ADE in Android?

Report · Sep 01, 2009

Is it possible to read files protected with ADE on an Android phone? My local library has an ebook service, but they're all ADE ePub or PDF. I'd really like to borrow them. I have fbreader, but it won't touch Adobe's drm, obviously.

Suggestions?

Report · Apr 26, 2021

I know i was not crazy, I used to be able to read epub in my phone and android tabled few years back. Now it is not possible. I was like, how could it be? by ready your post I ralize that there was an update that mess us up. 😞 I just download the ADE in my mack and it finally open my epub attachment. Good luck and hope they put it back.

Report · Aug 14, 2010

another vote for Android support for Adobe Digital Editions..ive bought lots of book that are fine o

n my pc..but i want to read them on an andrioide pad...it should be possible - seeing as we pay

so much for the books

kindle have caved - come on adobe..pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease

Report · Sep 08, 2010

I recently discovered txtr, which supports epub books with ADE DRM. I say "discovered", but really I mean "noticed it on the list of supported devices/apps and gave it a try." Getting the books onto an android device is a little bit clunky, but once there, the books are readable.

To get the app/phone ready:

search for txtr in the market and install
start the app, go to the settings screen, and enter your adobe account details
also on the settings screen, select 'Sign up for free' to create a txtr account
close the app

To transfer books to the device:

plug the device into the computer with ADE
the device should now be recognized in ADE as a result of init step 2 above
use ADE to transfer the book(s) to the device, necessary to get the license onto the device
in a file browser, go to the Digital Editions folder and delete the book's epub file (txtr won't be able to find it)
safely disconnect the device from your computer
in a web browser, log in at www.txtr.com and upload the book(s) from wherever ADE put them on the computer (it's 'My Documents' for me)
now, finally, on the android device, open txtr, go to the 'archive' tab, select the collection where you uploaded the book(s)
download the book(s)
READ!

Like I said, getting books onto the phone along with a usable license is a pain. It would be nice if txtr could just find them in the 'Digital Editions' folder, since then you wouldn't need a txtr.com account or the extra upload/download steps. Still, this is the only method I've found that actually works for reading library books on my phone, and once you know the method, it's not that big a deal.

Report · Sep 09, 2010

Wow - thanks for the tip. I just tried it and it works great. I just downloaded a title

that I actually have in book format but thought it would be nice to have a portable version in case I get stuck somewhere and need to finish my book!

Report · Sep 15, 2010

I followed the instructions but my device is not being recognized in ADE. Did you connect your device as a disk drive or through HTC Sync (I have an EVO)?

Never mind. I mounted it as a drive and it recognized it.

Report · Sep 15, 2010

Sorry but I haven't tried anything else yet because everything I've read on

Adobe's site indicates the software isn't ready yet. I download from the

library so I'm most interested in the software that will allow me to

download from there. I'm assured it will be happening soon??? Hopefully by

end of year.

Report · Sep 15, 2010

I was very excited to hear about TXTR. I downloaded it to my Android, synchronized it with my main Adobe account through my laptop ADE. I then downloaded files from the library. My ADE on my laptop easily recognized my phone library and listed my 'droid' as a device. I then dragged and dropped the files over to my phone. When I click on a file, it asks me which of several programs should I use to open the file -- and I choose TXTR. Then it says "unable to read document'. I also can find no way of opening the file from within the TXTR. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Also was a little confusing when setting up because it asked a bunch of questions that I wasn't able to answer and it wanted an address and a credit card number -- but only gave me the option of 'Germany' as the country name.

Thanks

Report · Sep 18, 2010

Did you follow all of the directions in my post about txtr? My post points out that you won't be able to read the epub file that was transfered to the phone by ADE. You need to transfer the book in order to get the license onto the phone, but after that, the epub file itself is useless for txtr. Instead, you have to create an account at txtr.com and upload the epub from your computer running ADE to the txtr web site. After that, you can download the book from within txtr on your phone so that it can be read.

If you use the 'sign up for free account' option from the txtr settings menu, it does not ask for either an address or a credit card, so you may need to read my previous directions more carefully. If you are having trouble with one or more of the steps in my origin post, tell us which one and we might be able to help.

Report · Sep 20, 2010

I found that I was doing some things wrong (I was using the wrong site for TXTR, for instance)

but redid everything based on the step-by-step email by jitender.

However, once I got the book transferred to my phone through ADE and then independently

uploaded to the site and then downloaded to my phone, it still would

not work if it is from the library . However, I have made progress because it will read other

DRM books that I have purchased and it will read plain text books which I have uploaded.

I put in an order for the Velocity Cruz which is 7-inch screen Android ereader. It arrives

later this week so I will give an update on how it works. It has Android 2.1 (although my phone

now has 2.2). It appears that they have an independent android market and not the same one

as my phone uses.

Report · Sep 20, 2010

Thank you, perfect stop gap until something else comes along

Report · Oct 01, 2010

Thanks tons for getting me started with TXTR. I just thought I would add my slightly different experience in successfully transferring an ePUB from the library onto my phone (in this case, a Motorola Droid).

I started off the same way. I set up my TXTR account online and uploaded the ePUB file to TXTR. I also set up the TXTR app on my phone with my ADE account info. Now here's where things are a little different.

1. I downloaded the file onto my phone using TXTR. Once downloaded, DO NOT click "Read".

2. I connected my phone to my computer and activated it as a USB drive.

3. I opened Adobe Digital Editions and it recognized my phone as a device (for some reason it identified it as a Nook - maybe because I downloaded the app).

4. I clicked on my device in ADE to make sure my ePUB showed up as being on my device. This seems to be the only thing needed to activate permissions. I checked the item info, and the file ADE finds is located in the TXTR folder on my phone.

5. I then disconnected my phone as a USB device.

6. I loaded TXTR, found my book, and only then clicked "Read."

I don't know if this works for everyone, but I couldn't transfer the book to my device any other way. BTW - if you click "Read" before connecting to the computer and allowing ADE to find the book on your device first, something messes up (probably the DRM) and TXTR won't be able to read it. You'll have to delete the files on your phone and then redo the six steps.

Report · Oct 17, 2010

Any luck with DRM protected PDFs? PS, your advice on ePub files works great, Thanks a million! I am currently reading a library book on my Droid! I can not get the pdf that I checked out to load however. Maybe more steps or different steps? If anyone has advice, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!

Report · Oct 18, 2010

Nope. I haven't crossed that bridge yet. By and large, the ebooks through my public library are ePub, so I haven't had to wrestle with DRM PDF files for reading a book.

Report · Oct 19, 2010

good look

jitenderADE !!!!!!!!!!!!! worked perfected mane !!!!!! pdf file !!!! from ADE !! and im using he new G2 phone !! thanks again !! now i can go take a shit and read my ebooks lol

Report · Nov 24, 2010

FWIW

The method described by mwlieu is the method that I use now (i.e. upload to txtr, download to phone, connect phone to PC, open phone's copy of book using ADE, disconnect phone from PC, read book in txtr). The method that I previously described doesn't work reliably for me, but this method does. I frequently can't copy books from ADE to the phone, but I can always open a copy of the book that's on the phone from within ADE, and this seems to be enough to transfer the license information over to the phone. As mwlieu noted, you must not open the book in txtr until after opening it in ADE at least once.

For those who have been able to read books without ever getting ADE to recognize the phone as an ADE compatible device, are you certain that the epub you're reading really has DRM enabled? Have you tried reading the same epub file using the nook app? If it works in the nook app, then it probably doesn't have DRM, since the nook app doesn't support adobe DRM yet.

Report · Nov 24, 2010

I manage to access my DRM-files on my galaxy tab via txtr, but the fonts are really blurry - like there has been a reduction of quality due to compression or something. The ordinary pdf's appears as usual...

Others with that experience?

This is really annoying!

Report · Nov 26, 2010

Im currently reading a nook book on my android 2.1.

Im certain it has drm protection because I tried to change it in calibre and calibre told me that it was drm protected.

Report · Nov 28, 2010

Yes, a Nook book can be read with the Nook app on an android phone. Look at the original post and you'll see that it related to reading library books. epub library books with DRM can be read on an android phone using txtr, but they can't be read using the Nook software.

Report · Nov 28, 2010

Actually I have been able to read other ePUB books in my Nook app. The ones

from Aldiko can be transferred through the Adobe software. DRM books form

Kobo cannot.

Report · Nov 17, 2010

This method worked for me too, on a HTC Desire.

I so much wanted my favorite book on my phone, and now I have it, after purchasing as an ebook!

Thank you!

Report · Nov 19, 2010

I'm trying to follow jt's advice, but I have the following problems:

You say in WinPC #2 that ADE should see the device. Well I can't find a list of devices anywhere in ADE.
In case you meant that I can access the device from ADE during an Upload, fine, but depending on which Upload button I press, it limits the search to either (*.epub;*.pdf) or (documents), neither of which will allow access to my file, which is a .acsm file I downloaded as I purchased an ebook from Pengiun Group.

I thought acsm files were the DRM versions of epub files, but I guess I've got something to learn there. I can read vanilla epub files on my EVO with any of a number of reader apps.

I dragged the acsm file into the Purchased bookshelf in ADE, and it took it fine; it's sitting on the shelf now, and I can read it in ADE. (I already could read it in the Sony Reader Library WinPC app, as well.)

It seems to that the Adobe Reader Android app would support ADE and acsm files, but I can't tell that it does.

So, how does all this work with acsm files, and what am I missing, if anything, about ADE recognizing my EVO?

-bc

Report · Nov 20, 2010

Hi IMoPerfect

The way it works on my Windows 7 setup is:

Make sure you have txtr set up on your phone properly as per jitenderADE's message - in 'Settings' make sure you have 'Login Adobe Account' verified.
Import the book into ADE - for me .acsm is a link to the book, which is actually either a .pdf or .epub.
When my phone is plugged in I choose this setting on my phone - "Disk Drive" so it is recognized like a USB drive by Windows. A Windows 'AutoPlay' dialog box opens showing it as a "Removable Disk (#)' and I choose 'Open folder to view files'.
Then in ADE go to the 'Library View' - you will see 'All Items', 'Borrowed', 'Purchased' & 'Recently Read'. Under this you should see your phone - EVO.
Transfer the book, which should be viewed by clicking on 'All Items' to your phone. You simply click on the book and drag it to the side pain and let go when it is above the name of your phone - EVO.
Then click on the name of your device - EVO to make sure it was put on your phone.
Follow jitenderADE's advice. Use the Windows folder view of the contents of your phone to find the Digital Edition folder on your phone - to delete the file you transferred within ADE to your phone.
Etc etc.

Hope this helps!

Report · Nov 20, 2010

Thanks, Pieter. It is helpful.

Make sure you have txtr set up on your phone properly as per jitenderADE's message - in 'Settings' make sure you have 'Login Adobe Account' verified.

Check. Same name and password as ADE.
Import the book into ADE - for me .acsm is a link to the book, which is actually either a .pdf or .epub.

Check. Again, none of the Upload buttons allowed me to access a .acsm file. Dunno why I didn't try simple drag/drop; it worked just fine.
When my phone is plugged in I choose this setting on my phone - "Disk Drive" so it is recognized like a USB drive by Windows. A Windows 'AutoPlay' dialog box opens showing it as a "Removable Disk (#)' and I choose 'Open folder to view files'.

Check. No autoplay for me, but I can open the EVO as a drive with Win Explorer. If that didn't work, I think DropBox would be another way to simplify the transfer.
Then in ADE go to the 'Library View' - you will see 'All Items', 'Borrowed', 'Purchased' & 'Recently Read'. Under this you should see your phone - EVO.

Uncheck. I also have 'Free stuff', 'Fiction', and 'Nonfiction'. But nothing but black below that -- no devices. Never used ADE before, and the Help file doesn't talk about seeing devices, so I didn't know where to look. Thanks.
Transfer the book, which should be viewed by clicking on 'All Items' to your phone. You simply click on the book and drag it to the side pain and let go when it is above the name of your phone - EVO.

Check, but not your way. I couldn't do it your way, cuz my device isn't listed, so nowhere to drop after dragging. Tried dragging to a Win Explorer window, but ADE won't let the mouse pointer leave its window while dragging. It's a Check, cuz once I found the .epub file in the My Digital Editions folder, I uploaded to my txtr web account. I expected to have license problems, since I couldn't do the device transfer from ADE jitenderADE talked about. BUT, I pressed Archive, there it was, I touched it, and now I'm reading my book!
Then click on the name of your device - EVO to make sure it was put on your phone.

Uncheck, per the above.
Follow jitenderADE's advice. Use the Windows folder view of the contents of your phone to find the Digital Edition folder on your phone - to delete the file you transferred within ADE to your phone.

Uncheck. no epubs or much of anything else in my Digital Editions folder on my phone -- mostly png files.
Etc etc.

So, dunno why no devices are listed in ADE, though my phone shows a USB icon and Win Explorer sees it and works with it fine. And dunno why I can read my book on my phone without ever doing any transfer to the phone by ADE. But at least I'm reading!

Thanks again, Pieter.

-mo

Report · Jan 26, 2011

@jitenderADE: post 21. Sep 8, 2010 1:07 PM

Just wanted to say a big thankyou for your post - saved me a lot of time and effort - followed your instructions, worked perfectly on the Galaxy Tab

Report · Jan 27, 2011

Aldiko now has 2.0 available. It now allows for reading PDF protected books from the library. It is much easier to load a book onto Aldiko then Txtr. First you need to go into Aldiko to log into Adobe Digital Editions and register the device. Then download the book onto a computer with ADE, plug in your device and use ADE to transfer the book. Finally you open Aldiko, choose the SD card option, and find the book in your Digital Editions folder on your device.

I did play with both Txtr and Aldiko 2.0, and I am a little disapointed with the features missing from Aldiko that Txtr has. In Aldiko, if you resize a page for easier reading, the page setting does not save when you turn the page. It also does not "lock" the page, so when scrolling down a page it tends to shift sideways. Regardless, the ease of loading books to Aldiko wins out.

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