Thank you for this great application that I use with pleasure. I'd like to be able to read the PDFs in my collection, but they're not stored on the Zotero server, but in a local folder on my phone/tablet. Are there any plans to develop such an option? Thank you in advance.
I’ve relied on Zotero every day for the past 15 years—from my own doctoral work to supervising graduate research—and I actively promote it to every cohort of university students I teach.
I’m about to switch to an Android‑based e‑ink tablet as my primary reading device and would love to test the Zotero Android app so I can annotate PDFs in Zotero’s native reader, keep my library in sync, and (of course) report any bugs or UX issues I find. Having the official app on this tablet would also be a great showcase when I introduce Zotero to incoming students next semester.
If a tester slot opens up, I’d be grateful for the opportunity to join the beta and give feedback from both a heavy personal workflow and an instructional perspective.
Thanks for all your work on Zotero—and for considering my request.
Offtopic: @xbarandiaran, then the Chinese eReaders from Onyx BOOX are the (to) only option. Where other eReaders write their own OS, Onyx BOOX addapts an (older) Android version. Due to their hard- and soft-ware setup, these devices can only be updated to a recent version of the same Android, but not upgraded to a newer Android version. However, you can use all Android apps on that device. Choose for a colour eInk reader, when you prefer colour. Also read into the disadvantaged of an eInk, because maybe a normal tablet is a better alternative. Source: I am a TabUltra user myself, with Zotero for Android on this device...
thanks @86ul, I need the colour for highlighting the pdf file, I use a specific colour-code that is very useful for me, B&W wouldn't work for me. I am currently using a normal iPad (an old one) but I don't find it very useful outdoors or in different circumstances. Also, extended battery life is important to me.
I recently started my PhD, and using Zotero from an Android tablet is a lifesaver for my long commutes. My heartfelt thanks! Once highlighting HTML and EPUB are supported, I can't wait to migrate my article-reading and book-reading apps to Zotero for Android. :)
For those using Boox eInk tablets, I wanted to share that recent Boox firmware (v3.5.3+, June 2024) includes a built-in Zotero integration that works without needing the Zotero Android app installed.
Setup (Takes 1 Minute): 1. Open Boox Library app → Tap cloud icon 2. Select Zotero → Bind your account 3. Enable all permissions when prompted
This uses NeoReader (Boox's eInk-optimized PDF reader) instead of generic Android readers, so it directly syncs highlights and annotations back to Zotero and is optimized for eink. It also works with your existing Zotero cloud storage.
There do seem to be limittstions. PDFs added via browser extension sometimes don't appear, sync ccasionally needs manual triggering, and drawings sync differently than annotations.
While the official Zotero Android app continues development, the native integration seems to offer an alternative that takes advantage of Boox's eInk-specific optimizations. In my mind it also suggests Boox has realized the use of eink in academic workflows and is working toward optimizing for that portion of the market.
There is a hack for Boox which allows fast input on apps such as Zotero which are not compiled against the onyx API mentioned before https://www.reddit.com/r/Onyx_Boox/comments/1fyj5nl/introducing_boox_rapid_draw_a_tool_for_improved/. This works quite well in the sense that you get an instant overlay preview of writing on any app. The problem is that the Android Zotero app then overly simplifies this pen input into straight strokes, unless one writes very very slowly. This was a problem with the Zotero iPad app also in the beginning and was later fixed. How is the pen experience with the S-Pen on Samsung tablets, for instance? Is fast and precise writing possible at the moment? My suspicion is that not, and so this is something that hopefully can be improved in future betas.
I think we are quite a lot of Zotero devoted people, that on a daily basis check Google play for openings in the beta test programme - always getting disappointed.
Instead of the eternal message that there's no open slots for testing, it would be very nice with some kind of preliminary timetable for when the app might be launched. This would be very much appreciated!
Agree with @christer.eld -- been waiting and checking since the beta was launched at the end of 2023. An approximate timeline would be useful and very much appreciated.
Same here, I've been checking the play store everyday...
I'm a PhD student heading into the "Read Everything™" phase of my thesis this summer. I'm considering investing in a Boox tablet specifically for this, as the idea of focused reading and annotation on e-ink is really appealing. However, the significant cost of those tablets makes seamless Zotero integration a must-have for it to be worthwhile.
The uncertainty around the Android app's release timeline is making this purchase decision difficult. Knowing if there's a possibility of the app being available before summer would be incredibly helpful in deciding whether to buy the tablet. Even a quick update on the timeline would be greatly appreciated as I plan my summer workflow. Thanks for all your work on this!
Hey, firstly thank you for this amazing application. I have been using Zotero for over 2 years now and it has helped me greatly in managing my literature.
Having said that, any update on when the Android application will be made available? Have been waiting for a while and would be great if I could read papers on my phone on the go. I am even willing to get a paid app if that helps speed up the release. Many thanks!
Upgrade Storage
Thank you for this great application that I use with pleasure.
I'd like to be able to read the PDFs in my collection, but they're not stored on the Zotero server, but in a local folder on my phone/tablet. Are there any plans to develop such an option?
Thank you in advance.
https://forums.zotero.org/discussion/comment/468028/#Comment_468028
I’ve relied on Zotero every day for the past 15 years—from my own doctoral work to supervising graduate research—and I actively promote it to every cohort of university students I teach.
I’m about to switch to an Android‑based e‑ink tablet as my primary reading device and would love to test the Zotero Android app so I can annotate PDFs in Zotero’s native reader, keep my library in sync, and (of course) report any bugs or UX issues I find. Having the official app on this tablet would also be a great showcase when I introduce Zotero to incoming students next semester.
If a tester slot opens up, I’d be grateful for the opportunity to join the beta and give feedback from both a heavy personal workflow and an instructional perspective.
Thanks for all your work on Zotero—and for considering my request.
Setup (Takes 1 Minute):
1. Open Boox Library app → Tap cloud icon
2. Select Zotero → Bind your account
3. Enable all permissions when prompted
This uses NeoReader (Boox's eInk-optimized PDF reader) instead of generic Android readers, so it directly syncs highlights and annotations back to Zotero and is optimized for eink. It also works with your existing Zotero cloud storage.
There do seem to be limittstions. PDFs added via browser extension sometimes don't appear, sync ccasionally needs manual triggering, and drawings sync differently than annotations.
While the official Zotero Android app continues development, the native integration seems to offer an alternative that takes advantage of Boox's eInk-specific optimizations. In my mind it also suggests Boox has realized the use of eink in academic workflows and is working toward optimizing for that portion of the market.
Instead of the eternal message that there's no open slots for testing, it would be very nice with some kind of preliminary timetable for when the app might be launched. This would be very much appreciated!
I'm a PhD student heading into the "Read Everything™" phase of my thesis this summer. I'm considering investing in a Boox tablet specifically for this, as the idea of focused reading and annotation on e-ink is really appealing. However, the significant cost of those tablets makes seamless Zotero integration a must-have for it to be worthwhile.
The uncertainty around the Android app's release timeline is making this purchase decision difficult. Knowing if there's a possibility of the app being available before summer would be incredibly helpful in deciding whether to buy the tablet. Even a quick update on the timeline would be greatly appreciated as I plan my summer workflow. Thanks for all your work on this!
Having said that, any update on when the Android application will be made available? Have been waiting for a while and would be great if I could read papers on my phone on the go. I am even willing to get a paid app if that helps speed up the release. Many thanks!