diff --git a/src/reader/sync.rs b/src/reader/sync.rs
index 5b45560..658d1ff 100644
--- a/src/reader/sync.rs
+++ b/src/reader/sync.rs
@@ -64,6 +64,27 @@ fn create_feed_item(item: Item, feed: &Feed, connection: &mut PgConnection) {
     let item_title = item.title.clone().unwrap();
     log::info!("Create feed item: {}", item_title);
 
+    // Resolve the publication date before any HTML parsing or DB work so we can
+    // bail out early for old articles. Items without a pub_date are treated as
+    // current (inserted unconditionally) — feeds that don't publish dates are
+    // typically small/curated enough that this is fine.
+    let mut time: NaiveDateTime = Local::now().naive_local();
+    if let Some(pub_date) = item.pub_date() {
+        time = match get_date(pub_date) {
+            Ok(date) => date,
+            Err(err) => {
+                log::error!("could not parse pub date: {}", err);
+                time
+            }
+        };
+    }
+
+    let cutoff = Local::now().naive_local() - Duration::days(14);
+    if time < cutoff {
+        log::info!("Skipping item {} (older than 2 weeks).", item_title);
+        return;
+    }
+
     let base_content: &str = item.content().or(item.description()).unwrap_or_default();
 
     let frag = Html::parse_fragment(base_content);
@@ -96,17 +117,6 @@ fn create_feed_item(item: Item, feed: &Feed, connection: &mut PgConnection) {
         .unwrap();
 
     if existing_item.is_empty() {
-        log::info!("{:?}", item.pub_date());
-        let mut time: NaiveDateTime = Local::now().naive_local();
-        if item.pub_date().is_some() {
-            time = match get_date(item.pub_date().unwrap()) {
-                Ok(date) => date,
-                Err(err) => {
-                    log::error!("could not unwrap pub date: {}", err);
-                    time
-                }
-            };
-        }
         let new_feed_item = NewFeedItem::new(
             feed.id,
             content.clone(),
@@ -331,6 +341,72 @@ mod tests {
             .ok();
     }
 
+    #[actix_web::test]
+    async fn create_feed_item_skips_articles_older_than_two_weeks() {
+        let mut connection = establish_connection();
+        let suffix = unique_suffix();
+
+        let new_user = NewUser::new(
+            format!("age_skip_test_{suffix}"),
+            format!("age_skip_{suffix}@example.test"),
+            "secret".to_string(),
+        );
+        let user: User = diesel::insert_into(users::table)
+            .values(&new_user)
+            .get_result(&mut connection)
+            .unwrap();
+
+        let new_feed = NewFeed::new(
+            format!("Age skip test feed {suffix}"),
+            format!("https://example.test/feed/{suffix}"),
+            user.id,
+        );
+        let feed: Feed = diesel::insert_into(feed::table)
+            .values(&new_feed)
+            .get_result(&mut connection)
+            .unwrap();
+
+        // Item with a pub_date 20 days ago — should be ignored by create_feed_item.
+        let old_date = (Local::now() - Duration::days(20))
+            .format("%a, %d %b %Y %H:%M:%S %z")
+            .to_string();
+        let mut old_item = Item::default();
+        old_item.set_title(Some(format!("Old article {suffix}")));
+        old_item.set_link(Some(format!("https://example.test/old/{suffix}")));
+        old_item.set_pub_date(Some(old_date));
+        old_item.set_content(Some("<p>old</p>".to_string()));
+
+        // Item without a pub_date — treated as current, should be inserted.
+        let mut fresh_item = Item::default();
+        fresh_item.set_title(Some(format!("Fresh article {suffix}")));
+        fresh_item.set_link(Some(format!("https://example.test/fresh/{suffix}")));
+        fresh_item.set_content(Some("<p>fresh</p>".to_string()));
+
+        create_feed_item(old_item, &feed, &mut connection);
+        create_feed_item(fresh_item, &feed, &mut connection);
+
+        let items: Vec<FeedItem> = feed_item::table
+            .filter(feed_id.eq(feed.id))
+            .load(&mut connection)
+            .unwrap();
+
+        assert_eq!(1, items.len(), "old item should have been skipped");
+        assert!(
+            items[0].title.contains("Fresh article"),
+            "only the fresh item should be present"
+        );
+
+        diesel::delete(feed_item::table.filter(feed_id.eq(feed.id)))
+            .execute(&mut connection)
+            .ok();
+        diesel::delete(feed::table.filter(feed::id.eq(feed.id)))
+            .execute(&mut connection)
+            .ok();
+        diesel::delete(users::table.filter(users::id.eq(user.id)))
+            .execute(&mut connection)
+            .ok();
+    }
+
     #[actix_web::test]
     async fn create_feed_item_does_not_duplicate_existing_items() {
         let mut connection = establish_connection();
diff --git a/vue/src/assets/main.css b/vue/src/assets/main.css
index 46b8640..670452f 100644
--- a/vue/src/assets/main.css
+++ b/vue/src/assets/main.css
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #app {
   max-width: 1280px;
   margin: 0 auto;
-  padding: 1rem;
+  padding: 0.5rem;
 
   font-weight: normal;
 }
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ a,
 .feed-title {
   cursor: pointer;
   font-family: 'Courier New';
-  font-size: clamp(1.1rem, 4vw, 1.4rem);
+  font-size: clamp(1.25rem, 4.5vw, 1.6rem);
   font-weight: bold;
   color: var(--color-accent-2);
   border-bottom: 1px solid #ccc;
@@ -110,6 +110,6 @@ h3 {
 
 @media (min-width: 768px) {
   #app {
-    padding: 2rem;
+    padding: 0.75rem;
   }
 }
diff --git a/vue/src/components/AppNav.vue b/vue/src/components/AppNav.vue
index 30034a2..3acf979 100644
--- a/vue/src/components/AppNav.vue
+++ b/vue/src/components/AppNav.vue
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { RouterLink, useRouter } from 'vue-router'
 import { useFeeds } from '@/composables/useFeeds'
 
 const router = useRouter()
-const { sync, showModal, viewMode, toggleViewMode, layout, toggleLayout, markAllRead } = useFeeds()
+const { sync, showModal, viewMode, toggleViewMode, layout, toggleLayout, markAllRead, feeds } = useFeeds()
 
 const menuOpen = ref(false)
 
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ function handleToggleLayout() {
 <template>
   <header class="app-nav">
     <div class="app-nav__wrapper">
-      <span class="app-nav__title">RSS Reader</span>
+      <span class="app-nav__title">RSS Reader<span v-if="feeds.length" class="app-nav__unread"> ({{ feeds.length }})</span></span>
       <button
         class="app-nav__hamburger"
         type="button"
@@ -111,6 +111,11 @@ function handleToggleLayout() {
   font-size: clamp(1.1rem, 4vw, 1.4rem);
 }
 
+.app-nav__unread {
+  font-weight: normal;
+  opacity: 0.6;
+}
+
 .app-nav__hamburger {
   display: inline-flex;
   align-items: center;
diff --git a/vue/src/components/RssFeeds.vue b/vue/src/components/RssFeeds.vue
index dbe2156..d98a9fd 100644
--- a/vue/src/components/RssFeeds.vue
+++ b/vue/src/components/RssFeeds.vue
@@ -17,8 +17,20 @@ const {
   fetchData,
   getReadable,
   setInitialLoad,
+  showMessageForXSeconds,
 } = useFeeds()
 
+const shareLabel = navigator.share ? 'Share' : 'Copy link'
+
+async function shareUrl(url) {
+  if (navigator.share) {
+    await navigator.share({ url })
+  } else {
+    await navigator.clipboard.writeText(url)
+    showMessageForXSeconds('Link copied.', 2)
+  }
+}
+
 onMounted(async () => {
   setInitialLoad(false)
   await fetchData()
@@ -49,6 +61,9 @@ onMounted(async () => {
           <h3>{{ feed.timestamp }}</h3>
           <p v-if="!feed.readable" class="feed-original-link">
             <a :href="feed.url" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read original article &#8599;</a>
+            <button type="button" class="feed-share-btn" :title="shareLabel" @click="shareUrl(feed.url)" :aria-label="shareLabel">
+              <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" aria-hidden="true"><path d="M4 12v8a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h12a2 2 0 0 0 2-2v-8"/><polyline points="16 6 12 2 8 6"/><line x1="12" y1="2" x2="12" y2="15"/></svg>
+            </button>
           </p>
           <p class="feed-content" v-html='feed.content'></p>
         </div>
@@ -64,6 +79,7 @@ onMounted(async () => {
         <h3>{{ feeds[currentIndex].timestamp }}</h3>
         <p v-if="!feeds[currentIndex].readable" class="feed-original-link">
           <a :href="feeds[currentIndex].url" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Read original article &#8599;</a>
+          <button type="button" class="feed-share-btn" :title="shareLabel" @click="shareUrl(feeds[currentIndex].url)">{{ shareLabel }}</button>
         </p>
         <p class="feed-content" v-html="feeds[currentIndex].content"></p>
       </template>
@@ -123,6 +139,13 @@ onMounted(async () => {
   width: auto;
 }
 
+.feed-original-link {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-wrap: wrap;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 0.5rem;
+}
+
 .feed-original-link a {
   display: inline-flex;
   align-items: center;
@@ -136,6 +159,25 @@ onMounted(async () => {
   text-decoration: underline;
 }
 
+.feed-share-btn {
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  min-width: 44px;
+  min-height: 44px;
+  padding: 0;
+  border: none;
+  background: transparent;
+  color: var(--color-text);
+  opacity: 0.45;
+  cursor: pointer;
+  transition: opacity 0.15s;
+}
+
+.feed-share-btn:hover {
+  opacity: 1;
+}
+
 .article-single {
   position: relative;
   padding-bottom: 5rem;
@@ -179,10 +221,14 @@ onMounted(async () => {
   line-height: 1;
   box-shadow: 0 2px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.25);
   cursor: pointer;
+  opacity: 0.55;
+  transition: opacity 0.15s, border-color 0.15s;
 }
 
-.article-nav__btn:hover:not(:disabled) {
+.article-nav__btn:hover:not(:disabled),
+.article-nav__btn:focus-visible {
   border-color: var(--color-border-hover);
+  opacity: 1;
 }
 
 .article-nav__btn:disabled {
diff --git a/vue/src/components/__tests__/AppNav.spec.js b/vue/src/components/__tests__/AppNav.spec.js
index 642357d..db86cf4 100644
--- a/vue/src/components/__tests__/AppNav.spec.js
+++ b/vue/src/components/__tests__/AppNav.spec.js
@@ -148,6 +148,26 @@ describe('AppNav', () => {
     confirmSpy.mockRestore()
   })
 
+  it('shows the unread count in the title when there are articles', async () => {
+    const { feeds } = useFeeds()
+    feeds.value = [
+      { id: 1, title: 'Article one', content: '', url: 'https://example.test/1', timestamp: '2026-01-01' },
+      { id: 2, title: 'Article two', content: '', url: 'https://example.test/2', timestamp: '2026-01-02' },
+    ]
+
+    const wrapper = mount(AppNav, { global: { plugins: [router] } })
+    await flushPromises()
+
+    expect(wrapper.find('.app-nav__title').text()).toContain('(2)')
+  })
+
+  it('hides the unread count when there are no articles', async () => {
+    const wrapper = mount(AppNav, { global: { plugins: [router] } })
+    await flushPromises()
+
+    expect(wrapper.find('.app-nav__unread').exists()).toBe(false)
+  })
+
   it('does not mark articles as read when the confirmation is dismissed', async () => {
     const { feeds } = useFeeds()
     feeds.value = [
diff --git a/vue/src/composables/useFeeds.js b/vue/src/composables/useFeeds.js
index 4ef08d3..8f60a05 100644
--- a/vue/src/composables/useFeeds.js
+++ b/vue/src/composables/useFeeds.js
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ const message = ref('')
 const showModal = ref(false)
 const viewMode = ref('list') // 'list' | 'article' — toggled from the hamburger menu
 const currentIndex = ref(0)
-const layout = ref('list') // 'list' | 'cards' — list-view display style, toggled from the hamburger menu
+const layout = ref(localStorage.getItem('layout') || 'list') // 'list' | 'cards' — list-view display style, toggled from the hamburger menu
 
 let observer; // Declare observer outside the setup function
 let initialLoad = false
@@ -219,6 +219,7 @@ function toggleViewMode() {
 
 function toggleLayout() {
   layout.value = layout.value === 'list' ? 'cards' : 'list'
+  localStorage.setItem('layout', layout.value)
 }
 
 function nextArticle() {