# Mac beta with column view and unread counts setting

**URL:** <https://discourse.netnewswire.com/t/mac-beta-with-column-view-and-unread-counts-setting/417>\
**Category:** Beta Testing\
**Created:** [October 7, 2026, 7:35pm UTC](https://discourse.netnewswire.com/t/mac-beta-with-column-view-and-unread-counts-setting/417 "2026-10-07T19:35:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![brent](https://discourse.netnewswire.com/user_avatar/discourse.netnewswire.com/brent/32/7_2.png) [@brent](https://discourse.netnewswire.com/u/brent)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 7:35pm UTC](https://discourse.netnewswire.com/t/mac-beta-with-column-view-and-unread-counts-setting/417/1 "2026-10-07T19:35:48Z")

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The latest Mac beta has some cool new features:

1. `View > Use Column Layout` is something many people have wanted for a long time — it changes the main window view so the timeline is on top and the article view below it. The timeline uses a traditional, single-line table view with columns (which you can sort by). Mail.app has the same setting which does the same thing — and of course earlier versions (1, 2, 3) of NetNewsWire had this view as the default view.
2. Unread count settings — you can replace unread counts with just a • or turn them off entirely. This is for people who don’t care about the actual numbers. (Me, I’m running it now with just a • so I can see what’s new — I don’t really care about the actual numbers!)

The next iOS beta will also have the unread count setting as soon as it makes it through App Store review. (It was submitted last night.)

As always, let me know if you find any bugs!

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**Author:** ![brent](https://discourse.netnewswire.com/user_avatar/discourse.netnewswire.com/brent/32/7_2.png) [@brent](https://discourse.netnewswire.com/u/brent)\
**Post date:** [October 7, 2026, 7:36pm UTC](https://discourse.netnewswire.com/t/mac-beta-with-column-view-and-unread-counts-setting/417/2 "2026-10-07T19:36:47Z")

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Here’s how to beta test:

[https://netnewswire.com/help/beta-testing.html](https://netnewswire.com/help/beta-testing.html)

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**Author:** ![exc](https://discourse.netnewswire.com/user_avatar/discourse.netnewswire.com/exc/32/490_2.png) [@exc](https://discourse.netnewswire.com/u/exc)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2026, 1:07am UTC](https://discourse.netnewswire.com/t/mac-beta-with-column-view-and-unread-counts-setting/417/3 "2026-10-08T01:07:28Z")

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i like the new column layout. its very macintosh 😊

if i might add one suggestion, i think nnw should further emulate something akin to how Mail.app treats windows and the column layout, where the Viewer pane can essentially be hidden, and the main way to navigate the app is by having each feed item open a window (either by double clicking, or by pressing Spacebar, quicklook style). there could potentially be a choice in the NNW Preferences to decide whether a double click on a feed item will open the url in a browser, or open the rendered feed in a new NNW window.

[i’m attaching a video to demonstrate.](https://marceloexc.com/nnw-1.mov)

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**Author:** ![brent](https://discourse.netnewswire.com/user_avatar/discourse.netnewswire.com/brent/32/7_2.png) [@brent](https://discourse.netnewswire.com/u/brent)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2026, 4:50pm UTC](https://discourse.netnewswire.com/t/mac-beta-with-column-view-and-unread-counts-setting/417/4 "2026-10-08T16:50:23Z")

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We have a request on the bug tracker for opening an article in a separate window: [https://github.com/Ranchero-Software/NetNewsWire/issues/5240](https://github.com/Ranchero-Software/NetNewsWire/issues/5240)

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**Author:** ![monster94](https://discourse.netnewswire.com/user_avatar/discourse.netnewswire.com/monster94/32/492_2.png) [@monster94](https://discourse.netnewswire.com/u/monster94)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2026, 4:53pm UTC](https://discourse.netnewswire.com/t/mac-beta-with-column-view-and-unread-counts-setting/417/5 "2026-10-08T16:53:30Z")

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Thanks! I’m going to try this out for a bit.

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**Author:** ![rodbegbie](https://discourse.netnewswire.com/user_avatar/discourse.netnewswire.com/rodbegbie/32/493_2.png) [@rodbegbie](https://discourse.netnewswire.com/u/rodbegbie)\
**Post date:** [October 8, 2026, 10:56pm UTC](https://discourse.netnewswire.com/t/mac-beta-with-column-view-and-unread-counts-setting/417/6 "2026-10-08T22:56:07Z")

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Man, the hit of nostalgia I got when using this view! Feels like 2002 again. Next thing you’ll be adding the functionality to post to our blogs from NNW 😉