How to Install KOReader on PocketBook e-Readers

The default e-book reader that ships with PocketBook devices is sufficient for most reading however it lacks some few useful features. The most obvious one is the lack of a dark mode and an easy way to add custom dictionaries.

Nevertheless, it’s possible to add dictionaries to the default reader though not many dictionaries are available in the format (dic) that PocketBook uses. The free and widely available StarDict dictionaries for instance have to undergo a rather complex conversion process just to work with the default reader.

KOReader on the other hand has a full-featured dark mode and supports StarDict dictionaries natively. Other useful feature include integration with calibre, Wikipedia searches, exporting highlights, customizable gestures, a folder browser, native support for front light (brightness and SMARTLight) adjustment and many more customizations.

Likewise, it supports all the e-book formats the default reader opens, including e-books inside ZIP archives. Essentially, you won’t notice little difference between it and the default reader.

My only complaint with KOReader is that selecting / highlighting text is not as fluid as on the default reader. I have also experienced a few crashes when doing some operations (e.g. full text search) on some large PDFs, but this is very rare.

Here’s how to install it on your PocketBook device.

STEPS

1. Download the latest Koreader PocketBook installation package from the project’s GitHub Releases page (you’ll need to click on the Show All assets to view the PocketBook specific ZIP package i.e. pocketbook-v20XX.XX.zip)
2. Unzip the ZIP archive on your computer to access the two compressed folders: applications and system.
3. Connect your PocketBook device to the computer and choose PC Link when prompted for the USB mode to use. Doing that will automatically mount the device’s internal storage on the computer.
4. Copy the two folders to the root of the internal memory.
5. Once it’s done copying, safely eject the device then disconnect it from the computer.
6. Open the App menu in your PocketBook device. At the bottom of the page you’ll find KOReader app under a new app category called USER’S. For quicker access, you can move the app to the home screen by long pressing the icon and selecting the option Add to Home Screen.

Note:

• The root of the PocketBook’s internal memory already contains a folder called System but it’s hidden. On Windows, you’ll have to enable the ‘Show hidden files, folders and drives‘ and disable ‘Hide protected operating system files‘ in File Explorer > View > Options if you want to view it. Nevertheless, you don’t have to do this — copying the system folder will automatically merge it with the contents of the existing folder.
• This tutorial is based on the PocketBook Lux 5 (PB628) however the steps should work for all modern PocketBook devices including the Touch HD 3.