Reading apps for iPhone that will transform your reading habit in 2025

Every year I love taking on a reading challenge. 🎉 By downloading a few reading apps on my iPhone, I find it much easier to maintain my reading habits and stick with the challenge. Here are my favorites. 📚✨

1 Apple Books

Apple Books is an underrated native app that can help you kick-start a healthy reading routine. The app features an extensive catalog of ebooks and audiobooks (with built-in playback controls), including many free options. While I was always a bit skeptical about reading on my iPhone, the app's interface makes it easy to stay focused on the story. Being able to customize the theme, text size, page-turning style, and backlight really helps. 🌈

Apple Books is packed with reader-friendly features that make reading a seamless experience. These include reading time, annotation options like highlighting and taking notes, and book previews. The library is highly customizable, with different shelves and custom collections you can create to organize your books. 📖

The app's bookstore lets you purchase individual titles and offers recommendations categorized by lists, special offers, genres, and staff picks. If you can't find a book in the app, you can also add and read an external PDF copy to your library. 📚💻

As an Apple app, Books offers unparalleled syncing across your Apple devices. This makes it easy to pick up where you left off on your iPad or access your notes and annotations on your Mac. 🍏

2 Goodreads

Goodreads Goodreads is one of the best third-party reading apps you can install on your iPhone. Whether you're starting a reading challenge or just building a healthy reading habit, Goodreads helps you find new books with its recommendations. You can see trending books and what other users are reading. 🔍📚

One of the main reasons I use Goodreads is its annual reading challenge, which allows you to set a reading goal. You can track your progress with a progress bar and earn achievements along the way. Once you finish a book, you can also rate it and write a review. ⭐📝

To plan your progress, you can create shelves like "Read" and "Want to Read" or genre-based categories to organize your books. Goodreads also lets you search for books by title, author, or ISBN. If you want to read with friends or family, you can add them and join groups to share recommendations. 👥📖

I've used Goodreads for its discovery features when I'm stuck for ideas on my reading journey. Since the app is constantly updated with genre recommendations and new releases, it's easy to find good reads. 🌟

3 StoryGraph

Observing how your reading habits and tendencies evolve can motivate you to keep going. StoryGraph, you can see detailed statistics about your reading habits based on the books you've completed. 📊

Once you log the books you've read or import your data from Goodreads, StoryGraph creates neat graphs outlining the moods of the books you've read, your reading pace, number of pages read, genres, formats, and more. As you read and update your progress on current books, your insights evolve, painting a better picture of your reading habits. 📈📚

I also use StoryGraph to participate in monthly and genre-based reading challenges, which can help you reach your larger annual reading goal. You can even create your own challenges or participate in book club-style challenges hosted by other members. 🎯📅

4 Libby

Having a library card comes with a number of benefits, and borrowing books from your local library can greatly help you achieve your reading goals. You can also use your library card to access your library's ebook collection with apps like LibbyThis is a free resource you can use with your library membership (if your library is a participating member) to borrow ebooks, magazines, and audiobooks. 📖🏛️

While your access to books depends on what your library has available, features like offline reading and no-wait borrowing make the app worth a try. This reader is easy to use, with options for bookmarking pages, customizing page views, and smooth page transitions. 📲

You can always manage your loans and see what books you have on hold. Libby lets you filter offers and search everything available to you. My favorite part about Libby is that you can tag books, giving them a unique wishlist feel that makes organizing your collection easier. 🌟📚

5 Bookmory

Bookmory Bookmory lets you track books to gain reading insights and help you remember what you've actually read. With an intuitive and fluid interface, it's easy to log books on Bookmory, with logging options similar to what you see on Goodreads. Bookmory's "Memorize" feature is one of its highlights: here you can write notes you want to remember about the books you're reading. 📝📚

Each note can also include a thought or comment, and after you write a note, it's neatly organized into a tab. Notes can include text from an image or photo you take. My favorite part about using Bookmory is that you can access a reading timer for each book you're reading, making it easy to stay on track. ⏳📖

The app has a full set of features to help you maintain your reading habits, including a wish list, book calendar, and detailed statistics. Insights include your daily and yearly reading progress, books you've paused, and tag statistics. 📈📅

6 Audible

Audible It's an essential app for any audiobook lover. If you're new to audiobooks and want access to a wide collection that spans many genres, this app is a must-try. 🎧📚

Audible has a wealth of original audiobooks, podcasts, shows, and series that you can add to a wish list. With the Premium Plus plan ($15.99/month), you can access the Plus catalog (which gives you access to thousands of titles), get a monthly credit, and maintain a permanent library even if you cancel titles. The app has discovery features, like Editor's Picks and Audible Essentials, that help you find new audiobooks regularly. 🎙️📖

If you have a Kindle, you can also switch between reading and listening to Audible audiobooks with the Whispersync feature. A nice feature Audible has on the iPhone is that you can connect to your car with CarPlay and enjoy audiobooks on the road. 🚗🎧

7 Focus Keeper

Any good reading routine requires a level of concentration. This is where a timer can help you focus on your book, ebook, or audiobook. Dedicated Pomodoro timers are the best way to create a focus session for reading. One of my favorite focus timers is Focus Keeper, which I've used to time my reading sessions for over a year. ⏲️📚

This simple Pomodoro timer lets you customize focus sessions with regular breaks. With a calendar view, you can track your focus progress and add tasks (like your daily reading goal). Focus Keeper also lets you build habits, with a highly customizable "Read" option in terms of daily allowance, repetition frequency, and reminders. 📅📈

There are many reading apps that can address your specific needs. A good starting point for me has been to begin with a collection of poetry or prose before committing to a 300+ page book, especially if I'm returning to reading after a break. You could also track your reading through habit-tracking apps that can provide regular reminders. 📅👀

Want to make positive changes this year? Start building healthier habits with the help of some more apps for iPhone. 🚀📱