Switching to Libby from the OverDrive app

You can download the Libby app on your mobile device or use Libby in your computer's web browser.

You can download Libby on:

• iOS 10+ (get it from the Apple App Store)
• Android 5.0+ (get it on Google Play)
• Fire OS 5+ (learn how to install Libby on a Fire tablet)

If you have a Windows computer, Mac computer, or a Chromebook, you can use Libby in your web browser at libbyapp.com. We suggest using the latest version of Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge.

When you open Libby for the first time, follow the prompts to find your library and sign in with your library card.

Note: If you used your phone number to get an "instant digital card" from your library in the OverDrive app, select I Would Like A Card when signing in, then enter your phone number.

If you have trouble signing in, reach out to your local library staff. You can tap get in touch or ask your library on your library's sign-in screen to find instructions and contact information.

If you have more library cards, you can add them to the app now. Learn more about adding library cards.

Some libraries have partnerships with other libraries, which let you borrow titles from a partner library using your home library card.

If your library has one of these partnerships, you'll see a list of partner libraries when you sign into your home library.

Then, to add your card for a partner library:

1. Go to > Add Library.
2. Search for the partner library and open it.
3. Tap Sign In With My Card.
4. Under "Partner Libraries," choose your home library from the list and sign in.

Note: Some partner libraries may place limits on visiting library cards. For example, when you visit a partner library, you may have a lower checkout limit, lower priority for holds, or the inability to place holds.

Yes, your current loans and holds from the OverDrive app will be added to Libby as soon as you add your library card.

Note: Reading progress and bookmarks from the OverDrive app won't sync to Libby when you switch. You may want to finish your current loans before switching or make a note of your progress and manually pick up where you left off in Libby.

Using the icons in the footer, you can:

• Tap to search for titles.
• Tap to open the library collection you were most recently browsing.
• Tap to customize your settings, add another library card, get help, and more.
• Tap to see your loans, holds, and tags for all your libraries.
• Tap to see your timeline.

If you'd like, you can turn on labels for the footer icons:

Note: This setting is only available if you use Libby in English.

1. Go to > Settings.
2. Tap Customize Navigation.
3. Turn on Labeled Icons.

Learn more about navigating the app.

If you created wish lists in the legacy OverDrive app or OverDrive library websites, you can automatically import them into Libby as an OverDrive wish list smart tag.You'll be prompted via an in-app notification to import your wish list. To get started, go to and select the Sync Wish Lists notification. From there, follow the prompts to sync your wish list.

If you dismissed the notification, you can still sync your wish list. See Does my library wish list sync to Libby? to learn how to manually create an "OverDrive Wish List" smart tag.

In the Libby mobile app, you have the option to stream titles using an internet connection or download titles for offline use. By default, all loans are downloaded for offline use when you have a Wi-Fi connection.

To customize your download settings in the mobile app, go to > Settings > Change Download Rules.

Note: These settings aren't available for libbyapp.com users.

Learn more about managing your download settings.

Libby can notify you about your loans and holds with email, in-app, or push notifications. The mobile app uses push notifications by default.

To customize your notification settings:

1. Tap .
2. Go to Settings > Manage Notifications.

If you'd like email notifications instead of push notifications

If you'd like to receive email notifications instead:

1. In Libby, tap Menu (), then go to Settings > Manage Notifications.
2. Ensure the Notification option next to at least one event is enabled.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the menu, tap device settings, and disable notifications for Libby.
4. Return to Libby and tap Receive Email Notifications, then Next.
5. Enter your email address and tap Next.

By default, you'll be opted into emails for all events, but you can change your notification preference for each one. You can choose Ignore (no notification), Menu badge (in-app menu notification), or Email notice (notification email).

Learn more about managing notifications.

If you want to use Libby on multiple devices, you can keep them all in sync by setting up your other devices with a setup code:

• On the "Welcome" screen, tap Yes when asked if you have a library card.
• Select Copy From Another Device.
• Retrieve a setup code from your main device. To do so, go to > Settings > Copy To Another Device.
• Enter the 8-digit setup code on your other devices.
• Tap Next to complete the setup process.

Libby has the same great titles from your library as the OverDrive app.

In Libby, you can browse your library's collection by tapping . There you'll find:

• Filters to browse new, popular, and currently available titles in your library's catalog. 
• Curated lists that share a common theme, like summer reading books, autobiographies, or library staff picks.
• Featured titles (like Big Library Read) chosen by your library or by OverDrive.
• Guides that feature segments of the library's catalog, like kids' content, magazines, language-specific collections, and more.
• Extras, which are extra learning or entertainment resources from the library. They might include providers like Kanopy, Craftsy, Universal Class, and more. See What are Extras? to learn more.

To search for titles:

1. Tap in the footer.
2. Enter your search term (e.g., a title, author, narrator, or series name) in the search bar.
3. Select a search suggestion (if available), or tap to see all results.

After searching, you can sort and filter your results:

1. In a list or search results, tap to apply filters.
   
2. Adjust your filters and default sorting option, then tap Show Titles.

Tap the applied sort or filter to:

• Quickly change it.
• Pin it, which means the sort or filter will be applied to all lists, search results, and the library home screen, until you remove it.
• Remove it.
  Note: Some filters can't be removed from certain lists. For example, when browsing a list of available titles, the "available now" filter can't be removed. You can remove the filter and return to your library's home screen by tapping Library ().

When you find a title you're interested in, tap it to see its details screen. Here you'll see a brief description, the title's format, the number of copies in the library, and more.

If the title is available, tap Borrow. On the confirmation screen, tap the loan period next to "Borrowing for..." if you want to change it. Then, tap Borrow again to check out the title. If you change your loan period, that will be your default for future checkouts in this format.

If no copies are available, tap Place Hold to be added to the title's wait list. You'll receive a notification when your hold is ready to borrow.

You can see all of your current loans and holds on your Shelf ().

In Libby, you can tag titles that you'd like to save for later.

To tag a title, tap Tag while browsing your library or on a title's details screen, then select or create a tag.

To see titles you've tagged, go to > tags.

In Libby, you can find titles your library doesn't offer and use a "Notify Me" smart tag to express interest in titles to your library. 

Important note: Not all libraries offer this feature at this time.

Learn more:

• How title recommendations work in Libby and how they differ from the OverDrive app
• Finding titles not offered by your library and setting up a "Notify Me" smart tag

To start reading a book:

1. Tap Shelf () in the footer.
2. Tap loans at the top of the screen.
   
3. Tap Read With... to choose where you'd like to read the book (Libby or Kindle), then start reading in Libby or finish sending to Kindle (U.S. libraries only).

When the book opens in Libby:

• Tap the center of the screen to dismiss the navigation bar and start reading.
• Tap (near the top of the screen) to change the font, adjust the text size, enable dark mode, and more.
  Note: Some books, like picture books and graphic novels, don't offer all of these settings or features.

You can also define words, highlight text, and add notes. Learn more about defining words and adding bookmarks, notes, and highlights.

To start reading a magazine:

1. Tap Shelf () in the footer.
2. Tap loans at the top of the screen.
   
3. Tap Open Magazine.
4. Tap the center of the screen to dismiss the navigation bar and start reading.

While reading a magazine, you can tap the article button () to open and read an individual article.

Libby can also notify you about new issues of magazines. See Can I be notified when new magazine issues are available? to learn more.

To start listening to an audiobook:

1. Tap Shelf () in the footer.
2. Tap loans at the top of the screen.
   
3. Tap Open Audiobook.

While listening, you can set a sleep timer (), change the playback speed (), and more.