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Importing Books (EPUB and PDF)

Add your own EPUB and PDF books to your Mekuru library. EPUB is the usual file format for ebooks.

Before you start

  • EPUB files can be up to 400 MB.
  • Mekuru can't open books locked with DRM (copy protection), or PDFs that need a password.
  • Importing is free. You don't need Pro.

Import an EPUB

  1. Open the Library tab.
  2. Tap +.
  3. Tap Import EPUB.
  4. Choose one or more .epub files.

The book appears in your library. Tap its cover to start reading.

Mekuru takes the title, author and cover from the book. Books written in tategaki (vertical writing) open in vertical text, and other books open in horizontal text. To change this for one book, use Vertical Text in the reader's settings. See Display Settings.

Import a PDF

  1. Open the Library tab.
  2. Tap +.
  3. Tap Import PDF.
  4. Choose one or more .pdf files.

Mekuru turns each page into an image and keeps those images, not the PDF file. You read the book page by page, like manga.

  • PDFs made from text, like most ebooks, work right away. You can tap their words.
  • Scanned PDFs are pictures of pages. Mekuru tells you This PDF looks like a scan. You can still read the book, but you can't tap its words yet. OCR (reading the text in an image) can make them tappable. OCR is a Pro feature. Tap Run OCR to start, or OK to read without it. See On-device OCR.

Import manga sold as EPUB

Some manga are sold as EPUB files where every page is one picture. Import them with Import EPUB, then convert them to manga so they open in the manga reader. See Convert an image-only EPUB.

Other ways to get books

  • Free books: download graded readers and Aozora Bunko classics in the app. See Free Books.
  • Book servers: after you add a Komga or Kavita server, the + menu lists Download from followed by your server's name. Books from a server, PDFs included, arrive in your library like imported ones. See Book Servers.

After you import

Press and hold a book in the library to see its options:

  • Bookmarks and Highlights (Highlights needs Pro). See Bookmarks & Highlights.
  • Export as EPUB saves a copy of the book with the furigana you choose. See Furigana EPUB Export.
  • Convert to manga is for image-only EPUBs (see above).
  • Add to collection puts the book in a folder. See Collections & Folders.
  • Rename, Change Cover and Delete Book.

If something goes wrong

  • Large Book: on a phone with less than 4 GB of memory, Mekuru warns you before it imports an EPUB over 200 MB. Very large books may not open on that phone. Tap Import Anyway to continue, or Cancel.
  • An import fails: Mekuru names each file that failed. Check that the EPUB is under 400 MB and has no DRM, and that the PDF has no password.

On iPhone and iPad

Mekuru opens the Files picker. Choose files saved on your device, in iCloud Drive, or in any other place Files shows.