How Book Spotter Works

Getting started, and what to expect at the shelf.

1Add the books you want

Type a few titles, paste a list, or bring them in from the web portal or a shared link. The free plan searches 5 at a time.

2Point the camera at a shelf

Hold your phone upright about an arm's length from the spines. Move slowly. Zoom or step in for small text.

3Watch the colors

Yellow is a lead: a fuzzy read, or the author without the title. Blue means the title matched. Green means title and author both did.

• Yellow — a lead
• Blue — the title matched
• Green — title and author

4What to expect

Worn, decorated, stacked-letter and sideways spines are hard. Turn on Read sideways spines (beta) in Settings for those. A match can take a moment: back out, then move in.

5When you find it

Tap Options on the FOUND banner to mark it purchased, edit it, or stop searching. Shake your phone to undo.

6Were you sent by a partner?

If you scanned a Book Spotter code at a store or a sale, enter it when the app asks who sent you — or later under Settings → Account — so they get credit. Tapping the partner's link on a phone that already has the app does the same thing.