PDF and EPub Reader for Android
May 9, 2022 3:46 PM Subscribe
I got a cheap tablet to read pdfs on! Yay! I know nothing about Android and thought that I would be able to just load them and read them. Uh, well, now I know I need a PDF reader. I would also like an epub reader. I am fine paying for them but I don’t want ads and I want them to work when I’m offline. Help? All my files are large, if that makes any difference.
Personally I use FBReader- it just works. It also reads every format commonly used.
posted by ptm at 4:35 PM on May 9, 2022 [6 favorites]
posted by ptm at 4:35 PM on May 9, 2022 [6 favorites]
i recommend Moon+ Reader. been using it for quite a while. i bought the pro version, no regrets here.
posted by glonous keming at 4:44 PM on May 9, 2022 [8 favorites]
posted by glonous keming at 4:44 PM on May 9, 2022 [8 favorites]
If you have a Google account and don't mind the inevitable metadata association, just upload epubs to your library in your Google Books app. PDFs, especially if you don't require any in-doc marking, can also be opened via Google Drive's PDF reader.
posted by cendawanita at 5:37 PM on May 9, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by cendawanita at 5:37 PM on May 9, 2022 [2 favorites]
FBReader and Moon+ are good. You might also like Lithium. Give a few of them a try, epub readers are very personal, so what is best for you might not be best for me.
posted by Rock Steady at 5:49 PM on May 9, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by Rock Steady at 5:49 PM on May 9, 2022 [2 favorites]
n-thing Moon+, also paid for pro, and would gladly again.
In a pinch, it'll open .pdfs.
If your android device has has audio, Smart AudioBook Player is spiffy.
If you find ebooks in formats other than epub, Calibre is a great convertor and also a library. You can create your own ebooks through it, too.
posted by porpoise at 7:54 PM on May 9, 2022 [3 favorites]
In a pinch, it'll open .pdfs.
If your android device has has audio, Smart AudioBook Player is spiffy.
If you find ebooks in formats other than epub, Calibre is a great convertor and also a library. You can create your own ebooks through it, too.
posted by porpoise at 7:54 PM on May 9, 2022 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Late to the party, but I've been nothing but impressed with EBookDroid, which used to be a Google thing (I think), and was moved to OSS later.
posted by eclectist at 9:44 AM on May 10, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by eclectist at 9:44 AM on May 10, 2022 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: It natively reads DJVU files! That eliminates a huge hassle for me, I think that’s the winner on that alone. Thank you for the fantastic recommendation.
posted by Bottlecap at 1:16 PM on May 10, 2022
posted by Bottlecap at 1:16 PM on May 10, 2022
DJVU files!
Neat! I'm super curious why/ how you have DjVu formatted data, and what kind of data they are.
posted by porpoise at 7:16 PM on May 12, 2022
Neat! I'm super curious why/ how you have DjVu formatted data, and what kind of data they are.
posted by porpoise at 7:16 PM on May 12, 2022
Response by poster: They are historical documents of primarily art and craft manufacturing information - so like glass color formulation - from a number of academic libraries. Much safer for the collections, but it’s also been troublesome using them for research because it’s just not a well supported format. (I believe the libraries have them in more accessible formats on storage but because of the ridiculous size do not make them available unless you are physically present.) Sometimes being a working artist is a lot like being an art historian, and I am very lucky to have access to source documents! Even if they’ve been … troublesome. They’re so incredibly rewarding and the treasures you find are consuming.
posted by Bottlecap at 12:00 AM on May 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Bottlecap at 12:00 AM on May 13, 2022 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by hydra77 at 3:52 PM on May 9, 2022 [1 favorite]