A complete guide to the OverDrive app for Chromebook
When you open the OverDrive app for the first time, you'll be prompted to sign in.
You can sign into the OverDrive app with:
- An OverDrive account, which lets you sign into the OverDrive app on multiple devices and authorize Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) on a computer.
- A library card, which lets you sign into the OverDrive app on multiple devices, but not ADE on a computer.
Note: The library card sign-in option is supported for most libraries, but not all. - The under-13 or school option, which lets you use the OverDrive app on a single device and does not allow you to authorize ADE.
To download ebooks on multiple devices, sign into the OverDrive app the same way on each device you plan to use.
- In the OverDrive app, select the icon in the top-left corner to open the Home menu.
- Select Manage libraries.
- Select the to search for your library.
- Enter your library's name, city, or postal code in the search box, then select Search.
- Select your library, then select the to save its OverDrive collection to your library list. From here, you can also tap the library's name to start browsing right away.
Saved libraries appear in the Home menu above "Manage libraries."
- Open a saved library in the OverDrive app.
- Find an available title in your library's collection and select Borrow.
Or, click or tap the title's jacket to open its details page and learn more about it.
If prompted, sign into your library. - Choose a lending period for the title (if available).
Then, select Borrow again. - After you borrow the title, you can:
- Select Read now with Kindle (U.S. only) to go to Amazon's website and send the book to your Kindle or Kindle reading app.
- Download EPUB ebooks and MP3 audiobooks to your app Bookshelf.
- Some titles (like magazines and read-along ebooks) can only be read in your web browser. For these titles, select Read now in browser to be taken out of the app and into your Chrome browser to read them. These titles are not added to your Bookshelf in the OverDrive app.
- Close the pop-up window to keep browsing and borrowing.
To see all of your borrowed titles, click or tap at any time to go to your Loans page.
- Select Read now with Kindle (U.S. only) to go to Amazon's website and send the book to your Kindle or Kindle reading app.
Borrowed titles don't automatically appear on your Bookshelf in the OverDrive app.
You'll need to manually add titles to your Bookshelf from the Loans section of your library:
- Open your library in the OverDrive app.
- Click or tap to go to your Loans page.
- Select Download next to a title.
- Select the menu icon in the top-left corner to go back to the app Bookshelf, then tap Bookshelf.
Note: Some titles (like read-alongs) can't be downloaded to the OverDrive app. Instead, you can open these titles in your device's web browser. These titles won't be added to your Bookshelf.
Once you've borrowed and downloaded an audiobook in the OverDrive app, select the Home menu in the top-left corner of the app, go to your Bookshelf, then click or tap the audiobook to start listening.
How to use the audiobook player:
Audiobook player options (based on the numbered image above) include:
- Return to Bookshelf
- Settings
- Add a bookmark
- Title menu (includes an overview, table of contents, and saved bookmarks)
- Sleep timer
- Play speed
- Volume boost toggle
Every audiobook sounds a little different, so you may need to adjust the volume boost for each one. Follow the steps below to increase or decrease the volume boost level.
- Open an audiobook from the app bookshelf.
- Select to turn on volume boost. When volume boost is on, the icon will look like this: .
- Select .
- Select Advanced settings.
- Adjust the boost level with the plus and minus signs under "When volume boost is enabled...".
Once you've borrowed and downloaded an ebook in the OverDrive app, go to your app Bookshelf, then click or tap the ebook to start reading.
In the reader:
- To move forward or backward in the book: To go to the next page, click or tap the right side of the screen.
To go to the previous page, click or tap the left side of the screen. - To look up a word in the dictionary: Click or tap and hold a word, then select the magnifying glass. You can also look it up on Wikipedia using the drop-down menu below the search field.
- To open a hyperlink: Click or tap and hold the link.
- To see your progress and access more reader options: Click or tap the middle of the screen.
Reader options (based on the numbered image above) include:- Return to Bookshelf
- Settings
- Add a bookmark
- Title menu (includes an overview, table of contents, and saved bookmarks)
- Reading progress
- Install one of the dictionary apps from Google Play (like Livio or ColorDict) or the Amazon App Store (like Livio).
Note: If you choose Livio, you'll need to use one of their offline dictionaries (English, Spanish, French, Italian, or German). The OverDrive app will not recognize Livio's "Online Dictionary" app. - Launch the dictionary app so it can index (load all the words and definitions). If prompted, select OK to continue.
- Exit the dictionary app.
Then, when reading an ebook in the OverDrive app, you can:
- Click or tap and hold a word.
- Select , then Define (Dictionary name) to define the word in your offline dictionary.
Titles you've borrowed are automatically returned at the end of their lending periods. However, if you finish titles before then, you can return them early.
To return a title:
- From your app bookshelf, click or tap and hold a title to display its return options.
- Select Return to library. The title will be returned to your library and deleted from your device.
- Click or tap the icon in the top-left corner to open your Home menu.
- Select Manage libraries.
- Click or tap the trash icon next to the library you want to delete.
- A complete guide to the OverDrive app for Chromebook
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