How to build a reading tracker app for iOS
What a reading tracker app needs
- A library where books have a status: want to read, currently reading, or finished
- Book search by title or ISBN through a metadata API, so users do not type everything by hand
- Progress tracking by page or percent, with reading sessions and dates
- A reading goal, for example books per year, with a streak and progress
- Stats such as pages read, time spent, and genre breakdowns
- Per-book ratings and notes, plus a widget for the current book and goal
The friction to beat is data entry. Search and ISBN scanning are what make logging a book take seconds instead of a minute.
How to build it with AppFlight
Describe it in plain English, for example: "A reading tracker where I add books by searching the title or scanning the ISBN, then shelve them as want to read, reading, or finished. I update my progress by page, set a yearly reading goal, rate and note each book, and see stats on pages and genres. Show a widget with my current book and goal progress." AppFlight plans the screens, generates native SwiftUI, and launches it in a live simulator so you can add a book and update progress immediately. Connect a book metadata API for search, and you iterate by asking for changes in plain language.
Monetization for a reading tracker app
The standard model is a free tier with a paid upgrade. Free users track a limited shelf; the subscription unlocks unlimited books, detailed reading stats, custom goals, themes, and cross-device sync. Add a RevenueCat paywall for subscriptions, and use Superwall if you want to test paywall designs without shipping an update. One consideration specific to this niche: book search and cover images come from a metadata source, so check the terms of the API you pick, since some limit how you cache or display covers.
Shipping it to the App Store
When the app is ready, AppFlight signs the build, uploads to TestFlight so you can log real books on your own device, then submits to the App Store with metadata and screenshots from the simulator. If Apple rejects the build, AppFlight reads the reason, fixes the issue, and resubmits. Apple reviews every app, so a submission is not the same as an approval, but the whole pipeline runs without you opening Xcode.
FAQ
Do I need to code to build a reading tracker app?
No. You describe the app in plain English and AppFlight generates native Swift and SwiftUI for the library, progress tracking, and stats screens.
Can I add books by searching instead of typing everything?
Yes. You connect a book metadata API so users can search by title or scan an ISBN to pull in the cover and details. AppFlight builds the app around the API you choose.
How do reading tracker apps make money?
Most use a free tier with a subscription that unlocks unlimited books, detailed reading stats, goals, and sync. A RevenueCat paywall is the common setup.