HyperTexting App Reimagines Web Feeds

The HyperTexting app, launched on iOS on June 29, aims to transform the way users consume content from the open web by presenting it as a scrollable, social media-like feed. The app's creators emphasize that the underlying technology for such feeds, often referred to as RSS, has existed since the 1990s and is the same technology that powers podcasts. HyperTexting seeks to make finding and following website feeds as simple as subscribing to a podcast, thereby decentralizing content consumption away from a few major tech companies.

The app's founder, Caleb Hailey, stated that the goal is to empower creators with ownership over their work and audience relationships, while offering consumers more choices. Hailey expressed frustration with the low adoption of RSS, suggesting that the terminology itself might be a barrier to wider acceptance. He believes that to achieve broader reach, the term "RSS" should be retired entirely, as the technology is already widely used by hundreds of millions of websites, often indicated by a subtle icon.

HyperTexting's mission is to "take back the timeline" and ensure that personalized content feeds, often called "for you" pages, truly serve the user rather than the platform. By leveraging existing web feed technologies, the app intends to provide a more user-centric internet experience. While the technology is fundamentally RSS, the company's strategy is to avoid using the term to appeal to a broader audience who may be unfamiliar with or put off by the existing terminology.