Rockmelt for iOS is the mobile counterpart of the famous social desktop browser that goes by the same name. News of the app’s existence only emerged yesterday and it is already available for free download.
Just like the desktop browser, Rockmelt for iOS requires you to login with your Facebook account before you can start using the app. There is no workaround for this and you cannot even take a sneak peek until you login.
As soon as I logged in, I was surprised to see my Twitter account already linked to the app. Some time last year, I tried the early beta version Rockmelt desktop browser and the app synced all the accounts I have integrated earlier. That’s so cool!
Off the bat, I can see Rockmelt replacing quite a few apps. The Bookmark section keeps all your bookmarks in sync. In the same way, the View Later section shows the articles and links you have stored for reading later, replacing Instapaper-like apps.
The 💜 of EU tech
The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!
The Twitter screen shows your timeline and mentions from others. To reply or retweet, you will have to tap on the tweet. If there is a link attached to the tweet, the linked page will be automatically loaded. It makes for a nice feature, but you might want to keep an eye on the bandwidth if you have a cap. For some reason, direct messages are not displayed and there isn’t an option to search the tweets. The app allows you to shrink URLs and geo-tag the tweets you compose.
Coming to the Facebook part of the app, all your friend requests and other notifications can be found in the Facebook Notifications screen. From the Facebook news screen you can access the status updates of your friends.
Rockmelt has a comprehensive collection of blogs and news outlets you can follow from the app. Once you add a feed, the app will turn into your personal RSS reader. Looking to browse or search the web? Use the search box at the top and you can toggle between the search and browse modes.
Rockmelt is an awesome browser and will help you stay on top your social networks better than ever. I particularly enjoyed the true sync between the desktop and mobile versions of the app. The app is a free download and is an essential tool to your social toolkit.
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.