Why Apple Added and Removed Safari's Built-in RSS Reader
This article explores the history of "Safari RSS," the built-in RSS and Atom feed reader introduced by Apple in Safari version 2, and examines the strategic and technological reasons why Apple ultimately removed the feature in Safari version 6. It covers how the feature worked, the shift in how internet users consumed news, and Apple's transition toward alternative content-saving features and third-party apps.
What Was the Safari 2 RSS and Atom Reader?
Introduced in April 2005 alongside Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, Safari 2.0 was heavily marketed by Apple as "Safari RSS." At the time, web syndication via RSS (Really Simple Syndication) and Atom feeds was rapidly growing in popularity, but reading these feeds required downloading dedicated third-party aggregator software. Apple solved this by integrating a feed reader directly into the web browser.
When a user visited a website that supported syndication, a blue "RSS" icon automatically appeared on the right side of Safari’s address bar. Clicking this icon transformed the raw, unreadable XML code of the feed into a clean, uniform, and easy-to-read webpage generated by Safari.
The built-in reader included several key features:
- Customization: Users could use a slider to adjust the length of the article summaries, viewing anything from headlines only to the full text of the articles.
- Search and Sort: Users could filter feeds by date, title, or source, and use a dedicated search bar to find specific keywords within that feed.
- Bookmark Integration: Users could save feeds to their Bookmarks bar. Safari would automatically check these bookmarked feeds in the background and display a badge with the number of unread articles next to the bookmark folder.
- Aggregated Views: If a user put multiple RSS feeds into a single bookmark folder, they could choose to "View All RSS Articles," which combined all the separate feeds into one chronological master feed.
Why Apple Removed the Feature in Safari 6
In July 2012, with the release of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion and Safari 6, Apple quietly removed the built-in RSS reader from both Safari and Apple Mail. While Apple rarely comments publicly on the removal of legacy features, the decision came down to four clear factors.
1. The Rise of Social Media and Changing User Habits Between 2005 and 2012, the way the average internet user consumed news changed drastically. Platforms like Twitter and Facebook became the primary aggregators of news and blog posts for mainstream users. RSS became a niche tool used primarily by tech enthusiasts, journalists, and power users. Because the average consumer was no longer using RSS, Apple no longer saw the need to maintain it as a core browser feature.
2. Streamlining the Browser Interface Safari 6 introduced the "Smart Search Field," which combined the formerly separate web address bar and search bar into a single, unified field. As part of this minimalist redesign, Apple stripped away visual clutter from the address bar, including the permanent RSS indicator button. Removing the underlying RSS rendering engine also helped keep the browser lightweight, secure, and fast.
3. Introduction of Apple's Own Alternatives Rather than supporting an open web standard like RSS, Apple shifted its focus toward proprietary features that synced across Macs, iPhones, and iPads via iCloud. In Safari 5.1, Apple introduced "Reading List," which allowed users to save web pages to read later. Shortly after removing RSS, Apple also introduced "Shared Links" in Safari, which pulled links directly from a user's Twitter feed—a direct acknowledgment that social media had replaced RSS for most people. Eventually, Apple would launch the dedicated Apple News app to fully control the news reading experience.
4. Supporting the Mac App Store Ecosystem Apple launched the Mac App Store in 2011. By removing the built-in RSS reader from Safari and Mail in 2012, Apple ceded the territory to third-party developers. Power users who still relied on RSS were pushed toward buying dedicated, feature-rich RSS clients—such as Reeder, NetNewsWire, and Pulp—directly from the Mac App Store, which benefited Apple's developer ecosystem and generated App Store revenue.