01Contact
Email support@hackerwire.app. HackerWire is independently maintained, so please be patient — responses typically arrive within two business days.
When emailing about a bug, include your iOS version, device model, and the app version (found in the app's Settings screen). That cuts the back-and-forth in half.
02Manage your subscription
HackerWire Pro subscriptions are billed by Apple. You manage, change, or cancel them in your Apple Account Settings — HackerWire never has access to your billing.
On iPhone or iPad
- Open Settings.
- Tap your name at the top.
- Tap Subscriptions.
- Select HackerWire Pro to change your plan or cancel.
Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period. You keep Pro access until then.
03Refunds
All HackerWire Pro purchases are processed by Apple, and refunds are handled through Apple's standard refund process. We can't issue refunds directly.
To request a refund, visit reportaproblem.apple.com, sign in with your Apple ID, find the HackerWire Pro purchase, and choose "Request a Refund."
04Restore purchases
If you've paid for Pro and it isn't active on a new device (or after reinstalling), open the app, go to Settings → HackerWire Pro → Restore Purchases. Make sure you're signed in to the same Apple ID you used to subscribe.
If a restore still doesn't pick it up, email us with the Apple receipt and we'll sort it out.
05Frequently asked
Is this affiliated with Hacker News or Y Combinator?
No. HackerWire is an independent third-party client. It reads Hacker News's public API and, if you sign in, writes on your behalf using your own HN account.
Do I need a Hacker News account?
No — you can read the whole site without one. Sign-in is only required if you want to vote, comment, or submit.
Where are my bookmarks stored?
On your device, in iOS UserDefaults. If you have iCloud enabled, bookmarks sync to your other devices through your own iCloud — not through any HackerWire server.
How do AI summaries work?
Pro subscribers can tap to generate a summary of an article or a discussion. The request goes to a HackerWire-operated proxy, which forwards the text to OpenAI without any user identifier attached. Up to 30 summaries per day.
Why can't I vote or comment?
You need to sign in with your Hacker News account. Brand-new HN accounts sometimes lack voting privileges until they accumulate a bit of karma — that's an HN rule, not ours.
The app feels rate-limited.
Hacker News applies its own rate limits to heavy requests (especially votes and comment submissions). If you're hitting them, wait a minute and try again.
06Reporting bugs
Email support@hackerwire.app with:
- What you were doing when it happened.
- What you expected versus what actually happened.
- iOS version, device model, app version.
- A screenshot or screen recording if visual.
Crash data is not automatically collected — so if the app crashed, please tell us. We can't see it otherwise.
07Requirements
HackerWire runs on iPhone and iPad on iOS 17 or later. An internet connection is required for browsing; saved articles are available offline.