[Updated 26 July, 9:42am. I've just received an email from Kobo about the changes to its service. Included in the email is the note that, "Any books you buy on Kobo.com are automatically updated on your iPhone or iPad Kobo app." So, my problem was that I didn't actually have to download it via the Adobe Digital Editions button. This info was missing from Kobo's blog post (still missing as I write this) and from any mention in the store so hopefully the communication will be tidied up. Thanks also to @kobo fan below who pointed this out.]
Here’s a problem. When I try to download an ebook from the Kobo store using the Safari web browser on my iPad — this is the new procedure users must follow now that Kobo’s in-app store has been cut off from the iPhone and iPad — the ebooks won’t open in the Kobo reading app.
Instead, what I was offered to open my Kobo ebook was a choice of Bluefire or OverDrive, two Adobe DRM-compliant reading apps installed on my iPad. (Kobo uses Adobe’s digital rights management (DRM) to copy-protect most of its commercial ebooks.)
What’s going on?
As usual, there’s a dearth of useful support information on Kobo’s website. There’s nothing spelling out exactly what users have to do under this new system so I suspect its customers will struggle. The poor online help and lack of accessible support forums is typical for Kobo but now that the stakes are so much higher, it needs to get its support and usability act together quickly.
As far as I can see, Kobo has nothing like Amazon’s system where, with a single click, you can initiate a wireless download of your purchased ebook to any of your registered devices from right inside your Amazon.com website account.
I hope Kobo pulls its developers off its peripheral social reading applications and quickly focuses its resources on improving the web-based purchase and download experience where it really matters.
If anyone is having a similar problem, or can point out what I’m doing wrong, feel free to put a note in the comments.
23 responses so far ↓
1 Kobo User // Jul 26, 2011 at 1:10 am
Don’t get mad at kobo. Get mad at Apple!!!
2 kobo fan // Jul 26, 2011 at 7:35 am
i dont think you need to use the adobe software – after you buy a book at kobo.com just go to your library in the kobo app on your ipad and the book will be there
3 You Can Read, But You Can’t Buy: iOS E-Reader Apps Remove Links to Bookstores | Tech News Ninja // Jul 26, 2011 at 8:32 am
[...] changes are causing some usability issues. Martin Taylor from ActivityPress reports that books he’d purchased via the Safari mobile browser would not open in the Kobo [...]
4 You Can Read, But You Can't Buy: iOS E-Reader Apps Remove Links to Bookstores // Jul 26, 2011 at 8:33 am
[...] changes are causing some usability issues. Martin Taylor from ActivityPress reports that books he'd purchased via the Safari mobile browser would not open in the Kobo app. [...]
5 Apple’s new rules create a usability problem in ebook apps | Ebooks on Crack // Jul 26, 2011 at 8:53 am
[...] “Kobo’s new iPad set-up doesn’t seem to work” [Activity Press] [...]
6 You Can Read, But You Can’t Buy: iOS E-Reader Apps Remove Links to Bookstores | Technology Magazine // Jul 26, 2011 at 9:02 am
[...] store, as they used to. The changes have been causing a little usability issues. Martin Taylor from ActivityPress reports that books he’d purchased around a Safari mobile browser would not open in a Kobo [...]
7 Apple Says No to In-App Links, Forces More Publishers’ Hands | SiliconANGLE // Jul 26, 2011 at 9:43 am
[...] require a subscription. It turns out, this update can also result in some usability issues, too, according to tech blogger Martin Taylor. Kobo books purchased via a browser could not be viewed from the publication’s own [...]
8 You Can Read, But You Can’t Buy: iOS E-Reader Apps Remove Links to Bookstores | Scripting4U Blog // Jul 27, 2011 at 12:56 am
[...] changes are causing some usability issues. Martin Taylor from ActivityPress reports that books he'd purchased via the Safari mobile browser would not open in the Kobo app. [...]
9 Michael // Jul 29, 2011 at 1:29 am
iPad users wit Kobo… if the book doesn’t automatically download to your iPad after purchase, sign out of Kobo, then sign back in. Also, with the Kobo app open in front of you, drag the whole page down a bit, and let go. This refreshes the page, and starts the new download. I found this out by accident when my new purchase didn’t download. Didn’t see this anywhere in Kobo Help!!!!!!
10 Martin Taylor // Jul 29, 2011 at 5:04 am
@Michael, thanks for the tip. It would great if Kobo would add a publicly accessible user forum to their site so that anyone can view this sort of info and users can post problems and solutions for others to see. While Kobo are always responsive with emails, most people want the answer now, not in the next few hours (or want answers outside business hours for phone support). And most problems recur.
I just searched their Help knowledge base again to check for new info and, even using a general search on the word “ipad”, found just a single article. This was the original press release about the Apple change and doesn’t give clear instructions for the standard case, let alone exceptions such as the one you’ve highlighted. It still doesn’t note explicitly that your ebook should download automatically after purchase.
11 Jennie // Aug 3, 2011 at 7:47 am
Despite two phone calls to Kobo’s help centre, they didn’t really provide me information on this – nor did they know why I couldn’t purchase through Safari on my iPad….they also promised (twice) to send me instructions and I’m still waiting for them….But I did use my PC to purchase a book and transferred to my iPad without Digital Editions.
Just not sure if we can purchase books without using a PC anymore!
12 Carmen // Aug 27, 2011 at 6:04 am
Thank you Michael. You solved my problem. Probably the last Kobo book I purchase, just not worth this hassle.
13 Figgles // Aug 28, 2011 at 6:21 pm
Thanks Michael. I’d worked out signing out and back in again but I’d not sussed drag down to refresh and it’s much better!
14 Ramona // Sep 4, 2011 at 3:41 pm
I have a Kobo app on my ipad and noticed that my ipad won’t display more than 10 books ….and I have purchased more than that from the Kobo store…any thoughts?
15 Jill Haldeman // Oct 24, 2011 at 3:26 pm
Ok, i’m a personal user of kobo – and we just found out today that we can’t read certain books on the IPAD – …. Really annoying considering these books are my mother’s study tool for an English class! We’re switching back to Kindle, this is a disaster!
16 Peter Ferris // Oct 25, 2011 at 4:54 am
I have over 55 books on my Kobo account purchased. I now can’t download to my iPad 2, my Kobo Desktop App on my iMac doesn’t show all my purchases. Not worth the hassle. Anyone want to buy my Kobos, I am switching to Nook or Kindle.
17 CF YAU // Nov 4, 2011 at 10:04 pm
I lost all my 20+ books on my ipod touch when I opened kobo app when its website has “gone readin” – which is simply down, out of service!
The ‘sign out’ option in the app has been removed – which disabled kobo’s auto sync when wifi is enabled.
I will have to rethink carefully about using kobo as my ebook reader before I buy anymore from kobo.
18 CF YAU // Nov 4, 2011 at 11:12 pm
update:
Found sign in/out and managed to get some of my books back – but there are a at least 8 books I’ve paid for and which I’ve yet to read missing!
I am definitely not buying anymore from kobo.
19 Tina Anderson // Nov 5, 2011 at 8:04 am
I have purchased 17 books thru Kobo and now have 6 in my iPad app. To me this is theft when I can no longer get my books! It’s like you came in my home and stole books out of my library. Either give me my money back or put my books back in my Kobo iPad app. I’m tired of talking to people who are of no help. Get off your ass and fix the problem one way or another. Don’t blame it on Apple because I don’t have this problem with Amazon or Barnes and Noble!
20 Dee // Nov 9, 2011 at 12:45 am
I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who’s having this problem. unfortunately my schedule doesn’t allow me to take more than an hour out of my day to call their “not-so-helpful” desk so I am now on email #7 to them, asking what is going wrong. It seems every day the number of books that no longer sync to both the kobo app on my iPad and on my computer grows. At first it was one, now I’m up to over a dozen and, as I was in the midst of reading them, is really frustrating.
Kobo, get your stuff together or I’m switching to Kindle and saying enough of you.
21 Chris N // Nov 30, 2011 at 9:35 am
The latest Kobo update today (2011-11-30) was a disaster: I lost several of the books that I purchased, on my iPad, iPhone, and PC! I too wish Kobo got off their stupid obsession with social features and reading statistics and concentrated on the basics–getting books to readers and keeping them there so they can read them! If they don’t fix this problem right away, I am forever walking away. It’s not worth the aggravation.
22 Laura // Feb 13, 2012 at 6:02 pm
Just deleted kobo. Horrible app.
23 Teresa // Mar 4, 2012 at 9:55 pm
I agree it’s a terrible app- purchase shows in the Kobo website but won’t appear in the Kobo app .
What alternative is out there ?
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