The Read-it-later app Pocket will be closing its Mac app on August 15th.

Image credit : Pocket Mozilla's popular read-it-later app, Pocket, has announced the retirement of its Mac app, Pocket for Mac. Instead, it will be replaced with the Pocket iOS app for Apple Silicon Macs, which includes models introduced in late 2020 and later. This change will take effect on Tuesday, August 15, after which the Mac app will no longer be functional. Unfortunately, users with older Mac models will no longer have a dedicated native desktop app for Pocket once the current Mac app is discontinued. However, they can still access Pocket via the website and on their iPhones and iPads. The decision to retire the Mac app is aimed at providing a more consistent experience for users across platforms, whether they are reading articles on their laptops or mobile devices. Earlier this year, Pocket underwent a revamp that introduced updated features, such as the Home tab and a rebranded "My List" tab, now known as "Saves." The goal of these changes was to transform Pocket into not just a place to catch up on reading but also an app that facilitates the discovery of new content through high-quality recommendations. [caption id="attachment_189254" align="aligncenter" width="767"] Image credit : PCMag[/caption] This announcement comes at a time when Pocket faces competition from other read-it-later apps like Instapaper and Matter, as well as modern news reading apps like Artifact, which utilizes AI to offer personalized reading recommendations. Moreover, Artifact recently introduced new AI text-to-speech voices in partnership with Speechify, enabling users to listen to articles in natural-sounding voices, including those of celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Gwyneth Paltrow. By comparison, Pocket's AI voices are perceived to sound more robotic. Also read : Threads has lost 50% of its users, claims Meta chief Zuckerberg In addition to the Mac app shutdown, Pocket is transitioning its users to Firefox accounts, a process that started on July 11, 2023, and will become mandatory as of August 15. This transition also plays a role in the decision to discontinue the Pocket Mac app, as Mozilla aims to streamline its development efforts by focusing on the mobile app.