Google Reader: get your feeds and move on

If you are still using Google Reader today you have likely seen the reminder about the service closing down. Google announced the shutdown of Reader a while back and if you have yet to make the switch — you are quickly running out of time. Basically, at this point you should stop what you are doing and make sure you back up your data using Google Takeout.

This process is relatively simple and should take just a few minutes of your time. Heading to www.google.com/takeout will give you the option to remove your Reader data. From here click the “choose services” option up top and then select Reader. From here it is just a matter of hitting the red “create archive” button.

“Reader will not be available after July 1, 2013. Please be sure to back up your data.”

A tap of the button will create your Reader archive and you can even check the box to get an email when it is ready — that way you don’t have to worry about sitting around. That data will come in the form of a ZIP file and once opened/unzipped you can navigate to the “reader” folder and grab the file called subscriptions.xml as that is the list you will need for the service you are heading to. This of course brings the big question — which service should you choose?

Feedly

There are plenty of options available, however one of the more talked about is Feedly and they have recently launched Feedly Cloud. Feedly is a clean looking service that has proven to be easy to navigate and easy to use. Not to mention, the folks at Feedly have been very busy preparing for those coming from Reader. Another key for us here, Feedly has a decent looking Android app available.

NewsBlur

So far Feedly has proven a good place to switch based on our experience, however it is always nice to have multiple options available. That said, there is also NewsBlur, which is available for Android and also on the web. NewsBlur looks to be a great option to consider however we will point out the service charges once you reach 64 feeds. The charge is relatively low, $24 per year, but we suspect some will rule out anything dealing with having to pay.

Digg Reader / AOL Reader

There is also the relatively new Digg Reader to consider. This one seems like it still needs a bit of work, but could be a good option to keep watching. Otherwise, AOL Reader recently launched and while there is not yet an Android app available, there is one promised to be coming soon. In the meantime, AOL Reader does have a mobile web version available.

The Other Options

While a standard RSS reader will likely be the best option for those die hard Google Reader fans, there are still other options to consider. You could move to something like Flipboard or Pulse and begin getting your news presented in more of a magazine like layout. Finally, one last option to consider is jumping from RSS completely and moving to something like Twitter. That being the case, just follow the sites as opposed to their RSS feeds. The one catch with moving to Twitter, we suggest creating a new account used solely for this reason.