The WordPress.com Reader collects all the sites you follow into a single feed. If you prefer to read those sites from a dedicated RSS app on your phone, tablet, or computer, you can connect a third-party RSS reader to your WordPress.com account and read everything from there. Your subscriptions, folders, and read/unread state stay in sync between the WordPress.com Reader and your app.
This guide walks you through choosing a compatible app, generating the credentials you need, and configuring the app to read your WordPress.com subscriptions.
In this guide
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Ask our AI assistantAny RSS reader app that supports the Google Reader API (sometimes labelled “GReader”) will work with WordPress.com. Popular options include:
- NetNewsWire (iOS, macOS)
- Reeder (iOS, macOS)
- ReadKit (macOS)
- Fiery Feeds (iOS)
- Unread (iOS)
- lire (iOS)
- FeedMe (Android)
If your favorite app supports a “Google Reader” or “GReader” account type, it should work with WordPress.com.
Connecting a third-party reader requires two-step authentication on your WordPress.com account. If you don’t already have it enabled, set it up first by following our two-step authentication guide.
You’ll also need three pieces of information to configure your app:
- The WordPress.com server URL
- Your WordPress.com username
- An application password (created in the next step)
WordPress.com uses application passwords for third-party apps so your main account password is never shared. Each app you connect gets its own password, and you can revoke it at any time without affecting the rest of your account.
- Visit wordpress.com/me/security.
- Click on Two-Step Authentication, and then scroll down to the Application Passwords section.
- Enter a name for the app you’re connecting (for example,
NetNewsWireorReeder) and click Generate Password. - Copy the password that appears. You’ll need it in the next step.
Make sure to copy the application password right away. For security reasons, WordPress.com only shows it once. If you lose it, you can generate a new one and replace it in your app.
The exact steps depend on the app, but they all follow the same pattern. In your app’s account or settings screen, choose to add a new account, then select the Google Reader account type (not FreshRSS, Feedly, or any other option).
Enter the following details:
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Server / API URL | https://public-api.wordpress.com/wpcom/v2/reader/greader |
| Username | Your WordPress.com username (for example, matt) — not your email address |
| Password | The application password from Step 1 |
Save the account. The app will sign in and pull your subscriptions.
In NetNewsWire on Mac and iOS, the account type is listed as Google Reader. Don’t pick FreshRSS, even though it asks for a similar URL. The two protocols are not the same.
Once the account is added, the app will fetch your WordPress.com Reader subscriptions on its own. You may also see a Sync or Refresh button you can tap to trigger a manual sync.
Here’s what comes across:
- All your feed subscriptions from the WordPress.com Reader
- Read and unread state: items you mark as read in your app are remembered by WordPress.com, so they stay read across devices and after a full resync.
You can keep using the WordPress.com Reader at the same time. Anything you read, follow, or unfollow on either side stays in sync.
Not yet. Read and unread state syncs both ways, but starring an item in your RSS app does not save it to WordPress.com.
Yes. Subscribing or unsubscribing to a feed in your app updates your WordPress.com Reader subscriptions, and the same is true in the other direction.
By default, the API returns posts from roughly the last 30 days when an app first syncs. Most apps will then keep new posts as they come in, so over time your archive will grow.
Yes. Any WordPress.com account with two-step authentication enabled can use a third-party RSS reader. There is no plan requirement.
“Login failed” or “Unauthorized”
- Make sure you’re entering the application password from Step 1, not your WordPress.com account password.
- Check that the username is your WordPress.com username, with no
@and no email address. - Generate a fresh application password and try again.
“No feeds” or an empty subscription list
- Open the WordPress.com Reader and confirm you’re subscribed to at least one site.
- Trigger a manual sync from your app.
The app can’t find the server
- Double-check the server URL:
https://public-api.wordpress.com/wpcom/v2/reader/greader. - Make sure you chose the Google Reader account type and not a similar-sounding option.
If you’re still stuck after trying the steps above, contact our Happiness Engineers and we’ll help you get connected.
