When an import doesn’t go as planned, BookShelves tells you which files were affected and why. Here’s what each message means.
“DRM-Protected Files”
The file is locked with copy protection (DRM). BookShelves only opens DRM-free books, and nothing in the app can remove the protection. This covers most books bought in the Apple Books store, Kindle store downloads and many library loans.
Look for a DRM-free copy: many stores sell them, and public domain books are always free of DRM. Discover has thousands.
Kindle books appear under Import Failed with a message that the book has DRM. KFX files, Amazon’s newest format, are always refused.
“Import Failed”
The alert lists each file with the reason:
| Reason | What it means |
|---|---|
| Unsupported file format | BookShelves can’t read this kind of file. See Supported File Formats. |
| Invalid or corrupted file, Invalid EPUB file, Invalid PDF file | The file is damaged or isn’t what its name says. Download it again, or open it in another app to check. |
| PDF file is truncated or incomplete | The download didn’t finish. Download it again. |
| …exceeds the size limit | The file is larger than BookShelves accepts. |
| Could not convert … to EPUB | A MOBI, AZW, FB2, text or Markdown file couldn’t be converted. It may be damaged, or DRM-protected. |
| Could not access … may still be downloading from iCloud | The file is still in iCloud Drive. Wait for it to download in Finder or the Files app, then import again. |
“Import Complete” says books were already in your library
BookShelves skips a book that matches one you already have (same ISBN, same title and authors, or the same file). This is expected: the skipped copies weren’t added a second time.
The upgrade screen opened
The free version holds 10 books. BookShelves imported up to that limit, then offered BookShelves Pro. Nothing was imported past the limit.
Nothing happened
- You dropped a folder on the Mac window. Folders are imported through File > Import…; see Importing Books.
- The folder had no supported files. BookShelves only picks up formats it can read.
- The file type isn’t supported. Unsupported files dropped on the window, or sent with Open With, are ignored.
“Could not access the selected files” (iPhone and iPad)
The Files app didn’t hand the files over. Try again, and if the files are in a cloud storage app, make sure they’re downloaded first.
“Your library is not fully in sync with iCloud”
BookShelves stopped the import because your library is still catching up with iCloud, and importing now could create duplicates. Wait for sync to finish (see Sync Status in Settings > Storage) and import again.
Still stuck?
Send the file details (format, size, where it came from) through the feedback portal.