How to Use RSS on iPhone with NetNewsWire

To use RSS on iPhone, add a website’s feed to an RSS reader such as NetNewsWire. A feed is a publisher’s list of updates; the reader gathers those updates and keeps track of what you have read. You follow a source once, then return to its articles without repeatedly checking the website.

Start with one site you already enjoy. Check where the subscription is stored, open one article and keep a clear recovery path when the source cannot be found.

Choose a website that publishes a feed

RSS is a way for websites to publish updates in a format an app can read. NetNewsWire’s feed explanation also covers Atom and JSON Feed, which serve the same purpose for this task.

Look for a feed link on the publisher’s website, often labeled RSS, Atom or Feed. A feed address and a normal article address are different things: the feed supplies updates from a source; an article link opens one item.

NetNewsWire can try to discover a feed from a website address. That is convenient, but it cannot guarantee a subscription to every site. If the publisher provides an explicit feed link, copy that address so you know which source you are adding.

For a concrete first source, NetNewsWire publishes its own blog feed. Copy that link to follow the project’s updates, then use the same process for a publisher you want to read.

Install NetNewsWire through its official iPhone listing, checking compatibility on the device you plan to use. Keep the publisher’s page nearby for the first check.

Decide where the subscription belongs

Choose local reading if you only want the subscription on this phone. Choose syncing deliberately if you want subscriptions and reading state across devices.

NetNewsWire’s local-account documentation describes On My iPhone. Local accounts do not sync; the released app source retains that distinction. Optional iCloud or third-party services introduce their own accounts and data arrangements.

Local does not mean disconnected. The app still needs to retrieve the feeds you follow. NetNewsWire’s privacy policy also explains that publisher content can include the publisher’s own analytics. A local subscription is a storage choice, not a promise that no network requests occur.

Add one source and check an article

Open Add Feed in NetNewsWire. The released 7.2 form provides a URL field, an optional title and a Folder choice.

1. Enter the address. Paste the publisher’s feed URL, or try its website address if you could not find one.
2. Check the title. Use the optional name if a shorter label will help you recognize the source.
3. Choose the destination. Open Folder and select the account or folder you intend to use. The destination picker includes accounts as well as their folders.
4. Tap Add. If the app reports an error, read it before trying another address.
5. Check the result. Open the subscription, choose an article and compare its title and original link with the publisher’s site.

Do not use the first import as a promise of a complete archive. The useful first check is whether you have subscribed to the intended source and can open an available item.

When the feed is missing or the article is short

Different failures need different checks:

• No feed found: revisit the publisher’s site and look for its explicit feed link. The official adding-feeds guide explains that some sites do not publish a feed or do not advertise it in a discoverable way. Guessing a /feed address does not establish that one exists.
• The source is already subscribed: look for the existing subscription and check its account before adding another copy.
• No recent articles appear: compare the publisher’s updates with the subscription, then inspect any error message. NetNewsWire’s Error Log can provide information about downloading and syncing failures.
• Only a summary appears: open the publisher’s original article. Reader View is optional; the official FAQ notes that extraction can fail and uses a separate server. It is not a guarantee of complete content or publisher access.

Keep a reading list you want to return to

Add another source when the first subscription is clear. Following a site and saving a particular article are different habits; you do not need to turn every interesting link into a permanent subscription.

For the product’s features and source notes, visit the NetNewsWire profile. To explore complementary tools for saving articles, listening and organizing downtime, browse apps for reading and listening.