# Papers by ReadCube

> Mobile app for reading, managing, and discovering research literature. (iPhone/iPad app by Digital Science & Research Solutions Inc..)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papers-by-readcube/id864042981 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Digital Science & Research Solutions Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/864042984)
- Category: Productivity, Education
- Price: Free
- Rating: 3.75/5 from 551 App Store ratings · 182 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 17+
- Requires: iOS 15.6 · 77 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2014-05-06
- Data updated: 2026-07-26
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papers-by-readcube/id864042981/reviews.md

## What is Papers by ReadCube?

Papers by ReadCube is the simplest way to read, manage and discover research literature. Papers on your iPhone and iPad are the perfect companions to the Papers desktop software, enabling you to access your papers anywhere – read on the go, organize your library, and annotate PDFs with notes and highlights.

Enhanced PDF:
• Tap-able inline citations, reference lists, and author names so you can quickly find cited articles and related information
• Supplements are automatically attached where available
• Fullscreen or double-page PDF viewing plus multi-touch zoom/navigation for an optimal reading experience
• Multi-color highlighting and note taking tools

Easily find new papers:
• Search the Papers databases within the app
• Quickly download new articles with a single tap when you’re on campus or with your institutional proxy
• Import directly from Safari, email attachments, and other apps
• In your preferred browser, use any search engine to find article PDFs
• Use the “Open In…” option from the browser or any app to add PDFs to your Papers library
• Metadata is automatically resolved - no more guessing with cryptic file names

Personalized Recommendations:
• Discover relevant new papers based on your library or lists – you’ll never miss another important paper again!

Stay organized:
• Create custom lists and sort articles into one or multiple lists
• Quickly search your entire library (and all annotations)
• Add any number of #tags to further customize your library organization
• Sync everything – papers, notes, highlights – between the Papers desktop and web apps or your other mobile devices

Simplify your research life – try Papers for free on your iPhone, iPad, and computer.

We love feedback from our users - please email support@papersapp.com with any suggestions or issues. Thanks for using Papers!

## Key features

- Read and manage research papers
- Annotate PDFs with notes and highlights
- Organize library with custom lists and tags
- Discover new research with personalized recommendations
- Search and download articles
- Sync across devices

## What do users think of Papers by ReadCube?

Overall sentiment: neutral

**Pros**

- 🚀 Seamless syncing across devices
- 📚 Excellent for organizing and managing research papers
- 🔍 Helpful search and discovery features
- 💻 Good integration with desktop and web versions
- 📝 Useful annotation and highlighting tools

**Cons**

- 🐛 Buggy annotation and handwriting tools
- 🔍 Inconsistent search and metadata retrieval
- 💾 Unreliable cloud sync and data loss issues
- 🖍️ Limited annotation features compared to competitors
- 🕰️ Slow development and lack of updates

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Sync issues causing data loss and duplication
- Unreliable PDF downloads and access
- Inconsistent behavior of annotation tools
- Compatibility problems with newer devices and OS versions

**Most requested features**

- Add eraser tool for handwritten annotations
- Improve PDF viewing and navigation experience
- Implement better organization and folder management
- Integrate citation and bibliography tools
- Provide more customization options

## Recent user reviews (10 of 182)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/papers-by-readcube/id864042981/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Import papers function non-functional

*2026-04-06, version 4.00*

After this major update, I can no longer import papers from this app to my library.  The safari plugin works, in that an article is added to the import section of this app, but there is no way to then take that item imported into the app and add it to the library.  I can see where to do it, there is just no functionality to do it.

### 3/5 — Very buggy pdf annotation

*2026-03-29, version 4.00*

Many bugs since the new update, including highlighted and underlined sections spontaneously disappearing, making PDF annotation a tedious and long process. I like the integrated AI on the desktop version, but I use my iPad for annotation so that I can take advantage of the Apple pen, but since new update, this is difficult because of all the bugs while using the Apple pen. Also lost the ability to easily access the synced PDF on computer, which is frustrating when you want to send and share PDFs. I’m likely moving back to Zotero soon. Better tags, organization of files, and fewer bugs for a fraction of the cost.

### 1/5 — Terrible update

*2026-03-28, version 4.00*

I used to love readcube, but now I’m considering canceling my subscription. The mobile app is almost unusable - there is no easy way to open a PDF and email out a copy for example (like you used to be able to). You have to log in to your desktop, open the PDF, download the PDF and then attach to an email.

### 1/5 — Please stop updating

*2026-03-11, version 4.00*

I normally welcome any app updates, but for the case of Readcube, please stop doing so. As a royal user since the Mac Papers era, I observed that Readcube has a reputation of breaking already-working things down and updating with useless/unnecessary updates. For this time,  the new UI is extremely stupid and you need to click more buttons than what it needs before. Please stop doing stupid updates

### 1/5 — So not reliable

*2026-03-11, version 4.00*

The app does not work properly (cannot highlight text) and customer support was down. Not the first time it was down. Simple app but not reliable. Canceled my subscription.

### 2/5 — Keeps getting worse

*2026-03-10, version 4.00*

Papers 4.0 continues its tradition of getting worse than the previous iteration. After a few days of daily usage, here is a list of observations: (1) the main issue with this version is that the underline feature has become buggy to the point of being unusable, as the cursors jumps left and right whenever I drag it across the page; (2) we are now at version 4.0, and still no bookmarking feature. Simply unbelievable; (3) there is still the issue that if you tap the top of the screen, you are sent to p. 1 of the PDF. The issue needs to be fixed ASAP, see Apple Books for reference; (4) the annotation tools have been redesigned, and now any action I take requires more taps than in Papers 3; (5) the GUI looks nicer. Lipstick on a pig?

### 1/5 — New review 2/2026 - iPhone app is longer useful for citation input

*2026-02-10, version 3.67*

I used Papers for years because the iPhone app was an excellent cloud interface to rapidly import papers I find online. Sadly this is no longer so.  It seems impossible to share PDF references to the Papers iPhone app, and the items sent as web links don’t synchronize to the desktop versions. Can no longer input from bioRxiv. Since I rarely browse from my desktop, the system is effectively broken. 

The desktop app also doesn’t fully work, search is virtually impossible, and support links from both area no longer operational. 

Old Review: Best app for mobile users (previously 5 stars)
There are several good citation managers that allow importing and annotating article PDFs from a PC.   My work flow is that I like to add citations wherever I learn about them, and that means entering my iPhone, while reading and making notes on my iPad.  I was a happy user of Mendeley until they terminated the iOS mobile app.  Papers is outstanding for this use.  I can add references and PDFs instantly from a pc browser add on or directly from the app. While reading an article, it’s easy to highlight, annotate, take notes.  A side bar instantly grabs any cited papers that I might want, and another tab finds related articles.  It’s easy to organize my library by tags and hierarchical lists.  I’m sure there are other fine features but I’ve been too busy doing great research to find about them.

### 1/5 — buggy as always

*2025-12-19, version 3.66*

I’ve been using Papers for years and I’m sick of it. The software is consistently buggy and unreliable, with constant syncing issues that never seem to get fixed. This is completely unacceptable.

### 2/5 — Sigh

*2025-10-14, version 3.64*

I want to love this app (and web app/chrome extension), but it’s been plagued by bugs at least a decade old that seem to never get fixed.

### 1/5 — Send to Papers broken

*2025-09-09*

The “Send to Papers” function in safari no longer works.  It’s been broken for me for months - another user left a review about this five months ago! The reference popup appears above the safari page but it never makes it to the Papers library.  Lots of other bugs that haven’t been fixed in years.  Somehow Papers AI seems to be a priority over QoL issues.  Also, I’ve emailed this to your team as a bug, but all I got was one email asking basically if I turned the phone off and on again (David asked if I was behind a firewall or not). I responded with more info (it happens both on university and personal networks) and then I never got a response to that.  Ever.  Follow up!!!!!!  Don’t just say email the help team because they aren’t actually helping!

**Developer response:** So sorry to hear about this! This is not expected behavior. Please reach out to us at support@papersapp.com so that we may help you resolve this. Thank you!

## Frequently asked questions about Papers by ReadCube

### What does Papers by ReadCube do?

Papers by ReadCube is a mobile application designed to help users read, manage, and discover research literature. It allows you to organize your papers, annotate PDFs with notes and highlights, and find new relevant articles based on your existing library.

### What are the key features of this app?

Key features include enhanced PDF viewing with inline citations, multi-color highlighting and note-taking tools, in-app search of Papers databases, personalized recommendations for new papers, custom list creation, and seamless syncing of your library and annotations across desktop, web, and mobile devices.

### Is this app free to use?

Yes, the application is free to try on your iPhone, iPad, and computer. The provided description indicates it is free to use, with no mention of subscription fees or in-app purchases for core functionality.

### What devices is Papers by ReadCube compatible with?

The app is available for iPhone and iPad, serving as a companion to the Papers desktop software. It is also mentioned to have a web app component, suggesting cross-platform compatibility for managing your research library.

### How can I organize my research papers with this app?

You can organize your research papers by creating custom lists, sorting articles into one or multiple lists, and adding #tags for further customization. The app also allows you to quickly search your entire library, including all annotations, to find specific papers or information.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 4.01 — 2026-04-16

Fixed issues in the search navigation and query input.
Fixed starting search from the PDF reader.
And other minor visual improvements and bug fixes...

### 4.00 — 2026-03-03

What’s New in This Version

A Fresh New Look
• Complete UI Redesign: The app has been reimagined for a cleaner, more intuitive experience on both iPhone and iPad.
• Refreshed Navigation: We’ve overhauled the main menu with modern icons and a layout optimized for effortless navigation.
• Dark & Light Mode Polish: Updated color palettes and iconography ensure a beautiful look, no matter your preference.

New Features
• Search Landing Page: A brand-new starting point designed to help you dive into your research faster.
• Advanced Library Search: Find exactly what you need with our new article search and filter panel.
• Simplified Saving: A dedicated new panel makes adding articles to your library or custom lists a breeze.

Enhanced Reading Experience
• Refined PDF Reader: Our new side panel makes inline author names, references, and figures more accessible and easier to read.
• Intelligent Annotation Controls: Redesigned to stay out of your way while reading, yet remain instantly available when inspiration strikes.

Improved Speed & Performance
• Smooth Scrolling & Searching: We’ve updated the internal database, making searches through thousands of papers significantly faster.
• Optimized PDF Engine: Opening, viewing, and saving changes in large PDFs is now snappier than ever.
• Reliable Syncing: Improved server communication means your changes sync faster with less waiting.

Small But Mighty Improvements
• Enhanced Metadata: Reference details now include more comprehensive fields.
• Improved Article Details: A richer view with more data and quick-copy controls for identifiers (DOIs, etc.).
• Updated Lists: Redesigned property pages for standard and Smart Lists.

### 3.67 — 2026-01-29

Fixed an issue with the sublists opening.

### 3.66 — 2025-12-12

Various small improvements and bug fixes.

### 3.65 — 2025-11-17

Various small improvements and bug fixes.

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## More apps by Digital Science & Research Solutions Inc.

- [Briefly by Digital Science](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/briefly-by-digital-science/id6755522021)

All apps by Digital Science & Research Solutions Inc.: https://appshunter.io/developer/864042984

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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 2026-07-26.*