Updated September 17, 2026
Pocket shutdown · July 2025 · still relevant in 2026You remember the idea. Backpockets: Read It Later App finds the link.
Pocket is gone. If you kept ril_export.html, you still have the library. Import it into Backpockets: Read It Later App — a local Mac app that finds saves by what you remember. No account. No cloud. $29 once.
The situation
Pocket shut down in 2025. Your export still matters in 2026.
In May 2025, Mozilla announced Pocket would shut down. The service that quietly kept the reading queues of an estimated 10 million people ended in July 2025. If you exported before shutdown, that HTML file is still the whole game in 2026. Most people downloaded it, forgot where it lived, and never made it searchable again.
The export is a single file: ril_export.html. It contains every article you saved, every tag you applied, and the date you saved it. Most people download it, forget where they put it, and never open it again. That's a shame, because it's a decade of curation and it's fully readable.
The question is what to do with it. Most "Pocket alternatives" want to be Pocket 2.0, cloud storage, monthly rent, another account to manage. Backpockets: Read It Later App is not that.
Comparison
Every Pocket alternative charges rent. One doesn't.
| Tool | Imports Pocket | Runs offline | No account | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backpockets: Read It Later App | Yes | Yes | Yes | $29 once |
| Instapaper | Yes | — | — | $3/mo |
| Raindrop | Yes | — | — | Free / $3/mo |
| Readwise Reader | Yes | — | — | $10/mo |
| Obsidian | Manual | Yes | Yes | Free / $50/yr sync |
Compared in plain language: Instapaper, Raindrop, and Readwise Reader keep your library in their cloud and bill monthly for the full experience. Backpockets: Read It Later App differs in that it imports Pocket HTML on your Mac, needs no account, and costs $29 once - search is find-by-memory, not another folder tree.
Mozilla announced Pocket’s shutdown in May 2025; the service ended in July 2025. People who kept ril_export.html still have a complete library - the gap in 2026 is making that file searchable by meaning again.
Data current as of September 2026. Pocket import format supported: HTML export (ril_export.html) with tags and timestamps preserved.
Why Backpockets: Read It Later App
Search by what you remember, not what you typed at the time.
The problem with Pocket wasn't saving. It was finding things three months later. Backpockets: Read It Later App is built around that second half.
Drop your export
Point Backpockets: Read It Later App at ril_export.html on first launch. Every article, tag, and date is imported and indexed locally in under a minute.
Search by memory
Type how you'd describe the article to a friend — "that piece about founders burning out", and get it back. Not keyword match. Meaning.
Own it forever
Your library lives on your Mac. No cloud, no account, no monthly fee. Export back to JSON anytime, in one click.
Migration in 3 steps
From Pocket to Backpockets: Read It Later App in about 90 seconds.
01
Export from Pocket
Locate your ril_export.html (Downloads, backups, or try getpocket.com/export if your account still serves it).
02
Drop into Backpockets: Read It Later App
First launch shows an empty state that says "drop your Pocket export here." Drag the HTML file in.
03
Search by memory
Type a sentence. Find the article. Open the original. Your reading history is yours again.
FAQ
What do I do with an old Pocket export in 2026?
If you still have ril_export.html, drop it into Backpockets: Read It Later App. Articles, tags, and timestamps import locally. Then search by what you remember — free for 30 saves, $29 once for unlimited.
Will Backpockets: Read It Later App read the Pocket export format?
Yes. Drop your ril_export.html into Backpockets: Read It Later App on first launch. Every article, tag, and timestamp is imported and indexed locally. Libraries under 5,000 items typically finish in under a minute.
What if Pocket has already shut down?
If you exported before the shutdown, that HTML file is everything Backpockets: Read It Later App needs to rebuild your library offline. If you didn't export in time, Mozilla's original export URLs may still be reachable for archived accounts, try getpocket.com/export first.
How is this different from Instapaper, Raindrop, or Readwise Reader?
Those are cloud-first products with monthly subscriptions and account requirements. Backpockets: Read It Later App stores your entire library on your Mac, needs no account, and costs $29 once. Search is built around memory — how you remember articles, not exact-title matching.
Can I leave Backpockets: Read It Later App later?
Yes. Every article and note exports back to JSON in one click. Your library was never held hostage in the first place.
Ready to rescue your reading list?
Import Pocket. Search by memory. Own it forever.
Free to try on your own export. $29 if you want to keep it.
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