Summary: Feedly, the world's largest standalone RSS reader, has faced over a week of technical difficulties, leaving paying users frustrated with an "unusably slow" web app. Some users report ignored support requests. The company attributes the issue to a bug, not its strategic shift toward AI.
Feedly's Technical Woes: A Week of Frustration
For over a week, Feedly—the leading standalone RSS reader globally—has been plagued by technical issues, prompting paying customers to complain that the web application has become "unusably slow." Users have also voiced concerns on Reddit that their support requests have gone unanswered, raising questions about the company's priorities.
Feedly inherited the RSS mantle after Google shut down Google Reader in 2013, and it now boasts 15 million users, making it more prominent than competitors like Inoreader and desktop apps such as NetNewsWire and Reeder. However, recent performance issues have tarnished its reputation.
User Complaints: Slow Performance and Broken Apps
Users have reported a significant slowdown on Feedly's web app, making it difficult to browse feeds efficiently. On Reddit, some described the app as running "extremely" slow and "unusable." Additionally, the iOS app has malfunctioned, including on the iOS 27 beta, and the classic version of the mobile app was discontinued without warning weeks ago, upsetting a niche but loyal user base.
These issues come at a time when the RSS reader market remains niche compared to mainstream news consumption through apps like Apple News, Google News, and social media. Feedly has pivoted toward AI, offering businesses tools to track emerging threats and personalized intelligence, which is now prominently advertised on its homepage.
Feedly's Response: A Bug, Not a Shift in Focus
TechCrunch reached out to Feedly for clarification, given the outpouring of user frustration. CEO Edwin Khodabakchian reassured that RSS remains a priority despite the AI pivot. "Despite the pivot to cyber threat intelligence, fixing the basic RSS functionality is still a priority because our CTI community uses the news-reading capability," he explained. "Our goal has been to maintain the Feedly News Reader as fast and streamlined as possible."
He attributed the web app slowdown to a bug, noting that the front-end team has been testing a fix. The suspected cause is the "Mark as Read" feature on accounts with numerous folders, and a fix was released on Friday. The company is still verifying whether this resolves the issue for all users.
As Feedly navigates its dual focus on core RSS services and AI-driven intelligence, the current situation serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining reliability for its existing user base.
via TechCrunch