Development Roadmap

Phase by
phase.

Alcove builds incrementally — each phase ships complete before the next begins. Here's where everything stands.

Phase Focus Status
Phase 0App Store launch requirementsIn Progress
Phase 1Mac catalog — core library managementComplete
Phase 1biPad catalogComplete
Phase 1cIn-app help systemIn Progress
Phase 1dLocalization infrastructureComplete
Phase 1eCI/CD + TestFlight releaseIn Progress
Phase 2Alternative formats (MOBI/AZW3)Upcoming
Phase 3In-app reading, Calibre import, iPhoneUpcoming
Phase 4Collections, smart organization, extended metadataPlanned
Phase 5LLM-powered smart classificationPlanned

Phase 1 — Complete

Mac & iPad Catalog

The core library manager: import your ebooks, organize them the way you think, and keep everything in sync across your devices.

Library

  • Import EPUBs and PDFs via drag & drop, File → Import, or iCloud Drive
  • Grid and list views with cover art, ratings, and reading status
  • Sidebar filters: reading status, tags, star ratings
  • Full-text search across title, author, and description
  • Sort by title, author, date added, rating, or reading status
  • Multiple libraries with per-library iCloud sync toggle
  • Status bar showing sync state, book count, and selection details

Metadata & Organization

  • Edit title, authors, publisher, series name and position, ISBN, and synopsis
  • Cover art lookup from Apple Books, Google Books, and OpenLibrary — single book or batch wizard
  • Tags, star ratings (0–5), reading status (Unread / Reading / Read / Did Not Finish)
  • Full undo/redo for every change

Sync & Sharing

  • iCloud sync across Mac and iPad — metadata, covers, and files in lockstep
  • Open any book in your preferred reader (Apple Books, Kindle, Marvin, Legible, etc.)
  • System share sheet: AirDrop, Mail, Messages, Save to Files

Mac-Only

  • AppleScript support for automation and scripting workflows
  • Multiple windows (document-based, full state restoration)

Phase 2 — Upcoming

Alternative Formats

  • MOBI and AZW3 import via Calibre — detects your Calibre installation and converts on import; original file preserved alongside the converted EPUB ↑ vote
  • Format badges on covers: EPUB / MOBI→EPUB / PDF
  • Per-format default reader preference (send EPUBs to one app, PDFs to another)
  • ISBN extraction from PDF body text for better metadata lookup
  • Spotlight search — every book in your library appears in system search on Mac and iPhone. Tap a result to open it directly in Alcove. Also unlocks a basic "Open in Alcove" Shortcuts action.

Phase 3 — Upcoming

Reading, Calibre & iPhone

In-App EPUB Reader

  • Built-in EPUB reader (Readium) — read without leaving Alcove ↑ vote
  • Reading position sync across Mac and iPad via iCloud
  • Bookmarks, highlights, and notes
  • In-book search

Calibre Import

  • Import your entire Calibre library in one wizard — books, covers, tags, ratings, series, and reading status ↑ vote
  • Maps Calibre's 1–10 ratings to Alcove's 0–5 stars
  • Duplicate detection by ISBN and title/author

iPhone App

  • iPhone support — same AlcoveMobile codebase, adapted for compact layout ↑ vote
  • Full iCloud sync with Mac and iPad

Phase 4 — Planned

Collections & Smart Organization

  • Collections — curated book groups, like playlists. A book can belong to multiple collections. Drag books from the grid onto a collection in the sidebar ↑ vote
  • Smart Collections — saved filter queries that auto-populate. Build rules from any combination of genre, tags, rating, reading status, author, series, and more ↑ vote
  • Genre taxonomy — a structured genre hierarchy (Fiction → Science Fiction → Space Opera) alongside freeform tags. Built-in genres plus custom ones you create ↑ vote
  • Catalog-only entries — catalog DRM-locked books (Kindle, Apple Books) without a file. Full ratings, tags, and metadata; cover art via ISBN lookup ↑ vote
  • Reading statistics — books read per month, total reading time, reading streaks ↑ vote
  • Extended metadata: word count, page count, source (Kindle / Apple Books / sideloaded)
  • Shortcuts — rich App Intents for Shortcuts automation: find books by tag or genre, rate a book, set reading status, add tags, switch libraries. Builds on the Spotlight foundation from Phase 2 ↑ vote

Phase 5 — Planned

Smart Classification

An LLM analyzes your library and proposes tags, genres, series groupings, and collections. You review every suggestion before anything is applied — the LLM proposes, you decide. No book content is ever sent to a third party; only title, author, and description.

  • Classify up to 5 books free; full classification via one-time purchase (bring your own API key) or subscription
  • Batch processing with progress bar and cancellation
  • Review panel: accept or reject each suggestion individually before applying
  • Cross-library pattern detection — series grouping and collection suggestions based on your whole library

Further Out

Aspirational Features

No phase commitment — these depend on platform API maturity, user demand, or both. Vote on the ones that matter to you.

  • Siri — ask Siri to open a book, rate what you just finished, or find everything you haven't read yet. Depends on user demand after Shortcuts land ↑ vote
  • Visual Intelligence — point your camera at a book cover and add it to your library. Apple's Visual Intelligence API (iOS 18.2+) is still evolving; we're watching it closely ↑ vote

Help shape what gets built.

Vote on the features that matter most to you. High-vote items move up in the roadmap.

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