# Simple Reader for Hacker News — Just the news > Simple, open-source client for browsing Hacker News top posts. (iPhone/iPad app by Ryan Nystrom.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-reader-for-hacker-news/id1000995253 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Ryan Nystrom](https://appshunter.io/developer/517642218) - Category: News, Business - Price: Free - Rating: 4.20/5 from 1,414 App Store ratings · 51 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 10.0 · 3 MB - Languages: English - Released: 2015-06-11 - Data updated: 2026-06-10 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-reader-for-hacker-news/id1000995253/reviews.md ## What is Simple Reader for Hacker News? A stupid simple client for Hacker News. Browse the latest top posts in an infinite list, and if you don't like it, the whole app is open source! Performant even on the iPhone 4 so everyone can get their HN fix. https://github.com/rnystrom/HackerNewsReader ## Key features - Browse latest top posts - Infinite scrolling list - Open source - Performant on older devices - Clean interface ## What do users think of Simple Reader for Hacker News? Overall sentiment: negative **Pros** - 👍 Clean, simple, and straightforward interface - 🚀 Fast and efficient - 📚 Minimalist design that fits the Hacker News theme **Cons** - 🐛 Crashes on launch or during use - 🐛 Unable to load content or display articles - 🐛 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions **Commonly reported bugs** - Crashes when rotating the device - Search functionality not working as expected - Permanent search mode with no way to return **Most requested features** - Dark mode option - Login and voting support - Customization options (font size, etc.) ## Recent user reviews (10 of 51) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-reader-for-hacker-news/id1000995253/reviews.md ### 1/5 — Crashes on launch *2023-10-31* Got iPhone 14 Pro Max, installed, crashed on launch, reinstalled, same. Tried several times, wasn’t to launch a even a singke time. It’s been couple weeks, still no fix. Phone is fine, SW is up to date. Pls fix ### 1/5 — Doesn’t work anymore *2023-02-11, version 1.3.0* This was my go-to HN app. The search box at the top was great since other apps don’t have that. But the app doesn’t work anymore. ### 2/5 — Not Updated *2022-11-03, version 1.3.0* Was a great app, but it doesn't work anymore. Terrible that you can't just develop something these days and let it go on autopilot. Everything in tech needs constant updates and hand holding. ### 1/5 — Broken as of Oct. 2022 *2022-10-21, version 1.3.0* Shows a (more) link with no other options. The “more” shows comments from an indeterminate source. ### 1/5 — No articles load *2022-10-13, version 1.3.0* Can’t see any articles after latest update. See “More” but no other articles in the list. ### 1/5 — No longer works *2022-10-11, version 1.3.0* Good for years, for whatever reason it can’t display posts anymore. ### 1/5 — No longer works *2022-10-10, version 1.3.0* Was my favorite Hacker News app but it no longer works. Every thread is the same and is titled “More”. Unfortunately I think the developer abandoned this one long ago. Was hoping I could keep using it regardless but RIP. ### 1/5 — Now broken *2022-10-04, version 1.3.0* I wasn’t getting new posts any longer. The list only displayed one story called “More”. Tried reinstalling and now it force crashes on start. ### 2/5 — used to work fine *2022-10-02, version 1.3.0* It was all good until October2022, there were couple bugs but overall good HN client. But now just crashes on launch, have to find another HN app. ### 1/5 — Stopped loading content *2022-10-01, version 1.3.0* Just recently stopped being able to load content. Looks like the app is abandoned as it hasn’t had an update in years. So, time to move on to a different app. ## Frequently asked questions about Simple Reader for Hacker News ### What does this app do? This app provides a simple and performant way to browse the latest top posts from Hacker News. It features an infinite scrolling list for easy content consumption. ### Is this app free to use? Yes, the app is completely free to use. It is also open source, meaning the code is publicly available. ### What are the key features of this Hacker News client? Key features include browsing the latest top posts in an infinite list, an open-source codebase, and high performance even on older iPhone models. ### Who is this app designed for? This app is designed for anyone who wants a no-frills, efficient client to access Hacker News content, including users with older devices. ## Version history (last 1 release) ### 1.3.0 — 2017-12-18 This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon. Updated for iPhone X ## Apps similar to Simple Reader for Hacker News | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Unread: An RSS Reader](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unread-an-rss-reader/id1363637349) | 4.6 (33) | Free | News | | [Inoreader: News & RSS reader](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/inoreader-news-and-rss-reader/id892355414) | 4.6 (368) | Free | News | | [Matter: Reading App](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/matter-reading-app/id1501592184) | 4.4 (124) | Free | News | | [The Information: Tech News](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-information-tech-news/id1485459932) | 3.0 (149) | Free | News | | [HACK for Hacker News YC Reader](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hack-for-hacker-news-yc-reader/id1464477788) | 4.7 (1,542) | Free | News | | [Decrypt: Bitcoin & crypto news](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/decrypt-bitcoin-and-crypto-news/id1508494821) | 3.8 (141) | Free | News | ## More apps by Ryan Nystrom - [Poetreat - Write quick and simple bites of poetry](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/poetreat-write-quick-and-simple-bites-of-poetry/id636392647) - [GitHawk for GitHub](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/githawk-for-github/id1252320249) All apps by Ryan Nystrom: https://appshunter.io/developer/517642218 --- *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 2026-06-10.*