PSA: What is the current state of Android Usenet nntp newsreaders?
Yes. I know. It's been asked a million times prior.
This is posted so that we can all have the latest updates together.
If I missed anything important (& I probably did), please add value.
In a separate thread, AJL asked about newsreaders, where, from my notes, >this is what I have, but others may have better information than I do.
There never really was a great mobile Usenet newsreader, but here is a >reference list of what has existed on Android, along with the PiaHong
mod builds that some of us still use.
PLAY STORE LINKS (historical; many abandoned)
PhoNews
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=at.cmg.android.phonews https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cmgapps.android.phonewspro
Groundhog Reader
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.almarsoft.GroundhogReader
PiaHong NewsGroups
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.piaohong.newsgroup
NNTPReader (Ken)
Demo: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ken.android.nntpreader
Pro: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ken.android.nntpreader.pro
Noasy Newsreader
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.noasy.newsreader
Usenet Reader (sinaapp)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=usenet.sinaapp.com
Caveat:
PhoNews appears to break on Android 16 but still works on older devices. >PiaHong appears to remain usable thanks to the modded builds above.
Most of the other apps are long abandoned but still installable (AFAIK).
*Piaohong*
On 25/02/2026 20:42, Dave Royal wrote:
*Piaohong*
Are you still using Alfio's version?
Richmond <[email protected]> writes:
If you have a tablet you can install Termux, then install Emacs and use
Gnus. This also works on Amazon tablets. But you'll need to know the
keystrokes. You can do this on the phone too if you have small fingers.
As I understand it, Termux can no longer work, let alone any other app
using external binaries, starting since Android 10 or whenever target
API greater than 28 is required. Or was that solved somehow?
I used to use a similar if simpler terminal thing called sshelper but
the dev pulled the plug on that, stating this as a reason.
OTOH, there's a native port of Emacs available now (from F-Droid) so
Gnus is a possibility there. I haven't tried it though.
Richmond <[email protected]> writes:
If you have a tablet you can install Termux, then install Emacs and use
Gnus. This also works on Amazon tablets. But you'll need to know the
keystrokes. You can do this on the phone too if you have small fingers.
As I understand it, Termux can no longer work, let alone any other app
using external binaries, starting since Android 10 or whenever target
API greater than 28 is required. Or was that solved somehow?
I used to use a similar if simpler terminal thing called sshelper but
the dev pulled the plug on that, stating this as a reason.
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