v1.5 — Reader PWA, Offline Reading & Personal Library

v1.5 — Reader PWA, Offline Reading & Personal Library

ZenFlip Reader is now an installable app. This release ships the full Progressive Web App experience for readers: offline access, a personal library, and reading progress that follows you across every device.

Install ZenFlip Reader as an App

Readers on mobile and desktop can install ZenFlip as a native-feeling app — no app store required. On iOS and Android, a smart app banner appears on any flipbook page inviting readers to install. On desktop Chrome and Edge, the browser's install prompt appears automatically.

Once installed, the ZenFlip Reader app launches instantly with a dedicated icon, no browser chrome, and full-screen reading. It behaves like a native app while remaining a web application under the hood. See how to install ZenFlip Reader for device-specific instructions.

Offline Reading

Readers can save any publication for offline access with a single tap. Saved publications are cached to the device's local storage — pages load instantly from cache, with no network required.

The offline save system:

• Downloads pages progressively — the first 10 pages are saved immediately; remaining pages download in the background while you read

• Respects a storage cap — readers are prompted if a publication would exceed their available storage; they can remove older saves to make room

• Syncs reading position — your last-read page is saved locally and synced to the cloud when connectivity returns

Publishers can disable offline saving per publication in publication settings. Offline saving is available for free and paid publications alike — for paid content, the offline copy is tied to the reader's account and expires if access lapses.

Reader Library

Every ZenFlip reader account now has a personal library page. The library shows:

• Saved publications — content saved for offline reading, sorted by recently saved

• Purchase history — all publications and subscriptions the reader has purchased

• Reading history — recently viewed publications with progress indicators

• Bookmarks — individual pages bookmarked across all publications

The library is accessible at zenflip.io/library and from the app's home screen. It is synced across all devices signed in to the same account.

Reader Signup & Login

First-time readers can now create a ZenFlip account directly from the flipbook viewer — no need to navigate away from the publication they're reading. The signup flow is a two-step modal: email + password, then email verification. Existing accounts can sign in via the same modal or via Google SSO.

Reader accounts are separate from publisher accounts. A reader account gives access to the library, offline saving, cross-device sync, and purchase history. It does not grant access to the publisher dashboard.

Reading Progress Sync

Reading position — the current page number — is synced to the cloud every 30 seconds while reading and on page turn. When a reader opens a publication on a different device, ZenFlip offers to jump to where they left off.

Progress sync works across web, installed PWA, and the ZenFlip iOS and Android apps (when available). Sync requires a reader account; anonymous reading sessions are not synced.

Publication Manifest API

For developers building custom reader experiences, the Publication Manifest API returns a structured JSON manifest for any ZenFlip publication: page count, dimensions, cover image URL, metadata, and a paginated list of page image URLs. This is the same API the PWA offline cache uses internally.

See the API documentation for the manifest endpoint reference.

Download Tokens

Publishers can generate time-limited download tokens for specific publications — useful for distributing offline access to gated content via email, LMS, or intranet, without requiring readers to have a ZenFlip account.

A token URL grants offline access to a single publication for a configurable window (1 hour to 30 days). Once the token expires, the offline copy is no longer accessible. Download tokens are available on Business and Enterprise plans.

The ZenFlip Reader PWA and offline reading are available to all readers on all publications. Reader library and reading progress sync require a free ZenFlip reader account. Download tokens are available on Business and Enterprise plans. See pricing for details.