How Apple Books Works in iOS 12: A Complete Guide

With the release of iOS 12, Apple completely overhauled its reading experience by rebranding iBooks to Apple Books. The redesigned app introduced a cleaner, typography-rich aesthetic inspired by Apple Music and the App Store, replacing the outdated virtual bookshelf design. This update streamlined navigation by organizing your digital reading life into five distinct bottom tabs: Reading Now, Library, Book Store, Audiobooks, and Search. Together, these sections simplify reading progress tracking, library organization, storefront browsing, and audiobook playback.

Reading Now

The Reading Now tab serves as the central hub of the app. It replaces the old opening screen with a dynamic interface that immediately displays the book or audiobook you are currently consuming. A prominent cover image allows you to jump back into your exact reading position with a single tap. Below the current title, this tab includes a "Want to Read" wishlist and personalized recommendations based on the genres and authors you have previously purchased or read.

Library

The Library tab houses your entire collection, whether purchased through the Book Store or imported manually as ePubs and PDFs. In iOS 12, the Library provides flexible sorting options, allowing you to view items by title, author, or manual drag-and-drop arrangement. A dedicated "Finished" section automatically archives completed titles so they do not clutter your active shelf, while a "Downloaded" filter lets you quickly view files stored locally for offline reading.

Book Store

The redesigned Book Store mirrors the editorial curation of the App Store. Instead of static, endless lists, the storefront features curated collections, top charts, staff favorites, and thematic sections highlighting trending releases. Browsing is segmented by genre, allowing readers to sample excerpts or save prospective titles directly to their "Want to Read" list.

Audiobooks

In previous versions of iOS, audiobooks were treated as a secondary feature buried within the store and library. In iOS 12, audiobooks receive their own primary tab. This dedicated section functions as a standalone storefront and discovery engine specifically for spoken-word content, featuring curated audio selections, previews, and quick chapter controls designed for listeners.

The Reading Experience

While navigation received the most noticeable visual changes, the in-book reading engine also saw functional improvements. Tapping the display brings up an unobtrusive menu where users can adjust text size, font family, and page brightness. The app includes four reading themes—White, Sepia, Gray, and Black—along with an Auto-Night Theme that automatically switches to a dark background in low-light environments to reduce eye strain.