#Ao3 app

[the-pen-pot]

*SIGHS*

Another AO3 app that's pretending to be official when it's not (or at least isn't making it clear its unofficial.) They're using AO3's name and logo, and embedding ads.

There is no official AO3 app

Someone else is gathering your data, potentially your log in information etc and making use of it how they please. (They say they're not but their privacy policy says otherwise)

They are making money from the ads without the fic writer's consent.

They've also rated it Pegi 3 (which is ludicrous)

Please, even if you care about nothing else, for the safety of your data, please don't use this app. Certainly don't give it your AO3 log in details.

I've told AO3 that it's infringing on its copyright. I will be requesting they remove access of my work as I do not consent to my creative content being used to generate ad revenue for them.

I will be reporting it as incorrectly rated.

The only email address I can find is Narusta@gmail.com which is included in their privacy policy, and boboxway13@gmail.com as their developer.

[aurorasulphur]

Disclaimer: none of these answers are official, and may not work for your particular use case. If there is a specific feature that an unofficial app had that you don't know how to replicate on the AO3, let me know in the notes and we might can crowdsource a solution.

A lot of people used the Archive Reader app to access stories on Archive of Our Own, and have been upset that the app is now charging to read longer than an hour a day. AO3 (and its parent organization, the OTW) has made it extremely clear in recent days that this app is unofficial and that there *is* no official app. They encourage people to use the website.

However, there are MANY reasons you might want an app, and in a bunch of those cases, there are ways to do those things without having to provide your login information to a random person running an app. Here is a round-up of solutions to the most common reasons I've seen people give for wanting an app instead of the plain AO3 website.

These solutions are based on the following assumptions:

You know what Archive of Our Own is

You often or primarily access it through a mobile device running iOS or Android

You understand what a browser is

You understand what a browser bookmark is

You understand what a site skin is

Edits:

Edited to clarify that you must be logged in to use custom site skins

Edited to add more tips and tricks from the reblogs

Edited to add new entry about notifications/emails

Edited to add new entry about reading statistics and the tracking thereof

I need a widget on my phone's homescreen, not just a browser bookmark.

You can do this with any website, not just AO3! Instructions here: https://www.howtogeek.com/196087/how-to-add-websites-to-the-home-screen-on-any-smartphone-or-tablet/

I need Dark Mode.

AO3 has a default site skin for Dark Mode, it's just called Reversi. Find it here, or at the bottom of any page on the website. https://archiveofourown.org/skins/929/

If you'd like Dark Mode on your whole browser (and you're on Android), sorrelchestnut has advice here: https://www.tumblr.com/sorrelchestnut/737869282153775104/if-you-want-dark-mode-and-dont-want-to-mess

I need to be able to read stories when I don't have internet.

Every work on the AO3 has a download button, so you can click on that and download the story for offline reading in the ereader app of your choice. More info on how to do that is in the AO3 FAQs: https://archiveofourown.org/faq/downloading-fanworks?language_id=en#accesslater

I need to be able to change the text size of the website itself.

If you have an AO3 account (and you should!!) you can do this with a personalized site skin! There is a simple tutorial here: https://www.tumblr.com/ao3skin/667284237718798336/i-have-a-request-if-you-dont-mind-could-you

I need to be able to change the text size in downloaded stories.

My personal recommendation: Don't download in PDF format. All the other formats you can download in can scale the text size up and down, assuming you open the work in the correct app. For me, I download works in EPUB format and read them on the built-in Books app on my iPhone. I hear good things about Moon Reader on Android as well.

I need to be able to replace Y/N in fics with an actual name.

ElectricAlice has a bookmarklet for that here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/34796935

I need to be able to save specific tags and not have to search them up every time.

If you have an AO3 account (which you definitely should) then you can favorite up to 20 tags which will appear on the landing page. The AO3 FAQ explains how that works: https://archiveofourown.org/faq/tags?language_id=en#favtag

I need to be able to save specific filters and be able to apply them to any tag.

Reisling's beautiful bookmarklet has you covered: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33825019

I need to be able to permanently hide certain tags.

The best option is adding this to your site skin. (Must be logged in.) Instructions here: https://www.tumblr.com/ao3css/719667033634160640/how-to-permanently-filter-out-certain-tags-on-ao3

I also hear things about the AO3 Enhancements extension (just for Android/desktop, sorry iOS folks): https://www.tumblr.com/emotionalsupportrats/686787582579851265/browser-extension-everyone-on-ao3-should-know

I need it to save my place on the page and not reload.

This is really mostly a browser error--Firefox on iOS does this to me A LOT. Your best bet is to download the work and read it in an ereader app. A lot of people also will make an ao3 bookmark and write in the notes section which part they were at, but that assumes you aren't falling asleep while reading. (Which is the main reason I have this issue, lol.) For more info on bookmarks, see the FAQ: https://archiveofourown.org/faq/bookmarks?language_id=en#whatisbookmark

I need it to keep track of which stories I've already read/opened/kudos'd.

If you have an account (which you should) then the "My History" page keeps track of every fic you've ever clicked on. No, it isn't searchable or sortable, but it does exist. For fics you've kudos'd, I have yet to find a solution for iOS. For desktop or Android, you can use this excellent userscript: https://greasyfork.org/en/scripts/5835-ao3-kudosed-and-seen-history

@the-sleepy-archivist and @inkandarsenic have a solution for iOS here to use userscripts: https://www.tumblr.com/the-sleepy-archivist/737895174683885568/this-is-a-great-guide-one-thing-i-can-help-with and https://www.tumblr.com/inkandarsenic/737827438571192320/the-user-scripts-will-also-work-on-ios-there-are

I need an app because the website's search is terrible.

(I genuinely don't understand this one but I have seen it multiple times so on the list it goes!!) The search bar at the top of the screen is a keyword search. If you'd rather search within a specific field (like title or tag) then you'll want to click on the word "search" at the top of the screen and select Work Search or Tag Search. To search users, use People Search. To search Bookmarks, use Bookmark Search. (If this is you, please tell me what the heck you mean by "search is bad" and how an app helped with this.)

I need to be able to sort stories by date posted/number of bookmarks/alphabetical/etc.

You can do this using the filters sidebar. Pick a tag you want to filter on (like a fandom, character, or relationship) and then click on the "Filters" button. The sidebar will pop out and you can sort and filter on a boggling array of specifics. A good filtering guide: https://www.tumblr.com/saurons-pr-department/718665516093472768/if-there-is-something-you-dont-want-to-see-in

I need to be able to mark stories to read later.

AO3 has this feature built in! If you have an account (which you should) there is a "Mark for Later" option on every work.

Edit: Thispersonishuman reminded me that History and Mark For Later can be disabled, so if you're not seeing the Mark for Later option, check your settings.

I need to be able to listen to stories using text-to-speech.

Microsoft Edge web browser has a built in text to speech function. Supposedly it works on both iOS and Android, but I have not personally tested that. iOS also has a native accessibility feature in settings for text to speech that will work on the Books app, so I assume Android has a similar functionality. A bunch of people in the reblogs have more in-depth Android recommendations here: https://www.tumblr.com/protect-namine/737957194510794752/seconding-voice-aloud-on-android-for-tts-my, https://www.tumblr.com/smallercommand/737884523093704704/i-use-voice-for-tts-on-android-its-got-some, and https://www.tumblr.com/doitninetimes/737869463749263360/for-text-to-speech-on-android-you-can-also-check

I need to have in-app notifications for updates/I can't ever find story updates in among the rest of my emails/checking my email stresses me out.

Set up a separate email address using a free service like gmail, and use that email address JUST for AO3. Then the only emails in that inbox will be your story updates. I use Apple's Mail application for all my inboxes, but it's very easy to use the Gmail app instead, and you could log in to JUST the ao3 email and set it to notify for every email.

(Also as a general PSA: don't use your work, school, or military email as your AO3 email. Just don't.)

I want statistics like how many hours I spent reading, how many words I read, what my most read tags were, stuff like that.

So we've finally hit something that isn't easy and that requires a hell of a lot of manual work. Short version: AO3 does not track this data because they don't want to. (Mostly due to privacy concerns.) The lack of this tracking is a feature, not a bug. You can crunch these numbers yourself, but it will take a hell of a lot more effort, and it's something I personally found is not worth the effort the couple of times I have tried to crunch those numbers. If you are willing to download your history to an actual computer (not a tablet or chromebook) using Calibre, you can get a rough idea of your most popular tags via their tag browser, but it won't play nice with typos synned to a Common Tag (Canonical Tag/filterable tag) like ao3 does. (If anyone has used an app that gave you stats on this, please let me know in reblogs/replies/via ask how that worked because I am very curious.)

I need an app because <other reason>.

The AO3 Unofficial Browser Tools FAQ might cover your use case: https://archiveofourown.org/faq/unofficial-browser-tools?language_id=en If not, give a shout and we'll see what other tumblr users suggest!

[myfandomrealitea]

AO3 DOES NOT HAVE ANY OFFICIAL APP OR DOWNLOADABLE PLATFORM.

AO3 DOES NOT AND WILL NEVER CHARGE YOU TO VIEW OR ACCESS ANY AO3 CONTENT.

AO3 IS NOT A PAY-TO-USE OR PAY-TO-VIEW APP.

LITERALLY ANY DOWNLOADABLE APP CLAIMING TO BE AO3 AND/OR HOSTING AO3 CONTENT BEHIND A PAYWALL IS NOTHING BUT MINED (STOLEN) CONTENT OFF OF AO3 THAT AN INDEPENDANT PERSON IS PROFITING OFF OF.

[ao3-shenanigans]

Hello! @theeternalinferno made a survey to get folks’ thoughts on a hypothetical ao3 app

Rb for bigger sample size!

[tenpintsof-sundrop]

Okay again with this whole 'AO3 needs an app' bs - people are saying that one of the best features of fake unofficial apps they have used is that it keeps track of fics you have already read.

1) AO3 highlights links you have already clicked on before (this does expire after some time, and it differs between desktop and mobile, but it's something).

2) Why the fuck do people act like it's such a crime to click on or re-read a fic you have already read before?

This is just a huge problem for me as a fanfic writer, and it does fall in line with people constantly asking me for sequels to fics or asking me to make fics longer when I have a huge backlog of similar fics or fics with my similar style - you don't constantly need a stream of brand new fics. You don't.

Most fanfic readers today are spoiled brats.

Having thousands of people on the internet at your fingertips who enjoy the same show you do and enjoy the same characters you do, actively providing you with hundreds of thousands of words of fiction for free - it is a privilege.

You would not have survived in the days when people had to mail each other hard copies of fics or when most of the fics on websites were one or two chapters in and then abandoned forever and you were lucky to find a fic that was finished. But even then it was probably riddled with grammar errors and funky ANs because it was written by a middle schooler. Because every single fanfiction writer was a middle schooler back then.

Please, please - learn to reread old fics without complaining about it. "Ugh, that feeling when you click on the perfect fic only to find out partway through that you have read it before."

If you are reading so much fic that you can't even tell them apart in the first few lines or paragraphs, that means you are blindly consuming fics rather than appreciating them. If you think that finding out you have read a fic before is a disappointment - you are a problem.

If you get partway through a fic and find out you have read it before, fucking enjoy it. Leave the author a nice comment telling them how much their fic captured your attention.

Fanfiction authors do this for free. And you eat up all their work so quickly and then ask for more, and then have the gall to complain when you 'accidentally' click on the same fic twice. Please - check yourself.

You don't need an AO3 app, you need to gain some patience and understanding and appreciation for the people who make your favourite form of entertainment in this mass consumption tiktok era.

Also, just in case I have to say it - reading and commenting on really old fics is not cringe. AO3 and even Tumblr is not fucking Instagram - if you go back and comment on someone's work from six years ago, you won't seem like a creepy stalker, you will seem like a cool explorer. You will make the author's day bright. So please, please - I dare you to go into your favourite AO3 tag, and go all the way back to the oldest page, find something you like - and leave a comment on it. Read older fics. Please!!!

[ginnvngagap]

fxck me, can't I please just have ONE THING?! I am so done with everything becoming paywalled and subscription based.

yes, +1$/month can be too much for a disabled person, especially those not from the US.

not to mention the fact that this wasn't "properly" announced until after the subscription model was implemented and several users (some of them dyslexic) gave a ★☆☆☆☆, and by proper announcement I mean the app sent me a notification with a ^^ at the end. and don't even get me started on the passive-aggressive don't like don't use bs.

also correct me if I'm wrong but isn't this against the Ao3 ToS?

Happy Holidays, I guess.

[dumblefork]

So, am I the only one who did not know that Ao3 has an app of their own?? Cause like, they have an app of their own

I mean, since the site was down, I randomly went to the App Store and found this piece of gold...

For the record, I can read the fics in their too. (I still can't believe this)

[newhope8]

⚠️🔞🔥Blog Link PSA (Public Service Announcement)⚠️🔞🔥

I've recently discovered that Tumblr will only let you have 100 linked posts on any one post a time. (I did not know this until earlier this morning.) I've been trying to bookmark all my favorited ❤️ fanfics on here into one giant pinned post, yet apparently that is no longer going to work for me. What I'm thinking about doing is making a more cohesive & better organized list and posting that to my AO3 account (where I'm not limited to what I can have). I'm not sure if this will work or not, yet I am going to try. I will try to post updates & whatever else when I can. 🙏🏻💕

@its-hannjisung @channieandhisgoonsquad @1-800-shedevil @queenmea604 @hyunsvngs Thank you for your support. Not to worry, I'm not getting off Tumblr entirely. I'm just super frustrated with the platform at the moment & working on a work-around to help myself keep track of everything.

UPDATE, as of 1.11.2024 -- I have copied & pasted all links of everything I've wanted to save (out of 235 "liked" posts so far) over to a new Google Doc. From there, I have been more easily able to edit & categorize things to my taste. Since this part is done, I will now begin the process of re-linking everything back to Tumblr, according to the new categorized "master list" posts I've made. Needless to say, this is easier to do on the computer than on my phone. I can type a hell of a lot quicker on my laptop anyway ... on a good day, 65-70wpm. Yeah. Ctrl+C or Cmd+C for COPY function // Ctrl+V or Cmd+V for PASTE function // Maybe I'm making too much extra work for myself, Idk. Yet my undiagnosed OCD orderly brain cells are more relaxed when I do mundane tasks like this, so I'm happy. Stay tuned for more updates! Keep yourself golden, lovelies. 🥰

[total-oblovion255]

Broooo why did they have to nerf the ao3 mobile app

[zonzolik]

i feel like the ao3 website is so complicated and confusing but i wanna read stuff...

is there any ao3 mobile app that is actually usable? just reading on the website is just so weird

people of tumblr i count on you with this one i'd really appreciate it

[writingwife-83]

Do you know if ao3 has an app? I've heard of there being copycats that mine data and want to make sure it actually is the correct one before I get the app. Mainly so that I don't have to constantly sign back in every time I close my browser

Not sure what mobile platform you use, but speaking for apple and iOS, sadly I don’t think there’s an AO3 app. I feel like at some point I heard there was one for android, but I know nothing about it so idk if it was legit or if it was the kind of thing you mentioned which could be mining data. I so wish there was an app, but somehow I don’t think that will be coming any time soon. It seems like those who are running AO3 have their hands full just keeping things going smoothly on the website, which is totally understandable.

Also though, I don’t have any issue staying signed in. If I sign in and select the option to keep me signed in, I don’t have to sign in again for a very long time if I’m still on that browser. But anyway, if anyone else has any suggestions about this or knows of a legit app that I don’t, feel free to chime in!

[dragonsandwolvesohmy]

Am I the only one crying that Archive Track Reader was taken down? It was such a great app. Basically the website without going through Google/Firefox/whatever, with some bookmarking features if you don't have an account. (As uninstalling it an hour ago, I've lost all those bookmarks) It kept my reading off my searches allowing me to multi-task in a way that made my brain very happy. Now it's.. gone.

I understand it's been unavailable since 2020, but if you had it before then it still worked until now, though a little glitchy on the start up. Because of the new precautions as a result of some fuckers started DDos attack- which, thank fuck, Ao3 deserves all the protection and love and safety- the old app crashed and couldn't work anymore. You had to get rid of it because it didn't work anymore from the new precautions it wasn't made to handle, as it was no longer avaliable, it no longer had updates, meaning no fix for this new stumble.

So.. it's the end of a reading era, and I find that very sad.

[pinbones]

If you guys want an app to read ao3 fics on, download them and install ReadEra (android, idk what else)

It's free, ad-free, comes with audio features now for if you want an audiobook/screenreader, and supports hyperlinks back to the fic in question (including to leave a comment etc). You do NOT need premium for any features, I have the free version.

Ao3 files are small and quick to download. Get the epub version and read away. I like to download a ton of long ones before i go somewhere but I've also downloaded all my faves in case they get deleted or i lose track of them.

Some things that come free with ReadEra: bookmarking pages, highlighting your favourite quotes, several different 'skins' or light modes, and also that app page flippy thing. Haha page turning go brrrrrrrr

[autistic-angel]

For everyone bitching and complaining about an ao3 app I have wonderful news for you😊 click to see in full

[monikokii]

Whoops. No more reading at work (⁠•⁠ ⁠▽⁠ ⁠•⁠;⁠)

[tenpintsof-sundrop]

you don't need an AO3 app - round 2!!!

"AO3 is ugly and I hate the formatting!" -> you can download site skins. very gorgeous ones. and you can use them to change the aesthetics and visuals of AO3. just search 'AO3 skin' on Tumblr or even on google and you will be in A Whole New World. (and those searches should yeild tutorials on how to install the skins as well - it's not something I know a lot about, because I used to primarily use Quizilla and FFN, so I am more than used to Ugly Website. AO3 is very aesthetic and pretty compared to those.)

"AO3 is too bright!!! it hurts my eyes!!!" -> there is a dark mode. scroll down to the bottom. there is a heading that says 'customize'. under this heading, hit the button that says 'reversi'. that is their version of dark mode. and again, you can look for site skins that you like that have a darker background.

"I want to be able to make reading lists!" -> you can make bookmark collections on AO3. In your bookmarks, there is a button that says 'add to collection' beside each work. have fun. go ham. (Also, you can make private bookmarks if you are reading something with more controversial content that you don't really want others to know about - and please know, that any bookmark comments you make on public bookmarks can be seen by the author.)

(this last one made me laugh - because it seems like people are just coming up with bullshit excuses to 'need' an AO3 app when there is literally nothing that an app can go that AO3 can't.)

"my memory is really bad because of reasons sooo I remember to use things better by having them on my homescreen like an app!!!" -> create an AO3 shortcut on your homescreen. most mobile browsers have the capability to put a shortcut to a specific link or a specific website on your homescreen so that you can go straight there - like you would with opening an app. and it can be labelled 'the AO3 app' while simply having the icon of that browser. you can even do this with a link to a specific fic that you are in the process of reading (even down to the specific chapter that you were on). there is literally 0 reasons to have or use an AO3 app.

and remember kids!!! any and all apps with AO3 in their title are not associated with the real archiveofourown in any way, shape, or form - they are unofficial, and technically, they are illegal. and using them is putting all fanficition writers at risk legally (even if there is no active lawsuits right now) - just don't fucking use them. it is a threat to the entire fanfiction hobby just because you want 'the app experience'.

the archive is a non-profit website with 0 ads for a reason, and those apps are scummy scammers who put ads on our stories to make fast easy money when none of the people who made those stories ever consented to it.