With iCloud Sync on, every book lives in iCloud, and each device decides which books it also keeps locally. This page covers that choice. Without iCloud Sync, every book is simply stored on the device.
Note: Storage modes and Keep on Device need BookShelves Pro with iCloud Sync turned on.
Storage modes
Open Settings > Storage (on a Mac: BookShelves > Settings, Storage tab) and choose a Storage Mode:
- Optimize (the default) keeps the books you’re likely to read and removes others from the device when space is needed. Removed books stay in iCloud and download again when you open them.
- Keep All downloads every book in your library to this device, and fetches new ones each time you bring BookShelves to the front.
Each device has its own mode. A Mac with plenty of space can keep everything while an iPhone optimizes.
What Optimize keeps
Books you marked Keep on Device, books that are open and books you read recently are never removed. Books you’re partway through and books you added recently are kept ahead of the rest. BookShelves only uses part of the device’s free space for books, and leaves the rest for your other apps.
Switching to Keep All
BookShelves tells you how large your library is before it starts. If the device doesn’t have enough free space for it, BookShelves shows Not Enough Space and stays in Optimize.
Keep particular books offline
Right-click (Mac) or long-press (iPhone and iPad):
- a book, and choose Keep on Device. It downloads right away and stays. Choose Remove Download to let Optimize manage it again.
- a shelf in the sidebar, and choose Keep on Device. Every book on the shelf downloads and stays. Books you add to the shelf later are not included automatically.
Your choices apply to this device only.
What the icons mean
| Icon | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Cloud with a down arrow, top right: the book is in iCloud but not on this device. Open it to download. | |
| Progress ring, top right: the book is downloading. | |
| White down-arrow circle, bottom left: the book is kept on this device. | |
| Question mark, top right: the book’s file isn’t available on this device. See Sync Problems. |
While books download, a progress bar with a cancel button appears in the sidebar (Mac and iPad) or in the library (iPhone).
How much space BookShelves uses
Settings > Storage shows the total size of your library and the number of books, and with iCloud Sync on also Books on Device, Size on Device, pinned books, and Cloud Only (books not downloaded yet), plus the free space on the device.
On a Mac, Library Location shows where the library folder is, with a Show in Finder button.