======================================================================
NeReO 1.2.8 - Ne(ws) Re(ader) O(pen-source)
Text-only Usenet (NNTP) newsreader for Android
By MCSM - 2026/09/01
======================================================================
*** VERSION 1.2.8 ***
An intermediate step between 1.2.7 and the future "complete" 1.3:
gathers everything that had been prepared as 1.3/1.3.1/1.3.2 during
solo testing, renumbered before any wider release - none of those
versions ever shipped officially. The real 1.3 will land only once
the rest of the NNTP roadmap (CAPABILITIES, STARTTLS, connection
pooling, per-server unencrypted-auth override) is done or dropped.
What's new in this version:
* Customizable reading bar: under Appearance -> "Customize reading
bar" choose which icons the bottom reading bar shows and in what
order (show/hide switch + up/down arrows, which also work well
with a TV box remote).
* Selective refresh: the refresh icon now opens a menu - "Refresh
everything" (as before) or "Choose which servers to refresh". A
similar menu on each server's header lets you refresh just that
server or just some of its groups, instead of always downloading
everything. The server-level menu is also available in
tablet/panel mode.
* Full-screen reading in panel mode (tablet): while reading, a new
icon temporarily hides the groups and threads columns so you can
focus on the text; it closes itself again when you leave the
article.
* Search/Share on selected text: selecting text in an article now
also offers Search (web search) and Share, next to Copy and
Select all. "Translate" has been dropped FOR GOOD (it would
depend on a handler not guaranteed on every device).
* Update check, four modes: under Maintenance -> Updates, choose
Never / Once a day / Every 4 hours / On every launch. A "Last
check: ..." line always shows below the picker, so you can see
it's working even when it finds nothing new (no popup in that
case, just that line).
* Fixed a bug: the old "once a day" limit was per calendar day, not
elapsed time - opening the app even once before a new release
went out could leave you "stuck" until the next day, no matter
how many more times you reopened the app.
* Beefed-up NNTP diagnostics (Bingo3331 + HAL): with the NNTP log
switch on (Maintenance -> Diagnostics), the log now also records
a summary of every OVER/XOVER response (rows received, missing
numbers, duplicates), per-command timing, and a header/footer for
every NNTP session - built to track down gaps in a provider's
backfill (e.g. Astraweb).
* New manual diagnostic "LISTGROUP diagnostic...": asks the server
for the real list of articles in a group and compares it with the
last overview summary; for numbers missing from the overview, it
checks with STAT whether they truly exist - telling apart a gap
in the server's overview database from an article that's really
gone.
---
*** VERSION 1.2.7 ***
What's new in this version:
* Insecure connection: if a server refuses your password over an
unencrypted connection, a clear dialog now offers two choices -
"Switch to SSL" (recommended) or "Allow unencrypted" (not
recommended). No more silent failure for newcomers. The dialog does
not appear during the periodic automatic check, only when you
refresh yourself.
* Reply to crossposts: a new option in Maintenance to reply to ALL the
original groups by default instead of just the current one (off by
default; you can still choose case by case).
* Continuous view: a thicker separator now marks where each new
sub-thread begins, so they stand out at a glance.
---
*** VERSION 1.2.6 ***
What's new in this version:
* Security: your password is no longer sent over an unencrypted
connection (it would travel in clear - RFC 4643 forbids it). If you
really have an old server that needs it, you can knowingly allow it
under Maintenance -> Security. Prefer the SSL port (usually 563).
* "Check for updates" is now also in the main menu, next to About and
What's new - no more digging into Maintenance for it.
* Panel view: a three-dot menu on every post, with author plonk. Before
you had to switch to full-screen view to plonk.
* Panel view: you can reorder groups here too (a "reorder" icon at the
top of the groups column), not only in full-screen view.
* Backup now saves the group order: restoring no longer puts everything
back in alphabetical order.
* Cleaner Headers view: the long Face/X-Face base64 code is no longer
shown (the little face still appears next to the author).
* Mute quotes: a new button hides quoted text with one tap, so only the
new message stands out (tap the placeholder to show it again). A
"quote" icon in the reading bar and in the panel headers.
* Panel view: in the reading pane, swipe up/down to jump to the next or
previous unread post in the thread (if there are none, to the next or
previous post) - just like on the phone.
---
*** VERSION 1.2.5 (fixes) ***
What's new and fixed in this version:
* Continuous view: opening a long thread no longer marks the messages
after the selected one as read in bulk. Now only what you actually
see is marked read - the chosen message on opening, then each message
as you bring it to the top by scrolling.
* Continuous view: crosspost groups are now shown (in red) on every
post, not only in the single-article view.
* With the "unread only" filter on, the empty list now says "No unread
messages in this group" instead of "No articles...".
* Update check: NeReO can tell you when a newer version is on
SourceForge (automatic once a day, can be turned off in Maintenance,
plus a manual button). Notification and link only: the app never
downloads or installs anything itself.
---
*** VERSION 1.2.4 (fixes) ***
What's new and fixed in this version:
* Reflow text: now also joins the "orphan" one- or two-word lines
left in the middle of a paragraph. Before, even with reflow on, a
few short lines (like a lone "is" or "and") stayed isolated because
the previous heuristic mistook them for deliberate breaks. Only
labels, greetings and short lines that end with punctuation
(. , : ; ! ? ...) now keep their own line. Off by default; reading
only.
---
*** VERSION 1.2.3 (fixes) ***
What's new and fixed in this version:
* Tree view: messages that open a discussion are no longer shown as
"already read" when they aren't. The colour now follows the post's
real state, matching "jump to next unread".
* Continuous view: replying to a crossposted message now shows the
prompt to choose which groups to reply to, like the single-article
view. Before, the reply silently went only to the first group.
* Continuous view: opening several unread messages no longer shows
"Error: connection reset" instead of the text. Bodies are fetched
one request at a time rather than opening many connections at once.
* Panel view: refresh now uses the icon at the top of the column by
default; the pull-to-refresh swipe no longer steals the first upward
scroll. The swipe can be turned back on in Appearance. The phone is
unaffected.
* Reflow text: now also acts on posts wrapped narrow (around 38-40
columns), which were skipped entirely before and kept their orphan
words. Still off by default; reading only.
* Continuous view: opening a thread on a message in the middle no
longer marks the messages above it - merely skipped past - as read.
Marking now applies from the chosen message downwards, not to what
flashes by on opening.
---
*** VERSION 1.2.2 (fixes) ***
What's new and fixed in this version:
* New "Reflow text" option (Appearance): rejoins paragraphs broken by
the classic 72-column wrap, so posts read tidily on narrow screens
instead of showing one- or two-word orphan lines. Off by default;
reading only.
* Refreshing is much faster: one connection per server instead of one
per group (with many groups the difference is noticeable). The
new-messages count now also appears when you tap the refresh icon,
not only with pull-to-refresh.
* Panel view (tablet): in continuous view the third column now
follows the same thread order as the tree (not date order). Writing
a post opens the editor full-screen, so the keyboard no longer
covers the text area in landscape.
* Panel view (tablet/landscape): picking a message from the tree
again positions it correctly at the top and keeps it there (in 1.2
it could land in a random spot).
* The "refresh" spinner no longer sticks at the top of the tree pane:
scrolling stays immediate.
* SSL/TLS connections: added the missing read timeout, so a stalled
encrypted connection no longer leaves the app waiting forever.
---
*** VERSION 1.2 ***
What's new in this version:
* Server compatibility: some providers (Astraweb among them) reject
the OVER command used to fetch headers, and syncing would stop.
NeReO now falls back to XOVER automatically, so those servers
work again.
* Plonk extended to replies: a rule on "from" can now also hide the
replies to the filtered post and the whole branch below it, whoever
wrote them (reversible: remove the rule and they come back).
* Parity on tablets: the panel (three-column) view now has the full
headers and ROT13 buttons, and the Drafts button is reachable too.
Continuous view opens already positioned on the chosen message.
* Groups: long-press a group to download, in one go, the missing
bodies of the last 300 messages. "Follow the thread" now applies to
the whole thread; your own posts are recognised even with per-server
identities.
* After posting: a "Message sent" confirmation and an automatic group
refresh, so your own message shows up without a manual reload (as
soon as the server makes it available).
* Complete backup (per-server identities, all settings and followed
threads; restoring stays compatible with older backups).
* NNTP diagnostics under Maintenance: records the dialogue with the
server (password always masked) to solve odd cases faster. Off by
default.
* Fixes: bottom icon bar wraps to two rows on narrow screens; a
spurious error while scrolling fast is gone.
Everything else keeps the full feature set of 1.1. The interface is
available in Italian and English.
======================================================================
=============
WHAT NeReO IS
=============
NeReO is a Usenet newsgroup reader for Android, dedicated to text
discussions.
No binary groups, no attachments, no ads, no telemetry: just messages
and conversations, the way Usenet has always been.
It is free software, released under the GNU GPL v3 or later.
===================
INTERFACE LANGUAGE
===================
NeReO follows the phone language automatically:
* phone in Italian -> Italian interface
* any other language -> English interface
If you prefer a language different from the phone's, you can set it for
NeReO only, without touching the rest of the system, in two ways:
* inside the app: Appearance -> Language
* from the system: Settings -> Apps -> NeReO -> Language
(Android 13 and later only)
On Android 13 and later the two paths control the same choice. On
Android 12 and earlier the system option does not exist: in that case
you change the language from the switch inside the app.
Only these two languages are provided.
==============
WHAT IT DOES
==============
READING
* Three ways to view discussions: threaded, sequential, or grouped
by thread.
* Continuous view: all messages of a discussion one below the other,
with a direct jump to the message chosen in the tree.
* Colour-graded quotes by level, which you can shorten.
* Face (Usenet's historic avatar) shown next to the author.
* ROT13, full headers, conversation tree.
* Gesture navigation: scroll to move to the next message or thread.
* Indication of replies to your own posts, with a direct jump to the
first unread one.
WRITING
* Replies with quoting in four modes, including reduced quoting and
line-by-line trimming.
* Crosspost: replies and new threads across several groups.
* Signature with rotating variants and automatic placeholders.
* A different identity per server, if needed.
* Drafts saved locally.
ORGANISING
* Filters with clear actions (Ignore, Delete, Highlight, Watch the
thread) or score-based for those who want fine control. They apply
to already-downloaded messages too.
* One-tap author plonk.
* Search by message or by discussion.
* Automatic retention: by age or by number of discussions, set per
group.
* Backup and restore of the configuration, with optional encryption.
APPEARANCE
* Light, dark or automatic theme; Material You dynamic colours.
* Ten interface tints, six text sizes.
* Panel layout for tablets and wide screens, with adjustable ratios.
CONNECTION
* NNTP with authentication, SSL/TLS on a dedicated port.
* Automatic IPv6/IPv4 fallback.
======================
FIRST-TIME SETUP
======================
1. Open the menu (three dots, top right) and choose "Servers",
then the "+" at the bottom.
You can start from a known server or enter one by hand.
Free example: news.eternal-september.org, port 563, SSL
(requires a free registration on their site).
2. From the menu, open "Identity and signature" and enter the name and
e-mail you want to appear with in the groups.
3. Go back to the list and tap the "+" at the bottom to browse the
groups available on the server and subscribe to the ones you like.
4. Tap a group to download its messages.
======================
INSTALLATION NOTES
======================
* If you are updating from a previous version, install the APK over
the existing one: do NOT uninstall first, or you will lose groups,
read state and settings.
* If the phone blocks the installation, allow unknown sources for the
app you open the file from.
* Requirements: Android 8.0 or later.
==============
REPORTS
==============
For a useful report, three things are enough:
* what you were doing when it happened;
* a screenshot, if the problem is visible;
* the block from About -> Technical data (there is a Copy button).
================
VERSION HISTORY
================
1.2.7 "Insecure connection" dialog with two choices (switch to SSL /
allow unencrypted) when a server refuses cleartext auth.
Option: reply to crossposts on all groups by default.
Continuous view: thicker separators at each sub-thread start.
1.2.6 Security: no password over an unencrypted connection (opt-in
override under Maintenance). "Check for updates" in the main
menu. Panel view: per-post plonk menu and group reordering.
Backup keeps the group order. Face/X-Face code hidden in the
Headers view. Mute quotes with one tap. Panel view: swipe
up/down to the next/previous unread post.
1.2.5 Continuous view: "read" marking follows what you actually see
(only the message at the top, as you scroll), not the whole
screenful of placeholders. Crosspost groups shown on every
post in continuous view. "No unread messages" empty state.
Update check against SourceForge (opt-out, notify + link only).
1.2.4 Reflow text: also joins the "orphan" one- or two-word lines
left in the middle of a paragraph (only labels, greetings and
short lines ending with punctuation keep their own line).
1.2.3 Tree view: discussion-opening messages no longer always shown
as read (colour now follows the real state). Continuous view:
crosspost reply prompt restored; no more "connection reset" on
bodies (one request at a time). Panel view: refresh icon is the
default, pull-to-refresh swipe opt-in (Appearance). Reflow text
now also acts on narrow-wrap authors (~38-40 columns).
Continuous view: "read" marking applies only from the chosen
message downwards (no more thread heads marked read just for
being skipped past on opening).
1.2.2 New "Reflow text" option (rejoins 72-column-wrapped
paragraphs). Faster refresh (one connection per server
instead of per group); new-messages count on the icon too. Message
positioning in the panel view (landscape regression);
"refresh" spinner no longer stuck at the top of the tree;
read timeout on SSL/TLS connections.
1.2 Server compatibility (OVER->XOVER fallback: fixes Astraweb
and the like). Plonk extended to replies. Tablet parity:
full headers, ROT13 and Drafts in the panel view; continuous
view positioned. "Download bodies (last 300)" by long-pressing
a group. "Follow the thread" over the whole thread; per-server
identities recognised. Complete backup. NNTP diagnostics under
Maintenance. Two-row bottom icon bar. "Sent" confirmation and
automatic refresh after posting.
1.1 In-app language switch (Appearance -> Language). Database
safety net: automatic copy and warning before any reset for
an incompatible schema.
1.0 First stable version. Interface in Italian and English.
1.0-RC01 Release candidate: full interface translation.
beta20 Fixed three crashes (very large groups, empty screen on the
back button, confirmation dialogs). Filters applicable to
already-downloaded messages; delete discussion; jump to
replies to your own posts; quit application; fixes to
continuous view, keyboard and reduced quoting.
beta19 Reduced quoting fixed; auto-capitalisation; full group list
download; retention by number of discussions.
beta18 Replies to your own posts highlighted; continuous thread
view; filters with actions instead of scores; crosspost on a
new thread.
beta17 Reply to crossposts choosing the groups; IPv6/IPv4 fallback.
beta16 Fixes to the landscape layout and the interface.
beta14-15 Full headers; reliable Face; trim quote.
beta11-13 Search; group reordering; crosspost; splash screen.
beta7-10 From MyNewsReader to NeReO; drafts; multiple identities.
beta1 First release.
===============
THANKS
===============
NeReO got this far thanks to those who tried it patiently version
after version, reporting flaws, proposing features and pushing back
when something wasn't right.
Special thanks to Roxy, Bingo3331, Big Umberto, rpoggi, Paul, Dave
Royal, Alessandro, John (n2n) and il Merovingio: many of the things
that work well today exist because someone took the trouble to explain
precisely what was wrong.
The project started from Piao Hong's MOD 17 of Newsreader, whose
interface approach it follows.
Usenet Still Lives!
===================
MCSM (aka Marco)
