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what is glassreader fr?

ifuchen113/glassreader — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

32SwiftAudience · generalComplexity · 1/5LicenseSetup · easy

tl;dr

A free, native Mac app for reading local comics, PDFs, images, and password-protected archives, with tabs, progress memory, and manga-style page modes.

vibe map

mindmap
  root((GlassReader))
    What it does
      Local file reader
      Comics PDFs images archives
      No account needed
    Tech stack
      Swift
      SwiftUI
      AppKit
    Use cases
      Read comic archives
      View PDFs offline
      Browse image collections
      Open password-protected zips
    Audience
      Mac users
      Comic readers
      Privacy conscious users
    Requirements
      macOS 14 or later
      Apple Silicon only

Code map

Detail Auto

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filefunction / class

what do people make with this?

VIBE 1

Read CBZ, ZIP, RAR, or 7Z comic archives, including password-protected ones, on a Mac.

VIBE 2

View PDF documents and common image formats without uploading them anywhere.

VIBE 3

Keep multiple books or comics open in tabs with reading progress remembered per file.

VIBE 4

Read manga in right-to-left page order with a dedicated display mode.

what's the stack?

SwiftSwiftUIAppKit

how it stacks up fr

ifuchen113/glassreaderarinltte/lucebleeeet/termipet
Stars323133
LanguageSwiftSwiftSwift
Setup difficultyeasyeasyeasy
Complexity1/51/53/5
Audiencegeneralgeneraldeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

how do i run it?

Difficulty · easy time til it works · 5min

Requires an Apple Silicon Mac running macOS 14 or later, download the app from Releases and move it to Applications.

You can use and share it freely, but any modified or redistributed version must also stay open source under the same GPL license.

in plain english

GlassReader is a free, open source Mac application for reading files that already sit on your own computer. It handles comics, PDFs, plain images, and compressed archive files, all through a clean native window built with Apple's own SwiftUI and AppKit tools rather than a wrapped web page. On the file side it can open individual files, whole folders, or drag and drop items straight into the window. It reads ZIP, CBZ, RAR, and 7Z archives, including ones protected with a password, along with PDF documents and common image formats such as JPG, PNG, WebP, GIF, BMP, TIFF, and HEIC. For actually reading, it offers single page and double page layouts, standard left to right order or manga style right to left order, and five ways to fit an image on screen including fit to width, original size, and a smart fit option. You can keep several files open in tabs, and the app remembers which tabs were open, how far you had read into each file, and which page mode and direction you last used for it, so reopening a file picks up where you left off. Other conveniences include reading history with a private browsing mode you can turn on to avoid logging anything, a favorites list toggled with a star button, thumbnail previews for jumping straight to a page, mouse and keyboard and scroll wheel navigation, a slideshow with automatic page turning, and both a standard fullscreen mode and an immersive fullscreen mode with a floating toolbar and progress bar. The interface is translated into Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, Russian, French, German, and Spanish, and the app can be registered with macOS as an option in the system's Open With menu for supported file types. No account or sign in is required. All favorites, history, progress, and preferences stay stored locally on your Mac. Archive passwords are kept only for the length of the current app session so a reopened archive does not ask again, and the developer states passwords are not intentionally sent anywhere. It requires macOS 14.0 or later and an Apple Silicon Mac, and is downloaded as a ready to run app from the project's Releases page. It is licensed under the GNU General Public License Version 3.0.

prompts (copy fr)

prompt 1
Walk me through installing GlassReader on my Mac from the Releases page.
prompt 2
What archive and image formats does GlassReader support?
prompt 3
How do I switch GlassReader into manga-style right-to-left reading mode?
prompt 4
Does GlassReader require an internet connection or an account to use?

Frequently asked questions

what is glassreader fr?

A free, native Mac app for reading local comics, PDFs, images, and password-protected archives, with tabs, progress memory, and manga-style page modes.

What language is glassreader written in?

Mainly Swift. The stack also includes Swift, SwiftUI, AppKit.

What license does glassreader use?

You can use and share it freely, but any modified or redistributed version must also stay open source under the same GPL license.

How hard is glassreader to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is glassreader for?

Mainly general.

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