# Babel Reader — EPUB Reader with Translation > On-device EPUB reader with integrated translation and library management. (iPhone/iPad app by Martin Bocker Dr.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babel-reader/id6760454895 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Martin Bocker Dr](https://appshunter.io/developer/1883665378) - Category: Books, Reference - Price: $4.99 - Age rating: +4 - Requires: iOS 18.6 · 2 MB - Languages: German (Germany), European Spanish, French (France), Dutch, American English, Italian, Polish - Released: 2026-03-14 - Data updated: 2026-09-20 - Monetization: paid - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babel-reader/id6760454895/reviews.md ## What is Babel Reader? Babel Reader is a clean, distraction-free EPUB reader for iPhone and iPad. Import your books, read with beautifully crafted typography, and translate any paragraph with a single tap — all without sending a single byte to any server. READING EXPERIENCE • Page-by-page layout with smooth swipe navigation • Portrait and landscape support (two-column layout in landscape) • Four reading themes: White, Sepia, Night, and Slate • Five typefaces: Georgia, Palatino, Baskerville, Iowan Old Style, and System • Adjustable text size and line spacing • Each book remembers its own display settings — font, size, line spacing, and theme • Optional hyphenation and text alignment (flush left, justified, flush right, centred) • Clock and chapter progress indicator always visible while you read TRANSLATION • Tap any paragraph to translate it in place • Tap again to restore the original • Translation runs entirely on your device — no text leaves your iPhone or iPad • Supports 20+ languages including Arabic (with full RTL support), Chinese (Simplified & Traditional), Dutch, English, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese • Optional Read Aloud & Share: have the original or the translation read aloud, or share either via any app on your device YOUR LIBRARY • Import EPUB files from Files, Mail, Safari, and any other app that supports Share Sheet • Organise your books into Collections • Grid or list view • Sort by date added, title, author, language, or most recently read • Edit book title, author, and language metadata • iCloud sync: keep your entire library and reading progress in sync across all your Apple devices (optional, uses your private iCloud account) AVAILABLE IN 6 LANGUAGES The app interface is fully localised in English, German, French, Dutch, Spanish, and Italian. PRIVACY FIRST Babel Reader collects no personal data. It contains no advertising, no analytics, and no third-party tracking of any kind. On-device translation never sends your text to a server. iCloud sync uses only your own private iCloud account — your data is never accessible to the developer. EPUB FORMAT Babel Reader supports EPUB 2 and EPUB 3 files. PDF, MOBI, and AZW3 are not supported in this version. ## Key features - Distraction-free reading experience - On-device translation for 20+ languages - Customizable typography and themes - EPUB 2 & 3 support - Library organization and iCloud sync - Read Aloud and Share functionality ## Recent user reviews (1 of 1) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/babel-reader/id6760454895/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Tolle App zum lesen fremdsprachlicher Bücher *2026-08-10* Das durchdachte Design und die einfache Bedienung haben mich dazu motiviert wieder mehr spanische Bücher zu lesen. Der Entwickler reagiert super schnell auf Fehlermeldungen und hat sogar kleine Wünsche mit eingebaut - danke. Das "i-Tüpfelchen" wäre noch, wenn die Vorlesefunktion auch bei stummgeschaltetem iPhone funktionierte ;-) ## Frequently asked questions about Babel Reader ### What devices does Babel Reader support? Babel Reader is available for iPhone and iPad, offering a seamless experience across both Apple devices. The app supports both portrait and landscape orientations, with a two-column layout available in landscape mode. ### How does the translation feature in Babel Reader work? Babel Reader offers on-device translation for over 20 languages. Simply tap any paragraph to translate it in place, and tap again to restore the original text. Your text is never sent to a server, ensuring complete privacy. ### Can I import my own EPUB books into Babel Reader? Yes, you can easily import EPUB files from various sources like Files, Mail, and Safari using the Share Sheet. The app supports both EPUB 2 and EPUB 3 formats for your imported books. ### Does Babel Reader have ads? No, Babel Reader is completely ad-free. The app prioritizes a distraction-free reading experience and does not contain any advertising, analytics, or third-party tracking. ### How often is Babel Reader updated? The latest version of Babel Reader is 1.6, and it was last updated on August 6, 2026. Updates typically include new features, performance improvements, and bug fixes to enhance the user experience. ### What reading customization options are available in Babel Reader? Babel Reader offers extensive customization, including four reading themes (White, Sepia, Night, Slate), five typefaces, adjustable text size and line spacing, and optional hyphenation and text alignment. Each book remembers its own display settings. ### Is Babel Reader suitable for children? Babel Reader has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for younger users. The app's clean interface and focus on reading and translation are designed for a broad audience. ### What is the price of Babel Reader? Babel Reader is a paid application priced at $4.99. There are no in-app purchases or subscription fees required to access its full functionality. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.8 — 2026-09-14 New Features • Bookmarks: save your place anywhere in a book, rename any bookmark in your own words, and jump straight back to it later. Your bookmarks sync across all your devices via iCloud. • Polish interface language: Babel Reader now speaks seven languages. • Ready for iOS 27 and iPadOS 27. Improvements & Bug Fixes • More of the interface is now translated in every language — the „About“ and welcome screens were still in English for everyone. • Reading progress is now accurate: the „% read“ figure is weighted by how much text each chapter actually contains. Previously a cover page or a short list of characters counted as much as a full chapter. • Fixed body text appearing bold in some EPUBs that misuse bold markup. • No more dark flash when opening the „Translate from“ and „Translate into“ pickers on a dark reading theme. ### 1.7 — 2026-09-01 New • Full-screen images — tap any image in a book to open it full screen, then pinch to zoom in on maps, illustrations, and photos. • Swipe between collections — flick left or right to move from one book collection to the next without returning to your library. Improved & Fixed • Better hyphenation, including for books that don't declare a language. • Exponents (e.g. 10¹⁰) now display correctly instead of running together. • Restored the missing space after a period in some books. • More reliable translation in justified books that contain hidden formatting characters. • Fixed translation running when the source and target language are the same in scroll mode. • In scroll mode, tap the progress indicator to switch between chapter number and percentage, or press and hold to open the chapter list. • Smoother, more responsive chapter list when tapping and holding. • Your reading position is now saved reliably when you leave a book. ### 1.6 — 2026-08-06 New Features - Scroll reading mode: read a chapter as one continuous page with smooth vertical scrolling. Switch between Paged and Scroll in the Aa menu — each book remembers its own choice. A slim marker on the right edge shows your progress through the chapter. - Read aloud & share by long-press: press and hold a translated paragraph to read the original, the translation, or both aloud, or to share them. The paragraph now shows whichever language is being read. - System actions on original text: press and hold an untranslated paragraph to copy, look up, or translate it with iOS. Improvements & Bug Fixes - Read Aloud now uses the correct voice for each book's translation language. - The in-book search interface is now fully translated. - Various stability improvements in scroll mode and read-aloud. ### 1.5 — 2026-07-24 New Features • Choose a different source and target language for each book individually • See your reading progress as a percentage — tap the chapter indicator to switch views • Stop read-aloud playback anytime with the new stop button • Improved handling of poorly-formatted EPUB files (better paragraph detection) Bug Fixes • Library title no longer appears white in light mode • Text colour now stays correct on coloured library backgrounds • Library list view correctly shows the chosen background colour • Hyphenation now works properly in more languages • Reading progress is now synced reliably across devices • Read-aloud context menu is now fully translated into all supported languages • Fixed accidental colour changes in text caused by EPUB page-break markers ### 1.4 — 2026-06-29 New Features • Search in Book — tap the magnifying glass to search across all chapters at once. Results show the matching chapter, a context snippet, and match count. Tap a result to jump there. • Search in Chapter — once in a chapter, use the up and down arrows to move between matches. Bug fixes • Fixed garbled quotation marks and apostrophes in some EPUB books (encoding issue). • Themes and line spacing labels are now correctly translated in all languages. • Font size, line spacing, and theme are no longer synced across devices — each device keeps its own comfortable reading settings. ## Apps similar to Babel Reader | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Reader Alive](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reader-alive/id6766441925) | — | Free | Books | | [Wreader Ebook reader](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wreader-ebook-reader/id6796788140) | — | Free | Books | | [ToRead: Reading Timer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/toread-reading-timer/id6757129946) | 4.9 (8) | Free | Books | | [leaf: eBook Reader](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/leaf-ebook-reader/id6758810936) | 3.8 (6) | Free | Books | | [Flippy: AI PDF & EPUB Reader](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flippy-ai-pdf-and-epub-reader/id6758871767) | 4.5 (13) | Free | Books | | [BookShelves eBook Reader](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookshelves-ebook-reader/id6756848973) | 3.9 (15) | Free | Books | ## More apps by Martin Bocker Dr - [Unicode Companion](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/unicode-companion/id6760292890) - [Versioneer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/versioneer/id6770049726) All apps by Martin Bocker Dr: https://appshunter.io/developer/1883665378 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-20.*