Openvibe, a pioneering application that consolidates various open social networks—including Bluesky, Mastodon, Threads, and Nostr—into a single platform, has now expanded its capabilities to encompass news sites and blogs. This enhancement is achieved through the integration of RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds, an open standard that enables users to subscribe to automatic updates from websites, such as new articles or blog posts.
This development significantly enhances Openvibe’s utility, allowing users to stay informed about their interests and important information without the need to switch between multiple newsreaders, websites, or social networking applications.
The addition of RSS support positions Openvibe in direct competition with other social media and content aggregators that monitor updates across the open web. Competitors in this space include Tapestry, developed by the creators of the popular Twitter client Twitterific; Feeeed, an RSS reader that tracks social profiles on platforms like Mastodon and YouTube; and Surf, a new open social app and browser from the makers of Flipboard.
According to Openvibe CEO Matej Svancer, incorporating RSS support was always part of the app’s long-term roadmap since its launch last year. However, due to strong user demand, the team prioritized its development.
To utilize this feature, users can add RSS sources individually, explore the app’s suggested sites and select those they wish to follow, or import an entire OPML file from another news reader. As more users adopt RSS, Openvibe plans to introduce a leaderboard showcasing the most added feeds to guide users toward popular sources.
Once added, RSS updates can be tracked in the app’s combined home feed, a dedicated “RSS” feed, or within custom feeds created by the user.
While RSS can also be used to track podcasts and YouTube channels, Openvibe is not currently focusing on these formats. Svancer explains that, although technically possible to add them, it would not offer an optimal user experience unless users are willing to open each item in a browser.
For news and blogs, Openvibe opens content directly within the app using a clean, distraction-free reading mode. Users who prefer to visit the original websites can adjust this setting accordingly.
Additionally, the app offers a “Performance Mode” toggle that disables image loading in timeline previews, making the feature less resource-intensive.
The company has been testing the RSS feature ahead of launch with over 100 users who have collectively added more than 4,000 feeds.
RSS support is now available in Openvibe’s iOS and Android apps. The app remains free to download without in-app purchases for now, but the company plans to introduce a subscription offering in the future.
Openvibe is currently backed by funding from Czech Founders VC, Tensor Ventures, and Automattic—the parent company of WordPress.com, Tumblr, Beeper, and others.
