Instapaper Updated With Contacts Security Feature

Instapaper, the much-lauded save-for-reading-later tool created by Marco Arment, has just been updated with a few improvements. Version 4.0.3 of the universal iOS app brings an important bug fix along with several optimization upgrades. The previous version of Instapaper brought about a crashing bug and a glitch that impeded the action of adding folders. Both defects have now been resolved with the new update. In the update’s release notes, Arment requests that users who have left one-star reviews for the previous version (because of crashing problems) write a more positive review if the update indeed rids the app of crashes. The update also improves VoiceOver accessibility within Instapaper, enabling the use of a two-finger swipe gesture to go “back.” This is good news to many users, including car commuters who are inclined to activate VoiceOver to listen to their Instapaper articles every time they go on a long drive. Another improvement brings smoother list scrolling, but it’s specific to first generation iPads, which apparently suffered from jerky movements when viewing lists. Instapaper has been expressly asking permission from its users to allow access to their contacts’ email addresses for the app’s social features, but another layer of security has been added with the update. Rather than importing encrypted email addresses to its servers, Instapaper now sends only hashes. This security measure is a very welcome one, in light of the current controversy surrounding apps that are surreptitiously collecting their users’ contacts. Instapaper is a feature-rich app that strips Web pages of clutter and saves them for offline reading, one that has long been a constant presence on my iPhone’s home screen and my iPad’s dock. It’s so convenient and reliable that it’s built into dozens of other popular third party apps, including Flipboard, Reeder, and Tweetbot. And its latest update makes for an even more robust and no-frills reading experience. Update the app now for free, or download it for your iPhone or iPad for $4.99.