Hey everyone!

I am absolutely thrilled to announce that HandyReader 1.16.260604 (Build 20) is officially live and ready for download!

If you’ve been following along, you might remember that in our last update, I teased a feature that many of you have been asking for. Well, the wait is finally over: OPDS online library support is here!

This is a huge milestone for HandyReader, but that’s not all. I’ve also packed in some highly requested file-handling features and under-the-hood performance boosts to make your reading experience smoother than ever.

Let’s dive into what’s new in this release!

What’s New?

OPDS 1.x Online Library Support

This is the big one! You can now connect to OPDS catalogs directly inside HandyReader to browse and download thousands of free, public-domain books. To get you started right away, I’ve pre-configured a few of my favorite recommended libraries:

• Project Gutenberg (the gold standard for classic literature)
• ManyBooks (thousands of free ebooks)
• Unglue.it (amazing creative commons books)
• Gallica (the digital library of the National Library of France)

No more jumping back and forth between your browser and the app—just find a book you love, download it, and start reading instantly!

Import Single Book Files

Previously, importing books could sometimes feel a bit clunky if you just wanted to add one specific file. Now, you can import individual book files directly into your library with just a single tap. Simple, clean, and fast.

Open Files from External Apps

Have you ever found a book file in your file manager, email, or chat app and wished you could just tap it and open it directly in HandyReader? Now you can! HandyReader is now registered to handle book files system-wide, so you can choose to open your files with HandyReader from any external app.

Under-the-Hood Improvements

• Smoother ePub Rendering: I’ve spent a lot of time optimizing how ePub files are rendered. You should notice better compatibility with complex layouts and a much cleaner, more consistent display quality.
• Smart Cache Management (LRU): To keep the app lightweight and fast, I’ve rewritten the book parsing cache to use an LRU (Least Recently Used) eviction strategy. This prevents the cache from bloating over time, saving your device’s storage and memory.
• Polished UI: Both the start screen and the home page got a nice facelift. They now load faster and feel much more intuitive to navigate.

Bug Fixes

• Squashed a handful of annoying bugs and crashes to make the app as stable and reliable as possible.

Wrapping Up

This update is all about giving you more freedom—freedom to discover new books easily via OPDS, and freedom to import and open your files however you prefer. I really hope these changes make your daily reading sessions even more enjoyable!

What’s Next?

I’m already hard at work on the next set of features. Here is a sneak peek of what I’m planning next:

• TXT/HTML/MD Loading Optimization: Making plain text, HTML, and Markdown files load and render lightning-fast.
• Eye Protection Mode: A warmer display mode to make night reading much easier on your eyes.
• In-App Brightness Control: Adjust your screen brightness directly within the reading interface.
• Text Alignment Options: More layout customization so you can align your text exactly how you like it.

Download Now

Grab the latest build and let me know what you think!

• GitHub Releases (v1.16.260604): https://github.com/EucWang/HandyReader/releases/tag/v1.16.260604
• Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wxn.reader

Note: If the update hasn’t hit your Google Play Store yet, it’s likely still in review and will be available very soon. In the meantime, you can always grab the APK directly from GitHub. Requires Android 6.0 or higher.

Happy reading!