Cover Guide
Set covers for your books to make your bookshelf and lists more visually appealing. You can set covers using file selection, camera capture, or Google Image Search.
How to Set a Cover
In the book edit screen, you'll find a button next to the "Cover" field.
Tap this button to open a dialog where you can choose how to set the image:
- Choose from files — Select a photo or image saved on your device
- Take a photo — Photograph the book cover directly with your camera (shown only on camera-capable devices)
- Search on Google Images — Find a cover using Google Image Search
You can also type or paste a URL directly into the cover field.
File Selection / Camera Capture
This is the most reliable method for keeping your covers permanently.
Steps
- In the book edit screen, tap the button next to the cover field
-
Choose your image source:
- Choose from files — Select an image from your device's gallery or folders
- Take a photo — Launch the camera to photograph the book cover directly
- The image is automatically resized and a preview appears in the cover field
- The save button will start blinking — don't forget to save!
Where Images Are Stored
Selected images are automatically saved to the best location based on your environment:
| Environment | Storage | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Google Drive connected | Google Drive | No impact on rfnote file size. Most reliable — recommended |
| PC (no Drive) | Same folder as rfnote | Saved as a local image file. Auto-uploaded when saving to Drive |
| Mobile (no Drive) | Inside rfnote file (base64) | Increases file size. Confirmation dialog shown before saving |
With Google Drive connected, covers are automatically saved to the cloud. You can add images without worrying about file size.
Covers saved locally on your PC are automatically uploaded to Drive when you save the rfnote to Google Drive. After upload, the local image file is deleted and the path is updated to the Drive location.
Search on Google Images
Useful for PC users without a camera or when you want to find a clean cover.
Steps
- In the book edit screen, tap the button next to the cover field, then select Search on Google Images
- A usage guide appears. After reading it, tap OK to open Google Image Search in a new tab
-
When you find a cover:
- PC: Right-click the image → "Copy image address"
- Mobile: Long-press the image → "Copy image address"
- Return to Reading Forest and paste the URL into the cover field
- If a preview appears, you're all set. Press the save button to finish
External image URLs may become broken at any time due to server-side changes. If loading fails, a server-side proxy will automatically attempt to retrieve the image, but this may not always succeed.
To keep the image reliably, save it to your device first, then use the button to set it. This stores the image in your own storage, eliminating the risk of broken links.
If the Image Doesn't Load
If the pasted URL doesn't display an image, a server-side proxy will automatically attempt to retrieve it. If it still doesn't load, possible causes include:
| Cause | Solution |
|---|---|
| The image server blocks external access | Save the image to your device and use the button to set it |
| The URL is incorrect | Make sure you used "Copy image address" |
| The image has been deleted | Search for the image on a different site |
Enter URL Directly
If you already have the cover URL, you can type or paste it directly into the cover field.
When a valid image URL is entered, a preview will be shown. If the image cannot be loaded, an error message will appear.
Automatic Broken Link Detection
When you open an rfnote file, external URL covers (https://...) are automatically checked in the background to verify they're still accessible.
When Broken Links Are Found
- A toast notification "N covers have broken links" appears at the bottom of the screen
- Tap "View details" to see a modal listing all affected books
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For each book, you can:
- Search on Google Images — Find a replacement cover
- Remove URL — Clear the broken URL
Only external URL images (https://...) are checked. Images stored on Google Drive, locally, or embedded as base64 are not checked. The check runs only once per session (closing the tab or browser resets this, so the check will run again next time you open a file).
Exporting Local Image Paths
If you have covers saved locally on your PC, you can export a list of file names as a text file. This helps when migrating your rfnote to another PC — you'll know exactly which image files to copy along with it.
If you're connected to Google Drive, local images are automatically uploaded when saving to Drive, so this export feature isn't needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I set a cover but it wasn't saved
A: After setting a cover, the save button should be blinking. Tap the blinking button to save. Setting a cover alone does not save it yet.
Q: I got a warning about "saving image in base64 format"
A: This appears when you select an image on mobile without Google Drive connected. The image data is embedded directly in the rfnote file, increasing its size.
If you later connect to Google Drive and save to the cloud, both embedded and locally saved images are automatically uploaded to Google Drive. For embedded images, they are removed from the rfnote file, restoring it to its original size.
* Even if Google Drive is connected, images are not uploaded when saving the rfnote locally. This keeps the file and its cover images in the same location, so you never end up with a file that can't display its covers.
Q: A Google Image Search result says "Could not load this image"
A: Images from servers that block external access may not load. Try the following:
1. A different image
2. Save the image to your device, then use the button to the right of the cover area to set it
Q: A cover I set before is no longer showing
A: If you set a cover using a URL from the web, it can become a broken link if the source server removes the image. You will be notified of broken links when opening the file, so you can set a different image.
Setting an image from your device using the button to the right of the cover area eliminates the risk of broken links.
Q: How large are the cover files?
A: Uploaded images are automatically resized if the longer side exceeds 300 pixels (aspect ratio is preserved). They are converted to WebP at 80% quality, typically a few tens of KB each. Images smaller than 300 pixels are stored at their original size.
Q: How do I remove a cover?
A: Clear the text in the "Cover" field on the book edit screen and tap "OK". Don't forget to save after making the change.