What book format does Android support? The most common formats and programs

The format of books that Android supports (tablet, smartphone, etc.) is determined by the applications installed on the device with this operating system. Nevertheless, there are the most common formats of electronic publications, which, in fact, are what application developers focus on.

In this article, we will look at what format of books is supported by Android 4 and other versions of this OS, how these formats are characterized, and in which of them it is preferable to download literary works to the device.

FB2

FB stands for FictionBook. This is one of the most popular e-book formats. There is even an Android reader named after him - FBReader - which, in addition to the above, opens other files.

Text with the .fb2 extension is formatted using XML markup, that is, it is described with tags. This is what ensures the format’s compatibility with various devices, and also makes it easy to create, transfer and store books. No wonder it is so popular among users.

In addition to the specified reader, .fb2 also opens Cool Reader, Monn+ Reader, ALReader without any problems.

Choosing the best app for reading books on Android. Detailed review and comparison

Rating of this article according to readers:

4.8

(16)

The smartphone has long become a common device for reading books. According to the Liters report for the first half of 2020, the growth in sales of electronic literature through mobile devices reached 79%, and revenue from audiobook sales doubled.

One of the significant advantages of a smartphone over specialized e-ink “readers” is the ability to choose the most convenient and beautiful application that best suits the requirements of each specific user.

We hope this review will help you choose the best book reading app for your Android smartphone. Let's start with one of the most beautiful and functional “readers” called Moon+ Reader.

Moon+ Reader app review

Price: free

The application “understands” almost all popular formats (ePub, FB2, PDF and many others, including support for working with compressed books in RAR and ZIP). Unlike many other programs, HTML books open correctly (the page code is not displayed). A paid version of Moon+ Reader Pro is also available with many additional features.

List of books

The bookshelf supports a number of settings: design theme (realistic shelves or single-color background), interface color (blue or gray), and display type (horizontal or vertical shelves, there is a Cover Flow mode):

There are even small statistics in the main menu:

It is worth noting, however, that this option is only available in the paid version.

Reading books. Text formatting and other features

As for the reading process itself, everything here is also implemented at a high level. Firstly, many design themes are supported (from paper imitation to all kinds of color combinations of background and text). Secondly, you can customize the page turning effect (from simple scrolling to simulating the Apple Books and Google Play Books applications):

In the application, literally all text display parameters are configured: dozens of fonts, background/text color, margin width, distance between paragraphs, lines and letters. Also supports text alignment with automatic hyphenation (for more than 20 languages, including Russian).

Working with footnotes in the text is implemented in the form of pop-up windows:

This way, you won't have to go to the end of the book and then go back to the text every time you want to look at a footnote.

Separately, we should mention the ease of working with notes. You can choose the color and underlining style of the text, add your notes, which will then be displayed as a small yellow notepad:

All your notes and selected text fragments can be seen in the general list. A book search is implemented in exactly the same way - all found words are displayed in one list with a little context:

Overall, the application leaves a very pleasant impression. This is one of the best “readers” for Android smartphones.

What did you like?

Design
Flexible text and bookshelf display settings
Very convenient work with notes
Informative status bar (displays the number of pages read and remaining, reading time and much more)
Attention to detail (you can even choose 5 different page turning sounds)

What didn't you like?

Many features are only available in the paid version
The synchronization of books, reading position and notes is inconveniently implemented. There are no accounts, everything happens through DropBox or Google Drive.

Review of the Google Play Books app

Price: free

A standard application for reading books from Google, which supports only two e-book formats - ePub and PDF. The main convenience and advantage of this program is very convenient synchronization with the Google cloud. All you need to do is add all your books from your computer to the program website, after which they will become available on your smartphone. The application can be installed on both Android and iPhone (see our article on how to read books on iPhone).

List of books

All books are divided into 3 shelves: not started, started and read. If desired, you can enable display of the entire library in a general list:

Another distinctive feature of the application is the built-in e-book store. And what’s most convenient is that you can download a trial fragment of any of them for free.

Reading books. Text formatting and other features

The application is quite simple and convenient. As for text design, you can only select one of six built-in fonts, specify its size, and the spacing between lines. Even the width of the fields cannot be adjusted.

As for the color design, there is a choice of 3 themes (white or black background and sepia). There is also a feature called Night mode - an analogue of a blue filter (the darker it is around, the more orange the screen becomes):

Turning pages is accompanied by a beautiful 3D effect:

As mentioned just above, all books and reading positions are automatically synchronized between devices. To save comments, notes and bookmarks, you need to connect Google Drive in the settings.

Here you can also highlight text (although only 4 colors and only one style are available). The notes you make are displayed as an icon in the margins. Footnotes open in a pop-up window at the bottom of the screen:

In fact, there are no more functions or settings in the application. It is perfect for undemanding users who need a simple and reliable “reader”.

What did you like?

Convenience and ease of use
Excellent synchronization of books and reading positions
Built-in online store from where you can download a free trial fragment of any book
The ability to read your books (or look at personal notes) in a browser on your computer

What didn't you like?

Too limited functionality, few settings
Hyphenation is not supported
Field width is not adjustable
Adding your books to the application is very inconvenient from a smartphone. This can only be done through a browser.

eBoox App Review

Price: free

The application, like the previous one, is made very simply, elegantly and efficiently (the average rating of 4.8 in the Play Store and more than 1 million installations is only confirmation of this). If Google Books supports only one “book” format - ePub, then here we see the full set: FB2, ePub, PRC, TXT, HTML and many others, including ZIP and RAR archives.

List of books

Books are displayed both as a general list and by shelves. All books read fall into the appropriate group. You can separately configure the visibility of each shelf (whether books placed here should be displayed in the general list):

You cannot customize the appearance or change the color scheme of the application. New books are added by scanning your smartphone (or its individual directories) for “book” format files.

Reading books. Text decoration

Here you won't see 3D page-turning animations or fine-tuning of text display. Instead, you will have a choice of 4 fonts, 3 types of margins (narrow, regular or wide) and 4 color schemes. Everything is done as clearly and simply as possible. The same applies to control settings:

In terms of usability, this is perhaps the best application of all the ones we tested. Separately, I would like to note how searching through books and viewing quotes (previously selected text fragments and your own notes on them) is implemented:

In the search results we see an excerpt from the book, the searched word highlighted and the page where it appears. A very interesting solution is the Copy all quotes function (see screenshot above). By clicking this button, you can easily send all the quotes you have made to any other application (for example, to a notepad or to an email address). If you often take notes while reading a book, you will be very pleased with this feature.

What did you like?

Very simple and convenient application
All popular e-book formats are supported
Convenient function for sending notes to any application

What didn't you like?

The application has not yet been adapted for the Galaxy S10
Few settings
Uninformative status bar (only one number is displayed in the center at the bottom - the percentage of read)
There is no option to connect a dictionary

Review of the eReader Prestigio application

Price: free

Almost all modern “readers” support a speech synthesis function for reading out the text of a book. But, unlike other programs, here you can choose a voice engine, one of 25 languages and many voices (only for the Russian language 3 female and 3 male voices are available). Reading speed and timbre can also be adjusted.

Of course, the functionality of this application goes far beyond just voice-over of text. But first things first.

List of books

Books are displayed as realistic shelves; you can choose one of 5 themes or show the entire library in a general list:

In addition to the bookshelf, there is a store where you can download about 18,000 free books. It should be specially noted that there is a very beautiful and convenient widget for the desktop, displaying the last 3 books you read (the bookshelf at the top of the screen in the screenshot):

Reading books. Text decoration

eReader Prestigio is another application that perfectly combines a sleek and modern design with good functionality. Reading the book is convenient; turning the pages is also accompanied by beautiful animation:

By clicking the settings icon, you can quickly make basic changes (font size and type, margin width, color theme and screen orientation):

If this doesn’t seem enough to you, then by opening the advanced settings, you can change literally any parameter:

As in other “readers”, here you can highlight text fragments (4 colors and one style are available), as well as make notes, which can then be viewed in a pop-up window. The search is done in the same style (pop-up window):

As mentioned earlier, this app has the best synthetic voice reading feature. The voices themselves sound quite nice, the “player” looks like this:

By registering a free account with the app, you get the ability to sync your books and reading position between devices.

What did you like?

The best implementation of speech synthesis and text voiceover functions
Colorful widget with books for your desktop
Fast work and nice design
Battery saving function (minimum brightness is turned on, the theme changes to night)

What didn't you like?

You cannot upload notes to other applications
I would like a more informative status bar (only the current page, battery charge and time are displayed)

Which readers were not included in our review, but could have been?

There are a number of other interesting applications for reading books, which, however, were not included in this review. We are talking about such popular programs as:

Cool Reader
AlReader
FBReader

Despite the rich functionality, the huge number of downloads and the long history of each of them, these applications seem to be stuck in the past. Appearance, graphics and ergonomics - everything here is reminiscent of the era of handheld computers based on Windows Mobile. And AlReader has stopped being updated and supported altogether since the spring of 2020.

In any case, if for you content is more important than form and functionality plays a paramount role, then be sure to pay attention to these applications.

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EPUB

The Electronic Publication format is actively promoted by Adobe, and quite successfully.
It consists of zipped publication data files created based on XML markup of the book text itself (HTML tags or PDF). All additional materials, such as illustrations, formulas and tables are also stored in separate files. This ensures similar publications on completely different devices. Android, of course, is among them. Interestingly, EPUB has copyright protection features. On the Android system, it can be opened by the already mentioned CoolReader, the well-known FBReader and the Aldiko Book Reader reading program.

FBReader

[Price: Free]

The FBReader application is among the most popular programs for reading e-books because it is absolutely free. It supports a ton of formats, including EPUB, FB2, RTF, Doc, HTML and plain text.

It is also one of the few that supports AZW3 (Amazon Kindle e-readers). It also supports PDF, however, you will need to install a plugin for this. The app also has a built-in browser for searching and downloading e-books, which is convenient.

In addition, there is a whole range of options for customization, library synchronization, etc. The option is very worthy, especially considering that you don’t have to pay for it.

FBReader

Price: Free

TXT

The TXT format is a simple text file (even the name itself is deciphered accordingly). On the Windows operating system, you can create one in Notepad, a standard application. This provides the main advantage of the format - it can be opened to almost everyone. But for e-books in TXT format there is a main drawback: the formatting of the publication is lost, since a text file is just a sequence of characters.

But TXT is the absolute answer to the question of what book format Android supports (without installing additional applications). Most likely, such a book will open in the browser by default. But readers like FBReader can handle it too.

AlReader

[Price: free/RUR 65.42/RUR 179.21/RUR 623.36]

AlReader is one of the latest “readers” with decent functionality. This is one of the few applications in its class that supports Android versions up to 1.6, which can be very useful if you suddenly decide to turn one of your old Android devices into an e-reader.

The application also supports the most common electronic formats, including EPUB (DRM-free), RTF, MOBI, PRC and others. The app also has a whole range of settings, including controls for scrolling, formatting, page turning animations, reading modes and different color schemes. The app is surprisingly successful and deserves to be given a chance.

AlReader - book reader

Price: Free

HTM

This format is based on HTML markup. In fact, a book in this extension is a hypertext. Unlike TXT, there are more opportunities for designing a book, including illustrations and insertion of various objects. By the way, this is another format that does not require additional applications (although e-readers are happy to open it). HTML is common when creating web pages, so the *htm book will open in Google Chrome, a standard browser, or any other downloaded program for surfing pages on the Internet.

FullReader+

[Price: free/RUR 199.00]

Fullreader+ is another new player in the mobile reader market. This application supports more than a dozen formats, and its interface, although it looks a little outdated, does its job.

The application also provides many options for reading - changing the font size, animation settings, day and night modes. You can even set a reminder for yourself so that the app will alert you when it's time to stop reading. There is a paid version, which can be purchased directly inside the application after installing it.

FullReader - reader of all book formats

Price: Free

RTF

The meaning of this format can be literally translated as “rich text”.
On Windows it opens using WordPad and regular office Word. The same analogs of programs can be used on Android. However, prudent developers take rtf into account when creating programs, allowing them to open it. RTF is the next step after TXT, using simple meta tag markup. Most word processors support importing into it.

On Android, this format is opened by CoolReader (users note that the application does not do this quite correctly), Foliant, NOOK for Android.

Google Play Books

[Price: Free]

When the Google Play Books app first came out, it was far from the best among its peers, but over time it has changed for the better. This application is tied to the Google Play store and it is assumed that you will download the bulk of the books from there.

However, you can also download PDF and EPUB files to your library, which can be synced across multiple devices - which is a very nice addition. The application's interface is modern, with Material Design elements.

Google Play Books is a great choice if you're looking for an entire platform for reading e-books, rather than just an e-reader app.

Google Play Books

Price: Free

Which e-book to buy

The cost of an e-reader is influenced not only by the size and technology of the screen, but by the presence of additional functions, such as protection from water and dust, and support for audio playback. The presence of backlight affects the comfort of use. Yes, the price of such “readers” is more than ten thousand rubles, but the adjustable backlight allows you to use the reader at any time of the day.

Some models may be equipped with mechanical buttons and a touch screen. A capacitive display will cost more than a regular one. Push-button models are more popular among the older generation.

A special category of books are those that are protected from moisture and dust. They are equipped with an additional inner cover and a rubber seal. This is an excellent solution for travelers and families with small children.

The best inexpensive e-books

The cost of most readers, especially from well-known brands, exceeds 10 thousand rubles. But there are good devices on sale in the budget segment as well. True, they all differ in a small diagonal.

PocketBook 614 Plus – nothing extra

4.9

★★★★★

editorial assessment

72%

buyers recommend this product

See review▶

The reader is an updated and improved version of PocketBook 613. It is released in a stylish plastic case, and the 6-inch diagonal makes using the reader comfortable on the road and at home. The back panel is covered with a soft-touch material that is pleasant to the touch. The book easily fits in a jacket or trouser pocket.

The amount of built-in memory is 8 GB. This volume is enough to download several thousand books. The processor frequency is 1 GHz, which allows you to process large amounts of information in many seconds. And the e-ink Carta screen reduces eye strain while reading to a minimum.

Pros:

high speed;
Almost all existing formats are supported (18 pcs.);
additional features: calculator, calendar and several games;
screen made of real glass;
contrast display – 15:1.

Minuses:

low resolution;
difficult to choose a case.

The lack of touch control will avoid accidental pressing in your pocket. In general, mechanics remain a good solution for schoolchildren or retirees.

Digma r63s – budget “reader” for travel

4.9

★★★★★

editorial assessment

72%

buyers recommend this product

See review▶

At the beginning of 2020, Digma introduced an inexpensive model with a 6-inch diagonal e-ink display. A resolution of 600x800 pixels is optimal for a screen of this size. Built-in 4 GB memory allows you to easily download several thousand books. In addition, there is a slot for microSD cards - with its help the amount of memory can be increased 10 times. Control is implemented with mechanical buttons.

Pros:

thoughtful ergonomics;
Carta screen;
more than 10 supported formats;
long work without recharging;
JPG format is supported.

Minuses:

low quality plastic;
There may be problems with displaying the .doc format.

The compact body makes Digma r63s a good purchase for a traveler. Well, whether you are ready to put up with mechanics is up to you to decide.

Moon+ Reader

[Price: free/RUR 299]

Moon+ Reader is another application for reading e-books, which we also came across very often in recommendations. The application has a whole range of functions, such as support for themes and various formats (such as EPUB, PDF, mobi, FB2, TXT, HTML, RAR, ZIP, OPDS, CHM, CBR and CBZ), as well as various options for scrolling text to make reading easier.

Updates over the past year have added design touches in the spirit of Material Design, and as a result the application looks beautiful and is easy to use.

This application has a lot to offer the user, and you can also choose a paid or free version depending on your financial situation.

Moon+ Reader

Price: Free

The best secure e-books

Increasingly, electronics manufacturers are producing devices that are protected from moisture and dust. Purchasing “readers” of this type makes sense when using them in difficult conditions. There are very few models in the niche of secure products – the leaders are PocketBook and Amazon Kindle.

Amazon Kindle Paper White 2020 8 Gb – the most secure e-reader

4.9

★★★★★

editorial assessment

72%

buyers recommend this product

See review▶

According to the manufacturer, this device can easily withstand immersion in water to a depth of 2 m for an hour. Its level of protection against moisture is IPx8. Amazon Kindle has previously released similar devices: in 2020, the first version of Paper White with 4 GB memory was introduced. The modification in question is distinguished by the presence of Bluetooth and built-in backlight LEDs.

Pros:

ability to customize profiles;
long autonomy;
effective protection against moisture;
presence of backlight;
wireless connection.

Minuses:

no brightness adjustment;
You cannot change the color temperature of the backlight.

A good solution for travelers and athletes. And since the book can easily survive complete immersion in water, this also means reliable protection against dust penetration.

Pocket Book 641 Aqua 2 – in both rain and snow

4.9

★★★★★

editorial assessment

72%

buyers recommend this product

See review▶

This model is an updated version of Aqua 1, released in 2014. Before this, PocketBook did not produce devices with water protection. The body of the new product is made velvety and pleasant to the touch. The device easily survives being underwater for 30 minutes at a time.

The model is equipped with a screen with third generation color ink (Triton). The 6-inch screen allows you to comfortably use the book at home or while traveling. A powerful 1 GHz processor quickly loads files of any size. A 1500 mAh battery guarantees long-term operation without recharging.

Pros:

absolute tightness;
long battery life;
support for several dozen formats;
Internet access;
downloading books via wireless communication channel;
colored ink.

Minuses:

high price;
only one body color – blue.

An excellent choice for readers who spend a lot of time outdoors. Sand in dry weather and water during rain will not penetrate inside the case, so damage to expensive electronics on vacation is excluded.

Kobo Books

[Price: Free]

Kobo Books is another app built around an entire platform, giving you access to more than 4 million books that you can buy and read. It's a very basic app and it doesn't seem to let you read books that you've already downloaded to your smartphone.

However, if you get into this system, the application will be able to synchronize your bookmarks and libraries, and also recommend new books based on those you have already read. It also has several additional features, for example, Night Mode.

Once you add a few books to your collection, you'll love the app.

Kobo Books - Reading App

Price: Free

Kindle

[Price: Free]

Like Kobo, Kindle is a separate platform with the ability to purchase and then read e-books. Kindle was once known as one of the largest players in the e-book market and boasted a colossal range of products.

The Kindle app can sync your bookmarks and libraries, you can use a built-in dictionary, you can also read excerpts from a book before purchasing, and Amazon Prime subscribers can “borrow” books from Amazon's library.

To get started, you can take advantage of the pretty decent free books section. Unfortunately, the application will not read books already on your device.

Amazon Kindle

Price: Free

The best eBooks with audio support

Many people use e-books not only for reading literature, but also for full-fledged learning on the go. Manufacturers took care of this and released e-reader models equipped with 3.5 mm mini jack audio outputs.

Onyx Boox Vasco da Gama – multimedia center in your pocket

4.9

★★★★★

editorial assessment

72%

buyers recommend this product

See review▶

The characteristics of this book cannot be called outstanding: only a little more than 10 supported formats (fb2, doc, rtf, epub and others). But the Android OS allows you to install additional applications, and the battery capacity of 3000 mAh guarantees long-term battery life.

In addition, Vasco da Gama compares favorably with other inexpensive models by the presence of a headphone jack. There is also a built-in voice recorder, browser and audio player. This makes the device convenient for learning English, surfing the Internet, recording lectures and listening to podcasts.

Pros:

brightness adjustment;
automatic locking/unlocking with case;
a high resolution;
touch input;
advanced functionality.

Minuses:

presence of only 1 physical button;
Quite a large body.

Thanks to its 6-inch diagonal, the device is suitable for reading on the go and at home. Vasco da Gama also features fast rendering and good battery life.

Gmini Magic Book M5 – with mp3 support and built-in FM tuner

4.9

★★★★★

editorial assessment

72%

buyers recommend this product

It uses quite old e-ink Vizplex technology (1st generation), but this makes the device 100% safe for the eyes. The screen supports 16 shades of gray, great for reading fiction in good lighting, listening to music, and learning languages. The sound quality greatly depends on the headphones used.

The control panel has 27 buttons: 5 for navigation, 10 digital and 12 auxiliary. Supports WMA, OGG, WAV and FM tuner formats. Taking Magic Book M5 with you on the road, you can not only read books, but also listen to music or radio programs.

Pros:

convenient four-position joystick;
two color solutions;
case included;
HTML support;
radio.

Minuses:

there is no automatic transition to sleep mode;
loading books - only via USB;
low contrast.

The model is compact and therefore suitable for use on the road or at home. This is a good choice for traveling long distances, but as a reader this book can only be used in good ambient lighting.