Support

How can we help?

Your library

Where is my library kept?

On your iPhone or iPad. There is no account and no Ibid. server. Your library is part of your device’s own backup, and you can add Ibid.’s own backup too (below).

How do I back up my library?

In your library, tap More options (the ··· button), then Backup & Restore.

• Automatic backup keeps recovery points in your own iCloud Drive.
• Create an archive saves everything in one .ibidarchive file. Keep it somewhere other than your phone.

How do I move my library to a new iPhone or iPad?

Restoring your device from its backup brings Ibid. with it. Or, on the new device, open Backup & Restore and choose Restore from a recovery point (with automatic backup on and the same Apple Account) or Restore from an archive file. Every restore is shown to you before anything changes.

I tested Ibid. with TestFlight. Will I lose my library?

No, as long as you install the App Store version over the TestFlight one. Do not delete the TestFlight app first: deleting an app deletes its library. For peace of mind, create an archive before you update.

Adding books and passages

A book isn’t found, or its details are wrong.

Ibid. searches Open Library, then the BnF Catalogue général. Not every edition is listed. You can always choose Enter book details yourself, and you can correct details on the book at any time.

The text from a photo isn’t right.

Good light and a flat page help most; the camera has a torch. You can adjust the selection before saving, and edit a passage afterwards. A passage holds up to 1,500 characters, roughly 250 words.

Can I import my Kindle highlights?

Yes. In More options, open Import & Export and import your Kindle My Clippings.txt file, or Markdown files. Every import is shown to you for review before anything is added.

Obsidian

How does Obsidian sync work?

In More options, open Obsidian sync and choose your vault itself, not a folder inside it. Ibid. keeps one note per book in a folder named Ibid in that vault, and brings back edits you make there to the fields it understands. It never reads or changes anything else in your vault. It syncs when you open it and from time to time in the background.

Can Ibid. link to the book notes I already keep?

Yes, optionally. Choose your book notes folder and Ibid. links each of your notes to its Ibid. note, in both directions, and writes a note for any book that has none. Where a match isn’t certain, it asks you. Removing the link removes what Ibid. added; your notes stay.

Does it work with Obsidian Sync, iCloud Drive, Remotely Save or Synology Drive?

Yes. Ibid. does not connect to an Obsidian account or any sync service; it only reads and writes files in your vault, and your sync service carries them from there. Ibid. checks each note just before writing it, and if your sync service changes that note at the same moment, Ibid. leaves it alone and picks it up next time. Remember that your sync service will store the passages Ibid. writes.

Sync stopped, or says the folder can’t be reached.

Open Obsidian sync in Ibid.: it tells you what it needs, usually to choose the vault again. If the note format has changed after an update, it will ask you to connect again; your notes are not deleted.

Obsidian is a trademark of its owners. Ibid. is not affiliated with or endorsed by Obsidian.

Rights and privacy

What does Ibid. do with my data?

Nothing leaves your device except book lookups. See the privacy policy.

Why does Ibid. mention rights when I export or share?

Ibid. is for personal notes on books you read. Passages you share or export may be protected by copyright, and it is up to you to share only what you have the right to share.

I think a cover or catalogue record is wrong, or shouldn’t be shown.

Email us with the book’s title and ISBN.