Nothing to organise
Keep is the only thing you do. No tags, folders or notes to maintain.
Chrome extension, private beta
Remember the technical
articles you actually read.
Readback notices what you read. You tap Keep on what matters. Three short recall cards a day bring the ideas back, in ninety seconds or less.
Free for 14 days. No card needed to start.
- Nothing added to the page
- Only kept articles reach the AI
- No AI key to set up
Recall · card 1 of 3about 30 seconds
From “How write ahead logs make crashes boring”
A database crashes after it acknowledged a commit but before it flushed the data pages. Why is the commit still safe?
Correct. The log is written first, so recovery can replay the change from it.
SkipSnoozeNever for this article
The problem
You read good articles. A month later you cannot explain them.
Notes apps ask you to file and tag. Readback asks you to tap once.
Without it
- Tabs pile up and get closed unread.
- Notes need filing you never get to.
- The idea is gone right when a design review or an interview needs it.
With Readback
- Reading stays exactly as it is today.
- Keep is one tap on the articles that matter.
- Cards return just before the idea would fade.
You already read the good stuff. Readback makes sure you still have it a month from now.
Why it works
Less to manage. More that sticks.
Ninety seconds a day at most
Three cards, in your dashboard, when you choose to open it. Done for the day when they are done.
Questions about ideas, not trivia
Questions test trade offs and reasoning from the article you kept. After you answer, you see the source passage.
Timed to forgetting
Cards return after 1, 3, 10 and 30 days, sooner or later depending on how you answer.
How it works
Read. Keep. Recall.
Read as usual
Readback notices articles you actually read on technical sites. It adds nothing to the page and never interrupts you.
Tap Keep
One tap marks an article that matters. Only kept articles get questions.
Recall three cards a day
Open the dashboard when it suits you. Pick an answer, then see the passage it came from.
When a kept article comes back
- Day 1First recall
- Day 3Second look
- Day 10Third look
- Day 30Does it still stick?
Right answers push the next card later. Misses bring it back sooner.
Privacy
You decide what leaves your device.
Article text is read locally. It goes to the AI only when you keep an article and agree.
Nothing on the page
Readback adds nothing to the page while you read.
Skips the rest of the web
Shopping, social, video and search pages are not tracked.
Only kept text goes to AI
Text from articles you keep, with your consent. The server stores no article text, prompts or replies.
No AI account or key
Readback provides and pays for the AI. You never set one up.
Pause any time
Stop tracking with one click and start again when you like.
Delete everything
Delete local data, cloud data, or your whole account.
Sync is off by default. Read the full privacy details.
Pricing
Free for 14 days. Then paid.
Pricing is still being finalised. You will know the price before your trial ends.
During your 14 days
- Starts when you create a Readback account. No card needed.
- AI question sets for up to 3 kept articles.
- A limited number of graded written answers.
- Sync across devices, if you turn it on.
After the trial
- Local tracking and your dashboard keep working free.
- Questions you already have stay available.
- Deleting your data is always free.
- New AI questions, AI grading and sync need a subscription.
Install
Install during the beta.
Readback is not on the Chrome Web Store yet. For now you load it in Chrome as an unpacked extension. It takes about a minute.
- Open
chrome://extensionsin Chrome. - Turn on Developer mode with the switch at the top right.
- Click Load unpacked.
- Choose the
distfolder of the Readback project you were given. - Pin Readback from the puzzle piece menu, then read an article as you normally would.
After you update the files in dist, click the reload icon on the Readback card in chrome://extensions.
FAQ
Questions before you install.
What does Readback track?
For articles you read on technical sites, it measures how long you were actively reading and how far you scrolled. That stays on your device. Shopping, social, video and search pages are not tracked, and you can pause tracking at any time.
What is sent to AI?
Only the text of articles you have kept, and only after you agree. Readback's server does not store article text, prompts or replies.
Do I need an account?
Not to read, keep or use the local dashboard. You need a Readback account (email and password) for AI question writing, AI grading and sync. It is a Readback account only, never an AI vendor account.
Do I need my own AI key?
No. Readback provides and pays for the AI. You never bring or set up an AI key.
What happens after 14 days?
AI questions, AI grading and sync need a subscription. Local tracking, your dashboard, the questions you already have and deletion keep working without payment, so you can always see and delete your data. Pricing is still being finalised.
What does the free trial include?
Your 14 days start when you create a Readback account. During the trial Readback writes question sets for up to 3 kept articles and grades a limited number of written answers.
What syncs between devices?
Nothing, unless you turn Sync on. Then article metadata, question sets, cards and schedule, answer results and settings flags sync. Article text, your typed answers, raw events and passwords never do.
How do I delete my data?
In Readback settings you can delete local data on this device, delete cloud data, or delete your account, which removes the user, sessions and all data.
Which browsers does it work in?
Chrome only for now. Other browsers and mobile are not planned for this version.
Start remembering what you read.
Three cards a day. Free for 14 days, no card needed.
Install the beta