Shelf Support

A book gone missing? 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 share my library

Sharing uses iCloud, so you and your friend both need to be signed in to iCloud. Open Book Club, tap Share Library and send the invitation. 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 For You in Book Club, even without notifications.

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, 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.

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 the Book Club?

The friends you share libraries with. Members browse each other's four shelves, read-only, see what everyone is reading now, and recommend books to each other, with a note if you like. Recommendations land in For You, and Shelf can notify you when one arrives.

What do members see when I share my library?

Your four shelves, read-only: titles, authors, covers, your star ratings and the books you pair them with. Never your notes or reading dates. Members can also see what you recommend. You can stop sharing at any time.

What is Pairs With?

When you finish a book, Shelf asks for your stars and up to three books from your library that go in the same direction. Members see 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. Below those come books that resemble what you liked, worked out on your iPhone.

Can I send someone a single book?

Yes. Send it with Send to Anyone, 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. See All opens 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.