YouTube pushes recommendations on you. Autoplay starts on its own. Readine gives you back control.
On the YouTube home page you see recommendations, and the “Subscriptions” tab is pushed into the background. By default the screen shows what the algorithm thinks will get the most views.
Autoplay is on by default — you finish one video and the next one starts on its own. 40 minutes later you are watching something you would never have clicked on deliberately.
The content on YouTube is excellent. But the interface is designed not to help you but to keep you on the site.
Add a YouTube channel or playlist as a source. All you need is the name of the channel or a link to it. Every video becomes a separate item in the list. Open it and you will see the title, description and thumbnail. Notes and tags can be added to a video. There is no autoplay and no recommendations here.
When you click it, the video opens on YouTube. It does not play or download inside Readine. This is a deliberate decision — we are not trying to replace the video player.
New videos will appear alongside your RSS, Telegram and other sources, including posts from authors on paid platforms such as Substack, Boosty, Fanbox, Patreon or Sponsr.
| What | How |
|---|---|
| Source | a channel or playlist by link |
| Feed | only what you added, no recommendations |
| Each video | title, description and thumbnail |
| Additionally | notes and tags |
| Watching | the video opens on YouTube |
| Other sources | RSS, Telegram, Twitter, author pages on Substack, Boosty, Fanbox, Patreon and Sponsr |
We rarely notice that choosing a video is also a decision. What to watch, what to save for later, and what to simply mark as watched and leave in the archive. If you decide before you press “play”, watching becomes a conscious choice. On YouTube, that is what pulls you in — the recommendations never end, and choosing quietly turns into doomscrolling.
Readine leaves the choice to you. It sets a boundary: you see what is new, read the descriptions and decide what is worth your time.
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| You opened it | you see a list of new videos from your channels |
| You read the descriptions | you decide what to watch |
| You chose | you open the video |
| The list ended | the app can be closed |
Q: Can I watch videos in the app?
A: The video opens when you click it; in Readine you see the title, description and thumbnail.
Q: Does it work with playlists?
A: Yes. You add a playlist by link, and the videos in it appear in your feed.
Q: Will I still see ads?
A: Readine itself shows no ads, but the ads inside the video stay.
Q: How do I turn off YouTube recommendations?
A: In YouTube itself they cannot be turned off. In Readine there are no recommendations — only your subscriptions in chronological order.
Q: And if a channel uploads a video while I am offline?
A: The video will appear in the feed on the next update, but you cannot watch it without an internet connection — we do not download large files.
Q: How soon do new videos appear?
A: Readine checks sources on a schedule, so updates are not instant. You can change how often it checks.
3 feeds free, no time limit and no ads. Add a YouTube channel and see for yourself.
Download Readine →