Glossary
Reading words: a plain glossary for bookmark apps
Plain definitions of the words you will meet on this site and in app listings: how places are saved, how stories are remembered, and how apps charge and handle your data. Each term links to the lesson or page that uses it.
A
Audiobook timestamp
The time position an audiobook player saves, such as 6 hours 10 minutes. It does not match a page in print.
Related: Audiobooks
B
Barcode scanning
Adding a book by pointing the phone camera at the barcode on the back cover, which holds the ISBN.
Related: ISBN
Bookmark Credit
Magic Bookmark's unit of payment: one credit covers one book. Credits are sold in packs and never expire.
Related: Magic Bookmark
BookTok
The community of readers sharing books on TikTok. Magic Bookmark focuses its supported titles on books popular there.
Related: Magic Bookmark
Buddy read
Two or more people reading the same book at the same time and discussing it as they go. The StoryGraph ties buddy-read reactions to parts of the book.
Related: The StoryGraph
C
Cast list
A list of the people in a story and how they are connected. A spoiler-free cast list only shows what you have reached.
Related: Who is who
Chapter marker
A chapter boundary used as a rough place. Useful, but a long chapter is not an exact place.
Related: What a smart bookmark does
D
Data linked to you
In Apple's privacy labels, data the developer says is connected to your identity, such as your account or device.
Related: Privacy label
Data safety section
Google Play's equivalent of a privacy label: what the developer says it collects and shares.
Related: Fable
Data used to track you
In Apple's privacy labels, data the developer says is used to follow you across other companies' apps and websites. It scores lowest on our privacy criterion.
Related: How we rate
Did not finish (DNF)
A shelf or status for books you stopped reading. Goodreads announced a Did Not Finish shelf in March 2026.
Related: Goodreads
Dog-ear
Folding down the corner of a page to mark your place. The name of this site's design.
Related: Print books
E
E-reader
A device made for reading ebooks, such as a Kobo. It keeps your place on the device itself.
Related: E-reader sync
Exact place
The precise point you stopped: a page and line in print, or a phrase in audio. Our highest-weighted criterion.
Related: How we rate
F
Free tier
The part of an app you can use without paying. Most apps here have one.
Related: Pay per book or subscribe
H
Highlight
A passage you mark to keep. Some apps save highlights from printed pages by camera.
Related: Notes and highlights
Highlight scanner
A camera feature that captures text you mark on a printed page. Basmo lists one.
Related: Basmo
I
In-app purchase
Something bought inside an app after download, such as a subscription or a credit pack. App Store listings show them.
Related: Pay per book or subscribe
ISBN
International Standard Book Number, the identifier printed on a book's barcode. Different editions and formats have different ISBNs.
Related: Barcode scanning
K
Kindle highlights
Passages marked in Kindle ebooks. Basmo and Fable list Kindle imports.
Related: Basmo
L
Library loan
A book borrowed from a library, in print, ebook or audio. Magic Bookmark says it works with library loans of physical books and audiobooks.
Related: Magic Bookmark
P
Page photo
A photo of the page you are on, used by Magic Bookmark to find your exact place in a supported title.
Related: Print books
Privacy label
The App Privacy section of an App Store listing, written by the developer, describing data collected and how it is used.
Related: How we rate
Progress sync
Your reading progress sent automatically from one device or app to another, such as Kobo to The StoryGraph.
Related: E-reader sync
R
Reading journal
Notes written about a book as you read it. Basmo and The StoryGraph each offer one.
Related: Notes and highlights
Reading session
One sitting of reading, from start to stop. Timer apps log each session.
Related: Bookly
Reading timer
A timer you start when you read; the app logs time and pages for the session. Bookly is built around one.
Related: Bookly
Recap
A reminder of what has happened in a story so far. Safe only if it stops at your place.
Related: After a long break
S
Supported title
A book an app knows in detail, such as the titles Magic Bookmark can sync to. Other books are not covered until added.
Related: Magic Bookmark
W
Weighted score
A total where each criterion counts by a set percentage. Ours are published on How we rate.
Related: How we rate