Firefox has had no built-in RSS reader since Firefox 64, released in December 2018. To read RSS feeds in Firefox today, add a feed reader extension, such as Feeder, from Firefox Add-ons, or use a web-based reader. Feeder's add-on keeps your feeds one click away in the toolbar and tells you when a page you visit has a feed.
Does Firefox have a built-in RSS reader?
Not anymore. Firefox used to show a preview when you opened a feed, and it had Live Bookmarks: bookmark folders that filled themselves with a site's newest posts. Mozilla removed both in Firefox 64, on December 11, 2018. Since then, the release notes say, "RSS feed preview and live bookmarks are available only via add-ons".
So in Firefox, you read RSS with an add-on or a web-based reader. New to feeds? What is RSS? explains the basics.
How do I subscribe to an RSS feed in Firefox?
With Feeder's add-on, it takes a minute:
- Get the add-on. Open Feeder on Firefox Add-ons, click Add to Firefox and confirm.
- Keep it in view. If Feeder's icon isn't in your toolbar, open the Extensions button in the toolbar and pin Feeder there.
- Choose how to use it. Sign in with a free Feeder account to sync your feeds with feeder.co and the Feeder apps for iPhone and Android. The add-on also works without an account; your feeds then stay in that browser.
- Follow a site. Visit a site you like. When the page has a feed, Feeder's icon lets you know, and you subscribe with a click.
Prefer not to install anything? Open feeder.co in Firefox, click Add feed and paste the address of the site you want to follow. Feeder finds its feed.
What does Feeder's Firefox add-on do?
- Your feeds in the toolbar. See what's new from every site you follow without leaving the page you're on.
- Notifications. Get a notification, with or without a sound, when a feed posts. Turn it on for all feeds or only the ones you pick. See Get notifications about important things.
- Feed spotting. The add-on shows when the page you're on has an RSS or Atom feed.
- Folders. Sort your feeds into folders, and drag them into the order you like.
- Your feeds, portable. Export your feeds to keep a backup or move them to another computer.
What other RSS add-ons are there for Firefox?
Firefox Add-ons has several good ones. Some are full readers, some bring back a single feature Firefox dropped, and some connect Firefox to a reader you already use:
| Add-on | What it does |
|---|---|
| Livemarks | The closest thing to Live Bookmarks: bookmark folders that update with a feed's newest posts. It supports read and unread, OPML import and export, and Firefox Sync. Mozilla lists it as a Recommended extension. |
| Feedbro | A full feed reader that runs inside Firefox, with rules to filter posts. Also a Recommended extension. |
| RSSPreview | Brings back the feed preview, so a feed link opens as a readable page, and adds a feed button to the address bar. |
| Want My RSS | Shows a feed icon in the address bar and a preview page for feeds. |
| Inoreader Browser Extension | For Inoreader users: unread count, following the feed of the page you're on, and saving pages to read later. |
| Feedly Mini | Feedly's own add-on: follow the site you're on in Feedly and save articles to your boards. |
| Feedbin Subscribe & Save | For Feedbin users: find a site's feeds, subscribe in Feedbin and save pages to read later. |
Switching later is easy. Feeder, Livemarks and most readers import and export OPML, a file with your list of feeds. See Import and export your feeds with OPML.
Can I read RSS feeds in Firefox on Android?
Firefox for Android can run some add-ons, but Feeder's add-on is for Firefox on your computer. On your phone, use the free Feeder app for Android or the iPhone app. Sign in with the same account, and your feeds and read posts match the ones in Firefox. Of the add-ons above, RSSPreview and the Inoreader extension also list Firefox for Android.
Common questions
What happened to my Live Bookmarks?
When Firefox 64 removed them, it turned each live bookmark into a normal bookmark to the website, and saved your feeds as an OPML file on your desktop. If you still have that file, import it into Feeder, or any reader that reads OPML, and you're following those feeds again.
Why does an RSS feed show as code in Firefox?
A feed is an XML file made for apps, not for people. Firefox has no feed preview since version 64, so a feed link opens as raw code or downloads as a file. A reader add-on, or RSSPreview, shows it as a readable page instead.
Is there a Feedly add-on for Firefox?
Yes. Feedly Mini, made by Feedly, adds the site you're on to your Feedly account. You read your feeds on feedly.com. To compare the two readers, see Feeder vs Feedly.
Does Feeder work in other browsers?
Yes. Feeder has extensions for Chrome and Microsoft Edge too, and works in Safari through feeder.co.
Try Feeder
Feeder is an RSS reader for the web, iOS and Android, with extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Edge. The free plan follows up to 200 feeds with no ads, and feeds update as often as every 30 minutes. Plus is $7.99 a month, billed yearly, for 2,500 feeds, updates as often as every 5 minutes and e-mail summaries.
Get started with Feeder for free