FBReader for Android
FBReader for Android is almost as old as Android itself is. It is running on devices running Android 1.5 or higher. Of course, the latest versions of the reader require modern Android OS.
Free and Premium editions
Since June 2015, FBReader for Android is available in two editions, Free and Premium. You can install the free version from Google Play, Huawei AppGallery, or this site.
The Premium is available (for a fee) on Google Play and AppGallery. However, if you purchased the Premium, you can download the package directly from our site. The app bought on Google Play only runs on Google Services devices, and the same works for Huawei. Well, actually, it is a bit more complicated. Sometimes, you even can install Premium for free. Please, read the Purchase Terms for details.
The Premium version includes
- support for additional formats,
- reading aloud for text formats (not for PDF and DjVu),
- and Google Translate/DeepL integration.
The Premium purchase is one-time; it is not a subscription. By purchasing, you support the FBReader project.
Latest release: 3.5.4, published 23rd November 2023
We develop two branches of the Android app in parallel. The stable branch is the 3.5.* series. The features are well-tested and work reliably. Maybe it looks a little bit conservative.
Opposite, the 4.0 beta series suggests some experimental solutions. The features might be unfinished, less stable, or even broken. Some will be considered failures and will never go to the stable branch.
For most users, we recommend installing the app from the 3.5 series.
Latest beta: 4.0 beta 58, published 1st December 2023
If you want to access the newest features and are brave enough to use the experimental version, the beta is your choice. We gradually polish the UI, fix the bugs, and port things to the release branch. On the other hand, we add new features to the beta.
And do not worry too much. We do not offer untested things to the public. This branch is stable enough to try.
If you are a user of paid FBReader Premium, join the beta track. If not, you can purchase FBReader Premium on Google Play and join the beta track immediately. You pay once; this is not a subscription. Alternatively, you can download the package from this site.
Supported formats
FBReader understands many ebook formats. The cross-platform FBReader engine opens text-based formats like ePub, fb2 and others. However, FBReader for Android also supports image-based files: PDF, DjVu, and comics. This support works via third-party libraries. To open PDFs in FBReader Free, you need to install an additional module named PDF plugin. FBReader Premium incorporates PDF support into the main app. As for DjVu, both versions require the plugin. We cannot embed the plugin into Premium Edition due to license issues.
Download FBReader and plugins
Here are the packages of the latest FBReader 3.5.4 compatible with Android 5.0 and above:
For older or beta packages, please visit the archive page.
For developers
Until release 2.7, FBReader source code was dual-licensed: GPL and commercial. Unfortunately, GPL violations became a common thing. Currently, the source code is closed.
If you consider using the latest FBReader engine in your own app, please look at FBReader SDK. It is a commercial framework distributed in binary form. You can download the SDK and test it in demo mode before deciding.
The full sources of FBReader 2.6.15 for Android 2.x are available under the GPL from the git repository at GitHub.
