# Penguin Viewer: Manga Reader — Translate webtoons and novels

> Local comic reader with on-device Japanese manga translation and smart bookshelf. (iPhone/iPad app by HAEDUN KIM.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penguin-viewer-manga-reader/id6780071705 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [HAEDUN KIM](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896506869)
- Category: Books, Entertainment
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 5.00/5 from 1 App Store ratings · 3 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 18.0 · 102 MB
- Languages: Russian, Indonesian, Turkish, German (Germany), Italian, Japanese, French (France), Thai, Chinese (Simplified, China), Chinese (Traditional, Taiwan) and 7 more
- Released: 2026-06-23
- Data updated: 2026-08-24
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penguin-viewer-manga-reader/id6780071705/reviews.md

## What is Penguin Viewer?

Penguin Viewer is a fast, private reader for the manga, comics, webtoons and novels you already own, with a translator built in that runs entirely on your device. Bring your own files, connect your NAS, and read on iPhone, iPad and Mac. No subscription, no ads, no account, just one optional lifetime purchase for Pro.

COMICS AND NOVELS IN ONE LIBRARY
- Opens CBZ, CBR, CB7, ZIP, RAR, PDF and image folders
- Reads TXT, MD and EPUB novels on the same shelf as your comics
- Drag and drop to import, and series are grouped automatically from ComicInfo metadata

FOLDERS, THE WAY YOU FILE THEM
- Build folders inside folders and drag books between them, the way you would in Finder
- Imported files land in the folder you have open, so a big batch never scatters the shelf
- iCloud carries your folders, reading position and bookmarks to your other devices, without uploading a single file

A REAL NOVEL READER
- Set the font, text size, line spacing, margins and background in Text and Layout, and see every change as you make it
- Jump between chapters from the table of contents
- See how long is left in the book, calculated from your own reading speed

TRANSLATION THAT STAYS ON YOUR DEVICE
Reading something in a language you do not speak yet? Penguin Viewer recognizes the text and translates it where it sits.
- Manga: each speech bubble is read as a whole sentence, and the original lettering is painted out so the translation sits in its place, vertical Japanese included
- Novels: translate a sentence or the whole page and read it beside the original, with dictionary lookups for single words
- Pre-translate a whole book so every page opens already translated
- Download language models ahead of time and translate offline
- Runs fully on device, so your pages are never sent anywhere

YOUR NAS IS YOUR LIBRARY
Keep thousands of books on a server and read them anywhere.
- Connects over SMB, WebDAV and OPDS, and works with Komga and Kavita
- OPDS-PSE streaming reads page by page, no full downloads needed

READING DONE RIGHT
- Single pages, smart two-page spreads, and true right-to-left for manga
- Keep spreads in landscape, switch to single pages in portrait
- Vertical scrolling for webtoons with hands-free auto-scroll, smooth at 120Hz, and pinch to zoom without leaving the strip
- Multi-gigabyte webtoons and long volumes stay smooth, with memory handled page by page
- Pinch to zoom on two-page spreads too, growing from the spot under your fingers and easing back at the edges
- Previous and next volume are one tap away while you read
- A draggable bottom page bar with thumbnails shows exactly where you are
- Auto Night Theme turns the reader black at the hour you choose
- Auto-crop scanned margins, bookmark any page, and fix shuffled pages with Page Order

A SHELF THAT KEEPS ITSELF TIDY
- Smart shelves file every book as Unread, Reading or Finished
- Multi-level sorting and instant search
- Set your own grid: column count, cover size, or just pinch to resize
- Choose a different app icon in Settings

MAKE READING A HABIT
- Reading stats, streaks and milestones
- A reading calendar showing which days you read, and how much
- Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets on iOS

HONEST PRICING
Nearly everything is free, including translation, server connections and every reading feature. The included library holds 30 books, and sharing the app with a friend raises it to 40. Need more room? A single lifetime Pro purchase unlocks an unlimited library. Pay once, keep it forever. There is no subscription.

PRIVATE BY DESIGN
Local first: your books and your reading data stay on your devices. No account to create, no uploads, no ads.

SPEAKS YOUR LANGUAGE
The interface is available in 17 languages, including English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Spanish, French and German.

Penguin Viewer is a reader. It does not supply any comics or books, so bring the files you already own. Questions or ideas? We read everything.

## Key features

- On-device manga translation for Japanese comics
- Supports various file formats (CBZ, CBR, PDF, etc.)
- SMB and WebDAV network drive support
- OPDS catalog compatibility
- Smart bookshelf with automatic categorization
- Customizable reading gestures and scrolling

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Lifetime — Buy Once | $6.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (3 of 3)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/penguin-viewer-manga-reader/id6780071705/reviews.md

### 5/5 — 好评

*2026-07-25*

短短1天优化就迅速上线，可以的

**Developer response:** 谢谢好评！改得快，是因为大家的反馈写得具体，问题一下就能定位。更大的更新已经在审核中：从"照片"App 直接导入漫画、封面导入后立刻清晰、侧边栏文件夹拖动排序，都会在下个版本一起到。有想法欢迎随时反馈。

### 5/5 — The translation feature is amazing.

*2026-07-19*

It takes a little time, but the on-device translation model easily translates all the speech bubbles in the comic. If you pre-translate the comics when you're not reading them, you can easily enjoy untranslated Japanese manga. The only downside is that the app can be a bit unstable at times.

**Developer response:** Hello. Thank you for your kind review.
We are currently aware that the app may lag or freeze in certain scenarios. We are doing our best to ensure the app runs as smoothly and stably as possible. If you continue to experience recurring issues, please contact us at honeybeemobility@gmail.com, as it would greatly help us fix the bugs.
Thank you!

### 5/5 — 意见

*2026-07-19*

能不能在条漫阅读的时候。呼出菜单栏以后 能不能在底部加一个可以拖动的进度条。显示页数的那种。其它阅读模式 底部有进度条

**Developer response:** 感谢您一直以来的反馈！您说得对——之前底部进度条只在翻页模式显示，条漫（竖向滚动）模式下确实没有，也没有任何提示，是我们考虑不周，很抱歉。在即将上线的 1.3.8 版本中，条漫模式呼出菜单后，底部会出现可拖动的页码进度条（显示当前 / 总页数），并与自动滚动控制整合在同一张卡片里，互不干扰、也不多占空间；如果您在「设置 → 页面导航栏」里选择了侧边竖向进度条，现在条漫模式下也能正常使用了。您先前建议的书架网格、底部横向进度条我们都已陆续上线，非常感谢您持续帮助 App 变得更好！如有任何想法，欢迎随时联系 honeybeemobility@gmail.com。

## Frequently asked questions about Penguin Viewer

### Does Penguin Viewer have ads?

No, Penguin Viewer is ad-free. The app explicitly states that it has no advertisements, allowing for an uninterrupted reading experience.

### How much does Penguin Viewer cost?

Penguin Viewer is free to download and use, with most features available at no cost. A one-time purchase unlocks lifetime Pro features for unlimited library capacity.

### What devices does Penguin Viewer support?

Penguin Viewer is available on Mac, iPhone, and iPad, offering a seamless reading experience across Apple devices. Your reading progress can be synced via iCloud.

### Can Penguin Viewer translate Japanese manga?

Yes, Penguin Viewer offers on-device translation for Japanese manga, displaying translated text directly on speech bubbles. It can recognize vertical text and pre-translate entire books for offline use.

### How does Penguin Viewer handle my comic files?

Penguin Viewer allows you to import your own comic files from folders, compressed archives (ZIP, RAR), or network drives like NAS via SMB or WebDAV. It also supports OPDS catalogs.

### Is my reading data private with Penguin Viewer?

Yes, Penguin Viewer is designed for privacy. It prioritizes local processing, does not upload or track user data, and requires no account registration. Reading position synchronization uses your own iCloud.

### How often is Penguin Viewer updated?

The latest version, 1.4.0, was released on July 24, 2026, indicating active development. User feedback, such as requests for the progress bar and bookshelf grid settings, is incorporated into future updates.

### What is the age rating for Penguin Viewer?

Penguin Viewer has an age rating of 4+. This indicates it is suitable for a wide audience, including children, and does not contain mature content.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.6.0 — 2026-08-21

• My Folders: organize like Finder with nested folders and drag & drop; your folder layout follows you across devices via iCloud (files never upload).
• Comic translation now understands whole speech bubbles and paints the translation in place of the original text.
• Multi-gigabyte webtoons scroll smoothly — memory handling rebuilt.
• Pinch zoom on spreads, magnification anchored under your fingers, gentle edge bounce.
• Pick your app icon in Settings.
• Many stability fixes: oversized 7z guidance, auto-hiding page bar option, import polish.

### 1.5.10 — 2026-08-14

• Fixed a freeze that could occur while browsing certain PDFs.
• Our support email address has changed — see Settings → Contact.

### 1.5.9 — 2026-08-13

Our support email address has changed. You can find it under Settings → Contact.

### 1.5.8 — 2026-08-11

• Pinch to zoom and pan on double-page spreads.
• Pages now fill the screen edge to edge on iPhone and iPad; the status bar appears only with the controls.
• Pre-translation shows page-by-page progress, its current stage, and time remaining.
• The previous/next volume buttons can be toggled in settings and now hide together with the other controls.
• The page slider can be set to auto-hide.
• Settings on Mac and iPad use a wider two-pane layout with a category sidebar.
• Polished the iPhone selection and import menus.

### 1.5.5 — 2026-08-05

Novels and text books are here — this update comes from your requests and reports.

• Read novels and text books — import TXT, MD and EPUB files and read them. Font, text size, line spacing, margins and background color are in “Text & Layout” at the top of the reader, and chapters are in “Contents.” Your reading position and bookmarks carry over.
• Translate as you read — select a sentence or translate the whole page on your device and read it next to the original. Word meanings come straight from the dictionary.
• Pinch to zoom in Webtoon — zoom with two fingers in vertical scroll and drag while zoomed in.
• Switch books anytime — tap the page and the previous book and next book buttons are always there.
• Better search — search runs on the search button or Return, so typing stays smooth in a large library.
• New reader design — top, bottom and side controls share one floating glass style.
• Page Order — if the file names are capture codes and the pages come out shuffled, set “Page Order” to “By Date Modified.” Position and bookmarks follow the same pages.
• PDF quality — PDF comics render at your screen's resolution; PDFs from photos keep their original quality.
• Show time left — how long is left in this book, from your reading speed.
• Reading Calendar — look back on which days you read, and how much.
• Auto Night Theme — at the hour you set, the reader background turns black.
• View settings preview — change a value and see the result right away.

Thanks for every report and request. We're still listening.

## More apps by HAEDUN KIM

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All apps by HAEDUN KIM: https://appshunter.io/developer/1896506869

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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 2026-08-24.*