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Today, we announce the major update of FBReader for Android: 3.8 (Release Candidate 1).

The series 3.8 introduces two major improvements:

• New Themes: Upon first launch, you'll be prompted to choose from three themes:
  • Blue (default) – A fresh, modern theme with both day and night modes
  • EInk – A black-and-white theme optimised for e-paper devices
  • Classic – The familiar look of FBReader, unchanged for years

  You can switch themes anytime in the Appearance section of the settings

• Refined File Access on Android 11+: FBReader no longer requires full access to all files. Instead, you'll be asked to select specific library folders, ensuring compliance with Google's latest requirements.

Additionally, this update includes several minor enhancements:

• Custom substitution files for text-to-speech (Premium version)
• Next/Previous chapter buttons on the navigation panel
• Various UI improvements for a smoother reading experience

We will release 3.8 gradually to all users in the coming weeks.

Download the update and enjoy a better reading experience with FBReader 3.8!

This update focuses on refining the major improvement introduced in the beta 93: FBReader no longer requires “all files” access. The app now requests permission only for your designated library folders.

Key changes:

• Fixed performance issues discovered in beta 93
• Rolled back to the old file access method for older devices (Android 10 and below)

Important note: Books stored outside your library folders may temporarily become inaccessible. To regain access, you can manually grant permissions through the library view.

If no significant issues arise, we will release the first stable branch candidate (v3.8) later this week.

We are announcing the launch of our very own ebook store in 2025! This independent store will debut with a catalogue of 1.5 million titles, primarily in English.

FBReader has always been recognised as an independent reading app with no store lock-in, and that principle remains unchanged. You can continue using FBReader as you always have, reading books from your preferred sources. And vice versa, if you choose to purchase ebooks from our store, you can enjoy them in another reading app — no exclusivity required.

For more details, check out our LinkedIn article. Stay tuned for updates!

This update brings a significant improvement: FBReader no longer requires “all files” access. Instead, the app will request permission only for your designated library folders.

Books located outside these folders may become temporarily inaccessible. To resolve this, you can manually grant access to these files through the library.

The beta version is currently available on this site and will be released on Google Play in the new year. Please report any issues you encounter.

The major stable release 3.8 is coming in January 2025.

The October update addresses two issues related to PDFs. First, file type detection was failing for some files, preventing FBReader from opening certain PDFs. Additionally, a mix-up occurred between the table of contents for PDF and other file types, as reported by some users. This occasionally caused an incorrect table of contents to display when opening an ePub book after a PDF.

As always, this version also includes a few UI improvements.