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READING DIARY

How the tracker finder decides, and what it will not tell you

A short look under the hood, with three example readers worked through from our own data.

Short answer

Each finder answer checks one fact on every app's library card, and apps are ordered by how many of your answers they match. There are no scores and no weights, so an app that matches six answers is not 'better' than one that matches five, only closer to what you asked for. Three example readers below show how the order changes with the reader.

By The Shelf Desk · Published 2026-10-08 · App facts read September 2026, updated 2026-10-11 · 2 min read

  • Method

What does the finder check?

Seven questions, each tied to one fact: the format you read, your phone, whether you want goals or stats, how social you want to be, how much the privacy label matters, how you want to pay, and whether you often lose the thread of a book. Some answers narrow nothing, such as 'A subscription is fine', so they are not counted.

What do the stamps mean?

Every fact on a library card has one of three stamps. On record means the app's own listing, website or help pages describe it. Not offered means those pages say it is absent. Not in our sources means we did not find it, which is not the same as absent. The finder counts On record as a match and lists the other two separately, so you can see the difference.

How are apps ordered?

By the number of matches, then by fewer Not offered results, then alphabetically. That is all. There are no weights, so no answer counts more than another.

Example 1: an audiobook listener who loses the thread

This reader listens, uses an iPhone, does not care about stats or clubs, does not want a subscription, and often puts books down. Three answers count.

Answers: Format: Audiobooks; Device: iPhone; Goals and stats: Not really; Social: Keep my reading private; Privacy label: Not a deciding factor; Paying: No subscription; Picking back up: Yes, often
AppMatches
Magic Bookmark3 of 3
Fable2 of 3
Goodreads2 of 3
Literal2 of 3
The StoryGraph2 of 3
Basmo1 of 3
BookBuddy1 of 3
Bookly1 of 3
Hardcover1 of 3

Magic Bookmark matches all three because it finds your place from the last phrase you heard and uses per-book credits with no subscription. It would drop quickly if this reader also wanted goals or clubs.

Example 2: a print reader in a club, on Android

This reader reads paper books, uses Android, wants stats, reads with a club, avoids apps whose label lists tracking, and wants to pay nothing. Six answers count.

Answers: Format: Print books; Device: Android; Goals and stats: Yes, goals, streaks or stats; Social: Clubs or buddy reads; Privacy label: Avoid apps whose label lists data used to track me; Paying: Nothing; Picking back up: Rarely
AppMatches
Goodreads6 of 6
The StoryGraph6 of 6
Literal5 of 6, 1 not offered
Hardcover4 of 6
Fable4 of 6, 1 not offered
BookBuddy4 of 6, 2 not offered
Basmo3 of 6, 2 not offered
Bookly3 of 6, 2 not offered
Magic Bookmark1 of 6, 5 not offered

Here the club-friendly, free, Android trackers lead, and Magic Bookmark has the most Not offered results, because it has no stats, clubs or Android app and each book needs a credit.

Example 3: a mixed-format reader who wants stats and some social

This reader mixes formats, wants a web version, wants stats and some social features, and avoids tracking labels. Five answers count.

Answers: Format: A mix of formats; Device: I want a web version too; Goals and stats: Yes, goals, streaks or stats; Social: Some: follows, friends or shared reads; Privacy label: Avoid apps whose label lists data used to track me; Paying: A subscription is fine; Picking back up: Rarely
AppMatches
Goodreads5 of 5
Literal5 of 5
The StoryGraph5 of 5
Hardcover4 of 5
Fable4 of 5, 1 not offered
BookBuddy2 of 5
Basmo2 of 5, 1 not offered
Bookly2 of 5, 1 not offered
Magic Bookmark1 of 5, 3 not offered

What will the finder not tell you?

  • Whether you will enjoy using an app. We did not test the apps hands-on.
  • Anything an app does but does not publish. Those show as Not in our sources.
  • Prices outside the US App Store or the app's own site, or changes after our last update on 2026-10-11.

Where do the facts come from?

From the library cards, which come from each app's store listing, website and help pages, each with a source link. How profiles work has the full method.

Sources