0.99 | per month |
| Cosmetic Upgrades (Yearly) | $4.99 | per year |


## Chart rankings

- #16 in Top Paid · News (US App Store)

## Recent user reviews (6 of 6)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/claw-unofficial-lobsters-app/id1531645542/reviews.md

### 2/5 — Comments don’t load

*2025-02-17*

I just bought the app and the comments don’t load. I hope the dev recitifies it

**Developer response:** Thank you for the review. Lobste’s updated their API and this will be fixed in the latest update. https://github.com/twodayslate/claw/issues/58

### 1/5 — Stuck on page 1 results

*2025-01-02*

Infinite scroll doesn’t work on hottest or newest on latest iPhone. I can only read the first page of results.

### 5/5 — Impressive and Easy UI

*2023-01-21*

Infinite info at your fingertips. Great reader for a great site. The super customizable UI makes this app super easy to use and satisfying. Lots of customization and lots of interesting articles to read. Amazing overall reader

### 2/5 — $3 for an app you can’t log into?

*2022-06-25*

Ripoff

**Developer response:** Lobsters does not provide an official API to support login. 

Please read the app description before purchasing. 

You can contact Apple for a refund.

### 3/5 — Can’t upvote/comment?

*2020-12-03*

Would be 5 stars if one could.

**Developer response:** This is a Lobsters reader application. Sadly there is no API to login or authenticate to lobste.rs.

### 5/5 — Better than Hacker News

*2020-09-26*

The stories and comments are so much better than Hacker News. I like how simple this app is with the stock look.

## Frequently asked questions about claw

### What is claw?

claw is an unofficial reader application for Lobsters (lobste.rs), a computing-focused community. It allows users to read trending tech, science, programming, and startup news, view comments, and explore user profiles in a native iOS experience.

### Does claw have ads?

No, claw is ad-free. The app description explicitly states 'No ads!' and the hasAds flag is false.

### How much does claw cost?

claw is a paid application priced at $2.99. It also offers optional monthly ($0.99) and yearly ($4.99) subscription plans for cosmetic upgrades.

### What devices does claw support?

claw is compatible with iPhones and iPads, supporting iOS 14 widgets. The app is designed with iOS design guidelines and the latest technologies in mind.

### How often is claw updated?

The latest version of claw is 1.6.0, last updated on September 16, 2025. This indicates a consistent update schedule for the application.

### What is the age rating for claw?

claw has an age rating of 17+, suggesting mature content or themes may be present within the Lobsters community discussions it aggregates.

### Can I log in to Lobsters through claw?

No, Lobsters does not support third-party logins. claw is an unofficial reader and does not provide login functionality.

### Is claw open source?

Yes, claw is an open-source project. Contributions from the community are welcomed by the developer, Zac Gorak.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.6.1 — 2026-07-30

Fixed comments not loading in stories

Thanks for using claw - the unofficial https://lobste.rs reader application! Lobsters is a computing-focused community centered around link aggregation and discussion.

This is an open source application. Comments and contributions are welcomed. Checkout our GitHub for even more information!

### 1.6.0 — 2025-09-16

Glass is here! iOS 26 update is live! Lots of bug fixes and improvements as well. Expect more updates soon.

Thanks for using claw - the unofficial https://lobste.rs reader application! Lobsters is a computing-focused community centered around link aggregation and discussion.

This is an open source application. Comments and contributions are welcomed. Checkout our GitHub for even more information!

### 1.5.10 — 2025-08-04

Added a new debug/blueprint style supporter icon!

Thanks for using claw - the unofficial https://lobste.rs reader application! Lobsters is a computing-focused community centered around link aggregation and discussion.

This is an open source application. Comments and contributions are welcomed. Checkout our GitHub for even more information!

### 1.5.9 — 2025-07-21

Fixed the user about section. The API was previously serving markdown and now it’s HTML. This new format is now properly displayed/parsed. 

Thanks for using claw - the unofficial https://lobste.rs reader application! Lobsters is a computing-focused community centered around link aggregation and discussion.

This is an open source application. Comments and contributions are welcomed. Checkout our GitHub for even more information!

### 1.5.8 — 2025-07-10

- Bug fixes and improvements

This is an open source application. Comments and contributions are welcomed. Checkout our GitHub for even more information!

## Apps similar to claw

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Octal for Hacker News](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/octal-for-hacker-news/id1308885491) | 4.8 (2,813) | Free | News |
| [Flamingo Reader](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flamingo-reader/id817164332) | — | Free | News |
| [Hacker News - Experiment](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-news-experiment/id1513475373) | 3.5 (2) | Free | News |
| [Hacko for Hacker News](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacko-for-hacker-news/id6448201970) | 4.6 (31) | Free | News |
| [hn - Hacker News Reader](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hn-hacker-news-reader/id1446189504) | 5.0 (2) | Free | News |
| [Hacki for Hacker News](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacki-for-hacker-news/id1602043763) | 4.6 (35) | Free | News |

## More apps by Zac Gorak

- [NetUtils - Network Utilities](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/netutils-network-utilities/id1434360325)
- [ACFT Calculator and Resources](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/acft-calculator-and-resources/id1439376176)
- [Split Flap](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/split-flap/id1498259010)
- [Smart AI Actions](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-ai-actions/id1659310170)
- [k. - Keyboard](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/k-keyboard/id6443823801)

All apps by Zac Gorak: https://appshunter.io/developer/916419489

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-21.*