Help & FAQ
Last updated 20 August 2026
Everything here is also true inside the app — Cove tries to explain itself as you go. This page is the same knowledge in one place you can read in the bath.
The basics
What are the shelves?
- TBR (to be read) — books you'd like to get to.
- Currently Reading — what you're reading now, with progress tracking. Paused books live here too, set aside but not abandoned.
- Finished — books you've finished. Books you chose not to finish (DNF) are kept alongside, counted honestly, never as finished.
- Series — your library grouped by series: how far through each one you are and which book comes next.
How do I add a book?
Four ways, all behind + Add Book:
- Search by title, author or ISBN — Cove searches a database of millions of books.
- Scan the barcode on the back of a physical book with your camera. It finds that exact edition.
- Import from Goodreads — see below.
- Add manually if a book genuinely can't be found.
What happens when I finish a book?
Moving a book to Read starts the Finish Line — Cove's little ceremony. You rate it, place it on your taste graphs, and get a summary card worth keeping. It takes under a minute and it's the heart of the app: those placements are what power your stats and recommendations.
Can I re-read a book?
Yes — move a Read book back to Currently Reading and Cove will ask whether it's a re-read. Every read is kept separately, with its own dates, and your re-reads show in your stats.
Moving from Goodreads
How do I import my Goodreads library?
In Goodreads: My Books → Import and Export → Export Library, which downloads a CSV file. In Cove: Settings → Import from Goodreads and choose that file. Cove brings across your shelves, ratings, reviews, both your dates, and your custom shelves (as tags).
The import brought something in wrong — can I undo it?
Yes. Settings → Delete last import removes only the books that arrived in the most recent import, leaving everything else untouched.
Your data
Where are my books stored?
In your Cove account, synced to every device you sign in on. Your device also keeps a local copy so the app opens instantly and works on a bad connection.
Can I get my library out?
Always. Settings → Export library (CSV) downloads everything — it works as a backup, re-imports into Cove perfectly, and is accepted by Goodreads and StoryGraph. Export is free and always will be.
How do I delete my account?
Settings → Delete my account. It deletes your account, your library, your profile and your friendships immediately and permanently. Export first if you want a copy — there's no undo. Details in the privacy policy.
Friends
How do friends work?
Share your friend code (on the Social tab) with someone you know; when they enter it and you accept, you're connected. Nothing is shared until you both agree.
What can a friend actually see?
When you start or finish a book it appears in their feed — including the rating you gave it — along with what you're currently reading. They can open your profile unless you've set it to private, which shows your shelf counts, reading goal and favourites. They can react to your books and recommend you one.
They never see your notes, your reading dates, or anything about books you haven't started or finished. Only accepted friends can see any of it. To narrow it to just your name and avatar, open Social → Edit profile and tick Keep my profile private — there's a "See example" beside it that shows you exactly what a friend would get.
Can I quieten or remove someone?
Two options, both from their profile. Mute takes them out of your feed while keeping the friendship — private, reversible in a tap, and they're never told. Block removes the friendship, stops them sending you requests and hides your friend code from them; they aren't told either. Anyone you've blocked is listed under Settings → Privacy, where you can unblock them at any time.
Book information
A book's cover / description / page count is wrong.
Open the book and use "Something wrong with this book's info?" — it flags the book for correction. Book data comes from public databases (credited here) and is occasionally messy; reports genuinely get fixed.
The barcode scanner can't find my book.
Older printings sometimes have barcodes that aren't in any database. If a scan finds nothing, search by title instead — and check the ISBN printed above the barcode matches what the search shows.
Something's broken
Use Settings → Send feedback — it attaches the technical context we need (app version, browser, which screen you were on) without touching your library. Or email hello@covebooks.app. Cove is built by one person and feedback is read personally, usually same-day.
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