1271
Official FBReader news. New features and releases, third-party plugins, plans, tech details, etc. https://fbreader.org
iOS version beta testing
FBReader 1.2 for iOS will be publicly released in the next few weeks.
Exclusively for the channel readers, we're offering a beta version for testing. To install the beta on your iPhone or iPad, please follow the link.
Please report any issues you find. This is your chance to make the upcoming release better.
What's new in this version:
🍎 Full compatibility with the iPhone 16 series and iOS 18.
🍎 We've updated the rendering engine to the latest version used in both the desktop and Android editions. This improves stability and fixes some common issues, such as image sizes.
🍎 Minor UI adjustments, particularly in dark mode, with some colour corrections.
🍎 Readium LCP support is being introduced. For now, only test books can be opened in this beta, not real ones. That is to be changed in the coming days.
What remains unchanged:
🍏 OPDS support is still missing; our apologies.
🍏 The read-aloud feature has not yet been added.
🍏 PDF support is still far away from the release.
Autumn Week Sale: Limited Time Offer!
🍁 Save 30% or more on Premium and Full Editions (discount varies by country and platform).
🍂 Available on Google Play
🍂 Available on Huawei AppGallery
🍂 Available on the App Store
Don't miss out — grab your discount this first week of autumn!
FBReader in the App Store Status Update
The journey to bring FBReader with encryption features to the App Store has finally reached its destination. Starting today, the latest version of the Mac app is available for installation both from our website and the App Store.
There's more exciting news: the iOS version with Readium LCP is now unfrozen, moving forward, and we're preparing to release it very soon.
FBReader 2.1 for Mac/Windows/Linux
Today, we are excited to announce a major update for desktop platforms. FBReader 2.1 is officially out!
The main highlight of this new version is the support for Readium LCP, enabling FBReader to open DRM-protected books. Other enhancements include:
📚 Optional Network Passwords Saving: Save network passwords securely in the system storage.
📚 Optional Usage Statistics Collection: A consent dialogue will appear, allowing you to opt in or out.
📚 Bookmarks Text Editing: Edit the text of your bookmarks to add your thoughts.
📚 Slovenian Localisation: FBReader is now available in Slovenian.
📚 Minor Fixes: Various small improvements and bug fixes.
The packages for all three operating systems are available for download from our site. Windows users can also install the update from the Windows Store. The Mac version will appear in the App Store as soon as it passes the Apple review procedure.
A new Android 4.0 beta 75 offers several enhancements for eInk device users.
This update improves usability on eInk devices by reducing the number of visual effects. The Moaan InkPalm Plus device is now automatically recognized as an eInk reader, simplifying setup for users of this device.
Additionally, we have resolved issues with multi-book archives. We also addressed a bug in LCP-protected books support, making encrypted covers visible.
We value your feedback! Please share any comments or bug reports with us.
FBReader 3.7.1 for Android
The first minor update in the 3.7 series is now being rolled out to users.
This version adds Slovenian localisation (many thanks to Andrej Kralj), including interface translation and hyphenation patterns.
Another change is reducing the network connection timeout (the time it takes to make an initial connection to a server) to two seconds. This makes the application more responsive but might cause false connection errors.
The catalogue of popular scientific books in Russian has been removed since the ВсеНаука project is permanently down.
We fixed several vendor-specific issues, such as crashes during app startup on Honor devices.
The stable series 3.7 for Android launches today
The new major update, version 3.7 for Android, is now beginning to roll out to users. Today, we are excited to introduce 3.7 RC 1, the first release candidate.
This version is available to select Google Play customers and will gradually expand its availability until it is finalized as version 3.7 or succeeded by the next release candidate. Those eager to update immediately welcome to our website.
Key enhancements in this release are:
📚 Readium LCP support
📚 Full update to the Ukrainian 🇺🇦 interface, with all strings now fully translated
One more Android update, 3.6.6, is out today.
This version fixes a few crashes and possible freezes.
Additionally, we release a separate Premium package for a rare issue. If the app crashes when starting on your device, please try the special version available on the packages page. The crash happens in the third-party PDF library and is out of our control. Unfortunately, the library authors no longer support their product. Sooner or later, we will switch to another PDF library. However, this will take time.
Released FBReader 3.6.2 for Android
The maintenance update
📚 Fixes the Google Translate issues recently reported by users
📚 Tweaks the library UI
📚 Improves the app stability
FBReader 3.6.* series for Android has started
The highlight of the new series is stability. In the first release, 3.6.0:
📚 The cards view in the library is back. Please note that you can change the cards size in the settings.
📚 Zip-archives reading now works via the libzip library. It opens more books and is more stable than the old code.
📚 The Huawei license check is fixed.
📚 The target API raises to 34 (Android 14).
Synchronously, we are releasing a new version of the SDK, 1.2.2, on which FBReader 3.6.0 is built.
A Look into the Future of FBReader
Today, we've shared our vision for FBReader's future, outlining the key enhancements to improve the app.
This announcement is neither a commitment nor a fixed timeline. It includes a dozen points, and in January 2025 we can check the progress.
The final app update of 2023
Today, we've published stable FBReader 3.5.5 for Android. That is the latest update of the year unless something extremely critical is found.
The update includes all the fixes from betas 59-61. For a detailed list of the changes, please visit our website.
The year has brought many changes to our app. The most notable is the revitalization of the Android version development.
As usual, not all our plans were realized. We didn't release the planned updates for iOS and the cloud site. These are coming in 2024, together with many other changes and improvements.
We wish you a wonderful holiday and a prosperous new year.
One more beta update, 4.0 beta 59, is out. It
📚 fixes processing of font lists in CSS (only the first item of the list was used previously);
📚 fixes popup positions on the screen: their parts are never hidden under system panels;
📚 makes fewer requests to fbreader.org servers.
All the changes will be included in the final 2024 stable update, scheduled for the next week.
FBReader SDK for Android 1.2.0 is out
There were no updates for two years as the development of new features in FBReader for Android was on hold. This autumn, we released the new major version of FBReader for Android. The most significant addition is the possibility of continuous text scrolling. The SDK update includes all the changes from the mainstream FBReader.
The SDK works on Android API 21 (= Android 5.0) and higher and is built with target SDK 34 (= Android 14, the newest version at the moment).
FBReader 4.0 beta 57 for Android is available from the fbreader.org site and is awaiting review on Google Play.
The most notable enhancement of this release is the monochrome launcher icon for modern Androids. The improvements include better language detection (important for hyphenations). The update addresses the fullscreen mode issues on horizontally oriented phones and resolves many minor UI and stability flaws.
All the changes are to be included in the upcoming stable version 3.5.4.
FBReader 3.7.6 for Android
The September update brings minor bug fixes and enhances the overall user experience.
📚 The pan gesture in image browsing mode, broken in version 3.7.5, has been restored.
📚 The app scales images to fit within the page boundaries, which was also broken in 3.7.5.
📚 Night mode now displays CSS-defined colours accurately.
📚 FBReader can now open books directly from Gmail attachments.
📚 The selection popup appears closer to the highlighted text for improved usability.
FBReader 3.7.5 for Android
The August update focuses on enhancing book content rendering.
FBReader for Android now supports the SVG image format, bringing it in line with the iOS and desktop versions. Additionally, we’ve made minor improvements in CSS processing, primarily addressing image sizes and text colours.
FBReader 2.1.1 for Mac/Windows/Linux
A month after launching the 2.1 series, we release the first minor update for all three desktop platforms. In this update:
📚 We’ve added two new interface translations – 🇧🇬 Bulgarian and 🇪🇸 Spanish – based on the languages popularity among our users.
📚 The library window has been slightly redesigned to fix a few bugs and to make the covers look a bit brighter.
📚 Image background adjustments in reading mode have been clarified: the darkening and lightening effects now depend on the background colour rather than the application theme.
📚 LCPL file detection has been improved to work even when the file has a wrong extension.
P.S. Mac and Linux packages are only downloadable from our site. We are still awaiting the App Store approval, and the Snap package has not yet been built.
FBReader 3.7.3 for Android
The July monthly update for the stable version is out. In this release:
📚 Library View Enhancements: The library now displays covers for LCP-protected books, even if these covers are encrypted.
📚 Multi-Book Archives Fix: The app once again adds all books from the archives.
📚 Optional Usage Statistics Collection: To help us improve the app, we’ve introduced an optional feature for collecting usage statistics. A consent dialogue will appear, allowing you to opt in or out.
📚 PDF Enhancements: We’ve migrated to a newer version of the Radaee library and fixed several issues in our code. Hopefully, the special build “with older PDF library” is no longer necessary, but we will keep it on the site as a backup.
📚 User Interface Tweaks: Minor adjustments have been made to the user interface, particularly improving the horizontal reading mode for a cleaner look.
New packages are available for download on the stores and from our site. Update your app now to enjoy these improvements!
FBReader 2.1β4 for Mac, Windows, and Linux
The desktop version is approaching the release date. In this update
📚 We've fixed issues with some protected ePubs
📚 We've added Slovenian localisation, thanks to the efforts of Andrej Kralj
📚 To help us improve the app, we've added an optional statistics collection feature. The app will request your consent before collecting any data.
3.7.0 for Android is officially released!
It is available to all users on Google Play, Huawei AppGallery, and our site.
Additionally, we are publishing a blog post about Readium LCP. The second part, a practical guide, is coming soon.
FBReader has adopted Readium LCP
Readium LCP, a DRM technology designed by the Readium Foundation for ePub books, is gaining popularity. We are happy to announce that FBReader has joined the community, received certification from EDRLab, and can open protected books.
We have launched beta versions that support Readium LCP on Android, Mac, Windows, and Linux platforms. The betas are available for free download on our website. The final releases featuring the new functionality are scheduled for May.
The iOS version is slightly behind; we expect to update it in June.
Additionally, we are working to include the LCP support in FBReader SDK. It is also scheduled for release in June.
A note for our Linux customers
It is uncertain whether we can promptly release the snap version of FBReader with new features. In our commitment to a synchronous release across all desktop platforms, we’ve assembled an AppImage. We will rethink our packaging strategy and decide which packages to build for the upcoming 2.1 release.
FBReader 3.6.4 for Android
One more update in stable series 3.6 is on the way. It is already downloadable from our site and scheduled for a gradual rollout from the stores.
The update meets Google Play’s requirements about background processes: each process must show a notification. Surely, you can disable annoying notifications.
Another improvement is stability, especially in the library scanning process. We expect fewer issues with “lost” books in the library view.
FBReader 2.1β1 is out
The first public beta of the upcoming FBReader 2.1 for Windows and Mac is available for download from our site.
In this release:
📚 Added network password saving (in secure system storage)
📚 Added bookmark text editing
📚 Fixed many bugs (and added some new ones, as usual)
📚 The app migrated to Qt 6.6.2
More new features of the 2.1 series are to be announced next month.
FBReader 4.0 beta 63 for Android
is uploaded to our site and the Google Play. The update brings
📚 A new old view in the library: the cards mode is back. Please note that it is configurable; you can choose the card size in the settings.
📚 The list view in the library shows authors for each book by default; you can return to the old behaviour in the settings.
📚 Minor internal fixes that should increase the stability of the app.
4.0 beta 62 for Android is out
The first beta update of 2024 brings significant internal changes. We have changed the zip archives support to the modern libzip library. The changes will likely not affect the end users. Moreover, we expect the app's behaviour to improve on some books. However, this is the beta. If you experience new crashes or slowdowns, please let us know.
We have also fixed a few UI points and the Huawei AppGallery license check issue.
4.0 beta 60 for Android is out
It is already available from our site and awaits review on Google Play.
We are rescheduling the stable release to the next week as we found a few essential issues in the beta 59. This update:
📚 fixes the footer position over the reading-aloud panel; it was broken in beta 59
📚 fixes saving position after the end of continuous scrolling; sometimes, there was a one-line inaccuracy
The release does not change the plugins, so we keep beta 59 packages for them.
FBReader 4.0 beta 58 for Android is available for download.
The update includes fixes and features scheduled for the mid-December stable release.
📚 New appearance option: “Neglect screen notches”. It is helpful for devices that wrongly detect display cutouts, e.g. if the front camera is hidden under the screen.
📚 The app does not store wrong reading per cent anymore. That fixes the library look.
📚 The footer is visible over the reading-aloud panel (you can switch to the old behaviour).
📚 The old-style footer option is back.
The update also fixes the synchronisation issue that caused the sync to work with delays. The issue does not appear in the release series.
FBReader 3.5.4 is on its way
📚 Monochrome launcher icon for Android 13 and 14
📚 Better book language detection
📚 Continuous scrolling works fine on old devices
📚 Multiple UI and stability fixes
FBReader 3.5.1 for Android
The update fixes issues and regressions found in the 3.5 release. We will end the gradual rollut and release 3.5.x to all users by the end of the week.
The changes include:
📚 Better fullscreen appearance on Android 9 devices
📚 Redesigned “Page turning & text scrolling” preferences section, including
📚 Customisable tap zones
📚 Vertical page turning option
📚 Fixed possible crash in the voice selection
📚 Fixed book encoding issues; changing encoding in the book info dialogue works again
📚 Fixed opening book from download notification