# Canto: Private Reading Journal — Reflect on each book. No feed. > Reflect on each book. No feed. (iPhone/iPad app by John Zerbe.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/canto-private-reading-journal/id6771089037 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [John Zerbe](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896770819) - Category: Books, Lifestyle - Price: Free with in-app purchases - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.1 · 48 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2026-08-06 - Data updated: 2026-09-10 - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/canto-private-reading-journal/id6771089037/reviews.md ## What is Canto? Canto is a reading companion with no feeds, no followers, and no public reviews. It is not a social network about books. It is a private record of your reading life, and it gets more personal the longer you use it. HOW IT WORKS When you finish a book, Canto asks you a few questions. Not generic prompts. Questions written for you, shaped by this specific book, what you hoped to find in it, and what you've written about books before it. Answer in a sentence or a paragraph, whatever you have. Then Canto writes you a short reflection: something specific enough that it could only be about you and this book. Every reflection you write makes the next one better. That's the whole idea. GOING DEEPER With Canto+, you don't have to stop at the first few questions. Keep reflecting on a book in one sitting, guided by a lens you choose (characters, themes, writing style, personal impact) or writing freely. However far you go, a book is always one reflection in your history. READER'S DNA After your fifth reflection, Canto writes a portrait of you as a reader. Not stats. Not a genre pie chart. Actual prose about the patterns in what you read and how you respond to it, with an archetype that names what kind of reader you are. It regenerates as you keep reading, so it changes as you do. WHILE YOU READ Capture a passage the moment it stops you. Set an intention before you start a book, and Canto will remember what you were hoping to find when you finish. Two weeks after you finish, one quiet notification asks how the book is sitting with you. That's the only kind of notification Canto sends: rare, and about the book. CHOSEN FOR YOU Recommendations built from your actual reading history and reflections, with honest reasoning about why each book was picked for you. Three at a time. No infinite feed. WHAT'S FREE AND WHAT'S NOT Reflections are free, forever, without limits. They are the heart of the app and will never be gated. Canto+ ($6.99/month) adds Reader's DNA, deeper reflection sessions, passage capture, cross-book insights, and personalized recommendations. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your reflections are yours. There is no feed for them to appear in, no followers to perform for, and nothing is public unless you choose to share a single line yourself. We don't sell your data. There are no ads. BUILT FOR EVERYONE Full VoiceOver support, including a custom rotor action to hear an entire reflection read continuously. Voice Control supported. Reduce Motion respected throughout. Nothing relies on color alone to convey meaning. Strong color contrast in dark mode, checked against WCAG standards. Dynamic Type everywhere. Canto is made by one person who thinks a reading app should know you better every month you use it, and should never ask you to perform your reading for an audience. Your books. Your words. Nobody watching. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ ## Pricing and in-app purchases Base price: Free. **Subscriptions** | Subscription | Price | Period | | --- | --- | --- | | Canto Plus | $6.99 | per month | ## Version history (last 4 releases) ### 1.2.1 — 2026-09-08 What's New in This Version This update fixes a few small but important things. Canto now asks for notification permission during setup, so you can get reminders about the books you're reading. Fixed an issue where the app could accept an empty or accidental reflection answer. Books picked for you from your reading list are now labeled, so you can tell at a glance which recommendations are already on your shelf. Thanks for reading with Canto. ### 1.2.0 — 2026-09-07 Extended Reflection Rounds (Canto+): after you finish a book, you can keep reflecting instead of stopping at the first few questions. Pick a lens, characters, themes, writing style, or personal impact, or write freely, and go as deep as you want in one sitting. Accessibility: Canto now works with Reduced Motion and Voice Control, follows your Larger Text setting across the app, and no longer uses color alone to convey meaning. Text contrast has been improved throughout. More reliable book search, plus a range of smaller fixes. ### 1.1.0 — 2026-08-11 Improved reflection formatting and general reliability improvements. ### 1.0.0 — 2026-08-06 No release notes. ## Related topics [canto](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/canto) --- *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 2026-09-10.*