Strobe vs File Reader

Speed read your own books and documents, one word at a time. No ads, no subscription, no account. Strobe is a speed reading app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It uses Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP): each word appears in the same spot on screen, so your eyes stay still instead of scanning across lines. Import a PDF, EPUB, plain-text, or Markdown file, or paste an article, then read at 100 to 1,000 words per minute. HOLD TO READ • Press and hold to read. Let go to pause. • Slide up or down while you read to change speed without losing your place. • Swipe sideways while paused to step word by word. • Prefer hands-free? Switch to tap to play. TIMING THAT FOLLOWS THE TEXT • Smart Timing keeps longer words on screen a little longer. • Punctuation Pauses slow down at sentence ends, commas, dashes, ellipses, and closing quotes, and you set the length of each. • Complexity Timing speeds up common words and slows down rare ones. • Acronyms and hyphenated words get extra time automatically. • Blank After Sentences adds an optional moment of empty screen between sentences. A FIXED POINT FOR YOUR EYES • Each word lines up on a red focus letter, its Optimal Recognition Point (ORP). • Show the previous and next words faintly on either side. • An open quote or parenthesis stays faintly above the word until it closes. YOUR LIBRARY • Every document gets a cover, and Continue Reading takes you back to your exact word. • EPUB tables of contents and PDF bookmarks become chapters, each with its reading time at your speed. • Open the full text with your place highlighted, search for any word or phrase, and tap a word to resume from there. • Page numbers, running headers, and footers are removed on import. • Chinese, Japanese, and Korean text is split into words, and Arabic keeps its connected letterforms. MAKE IT YOURS • Seven fonts, adjustable text size, and four text colors. • A true black background for OLED screens and reading in the dark. • Every document remembers its own speed. • Keyboard shortcuts on Mac and iPad: Space to read, arrow keys to step, ⌘N for new text, ⌘O to import. • Works with VoiceOver, Larger Text, and Reduced Motion. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your documents and reading progress stay on your device. Strobe needs no account and has no ads, analytics, or tracking. FREE AND OPEN SOURCE Strobe is free, with no subscription or in-app purchases. The source code is public on GitHub under the Apache 2.0 license. Strobe can't import DRM-protected EPUBs or password-protected PDFs.

Use ZIP, RAR, CBZ, CBR, and more—22 file extensions in all. Bring PDFs, image archives, and images into one on-device library, then always pick up where you left off. File Reader is made for people who want to read the files they already have on their iPhone. Turn downloaded comics, self-scanned books, course handouts, work documents, and image collections into a calm, organized reading shelf. Import from Files or the Share menu, open, read, and come back later—without creating an account and without ads getting in the way. READ ZIP, RAR, CBZ, AND CBR IMAGE ARCHIVES • Open image-based ZIP/CBZ and RAR/CBR archives directly in the reader • Read pages in natural filename order, so 2 comes before 10 • Choose left-to-right or right-to-left page direction for comics and manga • Switch between fit-to-page and fit-to-width views • Choose Paper, Ink, or Dusk tones to suit the room and the material • Save reading progress automatically and resume from the same page • Enter a password when opening supported password-protected RAR archives The archive reader displays images inside your collection as pages in filename order. SEARCH, READ, AND MARK UP PDFs • Use continuous vertical scrolling or turn pages with horizontal swipes • Zoom in on diagrams, fine print, and scanned pages • Search the text layer of a PDF and move through matching results • Find imported PDFs from the library by title, filename, or indexed body text • See a short text snippet around each library search result • Write with the pencil, add marker strokes, erase your own marks, and undo or redo changes • Keep your current page and reading progress for the next session • Adjust the reading tone without changing the original document Text search works when the PDF contains selectable text. The app does not perform OCR on image-only scans, and its markup tools are for reading notes—not advanced PDF editing, conversion, forms, or digital signatures. ONE LOCAL LIBRARY FOR THE FILES YOU READ Instead of hunting through folders every time, keep reading material together in a simple on-device library. • Search by title and filename, plus body text for indexed PDFs • Filter the shelf by file type • Sort by recently opened, title, date added, or progress • Pin important items so they stay easy to reach • Rename imported items, remove them from the app, and see progress at a glance • Reopen a file and continue from your saved position When you import a file, the app keeps its own local copy so it remains available offline. That makes it useful on a commute, on a flight, while traveling, or anywhere you do not want reading to depend on a connection. 22 FILE EXTENSIONS AVAILABLE File Reader supports PDF, HTML, HTM, ZIP, CBZ, RAR, CBR, JPG, JPEG, PNG, HEIC, HEIF, TIF, TIFF, WebP, GIF, BMP, AVIF, JXL, JP2, J2K, and ICO. JPG/JPEG and TIF/TIFF are counted separately because they are distinct filename extensions. “22 extensions” does not mean 22 separate rendering engines. Some other files may open through the iOS Quick Look preview when the system supports them; availability and behavior can vary by file and iOS version. PRIVATE, QUIET, AND OFFLINE • No account registration • No advertising • Your imported reading library stays on the device • Core reading works without an internet connection • No cloud library, NAS, WebDAV, or cross-device sync to configure Because imported files are copied into the app, they use additional device storage. Keep the originals or a backup of anything important. TRY IT FREE, THEN EXPAND YOUR LIBRARY The free version lets you import and read up to 3 files, so you can test the readers with your own PDFs, comics, and images. Reader Pro removes the file-count limit. Current availability and purchase details are shown in the app. Import a file, settle into a focused reader, and let your iPhone remember the page for next time.