# Octal for Hacker News

> Social developer & tech news

Canonical page: [https://chrome-stats.com/d/id1308885491](https://chrome-stats.com/d/id1308885491)

## Overview

- **ID:** `id1308885491`
- **Platform:** Apple
- **Type:** Apple app
- **Status:** Available
- **Publisher:** Daniel Wu
- **Category:** News
- **Rating:** 4.80 / 5 (2,843 ratings)
- **Version:** 5.2.0
- **Last updated:** 2026-09-09
- **First published:** 2017-11-26
- **Size:** 7.62 MB
- **Data as of:** 2026-09-22
- **Store listing:** [Apple App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/octal-for-hacker-news/id1308885491)
- **Website:** [https://github.com/dangwu/Octal](https://github.com/dangwu/Octal)
- **Privacy policy:** [https://github.com/SUWULLC/Octal/blob/main/PRIVACY\_POLICY.md](https://github.com/SUWULLC/Octal/blob/main/PRIVACY_POLICY.md)

## Description

**Octal for Hacker News** is a fast, beautifully designed news reader for discovering and discussing stories from Y Combinator’s Hacker News. Browse Top, Best, New, Ask HN, Show HN, Jobs, and Threads feeds covering programming, startups, computer science, security, design, and the technology industry.

Read threaded discussions, vote on stories and comments, search posts, submit links, manage favorites, and explore user profiles. Octal supports iPhone and iPad layouts, Dark Mode and True Black themes, Dynamic Type, VoiceOver, deep links, custom gestures, and external web browsers. With no ads, subscriptions, or tracking, Octal offers a privacy-conscious way to stay current with the tech community. Optional Octal Premium unlocks advanced features through a one-time purchase.

## Rankings

- #33,912 — Overall

## Review summary

Users broadly praise Octal for Hacker News as a polished, fast, native-feeling reader with a clean design and strong developer support. The most recurrent drawbacks are reliability-related: login/session instability, intermittent connectivity and refresh problems, and errors when voting or editing content even for premium users. Despite these issues, many reviews highlight the app’s quality and express positive sentiment toward its free core experience and ongoing fixes.

### Pros

- Polished, fast native-feeling UI
- Elegant, intuitive design and overall high usability
- Respects OS font sizes and supports dark mode
- Developer is responsive and provides fixes/updates
- Free core HN client with optional premium for quality-of-life improvements

### Cons

- Session/login instability (difficulty logging in and being logged out)
- Reliability/connectivity issues (no connection messages, failed/slow refreshes, loading indicators getting stuck)
- Action errors when voting or editing (issues persisting even with premium)

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Source: [Chrome-Stats](https://chrome-stats.com/d/id1308885491)