PDFs, books, and videos

Skyreader reads more than web articles. A PDF, an EPUB or a YouTube video is saved like any article, lands in your Library, and can be highlighted, annotated and searched the same way. PDFs and EPUBs need the Supporter plan; YouTube videos work on any plan.

Saving a PDF

PDFs are a Supporter feature. Save a link to a PDF (a paper, a report) the same way you save an article, or upload one from your device: open + → File, or drop the file anywhere in Skyreader. Skyreader keeps its text, set as ordinary paragraphs, so you can read, highlight, take notes, and search it like anything else you save.

Text or Original

A saved PDF opens as text, set for reading. For figures, tables, equations, and layout, switch the toggle under the title from Text to Original to see the pages as printed. Highlight and take notes on either: a passage you mark in one is marked in the other. The PDF’s own links work there too: a reference or a contents entry jumps to its page, and the arrow beside the page number takes you back.

Skyreader remembers which you prefer and the zoom you left each PDF at, and Original opens where you stopped reading, on any of your devices. Whichever view you read in, a PDF you’re partway through shows in Continue reading.

In Original, the text-size keys zoom the pages: Shift + and Shift -, with Shift 0 to fit the width. On a phone or tablet, pinch the pages to zoom them.

Skyreader keeps the original of every PDF you save, by link or upload, so it stays readable even if its site takes it down.

PDFs that don’t come through

A scanned PDF has no text to keep, and a password-protected one can’t be read. A very long PDF keeps the text of its first pages, and says so at the end.

PDF limits

A PDF can be up to 50 MB. You can upload 200 PDFs a month and keep up to 2 GB of PDF originals; removing a saved PDF frees its space. Up to 100 PDFs a day come through as text, by link or upload; past that, a saved link keeps just the link, and saving it again the next day brings in the text.

On the free plan, saving a link to a PDF keeps the link, so you can still open it from your Queue.

Uploaded PDFs are private to you. They stay on Skyreader, and aren’t added to a Semble or Margin collection when your saves are backed by one.

Saving an EPUB

EPUBs are a Supporter feature too. Save a link to an EPUB, or upload one: open + → File, or drop the book anywhere in Skyreader. Skyreader keeps the book’s text, chapter by chapter, so you can read, highlight, take notes, and search it like anything else you save. A book opens in pages; switch to scrolling and Skyreader remembers that for the book.

Skyreader keeps the words and pictures, not the publisher’s design. A book opens on its cover, which also stands for it on your Shelf. The book’s own links work: a footnote marker or a chapter’s contents takes you to that place in the text. Skyreader keeps the original of every EPUB you save, by link or upload; its pictures are read from it. If your storage is full when you save a book by link, its text still comes through, but its pictures wait until there’s room. A book with DRM can’t be read. A very long book keeps its first chapters, and says so at the end.

EPUB limits

An EPUB can be up to 50 MB. EPUBs share the PDF allowances: 200 uploads a month, and 2 GB of kept originals between them; removing a saved EPUB frees its space. Like uploaded PDFs, uploaded EPUBs are private to you and stay on Skyreader.

Saving a YouTube video

Save a YouTube link and Skyreader keeps the video, its description, and its transcript when YouTube has one, so you can read, highlight, and search what was said. Each line of the transcript starts with its time: tap one and the video plays from there. While it plays, the line being spoken is marked, and the transcript keeps pace as long as you’re reading along. Scroll away and it stays where you left it. The video stays at the top of the page while it plays, so you can watch and read together.