Shelf Support

Something not working? Here are quick fixes and the most common questions.

Talk to the developer

A bug, an idea or a book Shelf can’t find. Every email gets read.

Troubleshooting

The camera doesn’t read the barcode

Allow Camera access for Shelf in the iOS Settings app. Hold the barcode on the back cover flat inside the frame, in good light. If it won’t read, type the ISBN printed above the barcode instead.

A link doesn’t find the book

Some pages don’t name the book clearly. Try the book’s ISBN, or search by title and author. Links that contain the ISBN, and Amazon links to print books, work best.

My library doesn’t show up on my iPad

Sign in to iCloud with the same Apple Account on both devices and keep iCloud turned on for Shelf. Syncing can take a moment after you add a book.

I can’t start or join a club

Book Club uses iCloud, so you and your friends need to be signed in to iCloud. Open Book Club, tap Start a Book Club and give it a name, then tap Invite a Friend and send the link. Your friend opens it on their iPhone or iPad with Shelf installed.

I don’t get notified about recommendations

Allow notifications for Shelf in the iOS Settings app. Recommendations always wait in your For You list in Book Club, even without notifications.

How do I bring my Goodreads or StoryGraph library?

Export it as a CSV file. Goodreads: My Books → Import and export → Export Library. StoryGraph: Manage Account → Export StoryGraph Library. Then in Shelf tap Add Book → Import from Goodreads or StoryGraph… and choose the file. Covers fill in over the next few minutes.

A cover is missing

Covers come from Open Library. When it has none for that edition, Shelf typesets a cover in the book’s own colour instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does Shelf actually do?

Shelf is a book tracker for your reading life. It keeps the books you’re reading, the ones up next, the ones you’d like to own and the ones you’ve finished on four shelves (Reading, Up Next, Wishlist and Finished), spine out like a real bookshelf. Tap a book to turn it to its cover; tap again for its page with the summary, details, your rating and notes.

How do I add a book?

Scan the barcode on the back with your camera, paste a link from Amazon, Goodreads or any bookstore, type the ISBN, or search by title or author. You can also share a book page from Safari or the Amazon and Goodreads apps straight into Shelf. Then pick the shelf it goes on. Coming from Goodreads or StoryGraph? Import your whole library with Import from Goodreads or StoryGraph… in Add Book.

Where do the book details come from?

From Open Library, the free book catalogue of the Internet Archive: title, author, cover, summary, page count and community ratings. When a link doesn’t name the book itself, Shelf reads the page you pasted to find its ISBN or title.

What is Book Club?

Small, private clubs for the people you read with: family, friends, a reading group. One link brings them in. Each of you shares the books worth talking about, with your stars and a line, and you can recommend books to anyone in your clubs. Recommendations land in your For You list in Book Club, and Shelf can let you know when one arrives.

What do club members see?

Only the books you share with that club: title, author, cover, your rating, your line and the books you pair them with, plus your name and what you recommend in the club. Never your notes, your reading dates or the rest of your library. You can stop sharing a book at any time.

What does “Pairs With” mean?

It’s the section on a book’s page where you list up to three books that go in the same direction; when you finish a book, Shelf asks for your stars and these. On books you share, your club sees your pairings, and when you rated a book four stars or more, the books a member pairs with it show up in your For You list. Then come their picks that resemble the books you loved, matched on your device.

Can I send someone a single book?

Yes. Tap Recommend on the book and choose Someone Else…, or pick it in Shelf’s iMessage app without leaving the conversation. If your friend has Shelf, the book opens there. If not, it opens the book’s page on this website, with a way to get Shelf.

What if I have a lot of books?

Each shelf on the home screen shows your 30 most recent books. Tap See All to open the whole shelf as a bookcase, a wall of covers or a list, with sorting, filters, sections by year and an A–Z index.

Do I need an account?

No. There’s no sign-up. Your library syncs between your iPhone and iPad through your own iCloud, if you’re signed in to iCloud.

Does Shelf work on iPad?

Yes, on iPhone and iPad with iOS 26.2 or later. Your library is the same on both through iCloud.

Requirements

iPhone or iPad with iOS 26.2 or later. Adding books needs an internet connection; syncing and sharing need iCloud.