How to Use Pocket (Read Later App) Effectively
So nowadays, we have access to the amount of information,like no one ever had in the past. Anythingyou want to knowis just a google search away.But still;we never have enough timeto read all those useful content we find on the web.
And this is where the read later apps like Pocket comes in.
The idea is simple– if you find an interesting article on the web, but don’t have time to read it, then save it to your pocket account. And read it later whenever you want.
To get started with pocket, go to itsofficial website. Create a new account and install its apps on every device you have. Watch thisintroductory videoon Pocket
However, if you are already using it for some time now, then here are some tips and tricks to use pocket more efficiently. So let’s get started.
Pocket Tips & Tricks
#1 Quickly Save to Pocket
Usually, we click on thepocket’s browser extensionto save articles in the pocket.
But say, you have a URL of the article (like a link shared by your friend on social media) that you want to save but without even opening that link in a new tab. So to do that, right click on that link and selectSave to Pocketoption. That’s it.
Similarly, once you install the pocket extension, you see asmall pocket iconat the bottom of the every post on sites like Twitter or Reddit. When you click on this icon, it’ll automatically save the link(s) in the post into your pocket account.
#2 Save to Pocket in Smartphone
If you come across a good article on your smartphone, you can save it to your pocket by using the share feature built-into app. Almost every app have this option.
However, if the app doesn’t have thissharefeature, then copy the URL of the article in the clipboard and open the pocket app. At the bottom of the screen, you’ll seesave copied URL to the list, tap on Add to confirm.
#3 Save articles on laptop
Pocket’s smartphone app download the articles for offline use. This comes in handy when you are sitting on an airplane and want to read your favorite article. But say, you want to get the same thing on your computer. So how do you do that?
Well, you can install thePocket’s MAC appif you have OS X. And while there is no dedicated desktop app for PC and Linux user, you can try thepocket Chrome app. Like the smartphone app, it will also save the articles for offline use.
#4 Listen to Article (Very Useful)
Pocket has a built in TTS support for both Android and iOS app. This means you can listen to your favorite articles while walking or laying in your bed. So basically, you can turn any text on the web to an audiobook and listen to it on the go.
Off course, you won’t hear the natural voice like you get in audible.com. But slowing down the playback speed and use a 3rd party voice engine helps a lot. I use this all the time.
#5 Save from Email
To save articles on pocket via email, send (or forward) mail toadd@getpocket.com. And add the URL of the post in the body of the email.
#6 Batch save to pocket
Saving article to the pocket is already pretty fast. You right-click on the link and select save to pocket option. But say, you have found out a new blog and wanted to save 100’s of articles from it. In such cases, right-clicking each article is not a good option.
So to save bulk links to pocket, usebatch save to PocketChrome extension.
#7 Use IFTTT
IFTTT orIf this then thatis a popular online service to automate stuff on the internet. And guess what, with IFTTT you may connect your Pocket account with 100’s of other apps on the web.
There aremany Pocket recipesbut here are two, I use most of the time:
If you add a YouTube video to watch later playlist, then it’ll automatically appear in your pocket account. And automatically save the archive Pocket articles to Evernote.
#8 Two Pocket Account in one device (Android only)
Pocket is intelligent. It suggests you popular articles by learning from your reading habits.There is also an option to follow popular content creator so that you can read what they are reading. Pretty useful.
But say, you don’t want the pocket totrack youfor some articles. Now, the one way to do that is to create an alt account for private stuff. But then, when you log out of your main account, all the saved articles will also be gone. Not an ideal solution, Right?
A better workaround is to run two instances of the same app (in this case pocket) using Android app likeParallels Access. This also comes in handy with other apps.
#9 Remove Trending Stories From Chrome’s New Tab
Pocket has recently started showing the Trending Stories in the chrome new tab page. Now, even though I like their recommendation, this is an overkill for me (and to many other Pocket users as well.)
So here is how to remove these trending stories from Pocket. Right-click thePocket extension buttonand go toOptions. A new page will open showing a bunch of Pocket customisation options. Look forNew Tab Recommendationsand uncheck the box next to it.
Mrinal Saha
Mrinal is a tech geek who spends half of his day reading and writing about tech. While the nights are spent on shooting or editing YouTube videos. Feel free to geek out with him on-
