Book Picker support

Getting started and activating the trial

Download is free. On the access screen, choose the free 7-day trial and confirm the zero-price trial product in Apple’s dialog. The trial is not a subscription: it does not renew or start an automatic charge. You may need the Apple account used for the App Store; no Book Picker account is created.

The library starts empty. During the trial or after unlocking, use + to add a book: a title is enough, while author and pages are optional. You can also import a BookBuddy CSV export or JSON backup from Tools.

Permanent unlock and restore

The unlock is one universal purchase for Mac and iPhone, not a subscription. The local price shown by the App Store before confirmation applies (reference price in France: €4.99). Trial expiry never starts that paid purchase automatically. To recover an existing purchase, choose Restore Purchases using the Apple account used for the purchase. Restore may request Apple authentication. Check the connection and account if the product or price is unavailable.

After the trial, choose Continue in read-only mode to view and export your books. Your data is not erased. Permanent access restores editing and selection features; reinstalling the app is not necessary for that.

Import and back up

Create a CSV export in BookBuddy, then select it in Book Picker. Reimporting updates source fields while retaining protected personal changes. The original imported fields remain available in book details.

Export JSON before an important operation. Restoring merges it with the existing library instead of replacing everything, with protected local choices prioritized. An unreadable file is not automatically overwritten: keep the original and follow the error message. Sync does not replace independent exported backups.

ISBN lookup and scanning

In Add a book, enter an ISBN and request a lookup. Suggestions remain a preview until applied and saved. Optional scanning depends on iPhone/iPad compatibility and camera permission. Without a camera or network connection, manual entry remains available.

No books available to draw?

Check reading status, favorites, genre, tags, reading list and draw exclusion filters. Books in Trash are excluded. Reset the cycle when every eligible book has been drawn. Book of the day uses unread books that are not on loan. After the trial, drawing requires permanent access; read-only mode preserves viewing and export.

Tags, lists and covers

Tags lets you manage assignments and find untagged books. Long-press or right-click for actions. Removals are recoverable under Removed tags. Batch editing lets you search, check and review the selection before saving. Trash keeps books for restoration.

Long-press or right-click a cover for import, paste, selection and search actions. Remote covers need Internet access and can be disabled. Manage photo and camera permissions in system settings.

iCloud across iPhone, iPad and Mac

Storage is local by default. Enable optional sync in the app on the relevant devices, signed into the same Apple account with iCloud available. It uses a private CloudKit database at Apple. The system may defer transfers. Check the account, iCloud and network when waiting or encountering errors. Do not uninstall the app to resolve a conflict: keep a backup and follow the app’s offered actions.

Disabling sync does not guarantee deletion of existing iCloud copies. Manage local data, iCloud data and exported files separately with the relevant tools.

Apple Watch

The watch receives the paired iPhone’s library through WatchConnectivity. Open both apps and check pairing; the system may defer transfers. Use Retry if the app reports pending sync. This transfer is separate from iCloud.

Reviews and support

Native review requests are spaced according to usage. Apple may choose not to display them. You can use the App Store link to leave a review or contact support separately. No positive review, questionnaire or payment is required to email us.

Your data

Backups may contain personal notes and loan information. Choose where to save or share them. Trash is recoverable and does not permanently delete data. Trial expiry does not remove your books.

Contact support

Email support@recordpicker.app with your device, system, Book Picker version and steps to reproduce the issue. For purchase problems, include only the product and displayed message: never send an Apple password or payment details. Hide personal information in screenshots and avoid sending the entire library if a description is sufficient.

Daily pick and news

News context is optional and off by default. If enabled, Book Picker queries GDELT and Nobel Prize using public requests shared by readers of the same language. These services receive standard network information, including your IP address. No title from your library, local author, tag, note or loan detail is sent. Matching and caching stay on your device. Disabling this feature stops its new requests. Opening a source link contacts that website, which applies its own rules.

The suggestion includes a reason and its source. GDELT dates are labelled as indexing dates, not publication dates. International observances use the UN and UNESCO calendar. Without a sufficiently precise connection or an available source, the regular daily pick remains available. The connection is a Book Picker suggestion and does not imply endorsement by the cited newsroom.

Reading reminders

Reading notifications are optional and scheduled on this device after you enable them and grant system permission. Choose the weekdays and time in Tools, where you can also disable them. Notifications can be snoozed for 15 or 30 minutes. Exporting to Apple Reminders is a separate action: Book Picker then requests system access and adds only the selected reminder, without reading or deleting your other reminders. Exported reminders are managed by Apple Reminders and the accounts configured on your device, including any Apple synchronization. None of this information is sent to a Book Picker server.