Mozilla to shut down Pocket in July 2025, Fakespot is closing too
Mozilla has announced that it will officially shut down its popular read-it-later service, Pocket, in July. The organization explained that its decision comes as part of a strategic shift to focus its resources on enhancing Firefox.
Mozilla acquired Read it Later, Inc, the owner of Pocket, in 2017, and integrated its features in Firefox. The service continued to exist as extensions for other browsers and mobile apps, though its popularity had spiralled down rapidly.
According to official announcements posted on Pocket's and Mozilla's websites, users can no longer download the Pocket app for Android iOS, and macOS. The web app is also inaccessible. However, existing users can export their saved items until October 8, 2025, from https://getpocket.com/export. The data will be saved as an HTML file, more details about the process can be found here.
Mozilla states that users do not need to manually delete their account or data, all Pocket user data, including all saved articles, highlights, notes, and personal profile information it will be automatically deleted on October 8. Users who accessed Pocket via its APIs will also need to export their data before this date. Premium monthly and annual subscriptions will be cancelled automatically, and annual subscribers will start receiving automatic refunds from July 8, 2025.
Additionally, Mozilla has also confirmed that it is sunsetting Fakespot, a platform it acquired in 2023 that provided consumers with tools to assess the legitimacy of online reviews. The Firefox integration for Fakespot, known as Review Checker, will cease operations on June 10, 2025, with all browser extensions, mobile applications, and the Fakespot website shutting down by July 1, 2025.
Mozilla says it will focus exclusively on Firefox to make it better and bring more features like vertical tabs, smart search, and more AI-powered features on the way.
Why wait until July? If it will be gone, let it be gone right now. I don’t think there will be anybody lobbying Mozilla to keep this piece of garbage.
Pocket was useless but Fakespot was actually useful.
Fakespot is only a trick for Mozilla to know what you are interested to buy in order for them to add their personalized ads for products to shopping sites. Standard spyware. Standard Mozilla behavior.
As standard from Mozilla is also the added insult of the declared motive of fighting deceptive reviews, only to replace them with their own deceptive sponsored product recommendations.
This reminds of their campaign for Pocket, claimed to fight deceptive news not only by spamming users by default with garbage press where none was before, by default on the start page of firefox in selected countries, but in addition by inserting sponsored news articles, the epitome of trustworthy journalism. And of course, with user surveillance on sensitive topics added, again because Mozilla.
I’m glad to see it go, I’m not in the habit of criticizing Mozilla for a browser that offers complete customization, its a great deal more than what some offer and allow. Having said that, I can’t help feeling that pocket was an ideal way of having a window into user surfing habits, where a trail could be established, and a set of motivational steps, which took the user to their final destination.
Pocket is a potential privacy invasion, apart from being a completely useless over-thought feature, which I instinctively knew would not be adopted with enthusiasm by the majority of the Firefox community. While I’m here, I would also volunteer a similar opinion of container tabs, an extremely convenient way of garnering more surfing statistics, while instilling a false sense of security. It maintains the security of your surfing where every other factor, but Mozilla is concerned. imagine knowing exactly where to look to get the information that you want, and setting up a design structure that easily facilitates this.
Beggars can’t be choosers, you have to look closely at what you can get, and use the best of what is being offered, but always keep in mind how you can be exploited.
Peter Newton [London UK] (Linux user since 2004)
I never used Packet. Just an annoyance.
I used Fakespot for a while, but was never sure if it was real evaluation or just some random answer.
Best news ever!
Thanks Mozilla. Pocket and any remnants, are the first things I set about removing upon a new installation of Firefox. In my eyes Pocket is not popular, regardless of what is stated in the article.
It’s a popular feature to disable :)