Access Your Library Anywhere
With Google Drive integration, access the same books from your PC, tablet, or smartphone
Cloud Feature Benefits
Cloud Sharing
Share reading progress and notes across devices
Multi-Device
Continue reading from any device
Secure Backup
Protect your important books in the cloud
Save Storage
Store files without worrying about device space
Prerequisites: Google Drive Integration
To use the Open from Cloud feature, you first need to connect to Google Drive.
- Open Settings and select the "File" tab, then scroll to the "Google Drive Integration" section
- Click the "Connect to Google Drive" button
- Log in with your Google account and grant access
For detailed setup instructions, see the Cloud Settings Guide.
How to Open
From Menu
[File]→[Open]→[Google Drive]
* Opens file selection dialog
Keyboard Shortcut
* Opens storage selection dialog
Steps to Open
- Click [File]→[Open] (or press )
- From the submenu, select "Google Drive"
- Google Drive authentication dialog may appear
- The Google Drive file list will appear
- Double-click folders to navigate, click files to select
- Select the file you want to open and click the "Open" button
- The file will be downloaded and opened automatically
File Selection Dialog Example
Open from Cloud
Connected to Google Drive
My Drive / Reading Forest / Novels
Technical Books
2026/01/15
Reference Materials
2026/01/10
Programming Basics.rfnote
2026/01/20
Reading Logs.rfnote
2026/01/18
Study Notes.rfnote
2026/01/12
Same-Name File Confirmation Dialog
If a file with the same name already exists on your local side and is newer or larger than the one on Google Drive, a confirmation dialog appears (with Auto Sync enabled).
- Cancel — Abort opening the file
- Open from Local — Open the local copy instead of the Drive copy
- Open from Google Drive — Continue opening the Drive copy
When does this appear?
For example, if you edited a Drive file from your phone on the go and then try to open a different cloud file at home without updating the local one, this dialog helps you avoid accidentally opening the older copy.
For example, if you edited a Drive file from your phone on the go and then try to open a different cloud file at home without updating the local one, this dialog helps you avoid accidentally opening the older copy.
Size and modification time
The dialog shows file size (with the exact byte count) and modification time for both sides. The newer side gets a "Newer" badge, the larger side gets a "Larger" badge. For files that are properly synced, both sides match and no badges appear.
The dialog shows file size (with the exact byte count) and modification time for both sides. The newer side gets a "Newer" badge, the larger side gets a "Larger" badge. For files that are properly synced, both sides match and no badges appear.
File Information Display
When you open a file from Google Drive, the file information is displayed in the header area.
Programming Basics.rfnote
https://drive.google.com/file/d/xxx.../
- Filename - Displayed prominently in the header
- Book (Work) Count & Timestamp - Shows total books (works) and last modified date
- File Location - Google Drive URL shown small and subtle with icon
File Location Indicator
The icon indicates the file is stored in Google Drive, while a icon indicates local storage.
The icon indicates the file is stored in Google Drive, while a icon indicates local storage.
Helpful Tips
Organize with Folders
Create folders in Google Drive to organize your books. Reading Forest will display the same folder structure.
Create folders in Google Drive to organize your books. Reading Forest will display the same folder structure.
Bookshelf Feature
With paid plans, enabling the "Bookshelf" feature automatically adds opened files to your bookshelf for quick access next time.
With paid plans, enabling the "Bookshelf" feature automatically adds opened files to your bookshelf for quick access next time.
Offline Notice
You cannot open files from the cloud without an internet connection. If you want to read offline, save the file locally beforehand.
You cannot open files from the cloud without an internet connection. If you want to read offline, save the file locally beforehand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use cloud services other than Google Drive?
Currently, Reading Forest only supports Google Drive. Support for Dropbox, OneDrive, etc. is being considered for the future.
Currently, Reading Forest only supports Google Drive. Support for Dropbox, OneDrive, etc. is being considered for the future.
Q: My files are not showing
Reading Forest can only open reading log files (.rfnote). Also, please check your Google Drive permission settings.
Reading Forest can only open reading log files (.rfnote). Also, please check your Google Drive permission settings.