Google is finally bringing an RSS reader back to the desktop

Google Reader was killed off quite some time ago, but there are still plenty of people mourning the passing of this iconic RSS reader. There have been plenty of replacements developed, but few -- if any -- manage to match the simplicity of the original.

Now Google is having a second crack of the whip. Sadly, we can't report that Google Reader is coming back, but the desktop version of Chrome is getting an RSS reader to match its mobile counterpart.

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The Android and iOS versions of the Chrome browser has included an RSS reader for a little while now, and Google has finally decided to bring the same feature to users of the desktop version of the browser. Additionally, the RSS reader is making its way to ChromeOS to keep Chromebook owners happy.

Looking at the Dev Channel version of ChromeOS 106, the site About Chromebooks noticed early signs of the RSS reader, albeit currently non-functional. Pressed on Twitter, a Chrome engineer confirmed that the mobile version of the RSS reader is being improved first, but that it will also be making its way to ChromeOS and Chrome on the desktop:

When Google Reader was killed off, it was done so with the reasoning that RSS feeds were simply not popular anymore. But the number of alternatives that sprang up to fill the void strongly suggested otherwise.

Image credit scanrail / depositphotos