Pocket is the undeniable read-it-later leader, but Google seems to be gunning for a spot in that space. Two Google services have the potential to replace Pocket, but there’s a caveat: right now, they’re still pretty bare bones.
Google Inbox, Google’s optional alternative to the standard Gmail layout, aims to make sure that you see the most important messages you’ve received. With the Chrome extension Inbox by Gmail, you can save articles from your browser to your Inbox.
Whether in the web or mobile versions of Inbox, saved articles will all appear in one bundle.
Expanding that bundle will show the full list.
Clicking on a link will open up the story on the original website. There is no way to save articles for offline viewing, and it doesn’t have Pocket’s ability to offer a clean, ad-free version display of the article.
Why Use Google Inbox Instead?
The way that the service functions, you can use Google Inbox as a to-do list. If you’re saving articles are part of your workflow, Google Inbox might just make that process easier by incorporating your reading list into that.
You can also add alerts for individual articles, so if there’s something you need to be reminded to read, Google Inbox will let you know. And, lastly, it might be helpful to have everything available in one app or tab.
If you prefer a tagged or organized read-it-later experience, Google Save might be the preferrable option for you. Again, saved articles can’t be read offline, but you can tag saved articles to keep things under control.
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