# SFPL > Mobile access to San Francisco Public Library services and catalog. (iPhone/iPad app by San Francisco Public Library.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sfpl/id952828394 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [San Francisco Public Library](https://appshunter.io/developer/1591076880) - Category: Reference, Books - Price: Free - Rating: 3.94/5 from 49 App Store ratings · 42 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 16.0 · 21 MB - Languages: English, French, Japanese, Russian, Chinese, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese - Released: 2015-03-16 - Data updated: 2026-07-24 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sfpl/id952828394/reviews.md ## What is SFPL? San Francisco Public Library in your pocket. Browse new titles and recommendations curated by your library staff, place and manage holds, renew checked out materials, plan your visit and see upcoming events, anytime and anywhere. ## Key features - Browse new titles and recommendations - Place and manage holds - Renew checked out materials - Plan library visits - See upcoming events ## Recent user reviews (10 of 42) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sfpl/id952828394/reviews.md ### 1/5 — always logs me out and has trouble logging me back in *2025-10-27* see above ### 5/5 — Love it *2025-09-13* I just got into audiobook lately, and realized I could just borrow from SFPL. I happily discovered you guys have almost every single audiobook available for borrow and all accessible on an app, and they are all free. I so appreciate the level of resource SFPL could provide to the public! ### 1/5 — 403 forbidden message *2025-09-12* Every time I click a link or a book i have in my save for later category, get an error message. It worked fine yesterday but today it's not letting me search or click links. ### 1/5 — Neglected and ugly *2025-01-31* This needs to be treated with more respect. Even if it worked on an iPhone 6/7/8/X/XS it would need a ton of fixing to get rid of the awful design and bad development. Rewrite this. ### 3/5 — Needs notifications *2024-11-23* I’m surprised that this app doesn’t have a notifications feature. You have to still rely on email to find out if a hold is now available or when a book is due. Otherwise it’s a good app, has all the basic features so I no longer have to go to the website to search and request books. ### 3/5 — Logged out *2024-08-05* Great app, but when I didn’t use it for three weeks I got logged out, and I put the right info and I couldn’t get logged back in. Please fix this! ### 3/5 — Multiple accounts missing *2024-03-09* I used to like this app a lot. It did all the things I wanted it to do for managing our family library accounts. That used to include being able to switch easily between my kid’s library account and my personal account conveniently within the app. At some point an update removed the ability to have multiple accounts. Now, I can have multiple cards, but there is no way to label whose is whose, and all the holds show under my name, and no matter which card I select, the borrowing history is on my account. This makes for very messy library borrowing management between what my kid borrows and what is for me. Please bring back multiple accounts within the app. (The log in, and log out process to change accounts is very inconvenient.) ### 1/5 — New message alert shows up each log in *2024-02-27* Every time I log into the app, there’s a notification listed. The notification is to alert me to download the latest version of the app (which I already have). The alert used to say that it was from years ago (before I ever had the app) but now it says it’s from an hour ago. There is still no updated app and this same alert comes up every time I log in. The notification indicator goes away after I check it, but it’s back again each time I open the app again. Also, the digital books I’ve read or listened to don’t show up in the history (and no physical books do either) even though I have the setting set so that it should be showing up. Lastly, I can’t request books through link+ without going to the website. ### 4/5 — It works well enough *2024-02-22* It get the job done to find books and place them on hold, but when I try and add some books to my completed area it sometimes doesn’t work on some books. But over all it’s a good app, but I would love a tab that gives you a genres. ### 3/5 — Library Card in Wallet *2023-01-14* It will be great if you could make the library card compatible with Apple Wallet. Thank you! ## Frequently asked questions about SFPL ### What can I do with this app? This app allows you to access the San Francisco Public Library catalog from your mobile device. You can browse new titles and recommendations, place and manage holds on books, renew borrowed materials, and find information about upcoming library events. It also helps you plan your visits to the library. ### Is this app free to use? Yes, the app is completely free to download and use. It provides access to library services without any cost to the user. ### What kind of content can I find? You can browse new titles and recommendations curated by library staff. The app also provides access to the library's full catalog for placing holds and managing your borrowed items. ### Can I manage my borrowed books? Yes, you can easily manage your checked-out materials. The app allows you to renew items, ensuring you don't miss due dates and can keep books for longer if needed. ### How can I find out about library events? The app features a section to see upcoming events at the San Francisco Public Library. This allows you to stay informed about workshops, author talks, and other activities happening at your local branch. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 2.23.0 — 2026-06-16 Improved VoiceOver support for library carousels Enhanced device security detection Security and networking improvements Bug fixes and stability improvements ### 2.21.0 — 2025-12-10 Resolved splash screen loading issue on older iPadOS versions. Corrected duplicate or incorrect opening hours display in iOS 26. Fixed PIN/Password reset errors causing login failures and account logouts. Removed large blank space in Format filters on iOS 18; layout now displays correctly. ### 2.20.1 — 2025-10-29 Improved accessibility, guided by WCAG 2.2 (Level AA) standards. New and updated format icons now appear in search results. General bug fixes and small design improvements. ### 2.19.0 — 2025-07-02 Added audience, genre, and language filters to the ‘New at the Library’ carousels. The minimum supported version of iOS has been updated to iOS 16.0. Includes bug fixes. ### 2.18.0 — 2025-03-31 Includes minor UI improvements and bug fixes. ## Apps similar to SFPL | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Alameda County Library](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alameda-county-library/id1535690205) | 3.6 (7) | Free | Reference | | [Recology](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/recology/id914373771) | 4.0 (539) | Free | Reference | | [MARINet](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/marinet/id1153332611) | 3.6 (9) | Free | Reference | | [SCCLD](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sccld/id1541904204) | 4.5 (19) | Free | Reference | ## Related topics [sfpl](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/sfpl) · [sfpl san francisco public library](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/sfpl-san-francisco-public-library) · [san francisco public library](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/san-francisco-public-library) · [sdpl](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/sdpl) · [oakland public library](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/oakland-public-library) · [santa cruz public libraries](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/santa-cruz-public-libraries) --- *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 2026-07-24.*