Books app keeps freezing/crashing

Hi,


since updating to iOS 13 (and following updates - running iOS 13.1.3 on an iPhone X) the books app keeps freezing/crashing. I already search the thourgh the other post, but haven't found a working solution yet. My problem is that at first the app opens as usually, but if I try to open a book the whole app freezes and nothing happens any more. It won't open the book/pdf, you can't go to the book store or the search, it just freezes and you can only completely close the app.

I tried switching the phone off and on again, logging out of and into my account again, offloading the app - nothing works. I would try to completely delete the app, but although everything should be saved in the cloud, some of my books are not shown on my mac.

What can I do to make sure they are still saved somewhere and not permanently lost after I delete the app? Or is there another way to get the app running again?

I'm out of ideas on how to make it work again.


iPhone X, iOS 13

Posted on Oct 20, 2019 11:40 AM

Reply
21 replies

Jan 28, 2020 2:15 AM in response to kea24

Same issue with spinning wheel on reading now page.


What resolved the issue for me temporarily (around two or three months) was going to settings > Apple ID Name > iCloud > Manage Storage > Apple Books > Delete Documents and Data


I then re-imported all my books and PDF’s I had added manually and issue fixed itself temporarily. Before I did the above, I even upgraded phones, so it definitely isn’t a device issue. I think it’s a cloud issue, because the ‘Reading Now’ uses iCloud to sync across all devices and that’s what my app is freezing on. Even if I have the feature turned off in settings.


I’ve even tried to delete application, reset iPhone cache, hard reset, restore, set up as new and issue has persisted.


What I think I’ll be doing next is asking Apple Care to remove and clear my iCloud data completely from their end so I can remove any remnants of corrupted data

Oct 20, 2019 1:07 PM in response to Jualis

Try Some Troubleshooting?


  1. Restart:  Press On/Off button until the Slide to Power Off slider appears, select Slide to Power Off and, after It shuts down, press the On/Off button until the Apple logo appears. Also, see Restart your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support.
  2. Reset:  Press the Home and On/Off buttons at the same time and hold them until the Apple logo appears (about 10-15 seconds). Also, see iPhone, iPad, iPod touch- Turning off and on (restarting) and resetting.
  3. Restore:  Connect your iPhone to iTunes on your computer, backup, and then select Restore to Factory. Also, see Restore your iPhone, iPad, or iPod to factory settings and If you forgot the passcode for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, or your device is disabled - Apple.


For help with the above on later models, including iPhone 7, 7s, 8 or later, iPad Pro 11" and iPad Pro 12.9" models, please refer to If your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch won't turn on or is frozen.


If all else fails then make an appointment at the Apple Genius Bar for service. If you need to find an Apple Store - Find a Store - Apple. If you did not purchase it from Apple then you will need to look to the vendor for service or How to find your nearest Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) or Distributor (AAD).


Nov 4, 2019 7:48 PM in response to Westkiwi

Make an appointment at the Apple Genius Bar for service. If you need to find an Apple Store - Find a Store - Apple. Also, see How to find your nearest Apple Authorized Service Provider (AASP) or Distributor (AAD).


"Your Apple-branded or Beats-branded hardware product (“Product”) is warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of ONE (1) YEAR from the date of original retail purchase (“Warranty Period”) when used in accordance with Apple`s user manuals (refer to www.apple.com/support/country). Under this warranty, you will be able to direct your claims to Apple even in situations where you purchased the Apple Product from a third party.” [Apple One (1) Year Limited Warranty – Accessory - For Apple and Beats Branded Products Only.]


Oct 21, 2019 9:35 AM in response to Kappy

Hi,

I did try 1. and 2. - unfortunatly nothing changed. The 3. I haven't tried yet, because not all my books seem to be saved when I backup my phone, some of them only appear on the iPhone regardless of having activated the iCloud sync for books.

I will check if I can save alle the books and pdfs in a different way and then try to restore. If that won't help, I will have to make an appointment at the Apple Store.

Thanks for your tips!

Nov 4, 2019 3:51 AM in response to Jualis

Hi,

iPhone XS newest software update.

I’ve tried all of the above. Books app still crashes; for lack of a better term.

Can no longer use blue tooth in my late model ford falcon. It just sounds like an old wireless radio broadcast, unless this is a new feature from Apple? There are other glitches which are less important to me. Can’t make changes to music in settings. App freeze. Eg WillyWeather.

Have done basic fault fixes, with no improvement. Not expecting any real help just venting.

Ps my phone is less than 3 months old and was fine before software updates.

Nov 28, 2019 1:22 AM in response to Westkiwi

I have this problem too. Pressing the books app defaults to the "Reading Now' tab but there's no content on the screen, the tab then spontaneously moves to 'Library' then back to 'Reading Now' and the page flashes as if trying to reload the page over and over. It did it for a full 10 seconds or so until crashing completely one day. Turning the phone off then on again seems to fix it, until it happens again. I'm on a new iPhone 11 and the bug has persisted through each incremental update of iOS 13.

Dec 18, 2019 6:23 PM in response to David Auckland

I'm having the above problems and 13.3 hasn't solved them. Books app still regularly freezing or crashing. Not all the time, but maybe 50% of the time. Sometimes I can close the app, restart it and it works. Other times I need to restart the phone to make it work. I recently did a full restore of my phone to solve a wide range of iOS13 issues I was experiencing, and the phone is generally more stable now, but Books is still a bad offender.

Jan 10, 2020 10:31 PM in response to DrPete123

I’m (selfishly) glad to hear it’s not just me. Books sometimes spontaneously close themselves when I’m actually in the midst of reading them (but I’m just looking at the screen, not trying to perform an action like turning the page or anything), and then I get the endless spinning wheel on the “Reading Now” tab. Or I get the spinning wheel when I open Books to continue reading a book that was fine when I last left it. It happens across all books and seems to have no rhyme or reason.

Jan 10, 2020 11:16 PM in response to siamese

I saw similar behaviour on someone else's iPhone X the other day but instead of it being the Books app it was the App Store app (my iPhone 11 is doing something similar as I write this). On the iPhone X the screen was blank and spontaneously flashed along the Today, Games, Apps tabs etc showing alternate blank screens over and over. As I type this the App Store app on my iPhone 11 opened as expected, and loaded content, but after a few seconds randomly refreshed, then the same a few seconds later, then either went blank with the spinning java circle in the centre of the page, or, after reopening the app, it would do the same but the screen would lock and become unresponsive. And this is happening on a restored device with a fresh copy of iOS 13.3.

Jan 14, 2020 3:36 AM in response to David Auckland

I posted about this problem weeks ago after I upgraded to 13.3 and am still having the same issues with Books on my iPad Air 2. I have tried all suggested "fixes" with no success and am fed up! I can't use Books at all which is really annoying as I have heaps of books and sewing and knitting patterns saved there which I don't want to print.

Now the problem has extended to the App Store and the iTunes Store - same spinning wheel, then crash.

I've been waiting hopefully for Apple to issue a fix, but nothing. PLEASE get onto this Apple!

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Books app keeps freezing/crashing

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