Benuse, an iOS widget-based HN reader
Why did you build this app?
There already exist some great native Hacker News clients for iOS.
I would recommend Octal for participating on Hacker News.
However, I find myself wanting to quickly browse headlines without browsing an app.
I’m a big fan of Apple’s News widgets, which launch you directly into articles.
To teach create a visually and functionally similar reading experience for Hacker News, I proudly present: Benuse.
How do I use it?
Install Benuse from the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/benuse/id1581388010
When you launch Benuse for the first time, you’ll be prompted to add the widgets to your home screen.
Follow this guide to do so. To select different Hacker News feeds, edit the widget by long-pressing it as described in the guide.
What makes Benuse special?
- Uses the official Hacker News API.
- Built with modern, reactive SwiftUI. Native components/colors/feel.
- Faithful to the Hacker News web interface using an embedded browser.
- Supports the Open Graph protocol to show article images and site titles.
- Easy swipe navigation between stories and discussions.
- Features responsive layout with iPad compatibility.
- Lightweight.
What do people think?
Let’s go check out the discussion on Hacker News!
Do you have a cool demo video?
As a matter of fact, I do! I recommend unmuting the music.
benuse.ad.mp4
Things don’t work the way I would like.
This is a basic, unfinished project, and there are definitely bugs and features I’d still like to implement.
Please open a GitHub Issue to share your thoughts (or submit a pull request!)
However, I can make no guarantees on continued development.
