iPhone Free iPhone + Apple Watch page-turner remote for Kobo eReaders

[jeffchimney]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share a small project I’ve been working on that might be useful to some Kobo/Boox readers here.

I built a free iPhone app called eMote that acts as a page-turner remote for Kobo eReaders (should work for any bluetooth-enabled reader like Boox and others as well). Your phone connects to the Kobo over Bluetooth, and you can turn pages without touching the device itself. I mostly use it for reading in bed and on the treadmill... .

Recently I also added an Apple Watch companion app, so you can turn pages directly from the watch with a tap or gesture.

A few notes up front:
• It's completely free
• No ads
• No account required
• Optional tip jar (never prompted)

It doesn’t modify the Kobo, require jailbreaking, or install anything on the reader, it just behaves like a Bluetooth page-turner.

I originally made this for myself, but have shared it on Reddit and received a warm response, so I figured MobileRead might appreciate knowing it exists.

If anyone’s interested, I’m happy to answer questions, talk about how it works, or hear feature ideas.

Looking forward to some good discussion!

Jeff

[DJUNGELSKOG]

I'm going to give it a try!

[jeffchimney]

Awesome! Let me know if there is anything feature-wise that is missing or if you have trouble with anything. Thanks for giving it a shot

[DJUNGELSKOG]

Do I have to install a firmware update on my KL2 to make the app work correctly? I can successfully pair my iPhone to my Kobo, I see the page turner screen and I can tap the pages but it doesn’t affect my Kobo in any way.

I’ve never updated my KL2’s firmware to a version that supports the Kobo remote though and I’m still on iOS 18 (if it matters). I have verified that the Bluetooth connection stays enabled, so the old firmware version must be the culprit. I don’t have any patches installed.

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by DJUNGELSKOG

Do I have to install a firmware update on my KL2 to make the app work correctly? I can successfully pair my iPhone to my Kobo, I see the page turner screen and I can tap the pages but it doesn’t affect my Kobo in any way.

I’ve never updated my KL2’s firmware to a version that supports the Kobo remote though and I’m still on iOS 18 (if it matters). I have verified that the Bluetooth connection stays enabled, so the old firmware version must be the culprit. I don’t have any patches installed.

It works with my Kobo Clara Colour (I had to update it).

It does not work with my PocketBook device.

[DJUNGELSKOG]

Works for me as well after updating my kobo to the latest version. I didn't test the watch application because I'm not willing to install watchos 26.