Apple Books
Apple’s reading library and bookstore; a useful baseline before paying for a specialist reader.
Read a compatible ebook collection
Try the included reading app before adding another service for ordinary ebook reading.
Keep in mind: Book purchases, file compatibility and annotation export are separate questions.
Inside the app
Official product images
What you can do
- Book library
- EPUB import on Mac
- Book highlighting and notes
- PDF reading and Markup on iPhone
- Apple-device reading workflow
App Store review themes
Recurring praise and complaints, grouped by topic.
500 reviews · US App Store · Written feedback; review platforms are not identified
What reviewers like
Enjoy convenient reading on a phone or tablet
46 reviewsReviewers value having reading material close at hand and describe the reading interface as easy to use.
See 2 review examples
Reviewer values the app for reading while traveling and relaxing.
Original excerpt“gran compañera de viaje y tiempos de descanso”Apple source · Review 14724231176
Reviewer values portability.
Original excerpt“read anywhere and not carry a heavy book”Apple source · Review 14719071128
Find books and genres they want
28 reviewsReviewers appreciate a broad selection, including favorites, classics and books for different interests. These experiences do not establish that every title is available.
See 2 review examples
Reviewer praises the breadth of the book selection.
Original excerpt“Tiene una excelente cantidad y colección de biblioteca”Apple source · Review 14729451558
Reviewer appreciates a broad range of genres.
Original excerpt“Many books of all different genres”Apple source · Review 14719759887
Value free titles and useful previews
18 reviewsReviewers appreciate free classics and other titles, and use samples to decide what to buy or borrow.
See 2 review examples
Reviewer appreciates an available free Bible edition.
Original excerpt“appreciate the free Authorized KJV of the Bible”Apple source · Review 14714738606
Reviewer appreciates a broad free selection.
Original excerpt“Lots of great free books”Apple source · Review 14682930348
What reviewers dislike
Find per-book prices hard to justify
40 reviewsReviewers object to individual ebook or audiobook prices or would prefer borrowing or a different purchase model. Quoted prices and comparisons are not independently verified.
See 2 review examples
Reviewer finds book purchases too expensive for frequent reading.
Original excerpt“I can’t afford these prices.”Apple source · Review 14730314265
Reviewer dislikes per-title prices and would prefer a low-cost monthly membership; their quoted prices are not independently verified.
Original excerpt“WHY CHARGE FOR EACH BOOK AND AUDIOBOOK.”Apple source · Review 14728663017
Want clearer control over a growing library
28 reviewsReviewers request better series and author grouping, collection organization, reading-status views and removal controls. Some cannot locate material or open documents; these reports do not all imply permanent loss.
See 2 review examples
Reviewer wants to permanently remove finished books rather than retain cloud copies; their cloud-space assumption is not verified.
Original excerpt“I would prefer to delete some books after reading them”Apple source · Review 14730408522
Reviewer wants permanent deletion of books; the confusing comparison sentence is not used to infer another app's behavior.
Original excerpt“why can’t I permanently erase books in Books?”Apple source · Review 14708119647
Report reading-position and annotation problems
26 reviewsReviewers describe lost reading position, troublesome highlights or notes, and requests for audiobook bookmarks. Formats and versions differ, and missing visibility is not always permanent deletion.
See 2 review examples
Reviewer requests color-coded bookmarks.
Original excerpt“multiple colors for bookmarks”Apple source · Review 14727968305
Reviewer cannot annotate a saved document because a code is requested; the protection mechanism and cause are unclear.
Original excerpt“can’t write in a document that you saved and it says to put in a code.”Apple source · Review 14722743137
Good for
- Checking whether the included reading app is enough
- Reading a compatible personal ebook collection
Consider alternatives for
- Assuming any file from any ebook store will open
- An unverified bulk export pipeline for every annotation format
Limitations & considerations
- Book purchases and regional availability are separate from the free reader app.
- EPUB notes and PDF markup are different workflows. The cited note-loss account is historical and unreplicated; keep an independent copy of critical notes.
Use it for
Guides & comparisons
Sources & review notes Updated Oct 18, 2026
Reviewed by iApp4Me Editorial Team. Recommendations use the linked documentation and attributed accounts; device observations are identified separately.
- Apple Books import on Mac
Official EPUB and other-file import instructions; does not prove all purchased ebook formats are portable.
- Apple Books annotations on iPhone
Official book highlighting and note sharing instructions; exact current OS presentation needs checking.
- Apple Books PDF reading on iPhone
PDF sharing and Markup instructions; EPUB annotation behavior should not be generalized to PDFs.
What reviewers and users say
Our summaries of linked accounts—not our own experience or a vote-based ranking. Older versions and different platforms are labeled. Sources reviewed October 18, 2026.
App Store · Duke of Bruce
Oct 5, 2025 · iPad · version not stated
This reader likes the simple interface and Apple-device integration, but reports that notes attached to PDF highlights disappear after reopening a file while the highlights remain.
Read in context: A historical, unreplicated report—not evidence that all current books or annotations are affected. Critical research notes should have a verified export or backup path.
How to read disagreement
Different opinions can reflect different jobs, versions, devices or paid plans. We do not call a few comments “the consensus.” A consequential factual conflict that remains after checking those differences is a candidate for a focused hands-on test. A preference for one interface over another usually is not.
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