I built my own news feed after Google News buried the stories I wanted to read
by Anu Joy · Android PoliceI've relied on Google News for years because it was convenient. It covered a range of topics and generally did a decent job of surfacing the day's headlines.
But over time, I realized it wasn't keeping up with the things I wanted to read. The app became increasingly unpredictable.
Sometimes it would flood my feed with stories about topics I'd only searched for once, while updates from my favorite websites barely showed up.
I wanted a news app that reflected my interests. That's what led me to Inoreader.
Instead of relying on an algorithm to decide what's worth reading, it lets me build my own news feed by following the websites, blogs, newsletters, YouTube channels, and keyword searches that matter to me.
The result is a feed that's far more relevant, easier to manage, and refreshingly free from algorithmic surprises.
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By Faith Leroux
Google News is excellent until your interests become too specific
Google News works best when your interests overlap with what's already popular.
If you're looking for breaking news, sports, politics, or mainstream tech coverage, it usually delivers.
The recommendation engine gets reasonably good at learning what you click, and the Following tab lets you keep track of topics and publications.
The problem is that it still decides what deserves your attention.
I've noticed this most with smaller websites and independent blogs. Some barely appeared in my feed despite publishing regularly.
Other times, Google News would show me three nearly identical stories from large publications while completely ignoring a detailed article from the niche site I actually wanted to read.
Ultimately, I discovered I was missing stories that Google's algorithm deemed unimportant.
Inoreader gives me complete control over what I see
The biggest difference I noticed after switching to Inoreader was how much control it gave me over my feed.
Instead of relying on an algorithm to decide which stories deserved my attention, I built my own news experience from the ground up.
I started by subscribing to the websites I visit most often, including Android news sites, productivity publications, and a few personal blogs that rarely showed up in Google News.
Every time one of those sources publishes a new article, it appears in my feed in chronological order.
Nothing is buried because it isn't trending, and I don't have to wonder whether an algorithm decided it wasn't relevant enough to show me.
It brings all my reading into one app
One of the things I appreciate most about Inoreader is that it has become the only app I need to keep up with the content I care about.
Instead of bouncing between websites, newsletters, social platforms, and search alerts throughout the day, I can check almost everything from a single feed.
Most of my favorite websites publish RSS feeds, so adding them takes only a few taps.
I also use Google News keyword alerts to track specific topics, and Inoreader can pull those RSS feeds into the same place.
Now, I don’t need to keep checking Google News for updates on niche topics.
I also follow a few Reddit communities through their RSS feeds, so interesting discussions appear alongside news articles instead of getting lost in endless scrolling.
If you subscribe to Inoreader Pro, you can monitor Facebook pages and Telegram channels, bringing updates from those platforms into your feed as well.
It's packed with features that make reading easier
The one feature I rely on most is Read later.
Whenever I come across an interesting article during the workday, I can save it with the Inoreader: Read-later Chrome extension.
When I have time to catch up, everything is waiting in one place.
If there's an article I know I'll want to reference again, I can tag it, making it easy to find later.
The built-in search is another feature I use regularly, letting me search across all my subscriptions.
There are even more advanced features if you need them.
Inoreader Pro can highlight articles containing specific keywords, use AI-powered summaries, and monitor the web for new mentions of topics you're tracking.
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I don't miss Google News nearly as much as I expected
Google News is still one of the best apps for catching up on the day's biggest headlines, and I'd happily recommend it to anyone who wants a simple, personalized news app.
But when my interests became more specific, I found myself wanting more control than an algorithm could offer.
Inoreader gave me exactly that.
Instead of hoping important stories would appear in my feed, I decide which sources to follow, how to organize them, and which articles deserve my attention.