Nautilus is an independent reader for Hacker News, built around three ideas: remember what you've read, understand what matters, and give you a private research layer around the discussions you care about.
The core experience is entirely free — every feed, your full HN account, on-device AI, offline reading, and every research tool below. No ads. No tracking. No account required to browse.
UNDERSTAND EVERY THREAD
• Cited camps, the crux, and the one comment worth reading — distilled from the whole discussion, not just the top reply.
• Source-vs-HN claims and counter-arguments, every claim traceable to a real comment.
• Ask a focused follow-up when you need something more specific.
NEVER LOSE THE THREAD
• New-comment tracking with a quick-jump banner, plus a searchable reading history.
• Discussion Lineage traces earlier submissions and closely related prior threads, so you never miss the real conversation.
• Thread Explorer maps huge threads visually — comments new since your last visit, OP replies, saved comments, and search matches at a glance.
PRIVATE BRIEFING
• A short reading queue built from what you read, save, and follow — refreshed privately, on your schedule.
• Choose Quick, Standard, or Deep and Nautilus packs your queue to fit.
• Built entirely on-device.
STORY RULES
• Hide, dim, or highlight stories automatically by keyword, domain, author, score, and more — or collect matches, get notified, or exclude them from your Briefing.
• See exactly which rule matched and why, with a test preview before you save.
RESEARCH TOOLS
• Radar: evidence-backed watchlists for technologies, companies, keywords, and repositories, with every claim cited.
• GitHub Context: repo facts, README, and license rendered in Nautilus's own reading view — no login required.
• Contributor Context: public HN profile facts and relevant prior posts, with transparent match reasons. No reputation scores, ever.
YOUR HACKER NEWS ACCOUNT
• Vote, reply, comment, favorite, and submit with your own account.
• Optional reply notifications and a daily reminder to check the front page.
• Your session lives only in the iOS Keychain.
ON-DEVICE AI — PRIVATE
• TL;DR, explanations, and translation for comments.
• Runs entirely on your device.
SYNC & OFFLINE
• Optional iCloud sync keeps your library, notes, and preferences current across devices — using your own private iCloud database.
• Offline packs for stories and articles, ready for on-device reading.
EDITIONS
• Restyle the entire app instantly with hand-tuned Editions — new colors, type, and texture.
• Several Editions are free. A one-time purchase unlocks the full gallery.
BUILT FOR iOS
• Command Palette and full keyboard shortcuts with a hardware keyboard.
• An iPad Research Workspace that expands to three panes when space allows, for reading, notes, and context side by side.
• Home Screen widgets, Live Activities, Spotlight search, and Siri Shortcuts.
• A Safari extension that finds the HN discussion for the page you're reading.
• Localized into dozens of languages, with Dynamic Type and VoiceOver support.
PRIVATE BY DESIGN
• No ads. No trackers. No analytics. We don't operate a server that could see what you read.
• Hide stories and block users to make your feed truly yours.
Nautilus is an independent app. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by Hacker News or Y Combinator.
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