Feedly Blames Bug for Weeklong RSS Slowdown Amid AI Pivot
Feedly says a bug caused its weeklong web slowdown, while users report iOS failures, ignored support requests and an unannounced Classic shutdown too.
Summary
On August 17, 2026, TechCrunch reported that Feedly’s web app had been severely slow for more than a week, frustrating free and paying users, while some Reddit users said support requests went unanswered. The main iOS app reportedly failed to load, including on the iOS 27 beta, and Feedly Classic disappeared without warning. Feedly claims 15 million users, making the standalone RSS reader larger than Inoreader, NetNewsWire and Reeder after Google closed Google Reader in 2013. Its homepage now emphasizes AI services that help businesses monitor emerging threats and tailored intelligence as consumers increasingly use Apple News, Google News, websites and social media instead of RSS.
CEO Edwin Khodabakchian said RSS remains a priority because Feedly’s cyber threat intelligence customers also use its news reader. Feedly traced the web slowdown to using Mark as Read on accounts containing many folders and released a fix Friday, but was still checking whether it worked for everyone. Khodabakchian said Feedly Classic was retired two weeks earlier because it no longer met some iOS and Android requirements; it had only a few hundred active users, had left the App Store much earlier and was closed without notifying them. He was unaware of the main iOS failure but promised an investigation and quick repair, citing continued investment in Feedly’s primary iOS and Android app. Feedly added the issue to status.feedly.com after publication.
Positives
- A Friday release targeted the Mark as Read bug affecting accounts with many folders.
- 15 million claimed users leave Feedly larger than Inoreader, NetNewsWire and Reeder.
- Edwin Khodabakchian said RSS remains important because cyber threat intelligence customers also use Feedly’s news reader.
- Feedly promised to investigate and quickly repair the loading failure in its main iOS app.
- Feedly added the known iOS problem to status.feedly.com after TechCrunch published its report.
Risks & concerns
- More than a week of severe web slowdown left Feedly effectively unusable for some paying and free users.
- Reddit users said Feedly ignored their requests for technical support during the disruption.
- The main iOS app reportedly failed to load, including for users testing the iOS 27 beta.
- Feedly Classic was closed without warning despite retaining a few hundred active users.
- Feedly had not confirmed whether Friday’s web fix resolved the slowdown for every affected account.
