The End of an Era: Pocket Is Closing After 17 Years

After nearly two decades of helping people save articles for later reading, Pocket is officially signing off. Mozilla, the company behind the once-popular app, announced that Pocket will shut down on July 8, 2025. For long-time users who’ve relied on it to collect and organize articles, this marks the end of an era.

Mozilla shared that the decision was made because the way people browse and consume content has changed. They’re now focusing on other projects that better match today’s digital habits. Pocket won’t be getting updates anymore and has already been removed from app stores. However, if you’ve downloaded it before, you can still re-install it through your app history.

If you still have saved articles in your Pocket account, you’ll want to act fast. You can export all your content until October 8, 2025, after which your data will be erased. To do that, go to the export page, make sure your email is correct, then click the “Export CSV File” button. Your data will be sent to your inbox, and while Mozilla says it may take up to 24 hours, users have reported getting it within minutes.

Premium subscribers don’t need to worry about refunds. Mozilla has already started issuing prorated returns depending on the remaining time after the shut down date. The money will go back to your original payment method automatically.

The company hasn’t shared much more about why Pocket is closing, but some speculate that it could be due to the rise of AI tools that make it easier to summarize and save web content. Mozilla acquired Pocket in 2017, and it seems the app’s journey is simply coming to its natural end.

If you’re looking for a Pocket replacement, there are a couple of good options. Raindrop.io and Instapaper are both solid choices. Raindrop.io is more of a visual bookmark manager that works with a wide range of content, while Instapaper keeps things simple and article-focused, similar to Pocket. Both services let you import your saved Pocket items, making the switch smoother.

Raindrop.io, in particular, is already seeing a jump in new users since Pocket’s shutdown announcement. Its founder, Rustem Mussabekov, said that while it’s sad to see Pocket go, this is a chance for people to try tools that are growing and adapting with current tech trends.

For those of us who grew up bookmarking must-read pieces in Pocket, it’s definitely a bittersweet moment. But with a few clicks, we can carry our reading habits into a new home.