Penny 2.0 comes out on October 21. It's the biggest update since Penny launched this spring, and most of what's in it started as a message from someone who reads with Penny.
Four looks, each with its own icon
Classic is the warm orange Penny you already know, and it stays exactly as it is for everyone who likes it. Paper is the quiet one, like ink on paper. Pond is sky and water, and when your phone is in dark mode it turns into Pond Dusk, a deep blue version for reading at night. Then there's Bloom, all hibiscus pink and stickers. Bloom is my favorite.
When you switch looks, the app icon and your Home Screen widgets change with it. You'll find the looks in Settings, under Appearance.
Five more languages
Penny is now translated into German, French, Italian, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese. That includes the widgets and the Lock Screen timer, and dates and numbers follow the language too.
By default Penny uses your phone's language. If you'd rather keep your phone in one language and Penny in another, open Settings, go to Appearance, then Language, and pick the one you want. It switches right away.
A bookshelf on your Home Screen
The new Bookshelf widget shows your finished books as spines on a wall shelf. Each spine takes its color from the book's cover, with a title color picked so you can read it. The books you're reading lean at the end of the shelf with a bookmark in them.
It comes in small, medium and large, and each look dresses the shelf a little differently. Tap it and Penny opens your Finished shelf.
Bookstore mode
This one came from an App Store review. A reader wrote that Penny keeps them from buying books they already have, so I gave the scanner a second mode called Do I own it? Scan a barcode in a shop and Penny tells you if the book is in your library, if you have a different edition, or if it's on your wishlist. If it's new to you, you can save it to the Wishlist for later (that part is Premium).
Previously on…
When you come back to a book after five days or more, Penny shows a short recap before you start: the page you stopped on, your last note, the characters you added and the terms from your glossary. You can hide it with one tap. Previously on… is part of Premium.
Smaller things
- After every session you get a recap with your minutes, pages, streak and week, plus a card you can share if you want to.
- The daily reading reminder is free for everyone now.
- When you finish a book, Penny celebrates with you and asks for a quick rating. There's a card for the book too.
- New readers get a friendlier first launch, where they pick a look, a goal, a reminder time and their first book.
The update is free. If you already have Penny, it shows up like any other update. If you don't, get Penny now and 2.0 will be there for you on October 21.