Introducing Bookbuds: Read with friends around a cozy virtual bonfire. Track your reading time, build streaks, and compete on a social reading leaderboard with friends
BookBuds is a cozy social reading app that makes reading with friends easy, fun, and motivating. Sit around your own virtual bonfire, track reading time, build daily streaks, and compete on a shared leaderboard to see who’s reading the most.
Whether you’re trying to read more books, finish your TBR list, build a reading habit, or simply stay accountable with friends, BookBuds turns reading into a shared experience instead of something you do alone.
Read Together Around a Virtual Bonfire
Start a reading session and watch your BookBud glow as you read. Your friends can join you anytime, making reading feel cozy, warm, and connected.. even when you’re miles apart.
Track Your Reading Time Effortlessly
No more manual book logs. BookBuds automatically tracks your reading minutes with a built-in reading timer.
Compete on a Social Reading Leaderboard
See who in your friend group is reading the most each day, week, or month. Build streaks. Climb the leaderboard. Celebrate wins together.
Invite Your Friends & Build a Reading Circle
Reading is more fun when you do it together. Share your BookBuds link, invite friends, compare progress, and stay motivated as a group. Achieve your 2026 reading goals together!
Perfect for Your TBR + Self-Improvement Goals
If your 2026 goals are focused on reading more books, reducing screen time, or developing mindful habits, BookBuds makes it easier.. and way more fun!
Why BookBuds Works
Reading feels fun, not forced
Friends keep you accountable
Streaks build momentum
The bonfire creates a comforting ritual
Competition sparks motivation
Tracking is automatic
Start Your Reading Journey Today
Read more books, stay consistent, and build a habit that sticks: all with your friends beside you around a cozy virtual bonfire.
Download BookBuds and make reading social again.
Link to our privacy policy: https://privacypolicybookbuds.vercel.app/
Link to our terms of service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Subscriptions & Billing
BookBuds offers optional auto-renewing subscriptions that unlock premium features such as advanced reading analytics, enhanced customization, and additional Pro tools.
Subscriptions are available in monthly and yearly plans and renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing period. You can manage or cancel your subscription at any time from your Apple ID account settings.
All core social reading features — including reading with friends, bonfire sessions, leaderboards, profiles, and chats — remain free to use without a subscription.
I love this app, I’ve had it since around new years and use it as my reading time tracker but the pop up messages that show up when you first open the app is really annoying. I do not want to open a gift nor purchase anything the second I open the app. Greatly annoying and makes me want to throw my phone into the garbage disposal. Please just do a side bar button thing instead of a full page pop up please. But love the app other than that one gut raging feature. Keep up the good work!❤️
Great but some bugs!
brynn1249
I love this app, me and my friends use this all the time! But recently if I try to add a book to my list, or search up a book it will tell me no books found. No matter what the book is. And I know they have this book because I have seen it. I can only add it manually which is a bit annoying. I’ve deleted the app and redownloaded it, got it on a new device and it still won’t work!
New and promising, but still has issues
VicTVN24
I like it, it’s a great way to connect with long-distance friends over books, I just wish there was an option if your book isn’t listed. A couple of books I read aren’t there whenever I change or choose my book, and I can’t go back and change the ones I finished for whenever they do get added. I think there should be a way to list a book if the one you’re reading isn’t on there. I get that it’s a new app, and it definitely has potential, this is just an issue I came across.
Developer Response
Hello! thank you so so much for the feedback and support, it truly means alot. Regarding the ability to add books manually, this feature is now available in the latest version thanks to all of your feedback :) you can easily add books, their authors, and their cover photos to your "Reading", "Finished", "TBR" or "DNF" lists. hope you like it. do let us know what you think, your feedback keeps us going!! happy reading :)
Small Bugs
Babygirlthickness
My friend and I are big readers and have been super pumped this type of app has come out! We are struggling with usage of the app itself. It’s not letting us actually add each other to our bonfires regardless if we have the same book listed as reading. We are friends on the app and can see each other on the leaderboard but the whole point was to get to read the same book. It just keeps making us send a message with our usernames as if we are asking them to join the site as a whole, not just to our specific bonfire. Help would be appreciated because we want this to work!!!!
bug fixes & performance improvements
Version 1.0.35
The developer, Saif Ali, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Used to Track You
The following data may be used to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies:
Browsing History
Data Not Linked to You
The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
Contacts
Search History
Browsing History
Usage Data
Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
Seller
Saif Ali
Size
48.9 MB
Category
Books
Compatibility
Requires iOS 26.0 or later.
iPhone Requires iOS 26.0 or later.
Mac Requires macOS 26.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.
