When’s the last time you got something for free? Your local library offers tons of free eBooks, audiobooks, movies, and more — all online!
Calling all bookworms! 4 apps to help you read more and read faster
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Walk through any bookstore, or even any library these days, and you’re likely to see more people scanning their smartphones than reading actual books. It would be all too easy to jump into a rant about shrinking attention spans, but it does seem like modern life leaves us all with less time to sit and absorb a chapter or two.
While we can’t do anything about the time crunch, we can recommend a few reading apps and tools. From speed-reading boot camps to services that condense those bestsellers into 15-minute chunks, there’s proof here that you don’t need to tackle your reading list alone.
Here are five of our favorite apps that can help you keep up with your annual reading goals without scrambling to find the time.
1. Reader Mode Pro
While most of these apps bring your books into the digital age, Reader Mode Pro makes the internet look more like a clean analog book. It’s an extension for your Chrome browser that removes distractions from your web pages and even lets you customize the text.
You can add notes or highlight text that you’d like to revisit, and there are a ton of features that will especially help dyslexic readers focus.
MSRP: $25
2. ZapReader Speed-Reading
This app gives you all the tools you need to dramatically boost both your reading speed and comprehension. Dive into science-based lessons taught by real speed-reading experts. Then put that knowledge to use with software that trains your brain on eBooks of nearly any format.
You’ll get reports that track your time and let you know how much faster you’re reading — and how much time you’re saving.
MSRP: $499 for a lifetime subscription
This time-saving app summarizes books into 15-minute reads
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Some people walk into a library filled with wonder. But it’s also pretty overwhelming. So much knowledge to absorb, so little time.
These days, that knowledge is still out there, waiting to be absorbed by voracious readers. In fact, there’s more of it each day. But time is shorter than ever in this fast-paced world, especially for the movers, shakers and up-and-comers who could benefit from the business and entrepreneurial books written by their peers.
Kentucky kids rediscover paper: Jefferson County Public Schools just saw a 67% spike in book library checkouts after Kentucky banned phones in class. At Ballard High, students borrowed nearly 900 books in August, up from 533 last year. Librarians say whodunits are a hot commodity. Apparently, when TikTok disappears, Agatha Christie eats.
$1.5 billion
The biggest copyright payout ever, courtesy of Anthropic. That’s more than some publishers make in a year, and all because Claude was caught with its hand in the pirate library cookie jar. Guess plagiarism does pay, just not in the way Anthropic hoped. If your book was in Anthropic’s pirated dataset, you’re automatically in the settlement class, with attorneys filing the full ~500,000-title list by Oct. 10.
📸 Try the new Photos app: On iPadOS 26, Photos got a big makeover. The sidebar now lets you jump from Library to Collections, and you can reorder sections by tapping Edit (top left). For example, drag Videos above Favorites in the Pinned area. See a hexagon icon on a pic? Tap it to add a 3D effect.
Organize Kindle books: Your Kindle doesn’t have to be chaos. Create Collections (mini folders) to keep your favorite reads together. In your Library, select the three-dot icon on a book, choose Add to/remove from Collection, hit (+), name it, tap Create and Save. Then repeat with other books to add them.
🖥️ macOS 26: In Messages, set a background if the person you’re talking with is also on the latest Apple OS. Click the chat name at the top, go to the sidebar on the right and select Backgrounds. Choose from solid colors, themes, photos from your library, or generate one with AI.
Clean up your iPad dock: Go to Settings > Home Screen & App Library > Dock. Toggle off Show App Library in Dock and Show Suggested and Recent Apps in Dock. FYI: You can still open the App Library by swiping all the way right, and recent apps will likely be on your Home Screen already.
📚 Sort and filter books on your Kindle: You can organize your Library so it’s easier to find what you’re reading (or ignoring). Tap the Filter icon (top left) to show only Downloaded, Unread or Read books. Then hit the Sort icon (top right) to sort by Most Recent, Title or Author. Easy.
Move iPhone apps at once: Want to clean up your Home Screen without deleting anything? Long-press an app to enter jiggle mode and start dragging it. With another finger, tap other apps to add them to your stack. Once you’ve got them all, swipe to the App Library and let go.
🍏 Clean up your iPad apps: Swipe all the way right to open the App Library. Tap the search bar at the top to see an A–Z list of every app on your device. Long-press any app and select Delete App to clear out the ones you don’t use anymore. FYI: Some system apps can’t be removed.
Boost iPhone downloads: When you download multiple apps at once, your iPhone tries to install them all together. That’s fine on fast Wi-Fi, but not great if your connection is spotty. To speed up the one you need, go to App Library > Recently Added > long-press the app > tap Prioritize Download. It’ll go first.
Hide new apps: To ease up on new apps crowding your iPad’s Home Screen, go to Settings > Home Screen & App Library > Newly Downloaded Apps and select App Library Only. Then, toggle on Show App Library in Dock. Next time you open the dock, you’ll see the App Library icon in the bottom-right corner.
🎸 Fine tunes: Got a shiny new instrument and don’t know where to start? Check out Yousician to learn guitar, piano, bass, ukulele and even sing. With over 10,000 songs in their library, you’ll be jamming in no time. Quick daily sessions are free, or get a subscription for $7.49 a month, less than a single broken string at Guitar Center.
Amazon switcheroo: Starting Feb. 26, you can’t download Kindle books onto anything other than an Amazon device. So, right now, sign in to Amazon, click Accounts & Lists > Content Library > Books. On the one you want, hit More actions > Download & transfer via USB.