By popular request, search history is now available. Your searched keywords and hashtags are now saved, making it easier to revisit topics, books, and ideas anytime. Start with any word—and discover your next book again. Thank you!

If you’ve been exploring Smartbooks and hesitating to sign up, this update is for you. With this update, your activity stays with you when you sign in. Books you explored, favorites, and bookmarks are all kept—even those from before signing up. Existing users will also see their pre-sign-in activity reflected. Just pick up where you left off. Thank you!

We’ve made it easier to access the features you use most in the player. Bookmarks, table of contents, playback speed, and favorites—now all within smoother reach. A share button has also been added. When you find something worth sharing, it’s just one tap away. We’ve also improved the flow from sample playback to purchase. If you want to keep going, you can unlock the full book seamlessly with in-app purchase. For selected titles, there’s now an additional way to enjoy them. Give the latest version a try. Thank you!

A Charter Membership for early members is now available A new way to access more books with greater freedom. Available in the latest version.

You can now play samples directly from the home screen. Tap the play button to instantly try any book that catches your interest. Once playback starts, a mini player appears at the bottom of the screen. Tap it to access the full text and visuals. If you want to keep going, unlock the full book with in-app purchase. Insight for your time.

We’ve updated the app with improvements to display and performance. Please update to the latest version.

We’ve added a new “Popular” sorting option. See what others are listening to, browse the latest titles, or dive into classics and long-time favorites by sorting from oldest release dates. Finding your next (or first) book on Smartbooks just got easier.

This update includes minor improvements and refinements to enhance the overall Smartbooks experience.

This update includes adjustments to in-app display and features.

New sorting options are now available: New Releases, Release Date (Newest), and Release Date (Oldest). Discover titles newly added to Smartbooks, revisit older classics, or explore at random. Finding your next book just became more flexible.

This update includes minor improvements and adjustments. We’ll continue making refinements to improve the overall experience.

Happy New Year from the Smartbooks team. We appreciate your continued support in 2026. This update includes minor improvements and performance enhancements to provide a smoother reading experience. Stay tuned for more refinements ahead.

You can now see more playback history in your Library after signing in. Even books you sampled for free are saved, so you can easily revisit any title that caught your interest. A smarter way to come back and finish what you started.

Minor bug fixes and performance enhancements.

This update includes minor bug fixes and overall performance enhancements to make Smartbooks faster, smoother, and more reliable.

Now compatible with CarPlay / Android Auto! Smartbooks is now available on Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto. Enjoy your books safely with hands-free audio while driving. Please be mindful of traffic conditions and prioritize safety at all times. Do NOT read text and/or view visuals while driving and when the vehicle is in motion.

Full sample playback — even at double speed. We’ve fixed the issue where samples felt too short at faster playback speeds. You can now enjoy the same full sample content, whether you’re listening at 1x, 2x, or more. If you thought “That was short,” now’s a great time to give it another try. Sample any book — as many as you like, for free!

Playback speed × reading time preview: find your ideal pace instantly Tap the Speed button during playback to adjust speed in 0.1x increments. Instantly see how long it will take to finish the book at that speed, so you can plan your time precisely. This feature shows your estimated remaining time for each speed, and our narrators are selected for clarity even at high speeds—so you can read fast without losing comprehension. Read through the book at the pace that suits you best—no stress, just smart reading. Start your search with a topic you like in the Smartbooks search box!

Now it’s easier to see how far you’ve read—or listened! Your current position is now highlighted in the chapter list while the book is playing, so you always know exactly where you are. No more guessing “Where did I leave off?”—just pick up right where you stopped. Smartbooks keeps getting smarter.

We’ve changed the default playback speed from 1.25x to 1.5x. It’s a bit faster — but it’s actually how most users already listen. Tap “1.5” in the bottom left to adjust freely between 0.33x and 4.6x. Listening that feels like reading. Smartbooks just got even smarter.

Smarter Search is Here! Now you can search not only by title, author, and publisher—but also by author bios, ISBN13, table of contents, tags, and other book details. Try keywords like “AI,” “CEO,” or even “love.”

We’ve made minor system updates to ensure a smoother and more stable experience. Thanks again for using Smartbooks! Smartbooks TIP: Have you tried the bookmark feature? It saves not only the timestamp, but also the exact text you were reading—perfect for reviewing key moments later. You can use it both for purchased books and during sample previews. It’s easy—just tap the bookmark button at the bottom of the playback menu. You can even leave personal notes with your bookmarks!

We’ve made minor system updates to improve overall stability. Thanks as always for using Smartbooks! Smartbooks TIP: Want to adjust how fast you read or listen? Just tap the number at the bottom-left corner while playing! You can fine-tune the speed—from a slow 0.33× for deep listening to a fast 4.6× for speed reading. At 2×, you finish in half the time. At 3×, it’s done in a third. Find your perfect pace and enjoy the Smartbooks experience your way.

The Smartbooks “Try Before You Buy” experience just got smarter. Samples now show both narration and synced text—no more audio-only previews. Just tap “「まずは無料で読んでみる」(Try for Free)” to get started! You can try any all titles for free, with full access to chapter skip, playback speed (0.33×–4.6×), and more. If you like what you hear (and read), you can purchase the full book right inside the app. *Note: Some features work without logging in, but we recommend creating a free account if you haven't done so yet to use bookmarks and other features!

“Want to sort by newest releases or mix things up with random order?” This update is for you! With this update, we’ve added the ability to sort by newest release and random order! Now you can sort works on the home page, author’s works list, and hashtags in the order you prefer. Stay tuned for the next update!