# HACK for Hacker News YC Reader — Best Hacker News app for tech

> Beautiful and feature-rich Hacker News reader with extensive customization. (iPhone/iPad app by Pranoy Chowdhury.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hack-for-hacker-news-yc-reader/id1464477788 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Pranoy Chowdhury](https://appshunter.io/developer/952263202)
- Category: News, Developer Tools
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.70/5 from 1,568 App Store ratings · 163 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 9+
- Requires: iOS 11.0 · 33 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2019-05-26
- Data updated: 2026-08-25
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hack-for-hacker-news-yc-reader/id1464477788/reviews.md

## What is HACK for Hacker News YC Reader?

HACK for YC's Hacker News is the most beautiful and easy way to read about the latest tech, startup and STEM news. 

- No Ads. No subscriptions.
- Login or Register your Hacker News account
- PUSH NOTIFICATIONS for Hacker News replies to comment or post
- Supported on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
- Comments are presented in nested threads
- Tap a comment to collapse that thread
- Swipe left or right on stories and comments to upvote and favorite
- Ability to submit new posts including drafts
- Long press a story, link or comment to share
- iPad supports split view 
- On iPads, you can drag a story / comment / story's image (link) to open it in safari in split view. This is useful for when you are viewing the app in split view / multitasking and like opening the link / story / comment in a browser side by side.
- Landscape and Portrait support
- 3D touch for peek, pop support
- Home screen 3D touch shortcuts
- Hide posts from the feed
- Tap the bottom button to scroll to the next root comment in the thread. Long press it to go to the previous one
- All known hacker news endpoints - News, front page, Ask HN, Show HN, Show HN Newest, classic, active, best stories, best comments, new stories, new comments, noob stories, noob comments, jobs, over 100-500 points
- Submit posts, reply, comment using your HN account
- Browse top 100 leader accounts
- Browse stories from a specific site, user or date
- Search in comments and usernames! Search is case and diacritic insensitive and ignores punctuations. Search uses an CONTAINS, OR operation if multiple words are typed.
- Can select / highlight the comment/post title text for lookup/copy/translate etc iOS native operations.
- Powerful search (powered by Algolia API) - use @date to sort by date, #story to filter for stories, #comments to filter for comments, #author_username to filter by user etc. These tags can be separated by commas. Refer to https://hn.algolia.com/api for more tags.
- Dark mode - both pure black and gray mode
- Low contrast text mode to make the text not be pure white
- Many color choices & color picker for customization
- App icons in variety of colours for light and dark mode
- Font choices
- Ability to change font sizes, padding etc to make the layout as compact as you like!
- Threaded comments with color bar to maintain visual orientation
- Articles open in Safari view with setting to automatically open in "readability" mode
- Tap the domain in a story to see all stories from that site
- Tap the username in a story or comment to go to the user profile
- Browse your submitted stories and comments, favorited stories and comments, upvoted stories and comments
- Archive: View an archive of the post website. archive.is, archive.org & google cache.
- Share comment as image
- Articles can be opened in built in safari or 3rd party browsers. Supports Brave, Firefox, Firefox Focus, Orion, Opera Touch, Dolphin, DuckDuckGo, iCab Mobile, Microsoft Edge and Chrome. Go to settings > Disable the "Use in-app Safari" setting > tap that row to change the default browser.

All stories and comments are via Algolia API and Hacker News API:
https://news.ycombinator.com/ 
https://hn.algolia.com/api
https://github.com/HackerNews/API

Profile picture robots lovingly delivered by Robohash.org

I am a small indie developer and need your help keep the lights on. I offer an ad and analytics free and beautiful app for the absolute best experience for my users. I need to run my own server for caching high quality favicons shown in the app plus for push notifications for replies to hacker news posts. If you can afford it, please support me by purchasing the one-time-only in-app-purchase or giving me a tip. No subscriptions. You can also leave a review on the App Store as that really helps me get the word out. Thank you for choosing HACK.

If you have a programming job or have feedback, contact me at:

pran@pranapps.com

## Key features

- Ad-free and subscription-free reading
- Push notifications for replies
- Nested threaded comments with collapse
- Swipe to upvote and favorite
- Submit new posts and drafts
- Powerful Algolia-powered search
- Customizable themes, fonts, and layout

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hack Premium | $14.99 | one-time |
| Nice Tip | $3.99 | one-time |
| Kind Tip | $6.99 | one-time |
| Amazing Tip | $12.99 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Godzilla Tip | $19.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (10 of 163)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hack-for-hacker-news-yc-reader/id1464477788/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Good but

*2026-08-07, version 163*

Can u guys pls add a tutorial and I need to get help but it kinda ez

### 5/5 — Solid App- across the board!

*2026-07-26, version 163*

This is my favorite app and is constantly improving. Great work, buddy!

### 5/5 — much more pleasant interaction

*2026-07-06, version 156*

I only wish it would sync read articles and comment branches between devices

### 5/5 — The best

*2026-06-23, version 156*

This is the best Hacker News reader there is. Smooth, powerful, and complete.

### 5/5 — Best so far

*2026-06-20, version 156*

No purchase needed, no ads. Probably will pay the $5 to support the dev, though, because this kind of functionality is rare for ios apps without either ads or in-app purchases. Quite the hidden gem. Lots of settings to choose from. I especially like being able to select the text of a comment to copy by long-pressing on a comment, and from there, there are a lot of options, including copying the text as a whole, or selecting a certain part of the text as it pops up with the options. Now will look for other apps made by this dev! Edit: decided to purchase, it’s worth it

### 5/5 — Awesome app

*2026-06-19, version 156*

This is the best HN app I’ve found. The developer is super responsive, the app is very well designed, and even the non-premium app is very full featured. I of course recommend going premium to support amazing people like Pran!

### 5/5 — Awesome app

*2026-05-27, version 154*

This is the best HN app I’ve found. The developer is super responsive, the app is very well designed, and even the non-premium app is very full featured. I of course recommend going premium to support amazing people like Pran!

### 5/5 — Awesome app

*2026-05-19, version 153*

This is the best HN app I’ve found. The developer is super responsive, the app is very well designed, and even the non-premium app is very full featured. I of course recommend going premium to support amazing people like Pran!

### 5/5 — Dev is S Tier

*2026-04-16, version 151*

Plain and simple, this guys is insane. Insanely good, answers to all feature requests, etc.

App itself is solid, just like hn crowd

### 5/5 — A+++

*2026-04-14, version 151*

amazing site|app|dev

## Frequently asked questions about HACK for Hacker News YC Reader

### What is HACK for Hacker News YC Reader?

HACK for Hacker News YC Reader is an application designed to provide a beautiful and user-friendly interface for consuming content from YC's Hacker News. It focuses on delivering the latest tech, startup, and STEM news with advanced features and customization options.

### What are the key features of this Hacker News app?

Key features include an ad-free and subscription-free experience, push notifications for comment replies, nested threaded comments that can be collapsed, the ability to swipe to upvote and favorite stories, and the option to submit new posts. It also offers powerful search capabilities powered by the Algolia API and extensive customization for themes, fonts, and layout.

### Is this app free to use?

Yes, the application is free to use and does not have any ads or subscriptions. This allows users to enjoy all the features without any cost or interruptions.

### What devices is HACK for Hacker News YC Reader compatible with?

The app is supported on iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices. It also offers features like split view support on iPads, making it versatile for multitasking and different screen sizes.

### How can I customize the reading experience?

Users can extensively customize their reading experience through various options. This includes selecting from different dark mode themes (pure black and gray), a low contrast text mode, numerous color choices with a color picker, a variety of app icons, font choices, and the ability to adjust font sizes and padding for a personalized layout.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 164 — 2026-08-21

Thank you for supporting me. Here's what's changed:
- Fixed a bug where the History page would freeze for a few seconds before loading if history was long.
- Fixed a bug where the IAP button text was hard to read when light accent color was in use.
- Scrollable text in context menu now fades at the edges if needed. Looks better imo.
- Tiny update to the default liquid glass app icon.
- HACK is supported on Mac, iPhone, iPad.

I am a small indie developer and need your help keep the lights on. I offer an ad and analytics free and beautiful app for the absolute best experience for my users. I need to run my own server for caching high quality favicons shown in the app plus for push notifications for replies to hacker news posts. If you can afford it, please support me by purchasing the one-time-only in-app-purchase or giving me a tip. No subscriptions. You can also leave a review on the App Store as that really helps me get the word out. Thank you for choosing HACK.

If you have a programming job or have feedback, contact me at:
pran@pranapps.com

### 163 — 2026-07-25

Thank you for supporting me. Here's what's new:
- As requested by users, added a "Translate Language" option to context menu on comments and posts for easy translation. This is only for iOS and iPad. Not available on Mac.
- Note that a previous update fixed a critical bug which would intermittently cause the app to entirely freeze, stop responding to touch, and require restarting the app. To fix it, entirely rewrote the "Full Screen Swipe Back" feature to use newer APIs. If this bug still persists, please email me.
- HACK is supported on Mac, iPhone, iPad.

I am a small indie developer and need your help keep the lights on. I offer an ad and analytics free and beautiful app for the absolute best experience for my users. I need to run my own server for caching high quality favicons shown in the app plus for push notifications for replies to hacker news posts. If you can afford it, please support me by purchasing the one-time-only in-app-purchase or giving me a tip. No subscriptions. You can also leave a review on the App Store as that really helps me get the word out. Thank you for choosing HACK.

If you have a programming job or have feedback, contact me at:

pran@pranapps.com

### 162 — 2026-07-22

Thank you for supporting me. Here's what's new:
- Sometimes for logged out users, HN website reports an error on some pages. The app should now show that error.
- Fixed a bug where thick title font setting wasn't working for some fonts.
- Note that a previous update fixed a critical bug which would intermittently cause the app to entirely freeze, stop responding to touch, and require restarting the app. To fix it, entirely rewrote the "Full Screen Swipe Back" feature to use newer APIs. If this bug still persists, please email me.
- HACK is supported on Mac, iPhone, iPad.

I am a small indie developer and need your help keep the lights on. I offer an ad and analytics free and beautiful app for the absolute best experience for my users. I need to run my own server for caching high quality favicons shown in the app plus for push notifications for replies to hacker news posts. If you can afford it, please support me by purchasing the one-time-only in-app-purchase or giving me a tip. No subscriptions. You can also leave a review on the App Store. Thank you for choosing HACK.

If you have a programming job or have feedback, contact me at:

pran@pranapps.com

### 161 — 2026-07-20

Thank you for supporting me. Here's what's new:
- Fixed a bug where thick title font setting wasn't working for some fonts.
- Note that a previous update fixed a critical bug which would intermittently cause the app to entirely freeze, stop responding to touch, and require restarting the app. To fix it, entirely rewrote the "Full Screen Swipe Back" feature to use newer APIs. If this bug still persists, please email me.
- HACK is supported on Mac, iPhone, iPad.

I am a small indie developer and need your help keep the lights on. I offer an ad and analytics free and beautiful app for the absolute best experience for my users. I need to run my own server for caching high quality favicons shown in the app plus for push notifications for replies to hacker news posts. If you can afford it, please support me by purchasing the one-time-only in-app-purchase or giving me a tip. No subscriptions. You can also leave a review on the App Store. Thank you for choosing HACK.

If you have a programming job or have feedback, contact me at:

pran@pranapps.com

### 159 — 2026-07-15

Thank you for supporting me. Here's what's new:
- Upon request by few users, added a new setting to keep screen on while idle. This is on by default.
- Fixed a bug where the favicon image backgrounds weren't obeying theme changes.
- Added a subtle border around the favicon images.
- Added Archives option when long pressing links in comments. Now you can easily access archive.org versions of those links.
- Note that previous update fixed a critical bug which would intermittently cause the app to entirely freeze, stop responding to touch, and require restarting the app. To fix it, entirely rewrote the "Full Screen Swipe Back" feature to use newer APIs. If this bug still persists, please email me.
- Fixed a bug where the share extension to open HN links in app were not working.
- HACK is supported on Mac, iPhone, iPad.

I am a small indie developer and need your help keep the lights on. I offer an ad and analytics free and beautiful app for the absolute best experience for my users. I need to run my own server for caching high quality favicons shown in the app plus for push notifications for replies to hacker news posts. If you can afford it, please support me by purchasing the one-time-only in-app-purchase or giving me a tip. No subscriptions. You can also leave a review on the App Store. Thank you for choosing HACK.

If you have a programming job or have feedback, contact me at:

pran@pranapps.com

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## More apps by Pranoy Chowdhury

- [Fititude - Cardio, Workout, Exercise tracker and full log with music player for fitness and training](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fititude-cardio-workout-exercise-tracker-and-full-log-with-music-player-for-fitness-and-training/id952263203)
- [Color Circle - Tap to Switch](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/color-circle-tap-to-switch/id1084246048)
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- [MoodWell: moody tracker diary](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/moodwell-moody-tracker-diary/id1443436795)

All apps by Pranoy Chowdhury: https://appshunter.io/developer/952263202

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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 2026-08-25.*