Reconnaissance for iPhone: The best RSS option for Feed Wrangler

Reconnaissance for iPhone is an RSS app that specifically caters to the Feed Wrangler RSS service. With the ability to edit subscriptions, send articles to a read it later service in one swipe, and background updates, there's a lot to love about Reconnaissance.

The first thing I noticed upon launching Reconnaissance is the beautiful greyscale design. For any other kind of app, I would probably prefer color, but for an RSS app where text should be the main focus, it works. The default articler view in Reconnaissance is not only unique but fluid. Just swipe left and right to see more articles. Swipe up or down to mark articles as read or send it to your read it later service of choice. Reconnaissance currently supports Safari Reading List, Instapaper, Pocket, and Pinboard.

Reconnaissance has both a light and a dark theme which means easy reading at night. I just wish there was an option that allowed you to let them change automatically like other RSS apps do. Jumping into settings isn't a huge deal but can become an annoyance if you read a lot at night.

When it comes to Feed Wrangler features, Reconnaissance supports Smart Streams, Favorites, and more. If you've already got streams set up with Feed Wrangler, Reconnaissance just imports them the first time you log in.

There is also a search field inside Reconnaissance that lets you easily search for any term you'd like. Reconaissance then filters out only the stories that contain that topic. What feed they came from is also noted.

The good

  • Greyscale interface is unique, but works amazingly well as to not distract the reader from the actual text of an article
  • Support for Smart Streams
  • One swipe action for sending an article to read it later services
  • Search allows you to filter articles on a topic quickly and easily
  • Support for dynamic type
  • Dark theme

The bad

  • No automatic theme change option for night and day
  • A list view for articles would be nice for times you'd like to scroll faster

The bottom line

If you use Feed Wrangler, Reconnaissance is the best option currently available. The interface is simplistic, yet fluid and feature packed. Feed Wrangler users choose to use the service due to the unique features it provides, such as Smart Streams. Reconnaissance caters to those unique details and it really shows where user experience is concerned.