Do AO3 Stories Count Toward Apple Books Reading Goals?

An Archive of Our Own story may count toward your Apple Books Reading Goals, depending on its file format. PDFs count when Include PDFs is turned on. Apple does not document whether EPUB files you import yourself count toward daily reading time. To check, import the story, read for a minute or two, and see whether today’s total increases.

Download an AO3 story with WP Downloader

WP Downloader is a free web tool, with nothing to install. It downloads a complete AO3 story as an EPUB or PDF for offline reading in Apple Books.

1. Copy the story’s Archive of Our Own URL. It should look like this:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/123456

2. Open the AO3 downloader.
3. Paste the story link into the box.
4. Choose EPUB or PDF. EPUB is free for everyone. PDF requires a free Discord sign-in.
5. Choose whether to include the story’s images.
6. Download the finished file.

WP Downloader accepts links from archiveofourown.org, archiveofourown.com, and archiveofourown.net. It downloads complete stories, not individual chapters or lists.

Public stories do not require an account. You can sign in with your AO3 account to reach members-only stories that your account can already read. WP Downloader uses your credentials only to fetch the story you requested. It does not bypass locked content, paywalls, or age restrictions.

AO3 support and support for the other fiction archives available through WP Downloader were ported from FanFicFare, the open-source fanfiction downloader.

If the author publishes more chapters later, download the story again. WP Downloader cannot update an EPUB you already saved.

Add the story to Apple Books on iPhone or iPad

After downloading the EPUB or PDF:

1. Open the file from the Files app or Safari’s downloads.
2. Tap Share.
3. Choose Books.

The imported story will appear in your Apple Books Library.

Add the story to Apple Books on Mac

Open the Books app and drag the downloaded EPUB into it. You can also choose File, then Add to Library.

The imported AO3 story will appear in your Library. Apple Books opens EPUB and PDF files on Mac, iPhone, and iPad.

How Apple Books Reading Goals work

Apple Books Reading Goals track:

• How many minutes you read each day
• How many books and audiobooks you finish each year

The daily goal is five minutes by default. To change it on an iPhone or iPad, open the Reading Now tab. On a Mac, change it from Home.

WP Downloader creates the file. After you import it, Apple Books handles the reading activity.

Check whether an imported AO3 EPUB counts

Apple’s documentation does not say whether EPUB files you import yourself count toward daily reading time. You can check with a short test:

1. Note today’s reading time in Apple Books.
2. Open the imported AO3 EPUB.
3. Read for a minute or two.
4. Return to your Reading Goals.
5. See whether today’s reading time increased.

This will show whether the imported EPUB contributes to the reading time on your device.

Make an AO3 PDF count toward the daily goal

PDFs count toward the Apple Books reading goal only when Include PDFs is turned on.

On current versions of iOS, open Settings, choose Apps, then Books, and turn on Include PDFs. On older versions, open Settings, choose Books, and turn on the option there.

Once the setting is enabled, open the imported AO3 PDF in Apple Books and read it there. You can confirm that the time is being recorded by noting today’s total, reading for a minute or two, and checking the total again.

WP Downloader provides both EPUB and PDF files. EPUB is free for everyone, while PDF requires a free Discord sign-in.

FAQ

Do imported AO3 EPUB files definitely count toward Apple Books Reading Goals?

Apple’s documentation does not say whether EPUB files you import yourself count toward daily reading time. Import the EPUB, read for a minute or two, and check whether today’s total increases.

Do AO3 PDFs count toward the reading goal?

They count when Include PDFs is turned on in the Books settings. On current versions of iOS, open Settings, choose Apps, then Books. On older versions, open Settings, then Books.

Can I download one AO3 chapter for Apple Books?

No. WP Downloader downloads complete AO3 stories, not individual chapters or lists.

Do I need an AO3 account to download a story?

Public stories do not require an account. You can sign in with your AO3 account to download members-only stories that your account is allowed to read.

Can WP Downloader update my EPUB when a new chapter appears?

No. Download the story again to get the new chapters.