Summary
- Kobo ended Pocket support on July 8 and now uses Instapaper as its built-in read-it-later tool.
- Instapaper arrives via a firmware update on all Kobo e-readers; setup at kobo.com/instapaper with a code.
- Instapaper mimics Pocket but strips formatting and images sometimes; Pocket data exports end Oct 8, 2025.
Pocket powered Kobo’s built-in read-it-later feature for more than a decade, but the platform officially ended support across desktop, iOS, Android, and of course, Kobo’s e-readers, on July 8th. Thankfully, Kobo has announced that Instapaper is its new go-to read-it-later platform, and it’s now available across the company’s entire e-reader lineup.
The update is available for all Kobo devices, including the original Touch and models up to the Clara BW, Clara Colour, and Libra Colour.
Instapaper integration is available through a firmware update that’s currently available for Kobo devices. Just like Pocket, Instapaper is a read-it-later tool that allows you to save articles from the web, both on desktop and mobile. The process is more straightforward than Amazon’s Send to Kindle feature and seems to function nearly exactly like Pocket did on Kobo’s devices. The update appeared automatically on my Kobo Libra Colour when I synced my library (it took approximately five minutes to install). The setup process involves visiting kobo.com/instapaper and entering a code that appears on your Kobo device.
Instapaper seems almost as good as Pocket
Stories don’t look as clean, unfortunately
While not as visually appealing as Pocket, Instapaper’s desktop app is functional. In fact, I kind of like its stripped-back, retro user interface. I’ve even installed a Firefox shortcut to quickly add content and set up the Instapaper iOS and Android apps. As far as I can tell, I’ll be able to use Instapaper nearly exactly how I used Pocket for years. The one downside I’ve noticed is that Instapaper seems to struggle with formatting lists and photos from stories, making reading difficult (this also means syncing takes a bit longer).
The update is available for all Kobo devices, including the original Touch and models up to the Clara BW, Clara Colour, and Libra Colour. Pocket data exports are available until October 8, 2025, so if you’re still holding on to a lengthy list of content you have saved to read (I know I am), you can still access it.
