Apple Books (formerly called iBooks) are fun when they download correctly and work with ease so that the reader can enjoy the pure pleasure of reading a book. There are however times when the electrons don’t cooperate, and you end up with several different Books downloading problems. 
In this post, we will look at some of the simple tips that can help you quickly resolve some of the more common Apple Books/iBook related issues so that you can get back to your reading.
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Contents
Cannot Access the iBooks Store
Many Readers find themselves in a position where they cannot access the Apple Books or iBooks Store using their iOS devices. This problem usually happens after an iOS upgrade.
First, check to see if you’ve disabled the store via Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions (or for older iOS, Settings > General > Restrictions.) 
Since we are talking about settings, if you are new to using Apple Books/iBooks on your iPad, please make sure that your Auto-lock settings are appropriately set. Otherwise, you will find that the screen would go dark after a bit. 
Tap on Settings > General > Auto-lock and choose your selection.
If your restrictions settings are fine and you are still having the issue, follow the steps below:
- Close the Apple Books/iBooks App
- Reset the iOS device
- On an iPhone 6S or below plus all older model iPads & iPod Touches, press Home and Power at the same time until you see the Apple logo
- For iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus: Press and hold both the Side and Volume Down buttons for at least 10 seconds, until you see the Apple logo
- On iPhone X Series phones or iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus: Press and quickly release the Volume Up button. Then press and quickly release the Volume Down button. Finally, press and hold the Side button until you see the Apple logo
- Sign Out of your iCloud and iTunes account on your iOS device. Tap on Settings > Apple ID Profile > iTunes & App Store. Tap on your account ID (Apple ID) and sign out.
- Sign back using your Apple ID credentials for iCloud and iTunes store and try accessing the Apple Books or iBooks Store
Books Not Downloading Problems
When it comes to downloading, most readers have complained about two common issues. The first is that once you purchase the title from the Apple Books store and it completes downloading, you find yourself with a wrong book.
The second issue that is more common is that your Books downloads correctly but either the pages are missing, or it contains partially blank pages.
To solve these issues, please try the following steps and check if it resolves your problems.
Step – 1. Check Apple Servers
There are times when the Apple Servers are down for maintenance or other updates. Before proceeding any further, make sure that your downloading issues are not related to Apple Server issues.
The best place to check the Apple-related status is to visit the system status official page from Apple.
It is a good idea to bookmark this page so that you can always check here first when you have issues with iMessage or AppStore or the Book Store.
Step – 2. Verify Apple ID
If the status depicted is green for Books store, the next step is to check your Apple ID that you are using to access the store for downloading your Appel Books/iBooks.
Many people use multiple Apple IDs and using the wrong one can lead to undesirable results. For example, you buy a book on your iPhone using one ID, but you are trying to read or access the book using another ID on your iPad.
Tap on Settings > iTunes & App Store and check your Apple ID
- Tap on the Apple ID shown and next tap on Sign Out
- Once you have signed out, restart your device and sign back in
- Make sure that Automatic Downloads for Books and Audiobooks is turned on in this screen settings
Open your Books app and check if you can see your downloaded titles.
Unhide iCloud Books
Unhide in Apple Books
Tap Reading Now, then tap your profile icon or picture in the upper-right corner. Tap Manage Hidden Purchases and enter your Apple ID if requested. Don’t forget to look at any Family Purchases too! 
Unhide in iBooks
In older iBooks, tap on All Books at the top center and make sure that you have not enabled to hide the iCloud Books. This setting is at the bottom of the screen and is sometimes hard to notice.
It is also good to make sure that your payment (credit card ) information is up to date on your account.
Step – 3. Download Titles Again
If you are still having issues with the downloaded titles, be it blank pages or wrong book, delete the downloaded book.
Next, go to your account’s purchased section under Reading Now or for iBooks, visit your account settings in the iBooks Store and re-download the title.
This likely solves your issues even when you have partially downloaded Books.
Step – 4. Reset All Settings
The last option to deal with this annoying problem is to Reset All Settings. Performing this type of reset does not erase your private information.
Reset All Settings resets to default everything in Settings, including notifications, alerts, brightness, and clock settings like wake up alarms. Resetting all settings also reverts all your personalized and customized features like wallpapers and accessibility settings back to factory defaults.
So you need to reconfigure these settings once your iPhone or iDevice restarts. 
Please remember to write down your wifi credentials and then tap on Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings on your iPad.
Once your iPad restarts following the reset procedure, try to download the title from the store. The Reset also tackles problems such as when your Books keeps crashing or shutting down.
Download and Sync Books Across iOS and Mac
Several users wanted to find out the process of downloading a Book title from their iPad / iPhone to their Mac or Macbook.
If you have iBooks installed on your Macbook and the titles that you purchased are still available in the purchased section, it should be available for you to download onto your Macbook as well. Purchase once and read anywhere!
If you have moved countries or the title is no longer available in your purchased section, you can still transfer it to your Mac from your iPhone via iTunes using the steps below.
- Connect your iPhone/iPad to your Mac running the latest version of iTunes
- Select your iOS device in the iTunes sidebar or tap the device icon in the upper-left corner
- From the list under Settings on the left side of the iTunes window, tap Books
- To turn syncing on for Books, tick the checkbox next to Sync Books
- Click the Apply button in the lower-right corner of the screen. If syncing doesn’t start automatically, click the Sync button
- From the sidebar, scroll down to the section On My Device
- Select Books
- Click on File > Devices > Transfer Purchases
- This transfers the titles already downloaded onto your iOS device to your Mac and should sync with your Mac’s Books App
- To verify, open the Books app on your Mac or MacBook
- If those books aren’t listed, Click on File > Move Books From iTunes (or Transfer books from iTunes)
That’s it. This will allow you to view your PDF/Titles etc. on your Mac/Macbook
Getting Refund for Download Problems or Faulty Books
If you are still experiencing issues, your best bet is to reach out to Apple iTunes Support and report the problem so that you can either get credit for the wrong purchase or Apple Support may be able to resolve your issue.
You should do this within the first 90 days of your purchase.
To claim a refund for your purchase, go to Apple’s Report a Problem site
- Using the ID and password that you used to buy the book, log into this Apple Support site
- Next, Choose ‘Report a Problem’ next to the item that you are having trouble with
- Follow the on-screen steps and complete your reporting
iBooks Alternatives
iBooks, when working is a good app to use for reading your e-books. The app is however still antiquated when it comes to handling PDF files.
If you are using a lot of PDF’s for your work, you may benefit from using a third-party app to help you tackle PDFs. There are many excellent and popular PDF reading apps out there.
When it comes to using other e-readers or borrowing that online book from your local library and using one drive, please take a look at our detailed article below that provides you with e-reader choices.
Reader Tips 
- After experiencing a bunch of problems (in particular blank pages) following my recent iOS update, I removed the iBooks app and all my books from my library–in total a few hundred books. I then re-installed the iBooks app from the App Store and added all books to the library. Make sure you enable iBooks in iCloud > iCloud Drive on all devices. In iBooks make sure Show iCloud Books is checked in the Collection ions pull down menu. For now, this seems to solve the blank pages problem. But it’s time intensive if you separate your iBooks into different collections–you have to do this again MANUALLY. Not fun!
In Summary
We hope that you found the tips helpful in dealing with some of the common problems related to using iBooks. If there are other tips that you would like to share with fellow readers, please use the comments below and let us know.
If you found the information helpful, please feel free to share with your connects.
Happy Reading!
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KELLY WILKERSON says
Very easy-to-follow instructions and it solved my problem. Thank you.
lorraine says
iBooks have changed their format and I can’t find where to redeem new iTunes voucher
SK says
Hi Lorraine,
Yes, there are certainly some changes with Apple Books replacing iBooks.
To redeem your iTunes voucher, open the App Store App or Apple Books App–choose the Reading Now tab at the bottom–and tap the profile icon or your photo in the upper-right corner.
Then choose Redeem Gift Card or Code and if asked, sign in with your Apple ID (the same one you use for Apple Books.)
Follow the on-screen steps and press Done to finish.
That amount should now connect to your Apple ID and be used for books from the Apple Book Store, music, video, rentals from iTunes, and other app purchases from the App Store.
Hope this helps,
Sam
AJAY says
Hello,
I’m able to use my iBook to iBook store etc. but when open a pdf and go for download option not getting iNook option. I’m able do that with my phone but not with my iPad. Appreciate any support.
Regards / Ajay
SK says
Hi Ajay!
We actually have an article addressing this exact problem! Take a look here.
For a quick tip, try this:
Tap the Share Button (square with an Up arrow) and choose Copy to iBooks
Or if you don’t see a Share Button, tap the PDF and choose “Open in …” located in the upper-right corner of the screen
Choose “Copy to iBooks”
This automatically saves a copy of the PDF to your iBooks PDF shelf
Let us know if the problem persists,
SK
Avalionis says
iBooks app will not download at all anymore. it keeps saying “Failed to download, please try again later.” I’ve logged out of itunes and back in. I’ve reset my iPhone and shut it off, then turned it back on. I power cycled my modem just to be safe, and still nothing. I can’t even ask a question on apple’s support page about this for some reason, and I’m logged in just fine. 😐
SK says
The Apple servers were having issues yesterday and there were many outages reported. You should have no issues if you try it today. Go ahead and give it a shot.
Susan Inglis says
I purchased a new Ipad and can’t get my ibooks to download. We have tried all of the instructions above. Can they be reloaded somehow?
SK says
Susan, If you have already tried the instructions along with doing a force restart of your iPad and little success, You should reach out to Apple Support and see if they can help you with this. Thank you so much.
Sterling says
i love you love you , i have been hunting for a good while as to WHY my ibooks would not work – went all over apple site and other ‘helpful’ places that just regurgitate the apple advice… you are terrific! My ibooks is working.
Elizabeth says
Hi Sterling!
That’s awesome. Thanks for letting us know. We’re so glad your I oks is working again—yippee!
Liz
Marty Matlock says
None of these resets work. Why not hold “contro alt delete” while turning on the power? It is 2018 not 1998. This is willful negligence on Apple’s behalf. We trusted you, bought into the iCloud dream, and now cannot use our own property – the books we bought. Woolworth, Sears, America Online (AOL) and soon Apple….footnotes in bad customer service.
Cicerosgirl says
Downloaded books don’t open
Tammy Owen says
Hello. I just purchased an audiobook called “One Night Denied”. Unfortunately, my downloaded copy starts at chapter 16. I tried deleting the book and downloading it again, but that didn’t work. Could you help me?
Tammy Owen
SK says
Hi Tammy,
Sorry to hear about your audiobook. Often, audiobooks download in sections due to the size of the book. So it may be that the file starting with chapter 16 is the smallest file and hence downloaded the first. Please try downloading the book again and wait for 15-20 minutes for all the sections to download.
If it continues to be a problem after waiting some time, delete that audiobook again. Then close your iBooks app by double pressing Home and swiping up the iBooks App Preview off the top of the screen. Once closed, restart your device. Then try again:
Open the iBooks
Tap Purchased at the bottom of the screen, then tap Audiobooks to redownload
Tap “Not on This device”
Find the book or audiobook that you want to download, then tap download icon
See if the book now downloads to your device
If nothing is working, follow up with Apple and request a refund for that book by selecting the item in your purchases and choosing Report a Problem.
SK
Lawrence Etherton says
I am trying to download iBooks. I press get, enter password and it goes into a loop of asking me to get and enter password. Won’t ever download.
Janet Churchill says
Hi.
i have opened a page in iBooks and the page that has opened will not close which is preventing me from looking at any other pages stored in iBooks. how do i close the current open page?
SK says
HI Janet,
Sorry to hear about your troubles with iBooks. We suggest you close the iBooks app completely and then relaunch it. To close an app, double pressing your Home button (or swipe up the Home Gesture Bar) to see all open app previews, select iBooks’ app preview, and then swipe up towards the top of your screen to close. Then restart your device normally and open iBooks again. See if this solves the freezing issue.
SK
David says
Hello
I have the same issue. Have done as u suggest many many times. NG.
What else can b done! I have already downloaded many doc’s.
Thanks
David
Joyce Webster says
I purchased a book on my iphone. After I used my thumb print to purchase it said i have to give my identity and password. I did this and after that it just shows the same page of purchase and will not download. I tried three times and it did not work. What do I do to get the book and will I be charged even though they did not go through?
LOVEMORE NKHOMA says
The ipad is failing to download appS requesting the ios update but when I try to update it sends a feedback that the ipad is up to date.
Karen says
I have download lots of book in the past, 8ncluding a few days ago. Tonight I chose a book, entered my password, and got a check mark saying Done. Usually that takes me to the book, but not this time. And when I went to my iBooks bookshelf, it was not there either. So (perhaps foolishly) I did it again, same thing. I hope I am going to be charged twice for a book I never received at all.
Carole says
Downloading books they are encrypted or gobbledygook
Frances says
Thank you thank you! It worked like a charm.
Ron says
It is very easy to add non supported content to Ipads or Iphones now. Just plug in the Ipad to the computer and open I tunes. Click on the icon near the top showing your Ipad. Go to Ibooks on the left side. Drag in your pdf into the area on the right and it will load and automatically sync.
This is the way it was done in Itunes 8 or so. No need to upload it into a library and sync anymore.
Now, unfortunately, IOS 11 works like crap with Ibooks.
Wayne says
Since downloading IOS 11 to iPad unable to save any PDF to iBooks
When PDF is downloaded no label appears across the top to save in iBooks
No PDF can be added to iBooks
Another Apple disaster
paul says
after i upgraded to ios 11. i lost all my epub books. they were not purchased thru itunes. when i restart the phone. the covers show up then are completely gone. i have not been able to retrieve them
Ron says
I just installed IOS 11 on my Ipad and can barely get Ibooks to work. I have numerous work documents and books I use this for. Is there any trick to getting Ibooks to work correctly or shoukd I just abandon it? Is there another program that woks better that I can transfer all these documents into through Itunes or some other app?
Elizabeth says
Hi Ron,
Sorry to hear about your problems with iOS 11 and iBooks. Just in case you haven’t done this–try a forced restart on your device by holding down the Power and Home buttons–keep holding these buttons until you see the Apple Logo on-screen, then release. Next, toggle iBooks OFF and ON in iCloud (Settings > Apple ID Profile > iCloud > iBooks.) Wait for about 20-30 between turning iBooks in iCloud OFF and back ON. The go to Settings > iBooks and turn on Sync Collections.
After all that, restart your iPad by pressing the power button and sliding off. Then power up and open iBooks–see if it starts to sync your content.
As far as alternatives, it depends on what types of material you keep in your collection. Since I have a lot of pdf files, I use Adobe Acrobat Reader mobile app. A lot of readers recommend Documents by Readdle–I have this app but tend to use Adobe Reader instead. Adobe also has an app, Adobe Digital Editions, that a lot of people use for reading e-books and for reading books borrowed from public libraries.
We have an article outlining some options–particularly for folks that borrow books from the library.
Ultimately, it depends on what format your books are–pdf, epub, Apple own iBook format, or something else–and how much of your content is able to move to another reading app.
Best of luck and enjoy reading!
Liz
Laura says
I can see no content in ANY of my downloaded books. This happened suddenly last night. What should I do?
Elizabeth says
Hi Laura,
Apple just changed iTunes and removed iBooks altogether. SO this could be impacting your content. So if you previously used iTunes to sync books to your iDevice, use the iBooks app to redownload them without using iTunes.
Open the iBooks app
Tap Purchased at the bottom of the screen, then tap Books
Tap Not on This (iDevice)
Find the book that you want to download, then tap download icon (cloud with down facing arrow)
If that didn’t do the trick, try a forced restart by holding both Power and Home (or for iPhone 7 and above, Volume Down) until the Apple Logo appears. Once device restarts, wait 30 seconds and open the iBooks app. Check if the content is now available.
Hopefully, these things remedy your iBooks issue.
SK
Andrew says
I purchased 2 books, both appear to be downloading but are in fact NOT downloading. I don’t know why the downloads are stalled as my connection is fast. More annoying is the fact that I can’t delete the books. What can I do?
SK says
HI Andrew,
Close the iBook app by double pressing home and then swiping up on the iBook app preview to close. Then restart your device by powering off and back on. Then open iBooks and see if app refreshes your books.
SK
Carol Grace Williams says
I pre-ordered, paid for Lord of Night by Erica Ridley but it will not open. The book is in my iBooks, says ” purchased” but that’s as much as I can see.
Can you help me?
Jackie says
Books download without any content , how do I get my books, these are review books that I need
SK says
Jackie, Please try to delete the books and then try re-downloading them. Delete the empty Books > Sign out of the Store > Sign Back in > re-download. Please give this sequence a try and let us know. Good Luck
Di says
I can’t get a document to,open in iBooks.
When I try to open it in safari it opens then directs to read it in iBooks but it’s not opening
SK says
Hi Di,
Sorry to hear about your issues with iBooks. First, see if iBooks is one of your open apps. Double tap your Home button Find iBooks and swipe up to close it. Next, force restart your iDevice by pressing and holding both the Power and Home buttons. Maintain this hold until the Apple logo appears, then release.
Once your iDevice restarts, go back to Safari and try the same process again. If it works, great! If not, there are a couple of things you can try.
First, uninstall and then reinstall iBooks–there might be a problem with the app that a fresh installation cures. To uninstall, press and hold the iBooks icon until it wiggles with an “x” then tap the “x” to uninstall. This does erase your current iBook data but if most of these items are downloads from the App Store, you can recover them with your Apple ID accounts under purchases. To reinstall, go to the App Store and search for iBooks. Then download and install again.
If you don’t to uninstall and reinstall, we suggest downloading another app, like Adobe Reader, for viewing documents. Open it in Safari but instead of selecting “Open in iBooks,” look to the top left of your screen and tap on the More button. This opens the share sheet, look for Adobe Reader on the second row of option and select it. It should now open in that app.
We also have an article all about iBooks problems.
Best of luck,
SK