Kobo has updated its flagship reading app for iOS on the iPhone a couple of weeks ago. Users in the United States and Canada now have an option called “Get Book.” Clicking on a product description page for an e-book will open up the Safari internet browser, or whatever default browser is on your phone. It will redirect users to the book page on the leading Kobo bookstore’s website, where digital content can be purchased, and then redirect them back to the app, where the e-book can be read immediately.
This app update was submitted to Apple and approved in the middle of May, 2025. Kobo did not update their change log with this new feature or mention it in the news section of their website or anywhere on social media. Nobody even noticed on the official Kobo Reddit section of the site, and this is usually where new things are discussed before any news organization picks up on the story.
Before this system went live, buying books on iOS was less than ideal. You had to open Safari manually, find the book you wanted to purchase, buy it, manually open the Kobo app again, and sync. There was no documentation within the app or any other information that informed the average user about the buying process. The Kobo Get Book system is a game-changer for anyone who likes reading on their iPhone. It removes the barriers and friction for book purchases, which is ideal for new users to the platform.
Rakuten Kobo is not the only company to update its iOS app with the Get Book system. The Amazon Kindle app started doing this at the beginning of May, and Google Play Books enabled it in February. I have heard the Barnes & Noble NOOK app for iOS began to do this, too, but have not been able to confirm, since it’s only available in the United States. The Get Book system is likely to be integrated into more apps soon, which will be beneficial for readers.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.