Pocket and IFTTT: automate your queue

Quick — how many tabs do you have open right now? There’s so much amazing information out there, sometimes it’s hard to focus. Luckily, there’s Pocket. Pocket is a free service that lets you quickly save almost anything on the internet into a queue that you can revisit when you have time. You can even use Pocket’s text-to-speech functionality to turn articles into your own personal podcast.

And, of course: it works with IFTTT! So many services pair well with Pocket. Take a look at some of our favorite connections for discovering, syncing, and sharing great content:

Long-form writing is great, but sometimes you just want to marvel at the beauty of the universe or some cool pics of retro astronauts. Load up your Pocket with all of NASA’s stellar pics, and check in with your queue when you need a little visual break.

Chances are, every time you check in with Twitter there’s more than 140 characters to check out. Instead of clicking links, click the heart — the first link from those tweets will be added to your queue. When you’re done with those, you can move onto the law of the land. Connect ProPublica to automatically send a summary of new US laws to your Pocket.

These connections will keep your queue stocked with high-quality, in-depth journalism. For the New York Times, you’ll pick the section of the paper that most piques your interest. Connecting Reddit will introduce the most buzz-worthy long-form pieces to your Pocket by tracking what the r/Longreads community is talking about.

Don’t keep a good read all to yourself — turn on connections that help you share favorites with your friends, family, and followers.

You can also keep track for your own personal satisfaction: mark your progress in your calendar or add items to a task-manager like Trello.

You can find more ways to connect Pocket on their service page — or you can make your own.