Octal for Hacker News

Octal for Hacker News

Social developer & tech news

2.8K ratings
171 reviews
Free
In-App Purchases

Details

  • Released
  • Updated
  • November 26, 2017
  • September 9, 2026

Features

Octal for Hacker News screenshot #1 for iPhone
Octal for Hacker News screenshot #2 for iPhone
Octal for Hacker News screenshot #3 for iPhone
Octal for Hacker News screenshot #4 for iPhone
Octal for Hacker News screenshot #5 for iPhone
iphone
ipad
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About

Access breaking tech news and engage in discussions with a beautifully designed, fast, and user-friendly feed. Vote on stories, submit posts, comment, and manage favorites without ads or subscriptions.

Vote on stories and comments
Submit new posts
Engage in threaded discussions
Search Hacker News stories
Manage favorites
Customizable news feed filters
Dark Mode support
Show original description

What users say

See all reviews

What's New in Octal for Hacker News

5.2.0

September 9, 2026

• Added 'Collapse Thread' option on comments — quickly collapse an entire thread from any reply within it. • Collapsed comments now stay collapsed when you come back to a post. • Smoother swiping between story feeds.

More
4

In-App Purchases

$5.99

Premium

Add comments, change themes, and more!

User reviews

Nice clean app, happy to support

Thanks for keeping things simple and clean and function

Ruined by “UI improvements”

The overhaul of the UI to take advantage of Liquid Glass has completely broken common workflows. Here’s an easy one: open a thread, switch to landscape (maybe accidentally), switch back to portrait. The app is now completely frozen with a broken UI state and needs to be force-quit. Come on.

Best client I have used so far

The Liquid Glass update is mostly great with one minor issue: the In-App web view now opens from the bottom, making the swipe back gesture no longer possible. A switch to change to the old behavior would be appreciated as swiping down from the top isn’t as easy.

Good but missing some web features

Good but missing fading comment text based on rep

So simple, so (nearly) perfect.

Love the app, have been using it for years.

However, a recent update (accidentally?) removed the "collapse root" feature from the context menu.

Pretty please bring that small affordance back.

User experience

🐞

Reported Bugs

8 issues

Login and likes broken on iOS 16.0

Bug

Restore purchase not working

Bug

App icon doesn't change

Bug

Editing a comment works but gives an error

Bug

Can't collapse comments

Bug

Upvoting fails very often

Bug

Refreshing comments doesn't load new comments

Bug

Messes up Screen time

Bug

Requested Features

18 requests

Dark mode option

Feature

Ability to browse history and upvoted stories

Feature

Markdown highlighting for comments

Feature

Ability to select text when tap anywhere to collapse comment is enabled

Feature

Downvote functionality

Feature

Ability to export bookmarks/favorites

Feature

Swipe to collapse whole comment branch

Feature

Larger upvote button

Feature

Ability to see points on own comments

Feature

Swipe to go back

Feature

Paginated behavior instead of infinite scrolling

Feature

Ability to filter by post types (Show HN, Ask HN, etc.)

Feature

Linking back to upvoted comments

Feature

Auto night mode

Feature

Larger font size options

Feature

Ability to see read news in grey

Feature

Telegram Night Blue color scheme for dark mode

Feature

Bookmark/offline support

Feature

FAQ

What does Octal for Hacker News do?

Octal is a mobile application that provides a curated news feed of breaking tech news from Hacker News. It allows users to read, vote on, comment on, and submit stories, fostering community engagement around technology topics.

What are the key features of Octal for Hacker News?

Key features include the ability to vote on stories and comments, submit new posts, engage in fast, threaded discussions, search for specific stories, manage a favorites list, and customize the news feed with various filters. It also offers Dark Mode and accessibility options.

Is Octal for Hacker News free to use?

Yes, the app is completely free to use. It explicitly states that it is free of ads, subscriptions, and tracking, making it a cost-free experience for users.

What devices is Octal for Hacker News compatible with?

The app is designed for both iPhone and iPad, offering a beautiful interface optimized for each. It also supports accessibility features like Dynamic Type and VoiceOver, and is ready for any screen size, including an optional 2-pane interface for iPads.

Who would benefit from using Octal for Hacker News?

This app is ideal for developers, tech enthusiasts, startup founders, and anyone who wants to stay informed about the latest trends, news, and discussions in the technology industry. It's for those who appreciate a clean, fast, and ad-free news experience.