iBooks

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Where can I find the iBooks app?
You can download the iBooks app for free from the App Store on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch.

Is iBooks available in every country with an App Store?
Yes, iBooks and the iBookstore are available in all App Store countries. iBookstore content varies by country.

What are the requirements to use iBooks?
You can use iBooks on iPad. You can also use iBooks on iPhone or iPod touch with iOS 4 or later.
An iTunes Store account is required to download books from the iBookstore.
iBooks uses the ePub file format.
To add ePub files from outside the iBookstore to iBooks, they must be DRM-free and manually synced to your device using iTunes 9.2 or later.

How do I access the iBookstore?
iBooks includes the iBookstore. Tap the iBooks icon and your bookshelf appears. In the upper corner, tap the Store button and the bookshelf flips around to reveal the iBookstore. From the iBookstore, you can browse books by title, author, or genre. You can also view featured books as well as books available on the New York Times bestseller lists (United States only). Tap on a book to see more details and download a free sample. When you buy a book, it will automatically appear on your iBooks bookshelf.

Are book samples from the iBookstore downloaded to my iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch?
Yes, when you tap Get Sample for a book in the iBookstore, iBooks will download an excerpt from the book to your bookshelf. You can read this sample and either purchase or download the complete book from the last page of the sample. Once you acquire the full book, the sample will be replaced in your bookshelf with the complete book.

How large are typical books from the iBookstore?
The typical book is about 2MB. Books that contain enhanced features such as audio or video will vary in size depending on the content. Enhanced books may take longer to download or require a Wi-Fi connection to purchase. The iBookstore offers textbooks that may be as large as 1-2 GB in file size and require a Wi-Fi connection if downloading from an iOS device. Download times for textbooks will vary depending on your internet connection.

What digital book file types does iBooks recognize?
iBooks supports the industry-leading ePub digital book file type. You can sync freely available ePub files to iBooks using iTunes, or purchase or download books from the iBookstore. iBooks also supports PDFs, which can be manually synced to iBooks. In addition to ePub and PDFs, iBooks 2.0 and later also provides support for the new iBooks format used in iBooks Author. Other digital book file types are not supported at this time.

Can I purchase a book from my computer?
In certain countries you can browse and purchase Books from the iTunes Store on your computer. View this article for more information.

Can I copy my books onto other computers or devices?
With Automatic Downloads enabled, you can automatically download new purchases to your other computers or devices. Learn more about Automatic Downloads in this article.

Can I download books from other websites?
Yes, you can download ePub files on your Mac or PC. Add them to your iTunes library choosing File > Add to Library, or drag the ePub file to the Books library on your computer. To read these books, simply sync them to your device.

Can I backup the books I purchased?
Yes, any books you've downloaded from the iBookstore will be automatically added to your iTunes library the next time you sync your device with your computer. To do this, your computer must be authorized with the same account that was used to download the books from the iBookstore.

How can I determine which books are copy-protected (DRM) versus those that are DRM-free?
iTunes can show you the kind of book you have by selecting the book and then choosing File > Get Info. If the Kind is marked as Book, this is a book you downloaded from the Internet. If it is listed as Purchased Book, it is a DRM-free book downloaded from the iBookstore. If it is listed as Protected Book, it is a copy-protected book from the iBookstore.

Can I download my previously purchased book again at no additional cost?
Yes, you may download past purchases from the iBookstore at no additional cost. To download a book again, tap Store, then tap Purchased. Find the book you want to download again and tap the download button. You must be logged in to the iBookstore on your iOS device or iTunes Store on your computer using the Apple ID you originally used to purchase a book in order to download it again. View this article for more information about downloading past book purchases directly to your computer. Previous purchases may be unavailable if they are no longer on the iBookstore. Downloading previous purchases is not compatible with iPhone 4 (CDMA Model).

Can I gift a book?
No, you cannot gift a book in the iBookstore at this time.

Is there a limit to the number of books I can have?
The number of books you can have in iBooks will vary depending on the amount of space available on your device. iBooks does not limit the number of books allowed on your bookshelf.

Can iBooks play audio or video included with books?
Yes, enhanced books can now automatically play audio or video included with the book using iBooks version 1.3 or later.

Can iBooks read books aloud?
Yes, iBooks version 1.3 or later introduces the read-aloud feature included in select children's books from the iBookstore. The read-aloud feature uses a real narrator to read the book to you and in some books will even highlight the words as you read along.

Can iBooks open books offered in different languages?
Yes, iBooks can display books written in many languages.

Can I print my books and PDFs from iBooks?
Yes, you can print PDFs and notes you've entered from iBooks, but the option to print ePub books is not available.2 You can also email PDFs and notes you have written from iBooks.

Can iBooks open illustrated books that have pictures and illustrations to tell a story in a book format?
Yes, iBooks version 1.2 or later allows you to view illustrated books (such as children's books, cookbooks, and art books) on your compatible iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch.

Does iBooks include a dictionary?
Yes, iBooks allows you to look up the definition of words using a built-in English or Japanese language dictionary.

Can I highlight text and make notes?
iBooks includes built-in Highlight and Note features. Highlight any word or passage of text within a book. You can also create a Note from your highlighted selection. Review your Highlights and Notes by tapping the Table of Contents button and then tapping Bookmarks. Highlights and Notes appear in their own section under Bookmarks.

Can I bookmark and save my page?
iBooks will automatically remember where you left off each time you close a book or return to your Home screen. Tap the bookmark icon in the upper-right corner to bookmark a specific page. Wirelessly sync your Bookmarks, Highlights, and Notes with your other devices using your iTunes Store account by tapping Settings > iBooks > Sync Bookmarks > ON.

Can I change the appearance of my books?
Yes, iBooks allows you to adjust the font size and choose from five included fonts. You can also select sepia-colored pages and text and adjust the brightness of the device's display to make your books comfortable to read in any lighting situation. You can also change the appearance of books by changing the contrast setting on your iOS device to display white on black. On your iOS device, tap General > Accessibility and toggle the setting "White on Black." Then, open iBooks to read books with white text on a black background.

Can I install and use custom fonts?
No, not at this time.

Can I rearrange books on my iBooks bookshelf?
Yes, you can rearrange books in your iBooks bookshelf by touching and holding a book, then moving the book where you would like it. You can also sort books in iBooks by switching to List view and tapping either Bookshelf, Titles, Authors, or Categories buttons. PDFs are conveniently stored on a separate bookshelf.

Are there other ways to organize my books in iBooks?
Yes, you can organize your books into a bookshelf or list view. You can also organize your books into specific collections on a topic of your choosing. For example, you can put all your books and PDFs related to your work in a single collection. To use Collections, tap the Collections button, or the name of the collection on your iPhone or iPod touch to change or add new collections.

Can I read my books while my device is in airplane mode?
Yes, an Internet connection is not required to read books already downloaded to your bookshelf.

Do parental controls apply to books?
No, the book publishing industry does not offer a ratings system which can be used to limit access to books based on their content. However, you can prevent children from downloading the iBooks application by turning off access to the App Store.

Which books are shown on the New York Times bestseller lists? (Applies to US)
From the iBookstore, tap on NYTimes to view the weekly top Fiction and Nonfiction hardcover books. If a New York Times bestseller book is not available for download from iBookstore, it will be omitted from the list.

Do books from the iBookstore have any Accessibility features?
Books downloaded from the iBookstore can be enjoyed using the accessibility features built into iPad and iPhone/iPod touch.

Will the Kindle app or other eBook readers for iPhone work on iPad?
Kindle and virtually all other eBook reader applications designed for iPhone or iPod touch should work with iPad.
However, books downloaded from the Kindle Store and other books that are not in a DRM-free standard ePub format are not compatible with iBooks.

What are some new features in iBooks 1.5?
iBooks 1.5 adds features such as nighttime and full screen reading mode, additional fonts, classic covers for public domain books, new bookmarking and notes list, and other enhancements.