FAQ
The library
Are the books really free?
Yes. Every book in the Estella library is in the public domain. The website and the app are free, with no advertising and nothing to buy.
Do I need an account to read?
No. The library, the reader, the recordings and your own imported books all work without signing in. An account is only for keeping things — see below.
Where do the books come from?
Mostly from Project Gutenberg, tidied up and chosen by hand. The library grows over time, grouped into collections and by author.
A book is missing, or doesn’t open properly.
Tell us the title through the feedback form and we will look at the source file — or at adding the book.
Reading
Can I change the text size or read in the dark?
Yes — while reading, open Reading Settingsfrom the reader’s menu in the top bar. It sets the font size and the page’s colours, including darker themes for reading at night.
Does Estella remember my place?
Yes, always, on the device you are reading on — signed in or not. If you are signed in, your account also keeps where you stopped in each book, so opening it on another device takes you there. A device that already has its own place in a book keeps it.
How do I take a book off Continue reading?
Remove it from that row. It forgets your place in the book, but keeps your bookmarks and quotes.
Listening
Can I listen to a book?
Many books have an audiobook, recorded by LibriVox volunteers. When one does, the reader offers to Listen, starting from the page you are on, and you can carry on listening with the screen locked or from another app.
Does the text follow the recording?
For some books, yes: the paragraph being read aloud is marked as the narrator reaches it, and you can jump the text to the voice or the voice to the text. Lining a recording up with its book is done one book at a time, so not every recording has it yet.
Translations
Can I read a paragraph in another language?
In books that have a translation, yes. Turn translation on from the reader’s top bar and choose the language; in the app, then double-tap any paragraph to see it translated, and on the web tap it. A paragraph that hasn’t been translated yet says so.
Your account
What does an account keep?
Your bookmarks, the quotes you keep, your favorites, and where you stopped in each book — so they are there on every device you sign in on. Nothing else about your reading is sent to us; the privacy page has the details.
What’s the difference between a bookmark and a quote?
A bookmark keeps a place: the paragraph you were at. A quote keeps the words: select a passage and choose Quote. Both are listed from the reader’s top bar.
Does starring a book download it?
No. A star puts the book on your Favoritesso you can find it again; it doesn’t save a copy to your device.
How do I delete my account?
From your account page here, or the account screen in the app (Profile → Your account). It goes at once, with your bookmarks, quotes, favorites and saved places.
Your own books
How do I add my own books to the app?
Go to Profile → My Books and tap + to pick an EPUB or PDF from Files or iCloud Drive, or share a file to Estella from another app.
Are my imported books uploaded?
Never. They stay on the device you imported them on, even when you are signed in, and signing in on another device doesn’t bring them with it.
Still stuck?
Write to us through the feedback form, or see the support page.