Pocket for Android Quick Start Guide

Pocket for Android Quick Start Guide

This guide explains how to get the most out of Pocket. It’s great for newcomers who are just getting started, as well as seasoned Pocket users who want to get more out of the service.

In This Article

Getting Set Up

Pocket can be found in the Google Play Store and on our website as a free download. Once the app installed on your device, you can create a new account or log in if you already have one.

Don’t forget to set up Pocket on your computer as well and make sure you’re using the same account everywhere. This way, Pocket will work seamlessly across your devices so you can always access the same information.

Saving to Pocket

Saving to Pocket on Android

When you’re using your Android phone or tablet and find an interesting article, blog post, video, or webpage, you can save it to Pocket so you can return to it later. Just look for the Share button, which can be found in your device’s menu, or when tapping the share menu in an app. Here’s what some common Share buttons look like on Android:

Once you’ve found the Share menu, tap Add to Pocket, and a link will be saved to your List.

Tip: Everything you save to Pocket is stored in your List, and you can take it with you! Whenever you open Pocket on your computer or mobile devices, your List will be available and is kept up-to-date automatically.

Saving to Pocket on Other Devices

There are many ways to save to Pocket, and this can be done from any app, on any device.

For example, when you’re on your computer, the best way to save is to add the Pocket extension to your browser.

Click here to learn about all the ways you can save to Pocket.

Discover Recommended Content

The Discover feed is the best place to go to find new stories to read now or save to your List for later. Recommendations in Discover are tailored to your own saving and reading habits, so your feed is completely unique and personalized to you.

Tap the Discover tab to view your feed. You can read a recommended item immediately, or tap the Save button to save it to your List to view later. It’s up to you!

Pocket Essentials

Syncing

Syncing is a process that makes your saved articles and videos available anywhere you’re logged in to Pocket. When you save an item on your Android phone, Pocket makes this item available on your computer, and vice versa.

Instant Sync

Instant Sync makes sure that Pocket stays up to date automatically, without the need to open Pocket on your device. Any changes you make (including saves, Archives, Tags, etc.) on another device will be reflected in Pocket for Android the next time it’s opened. You can enable instant syncing in Settings.

Offline Downloading

When an item is downloaded, it has been saved to your phone’s storage location and can be accessed when you’re offline. Pocket will automatically download Article or Web Views, and you can control how much space Pocket is allowed to use in Settings.

Archive

When you’re finished reading or viewing a link, tap the Archive check mark button to move the link from your List to your Archive. Storing items in your Archive means that they’ll remain available in case you’d like to view the page again. Please note that you must be online to view items in the Archive. 

Favorites

When you mark an item as a Favorite by tapping the Star button, a yellow star badge is added to the item, and it is also added to your  Favorites list for easy access. You can view your Favorites list by visiting the Menu and select Favorites when your device is online.

Tags

Tags help keep your items organized in Pocket. To Tag a saved item, tap the Tag icon and type the Tag name in the text box. Once Tags have been added, you can use the Tag Filter to only see items that have a particular Tag.

Viewed or Not Viewed
Opening an item will change its status to viewed. Items not viewed have a bold font in the article title, and viewed items will change to a normal font.

Delete

Deleting an item will permanently remove it from your Pocket account. To delete an item, tap the trash can icon. If you’d like to remove an item from your List but keep the link handy, we suggest Archiving the item instead. Please note that Archived items are not available when offline.

Search

Use the Search tool to locate items in your List. If you have a free Pocket account, you can search by title and URL. Pocket Premium subscribers can search the full contents of a page.

Recommend

If you enjoyed something that you viewed in Pocket, you can Recommend it to others in the Discover feed. Tap the Recommend button to share this page to your profile, and optionally cross-post to Twitter as well.

Listen (TTS)

Listen will have Pocket read your saved articles to you aloud, which is great when your eyes are occupied.  To start listening, tap the overflow menu and select Listen (TTS).

Reading in Pocket

To open an item in Pocket, simply tap on it. Most articles will be displayed in Article View, a customizable view that you can adjust to read comfortably. If an Article View is not available, the original page will be shown instead in Web View.

Customizing Article View

Using Display Settings, you can customize Article View to create your ideal reading experience. Tap the overflow menu, then tap Display Settings. Here, you can control font style, text size, reading theme, and screen brightness.

Fullscreen Mode

When you scroll down, fullscreen mode is automatically enabled to create a distraction-free reading experience. Your device’s notification bar will be temporarily hidden. To exit fullscreen mode, scroll up or tap once in the center of the screen. If you would prefer that Pocket not automatically enter fullscreen mode, you can disable it in Settings.

Open previous or next article

While reading an item from your List, you can seamless move between saved items by tapping Previous or Next to open another article immediately.

Reading Themes

You can choose among Light, Dark and Sepia Themes for Pocket. This will change the background of all items in Article View. The Dark Theme can also be enabled in Settings, and will extend throughout Pocket for Android, including your List and Settings.

Pocket Premium

Pocket Premium is an optional paid membership, which adds features that help you do more with Pocket. Here’s a brief description of the powerful features that you’ll unlock with a Pocket Premium subscription:

Unlimited Highlighting

Highlighting while reading has enormous benefits. It helps you engage more deeply the text, comprehend dense subjects, and easily revisit to key passages in the future. While the free version limits users to 3 highlights per article, Premium removes this limit.

Ad-Free Experience

Subscribing to Pocket Premium will ensure that you don’t see any sponsored content in Pocket or our Pocket Hits newsletters.

Full-Text Search

With Full-Text Search, you can search for text within your saved articles. You can also search for authors, topics, and Tags, and use advanced operators to find exactly what you’re looking for.

Suggested Tags

Suggested Tags helps to keep Pocket organized. When you save or open an item and click the Tag button, you’ll see a few Tag suggestions that you can add in one click.

Custom Reading Experience

Fully customize your reading experience with adjustable text layout options, and 8 additional premium font options.

Permanent Library

Pocket will create copies of eligible saved items and store them in your Permanent Library. Even if an item changes or is taken offline, you will be able to open the version that you have saved in Pocket. There’s nothing to configure or manage - Permanent Library works in the background to preserve your saved items.

Want to learn more?

Our Help Center includes everything you need to know about using Pocket. Here are some helpful links to get you started:

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