How to read on a commute with patchy signal

Why the usual way fails

Commutes have predictable gaps in signal, but most reading apps behave as if you are always online. Browser tabs reload when you open them, and a reload without signal leaves a blank page. Read-it-later lists help, though many of them still need the network to show the full article, or they save only some of the page. Feeds want a fresh connection before they show anything new. And setting all of this up every morning by hand is the kind of chore that lasts about three days.

How FetchAhead helps

FetchAhead is built around preparing before the signal disappears. You make an Offline Pack for your commute and add what you want to read or watch: pages, feeds, files and supported public video files. Links and text can be shared straight in from other Android apps while you browse in the evening. For the content you return to often, you can choose automatic refresh, which runs when your connection, storage and battery settings allow, so the pack is updated at home on wifi. If a refresh fails, the previous good copy stays instead of being replaced by a broken one. FetchAhead also shows the difference between content that is stored on the phone and content that may simply be old, so a slightly stale article still opens on the train. Web pages can be read in a clean Reader view, which suits a small screen in a crowded carriage. Your library stays on the phone, without an account or cloud service.

Step by step

1. Create an Offline Pack called Commute.
2. During the day, share interesting links and articles into it from other apps.
3. Add the feeds you like to read on the way.
4. Turn on automatic refresh for those feeds so they update on wifi.
5. Before you leave, open the pack and check what is ready offline.
6. On the train, read in the Reader view and delete items once you are done.

Tips

• Do your saving in the evening, on wifi. A minute of sharing links in the evening covers the next morning.
• Keep the commute pack small and clear out read items. A short list gets read, a long one gets ignored.
• Do not throw away an older copy just because it is stale. FetchAhead keeps freshness separate from availability, so it still opens.
• Save short public video files ahead of time instead of streaming. Streaming sites themselves are not supported.

Questions