Readr

Product Introduction

1. Definition: Readr is a native, privacy-focused ebook reader application for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. It is technically categorized as a local-first, AI-augmented reading platform that supports EPUB, PDF, and Markdown file formats.
2. Core Value Proposition: Readr exists to eliminate the friction between immersive reading and contextual inquiry. Its core proposition is enabling readers to ask questions and get answers directly within the book's margin, grounded by the text itself, without breaking flow or compromising privacy through server-side data processing.

Main Features

1. "Ask the Book" AI Q&A: This feature allows users to select text and ask questions in natural language. The integrated AI generates an answer that is first grounded in citations from the book's own text. It then optionally supplements with external knowledge, explicitly noting when it goes "beyond the book." This operates via user-provided AI API keys (OpenAI, Anthropic, OpenRouter) or a local Ollama model on Mac, ensuring no reading data is sent to a server by default.
2. Compose Articles from Highlights: Users can highlight text and add notes. Upon finishing a book, Readr can compile all annotations into a structured draft article in Markdown format, using the user's own highlights and notes as the primary content. This transforms passive highlighting into an active synthesis tool for book summaries, research, or content creation.
3. On-Device, Natural Voice Reading: The app features a fully offline text-to-speech engine. It reads aloud directly from the current page, turning pages automatically, and stores progress locally. The voice is a high-quality Apple neural text-to-speech voice, downloaded once (~104 MB). This ensures listening progress syncs with reading progress with zero data privacy concerns.
4. Bring Your Own AI / Privacy Architecture: Readr has no accounts, no telemetry, and no proprietary server. AI functionality requires users to supply their own API key from supported providers (stored locally in Apple's Keychain) or use a local model. This design makes it a private AI ebook reader that separates the reading interface from the AI service provider.
5. Cross-Platform Native Reading Engine: The app provides a unified reading experience across iPhone, iPad, and Mac with platform-optimized layouts (sidebar on iPad, two-page spreads on Mac). It supports proper book typography, multiple themes (Paper, Sepia, Dark), and standard reading features like scrolling, pagination, highlighting, and note-taking.

Problems Solved

1. Pain Point: Context-switching disruption. Traditional reading requires leaving the ebook app to search the web or reference materials to understand concepts, historical context, or scientific validity mentioned in the text, which breaks concentration and immersion.
2. Target Audience: Curious non-fiction readers, students, researchers, and lifelong learners who engage deeply with texts and value understanding over just consumption. It also appeals to privacy-conscious users and tech enthusiasts who prefer local-first, open-source software.
3. Use Cases: A student reading "The Origin of Species" can ask for clarification on natural selection within a specific passage. A book club member can compile their highlights and notes from "Shoe Dog" into a shareable summary. A commuter can seamlessly switch between reading "Project Hail Mary" with their eyes and listening with their ears, with perfect progress sync.

Unique Advantages

1. Differentiation: Unlike mainstream ebook platforms (Apple Books, Kindle) or generic reader apps, Readr integrates contextual Q&A directly into the reading workflow. Unlike cloud-based AI assistants, its default operational mode is private and local, especially for speech and data storage. Unlike note-taking apps, it automatically structures book-derived content.
2. Key Innovation: The "grounded answer" methodology is its key innovation. By forcing the AI to first cite relevant passages from the book before providing an answer or external context, it combats hallucination and keeps responses relevant to the user's specific point of inquiry within the text. This creates a dialogue with the book itself.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Is Readr a free ebook reader? Yes, Readr is completely free and open-source (MIT licensed). It is free to download on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, and the macOS version is a free download from GitHub. There are no subscriptions or in-app purchases.
2. How does the "Ask the Book" feature work without sending my data to the cloud? By default, it requires you to provide your own API key for a service like OpenAI or Anthropic. In this mode, your question and the relevant book passages are sent to that provider. For maximum privacy, Mac users can configure a local Ollama model, which processes everything entirely offline, sending no data anywhere.
3. Can I listen to audiobooks with Readr? No, Readr is not an audiobook player. It is a text-to-speech feature that uses synthetic voices to read the text of your EPUB or PDF file aloud from your current page. This is ideal for continuing a book you're reading when you can't look at the screen.
4. What ebook formats does the Readr app support? Readr supports DRM-free EPUB files, PDF documents, and plain Markdown (.md) files. It does not support Kindle (AZW3, KFX) or other DRM-protected formats.
5. Is Readr available for Android or Windows? No, Readr is currently only available as a native application for Apple platforms: iPhone, iPad, and Mac (Apple Silicon required). There is no Android, Windows, or web version.