AstroMacMan

Q: No search icon on toolbar!  Search limited.  White on white text!

Strange things with my iBooks app on an iPad Mini.  Version 4.1.1

 

There's no search icon on the toolbar at the bottom.  See About iBooks - Apple Support

 

Now, I can get to search via Purchased (which makes little sense), but then my only options are to type in titles.

 

Repeatdly, the book list is white text against an off white background making the titles virtually impossible to read!  However, occasionally, the background ditches to blue and they are readable again.

 

Bugs?  Corrupted app?  (Never had that before.).

 

I fear the solution will be having to delete and reinstall the app, but then what will happen to all my notes and bookmarks on all the books I have?!  And, to my elaborate folder scheme?

 

Any and all suggestions welcome !

Posted on Apr 4, 2015 5:03 AM

Close

Q: No search icon on toolbar!  Search limited.  White on white text!

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by King_Penguin,Helpful

    King_Penguin King_Penguin Apr 5, 2015 9:08 AM in response to AstroMacMan
    Level 10 (133,631 points)
    iTunes
    Apr 5, 2015 9:08 AM in response to AstroMacMan

    The Search field doesn't show at the bottom of the app on iPads, if you want to search your bookshelf then pull down the centre of the bookshelf and a search field should appear at the top of the bookshelf ; to search the store go into the store, and at the top right of the screen there should be Search field.

     

    What 'book list' is showing white text, your bookshelf, the store, both ? In list view my books on the bookshelf show black title, grey author names and a light-grey background, and similarly in the store.

     

    With iOS 8 the iBooks app is built-in to iOS, you can't delete and redownload the app.

  • by AstroMacMan,

    AstroMacMan AstroMacMan Apr 4, 2015 11:33 AM in response to King_Penguin
    Level 2 (312 points)
    Mac OS X
    Apr 4, 2015 11:33 AM in response to King_Penguin

    Appreciate the reply!  It's really weird, but I think your iBooks and mine are behaving differently!

     

    I should have been clearer-- I was looking for to search the iBooks Store.  Unlike the toolbar pictured on the Apple iBooks site, I have no Search icon.  (Ah, yes, the old pull down, hidden command trick, which is for searching within your own library!  There's something to be said for the good old, always present menu system.)

     

    On mine, to get to the Store, I have to select "Purchased".  In any event, once I get there, there are no choices, such as "Free" or categories, or any way of showing a list, the way one's bookshelf can be (instead it's two columns with book covers).

     

    As to the unreadable list, sorry for that confusion, too.  I'm referring to the list of books in your own library.  The titles are in white text (authors in grey) and the background is blue.  At least, that's how it is supposed to be.  Instead, what I get most of the time is white titles on top of a grey-white background--and most of the entries are unreadable!

     

    Weird, eh?

  • by King_Penguin,

    King_Penguin King_Penguin Apr 4, 2015 11:48 AM in response to AstroMacMan
    Level 10 (133,631 points)
    iTunes
    Apr 4, 2015 11:48 AM in response to AstroMacMan

    My iPad Mini is on iOS 8.2, so I have the current version of iBooks (4.1.1 according to Settings > iBooks, the same version as you say in your first post). The screenshots in the link from your first post is for iPhones, it's different on iPads.

     

    When I go to the Featured, Top Charts, Top Authors, or the Purchased tabs I get a Search box at the top right of the screen :

    ibooks search.jpg

     

    You aren't seeing that ?

  • by AstroMacMan,

    AstroMacMan AstroMacMan Apr 5, 2015 9:08 AM in response to King_Penguin
    Level 2 (312 points)
    Mac OS X
    Apr 5, 2015 9:08 AM in response to King_Penguin

    Appreciate your hanging in there on this!

     

    Ah, so that screen shot is for iPhones.  It would help if Apple had showed both iPhone and iPad screenshots!  It's better to have the Search button icon or the old iOS 6 Store button, because Purchased makes no sense as a way to get to the store.

     

    I do get to the exact place you're showing-- only a search field--but no other choices--no "Free", no categories, etc.  I guess it's just incredibly limited!

     

    The listing issue must be a bug.  I'll have to watch and see if there are particular triggers.

  • by King_Penguin,

    King_Penguin King_Penguin Apr 5, 2015 11:29 AM in response to AstroMacMan
    Level 10 (133,631 points)
    iTunes
    Apr 5, 2015 11:29 AM in response to AstroMacMan

    You have the other buttons along the bottom of the iBooks app - from left to right I have My Books (which is the bookshelf), then Featured, Top Charts, Top Authors, and Purchased (if you are in the US you should, I think, also have an NY Times button somewhere amongst them to view their bestselling chart). The Search box shows on my iPad at the top right of all of those, except for the bookshelf

  • by AstroMacMan,

    AstroMacMan AstroMacMan Apr 7, 2015 2:26 PM in response to King_Penguin
    Level 2 (312 points)
    Mac OS X
    Apr 7, 2015 2:26 PM in response to King_Penguin

    Yep, have the NY Times button.

     

    Am I right that the only searching one can do of the iBooks store on the iPad is to enter text there?   If so, that seems incredibly limited compared to book searches via iTunes where one can select among different characteristics such as "free" or chose different categories of books such as "history" or even filter the search to audiobooks, etc.

     

    If so, I'll have to submit it as a feedback concern to the Apple feedback site!

  • by King_Penguin,

    King_Penguin King_Penguin Apr 7, 2015 11:52 PM in response to AstroMacMan
    Level 10 (133,631 points)
    iTunes
    Apr 7, 2015 11:52 PM in response to AstroMacMan

    Audiobooks won't show in the iBookstore in the iBooks app, only ibooks will - you can search for audiobooks in the iTunes store app, they download (and are synced from your computer's iTunes) into the Music app, not iBooks.

     

    The Top Charts tab at the bottom of the app should show a Categories button at the top left of the screen so that you can view the charts for the different book categories (History, Biography etc), and there should be a line of category buttons on the Featured tab so that you can browse them