This is a huge release for the NewsBlur Android app. So much has happened in the last six months. We’ve had a big backend rewrite that makes the app feel like new. It’s faster, which is necessary to make the new offline reading feature really shine. Now you can read on your Android phone or tablet while on the train, underground, or just in airplane mode to save battery.

Better yet, not only can you read while offline, but you can better read at night with the new dark theme. Take a look.

Here’s what’s new in version 4.0:

  • Offline reading and story syncing. Stories read while offline will sync as soon as you’re back online.
  • Option to also store images from stories for offline reading. They do take space, though.
  • A dark theme for reading at night.
  • The Text mode can be set to automatically fetch, so you can get to the full text quicker.
  • An option to mark stories newer than a story as read.
  • Major backend improvements for faster story loading and transitions. This app should feel like new.

The NewsBlur Android app is a free download. And as always, there’s more big ticket features coming soon for Android.