PocketReader — User Guide
Welcome! This guide gets you from zero to reading offline in a few minutes, then shows you everything PocketReader can do. No technical knowledge needed.
1. Install
- Download
PocketReader-Setup-1.8.2.exe from the Releases page.
- Run it. You don’t need administrator rights.
- Choose where to install — any folder or drive works (even a USB stick). The app and all your data live together in that one folder, so you can move it anywhere later.
- Launch PocketReader.
2. Connect your Raindrop account
PocketReader reads the bookmarks from your free Raindrop.io account. You connect once, using a token (a long password‑like code Raindrop gives you). It takes about a minute.
- In PocketReader, click Sign in (top‑right) → Sign in with a token…
- A window opens with the steps. Click the link it shows to open Raindrop’s Integrations page in your browser, and sign in to Raindrop if asked.
- On that page, click + Create new app, give it any name (e.g. “PocketReader”), then click the app you just made to open it.
- Scroll down to For Developers and click Create test token (confirm if it asks).
- Copy the token it shows, return to PocketReader, paste it into the box, and click Sign in.
That’s it — you’re connected. (Your token is stored locally on your computer and never shared.)
Tip: This token only lets PocketReader read your bookmarks. PocketReader never changes anything in your Raindrop account.
3. Sync your bookmarks
Click Sync (top bar) → Sync new bookmarks.
- The first sync pulls in your whole library. A big library can take a little while — let it finish.
- After that, Sync new bookmarks is instant: it only fetches what changed since last time.
- Your articles now appear as a list (or cards — see below).
4. Download for offline reading
Syncing brings in the titles and links. To read offline — and to search the full text — download the articles:
- Pick a view (e.g. All, or a tag).
- Click Download (top bar). PocketReader caches a batch of articles (full text + images) to your disk, showing progress at the bottom. You can Pause or Stop anytime.
- Click Download again for the next batch until the view is done.
Cached articles show a green ✓ Offline tag and open instantly with no internet.
You can also cache a single article: right‑click it → Download offline.
5. Read
Click any article to open the distraction‑free reader. The toolbar (top of the reader window) gives you:
| Button |
What it does |
| ← Library |
Go back to your list |
| 🎨 Theme |
Light / Sepia / Dark reading theme |
| A− A+ |
Smaller / larger text |
| 🖊 Highlight |
Highlight the text you’ve selected (see below) |
| 🔊 Listen |
Read the article aloud (offline text‑to‑speech) — click again to pause |
| 🖨 Export to PDF |
Save the article as a PDF |
| 🔗 Copy link / 🌐 Open in browser |
Copy the URL, or open the original page |
- A thin progress bar at the top fills as you scroll. Close an article and reopen it later — it resumes where you left off.
- At the bottom is a Tags & note panel (click to expand) for tagging and writing a private note about the article.
Highlighting
- Select some text in the article.
- Click the Highlight button (🖊). The text turns yellow.
- To remove a highlight, click it.
Highlights are saved and reappear every time you open the article.
6. Organize your library
- ⭐ Ratings: click the stars on any card/row to rate it 1–5. Click the same star again to clear it.
- 🏷 Tags: open an article and add tags in the bottom panel, or select several articles and tag them all at once (see Bulk actions). Manage all your tags from Manage tags (bottom of the sidebar) — rename, merge (drag one onto another), delete, or create.
- 📝 Notes: write a private note per article in the reader’s bottom panel.
- ⭐ Favorites / Unread / Archive: articles marked important in Raindrop show under Favorites. Unread vs read is tracked automatically when you open them. Archive (right‑click) tucks finished articles away.
Bulk actions (multi‑select)
- Click Select in the top bar (or press Ctrl+A to select all loaded).
- Tick the articles you want.
- Use the bar that appears to Add tag, Remove tag, Mark read, Archive, or Delete them together.
7. Find anything
- 🔎 Search: type in the search box (top‑right). It searches titles and tags instantly — and the full text of any article you’ve downloaded offline.
- Sidebar filters: jump to Favorites, Unread, Notes, Highlights, Archive, Ratings (by star), or any tag. Each shows a count.
- View options: the View button lets you sort (Newest / Oldest / Title) and switch density (Comfortable / Compact). The Cards button toggles list ↔ card view.
8. Delete safely — the Recycle Bin
- Delete an article (right‑click, or via multi‑select) and it moves to the Recycle Bin — it’s not gone.
- Open Recycle Bin in the sidebar to Restore anything, or Delete permanently / Empty Recycle Bin when you’re sure.
- Deleted articles never come back on a sync.
9. Your reading, in numbers
Click Stats (top bar) to see articles read, words read, time spent, your day‑streak, a 30‑day activity chart, and your top sources and tags. The numbers build up as you read.
10. Settings & backup
Open Settings (bottom of the sidebar):
- App theme (System / Light / Dark) and Reading theme (Light / Sepia / Dark).
- Offline downloads: how many articles per batch, and how many download at once.
- Backup: Export your whole library to a JSON file, or Import one back.
- Data folder: see (and open) the portable folder where everything is stored.
- About: version and project links.
Moving to a new PC or drive? Just copy the whole PocketReader folder. Everything — your articles, tags, notes, highlights, and settings — travels with it.
Frequently asked
Do I need to be online?
Only to sync and to download articles. Once they’re cached, reading, searching, highlighting — everything works offline.
Does anything I do here change my Raindrop account?
No. PocketReader only reads from Raindrop. Your ratings, notes, highlights, and deletions stay on your computer.
An article won’t download / looks empty.
Some sites block automated fetching, or hide content behind a login/paywall. Most articles cache fine; a few won’t. You can always Open in browser to read the original.
Where is my data?
In the data folder next to the app — a single SQLite database plus your cached articles. Back it up by copying that folder (or use Settings → Export).
Happy reading. 📖