Support

Syncing between devices

How does sync work?

Volumes keeps your library in your own iCloud account, so it appears on every iPhone, iPad and Mac signed in to the same Apple Account. There’s no Volumes account and nothing to set up. Your books are saved on the device first, so nothing is lost while you’re offline; they sync when there’s a connection.

My books aren’t showing up on my other device

1. Check that both devices are signed in to the same Apple Account, with iCloud and iCloud Drive switched on.
2. Make sure Volumes is allowed to use iCloud: open Settings, tap your name, then iCloud, and check that Volumes is switched on in the list of apps using iCloud.
3. In Volumes, open Settings and look at the Library section. It says Synced with iCloud and when books last moved, or tells you why it isn’t syncing.
4. Give it a minute. A big library takes a little while the first time, especially right after an import.
5. If Volumes says iCloud isn’t accepting changes, your iCloud storage may be full. Volumes keeps trying, and syncs once there’s room.

Still stuck? Email hello@codelia.studio and tell us what the sync row in Settings says.

Lending

How do I lend a book?

Open the book and tap Lend…, then say who it’s going to. Volumes remembers who has it and since when. If they use Volumes too, tap Hand It Over to send them the book by Messages, AirDrop or anything else, so it appears on their shelves as borrowed from you. The first time, Volumes asks for the name they’ll see; you can change it later under Lending in Settings.

Someone sent me a book. How do I open it?

Tap what they sent. If you have Volumes, it shows the book and who lent it; tap I’ve Got It to add it to your library as borrowed. If the link opens in your browser instead, the page shows you the book and who it’s from.

If you see “This link didn’t carry a book”, the app it came through has probably shortened the link and dropped the part that holds the book. Ask them to send it again, or to AirDrop it.

Siri and Shortcuts

Volumes works with Siri out of the box. A few things you can say:

• “Do I own this in Volumes”
• “What am I reading in Volumes”
• “Who has my books in Volumes”
• “Scan a book with Volumes”
• “Log my page in Volumes”
• “I finished my book in Volumes”
• “Lend a book in Volumes”
• “A book came back in Volumes”
• “Keep a quote in Volumes”

You’ll find them all, ready to add to your own shortcuts, in the Shortcuts app under Volumes.

Moving your library

Can I import from Goodreads, StoryGraph or LibraryThing?

Yes. First export your library from the other app, then:

1. In Volumes, open Settings and tap Import from Another App.
2. Tap Choose a File and pick the export. Volumes works out which app it came from.
3. Check the count and tap Add to My Library. Books already on your shelves are left alone.

Descriptions and series fill in over the next few launches. Volumes also reads any spreadsheet with an ISBN column. Not sure how to get the file out of the other app? In Volumes, How to Export Your Library walks you through each one. On Goodreads, for example, export from goodreads.com on a computer, under My Books, then Import and Export; the phone site doesn’t offer it.

Can I export my library?

Not yet. You can share a single book or a single quote, but there’s no full export in this version. It’s on our list; if you need it, tell us at hello@codelia.studio.

Privacy

How do I turn off usage and diagnostics?

In Volumes, open Settings and switch off Share Usage & Diagnostics in the Privacy section. That stops the anonymous usage counts, crash reports and performance timings at once. They never include your books, your quotes, your notes or anybody’s name.

The full details are in our Privacy Policy.