# indyreads™

> Free eBook and audiobook access for NSW Public Library members. (iPhone/iPad app by State Library of New South Wales.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/indyreads/id1448991111 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [State Library of New South Wales](https://appshunter.io/developer/408605062)
- Category: Education, Books
- Price: Free
- Rating: 4.10/5 from 11 App Store ratings · 171 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.0 · 65 MB
- Languages: American English, Arabic, Basque, Catalan, Dutch, French (France), Galician, German (Germany), Hebrew, Brazilian Portuguese and 4 more
- Released: 2019-02-01
- Data updated: 2026-09-09
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/indyreads/id1448991111/reviews.md

## What is indyreads™?

The indyreads™ app provides New South Wales Public Library members with free access to a large collection of eBook & Audiobook titles. The app lets you read and listen to eBook and Audio titles on your smartphone or tablet, browse the collection, borrow items and place them on hold, download and return titles, as well as make notes, place bookmarks and more. The collection includes Australian independent published content, a selection of quality self-published material, titles in languages other than English as well as reference, modern literary, classic fiction and non-fiction titles.

Locally important digitised material from the local studies collections of participating NSW public libraries is also available. To access and loan titles you will need:

• A valid library card & PIN number (it's quick and easy to join your local NSW public library)

• Internet access

To parents & legal guardians: we do not censor, remove or restrict titles that some customers may find offensive, and we do not label materials to indicate their content or coverage.

## Key features

- Free eBook and audiobook access
- Borrow and place holds
- Download and return titles
- Make notes and bookmarks
- Browse diverse collections
- Access local studies material

## What do users think of indyreads™?

Overall sentiment: negative

**Pros**

- 🚀 Fast access to quality literature
- 💡 Fantastic library of titles
- 👍 Essential public infrastructure

**Cons**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches
- 🔒 Unreliable login and account management
- 👎 Slow and laggy performance
- 🔍 Poor search and navigation
- 📚 Inconsistent book tracking and progress

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Frequent unexpected logouts and data loss
- Download and playback issues with audiobooks
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between online/offline
- Unreliable hold notifications and availability information

**Most requested features**

- Add page numbers and total pages
- Improve Bluetooth/remote control support for audiobooks
- Display book length and narrator information
- Provide more customization options for text and layout

## Recent user reviews (10 of 171)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/indyreads/id1448991111/reviews.md

### 3/5 — Great app, needs a few fixes though

*2026-04-06*

Love the app but have encountered three major issues with it:

1. When browsing books in the search function, only the same few books show up over & over when scrolling through, unless you scroll right to the bottom and force it to load more. Once these have loaded the same thing happens on repeat.

2. When making lists, the list doesn't show all the books. E.g I have a list containing 14 books, but it only shows the cover / icons for 10 books and then half the top of another two, and that's it. All my lists cut off without showing all the books in them.

3. The audiobooks do not tell you how long they are when browsing through the titles. This feels like a massive oversight and audiobook length should be included with other info like the language and publication year. It would be good if the narrator was listed also.

### 5/5 — Best app ever

*2026-03-22, version 26.3.0*

You can get audiobooks for free and thousands of diffrent comedies and books.

### 1/5 — Let me reset my password

*2026-03-04*

I updated this app a few days ago and it forcibly logged me out and now my library-assigned pin isn’t working and none of my usual passwords are correct either - and nowhere on the app or on the mobile site is there an option for me to reset my password. Nothing in the website the “help” link takes you to is related to resetting a password either. The range of titles on this app is fantastic but this app is so clunky at the best of times. I have a loan I would like to read. Let me log in. Let me fix my login issues without having to physically go to my local library. It’s baffling to me that it’s not easy to do this.

### 4/5 — Free books!

*2026-03-03, version 26.2.6*

Love that I get to save money as the app and access to books are free. There’s definitely a couple of bugs that need to be fixed, but I’m enjoying the app so far!

### 2/5 — logging in too often

*2026-02-21*

the app requests log in every 2-3 days and is very slow to show the bookshelf, I’d like the search to work for titles better, the series Im listening to isn’t all under the same link because each book is in its own ie: series name #1, etc so I can’t just hit the series link to access the next in the series, can’t even find the book title when I type it in exactly, have to search the author and trawl through all of the books looking at the tiny thumbnails trying to see which is the one I want, recently the menus all were in another language but the main parts were in english

### 2/5 — Unreliable

*2026-02-13, version 26.2.2*

I would give this app one star on technical grounds but I appreciate being able to access quality literature for free. 

I have had carefully curated reading lists mysteriously deleted, books mysteriously returned before completing them and periodically shut out for long periods. It’s one of the worst apps I have ever used.

### 1/5 — App keeps crashing

*2026-02-12, version 26.2.2*

This app keeps logging me out or crashing. It is slow to load and often misses progress (restarting a-previous page)

### 5/5 — Essential

*2026-02-06, version 5.6.7*

This app has such a fantastic library of titles. No more audible for me. An essential piece of public infrastructure, and I hope every public library in Australia participates.

### 2/5 — Glitchy

*2026-01-26, version 5.5.22*

Extremely frustrated to get 64 of 68 chapters into a gripping book and the title was unable to be played or re-downloaded. Tried uninstalling and re-installing the app without success. Tried accessing on another device but had the same issue.

### 4/5 — Improvements

*2026-01-22, version 5.5.22*

This app could be improved with page numbers and total pages.
For example 27/257
This would support moving backward and forward through the book.

## Frequently asked questions about indyreads™

### What is indyreads™?

indyreads™ is a mobile application that provides New South Wales Public Library members with free access to a large collection of eBook and Audiobook titles. It allows users to read and listen to content, borrow items, place holds, and manage their loans directly from their smartphone or tablet.

### How do I access titles on indyreads™?

To access and loan titles, you will need a valid NSW Public Library card and PIN number, and internet access. Joining your local NSW public library is quick and easy if you don't already have a card.

### What kind of content is available on indyreads™?

The collection includes Australian independent published content, quality self-published material, titles in languages other than English, reference, modern literary, classic fiction, and non-fiction titles. Digitised local material from NSW public libraries is also available.

### Is indyreads™ free to use?

Yes, indyreads™ is free to use for members of New South Wales Public Libraries. Access to the eBook and Audiobook collection is provided at no cost to eligible library members.

### What devices are compatible with indyreads™?

The app allows you to read and listen to eBook and Audiobook titles on your smartphone or tablet. Specific operating system requirements are not detailed, but it is designed for mobile devices.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 26.8.1 — 2026-08-18

- Bug fixes and stability improvements.

### 26.8.0 — 2026-08-04

Resolución de errores y mejoras de estabilidad

### 26.7.3 — 2026-07-29

Resolución de errores y mejoras de estabilidad

### 26.7.1 — 2026-07-08

- Bug fixes and stability improvements.

### 26.6.2 — 2026-06-24

- Bug fixes and stability improvements.

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## More apps by State Library of New South Wales

- [Dictionary of Sydney walks](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dictionary-of-sydney-walks/id832887922)

All apps by State Library of New South Wales: https://appshunter.io/developer/408605062

## Related topics

[state library of new south wales](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/state-library-of-new-south-wales)

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*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 2026-09-09.*