Feed + Briefs
Tune categories and like papers to shape future ranking. Briefs condense abstracts into one short summary. Feeds are ranked on your device, and Briefs are generated there when enabled.
A mobile-first reader for arXiv
Full arXiv papers.
Comfortable in your hand.
Open papers wherever you find them, then read them in a mobile-first format. Preview references, figures, tables, and equations without losing your place. Highlight passages, take notes, and leave pinch-and-zoom behind.
The paper fits
the phone.
A PDF turns an iPhone into a viewport: pinch, pan, lose the line, repeat. FirstPass lays out the paper for the screen, then opens references, figures, tables, and equations over the passage that called them out.Start with the paper you already have. Links from Safari and other apps can open directly in FirstPass.
The paper becomes one readable column instead of a full page behind pinch and zoom.
Preview a reference without losing your place.
Preview a figure or table over the passage, then open it fully to inspect the details.
Read actively.
Return precisely.
Your research keeps its place. Highlight passages and add notes, then find them again in Library. A side panel keeps recent papers close for quick switching.
Search across them later and return to the exact passage.
FirstPass Plus adds iCloud sync, offline reading for opened and saved papers, unlimited monitoring, Guided Skim, and pinned papers.
Find what deserves
a full read.
FirstPass covers the entire arXiv archive and updates daily. Use as much or as little of its discovery system as you need: scan a Feed, search the archive, or monitor a field.
Tune categories by hand and like papers to shape future ranking. Briefs condense each abstract into a single short summary so you can decide what to open. Ranking and Brief generation happen locally on your device.
Search broadly or narrow by author, category, date, and paper metadata. From any result, save or like the paper, explore related work and author pages, or begin reading.
Save an advanced search, follow an author, or create a Smart Folder from a group of papers. FirstPass checks daily and sends one notification when it finds something new.
Search
Search all of arXiv, or narrow by author, category, date, and paper metadata.
Radars
Monitor a moving field through a search, an author, or a group of related papers.
Your reading life
is not an account.
FirstPass does not require an account. Your Library, reading state, highlights, notes, and preferences are stored on your device. Some features make requests to FirstPass services, iCloud sync is optional, and product analytics stay off until you enable them.
On your device
Your Library, likes, reading state, highlights, notes, preferences, cached files, and generated Briefs. Feed ranking, Brief generation, and Library matching also run locally.
FirstPass services
Search, Feed, recommendation, citation, Radar, Smart Folder, and model-download requests may reach FirstPass services. Some paper identifiers and highlighted passages are briefly sent to create embeddings used for ranking and matching on your device. They are not retained as part of a persistent account or research profile. Note text is not sent to FirstPass services.
Your iCloud, if enabled
When enabled, supported Library data, highlights, notes, and reading state sync through your iCloud account.
Analytics, off until enabled
When enabled, analytics record limited feature usage. They never include paper identities or content, search terms, highlighted passages, note text, URLs, location, purchase data, or a persistent user or device identifier.
The reader is free.
Plus extends the workflow.
Start with the full mobile-first reader. Add Plus when you need sync, offline reading, and advanced tools.
Plus adds
- iCloud sync for supported Library data and reading state
- Offline reading for opened and saved papers
- Unlimited monitoring and pinned papers
- Guided SkimMarks the sentences carrying the paper’s argument.
- On-device explanationsSelect difficult text for an explanation on supported devices.
- Markdown and Obsidian export
- Related Library papers and matching highlights
Try Plus for 14 days with no payment and no automatic renewal.
Available once to eligible users; requires internet and iCloud. Plus is offered monthly or yearly.
View on the App Store
Read it in FirstPass.
Open your next arXiv paper on iPhone or iPad.
Open FirstPass on the App Store