KoboPatch WebUI: customization (NickelMenu, KOReader) and patching via your browser

MrSilverstrike · 04-14-2026, 07:29 AM

Hi all. A while back I shared an early version of a web UI I built for applying kobopatch patches. Since then it's grown a fair bit and expanded in scope, so I figured it was worth a dedicated thread.

It's an open-source web app that lets you customise your Kobo without needing to install anything on your computer. Everything runs in the browser, and there are two modes:

NickelMenu mode: the safer option. Installs my NickelMenu fork on any supported Kobo, either stock or with a curated preset (custom menus, Readerly fonts, screensaver images, simplified tabs/home screen, and optionally KOReader), all in a single step. Can also uninstall NickelMenu. (My NickelMenu fork is used here in order to enable the simplified home screen functionality.)
Custom patches mode: lets you pick which community patches you want to apply to your firmware. More flexible, but a bit more experimental, and you'll need to re-run it after each Kobo software update. Powered by a WASM build of kobopatch that runs directly in your browser. Also offers a restore original firmware option if you want to undo patches.

HOW TO USE IT

The easiest way to try it is to visit the website I set up for it. There's also a video with a demo and chapter markers if you want to see it in action first, and a blog post with more background.

SOURCE CODE

You can find the source code on GitHub at github.com/nicoverbruggen/kobopatch-webui (MIT licensed), so you can also clone and run it locally if you want to. I've made sure all of the functionality is properly tested, and I try to get support for the latest updates sorted out as quickly as possible.

DEVICE & BROWSER SUPPORT

For NickelMenu: any Kobo released in 2025 or earlier, running software 4.6 and above (but not 5.x). Uses my fork of NickelMenu. Changes stick around across system updates, as long as NickelMenu itself stays compatible.

For custom patches:

Software 4.45.x: Kobo Libra Colour, Clara Colour, Clara BW
Software 4.38.x: Clara 2E, Libra 2, Elipsa 2E, Sage, Elipsa

If your browser supports the File System Access API (Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Arc), the app can detect a connected Kobo automatically and write patches straight to the device. On Firefox and Safari, or on Brave (which disables the API by default for privacy reasons), you'll get a manual flow instead: pick your model and software version, get a ZIP, copy it over yourself.

CREDITS

Big thanks to the following folks:

pgaskin (geek1011), for kobopatch and NickelMenu, which this app is built on top of.
JSWolf, for maintaining the 4.45 patch set this app ships with, and the earlier patch sets it builds on.
jackie-w, Semwize, aardvark, and DNSB, for their patch contributions over the years.
The wider community here for bug reports, testing, and the reverse-engineering work that makes all of this possible.
The KOReader team, for the reader that's bundled as an optional install.

If I've missed someone who should be credited here, let me know and I'll fix it.

Obviously, this is not affiliated with Rakuten/Kobo. Patching modifies system files and voids your warranty, and software 5.x is not supported.

I've tested on my own Clara BW and Libra Colour, but the patch set covers more models than that, so let me know if you hit anything weird on the other ones.

FEEDBACK?

If you have any feedback or want to report a bug, feel free to do so here or on GitHub. There's still some stuff I want to do (like make patches editable in the browser, as sometimes you may want to make manual adjustments) but for now I think it's good enough to share!

hamers · 06-11-2026, 08:32 AM

Thanks for this tool (and beautiful UI as well, which is so rare). I wouldn't mind doing your default install but I already have a basic few NickelReader menu items installed. Is there a way to integrate my current ones before proceeding, or do I have to choose either B (strictly patching) or to overwrite my current Nickel? Thanks again.

hamers · 06-11-2026, 08:41 AM

Oh, and one suggestion I'd make is a live search/text filtering functionality. When one goes to look at custom patches and there are so many, a live type that winnows down would be immensely helpful.

JSWolf · 06-11-2026, 08:51 AM

Is the version of the patches that include two new patches in 4.38.23697 supported?

hamers · 06-11-2026, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Is the version of the patches that include two new patches in 4.38.23697 supported?

Yes I was wondering that too. I wanted to test the experimental prev/next patches in this thread, but I can't do that because I can't enter any custom lines of thread, only the ones that have been verified and added to the db, correct?

JSWolf · 06-11-2026, 09:09 AM

The patch Both page turn buttons go next has been fixed. I've just updated it in the patch thread.

I cannot say if the webUI is using the latest set of patches.

rantanplan · 06-11-2026, 11:13 AM

I really love your onboarding video, it's done really well.

hamers · 06-11-2026, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The patch Both page turn buttons go next has been fixed. I've just updated it in the patch thread.

I cannot say if the webUI is using the latest set of patches.

oh thats great news! i will await the dev's answer on this.

JSWolf · 06-11-2026, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hamers

oh thats great news! i will await the dev's answer on this.

Ff you use the patches as they are, you have more control over which patches (that work) you want installed.

MrSilverstrike · 06-11-2026, 05:41 PM

Hi everyone. So, to answer your questions:

@hamers: Ideally, you should backup your existing NickelMenu config and you can copy/paste what you want to keep into the file generated by the web UI. If you already have a config, I highly recommend doing the manual process, it's easy to see what's happening that way and you can merge your existing config w/ the one downloaded via the web UI.

@JSWolf: I last updated the patches two weeks ago when the latest software update dropped. I have an automated flow that verifies which patches work with the older v4.38 and newer v4.45 releases. I see there's some new and updated patches, I'll try to add them tomorrow.

Some further updates on the Web UI:

The YouTube video is getting picked up a bunch lately, and feedback has been good. I've been putting out minor updates most weeks.

I'm currently working on some polish updates for the NickelMenu flow. It'll have a nicer user experience, it'll sport new fonts (check out Libron! I'm looking for feedback on that) and more including a log that gets written to your device so you can audit what the web UI changed for you (when using USB mode).

Once that's done I plan on doing a pass to seriously improve the custom patches feature, which I haven't really used myself lately anymore (but is extensively tested, mind you).

Any suggestions as to improve the custom patches mode are welcome.

On the list I currently have:

Searching for patches via filter/search bar; thanks for the suggestion above!
Allow manually customizing patches' text for easy customization; perhaps some patches can get "pre-filled" text fields... not sure how to approach this yet. This should give everyone the benefit of more manual control w/o needing to manually run kobopatch via your favorite terminal.
Set up side effects for certain patches. For example, in order to easily enable Google Drive/Dropbox support.

Cheers!

DJUNGELSKOG · 06-11-2026, 06:03 PM

This looks really nice!!

JSWolf · 06-11-2026, 06:14 PM

@MrSilverstrike the new/updated patches for 4.45.23697 are still beta until they are applied/tested and we get report(s) that they work.

MrSilverstrike · 06-11-2026, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

@MrSilverstrike the new/updated patches for 4.45.23697 are still beta until they are applied/tested and we get report(s) that they work.

All right, I'll wait until I get the green light that these are working as expected, then!

PeterT · 06-11-2026, 06:40 PM

It's worth remembering you can have multiple NuckelMenu confug files present and they will all be used, so nothing prevents one from just copying your existing config file; no need to edit the generated one to add more entries.

MrSilverstrike · 06-11-2026, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterT

It's worth remembering you can have multiple NuckelMenu confug files present and they will all be used, so nothing prevents one from just copying your existing config file; no need to edit the generated one to add more entries.

Good point. It's actually something that's recommended on the official website, I see:

> If you are embedding a NickelMenu config in your own mod, please name it
something unique to avoid overwriting someone's existing configuration. In
addition, please do not include NickelMenu itself in it unless you are
planning to update it as new releases are made.

Something I should probably adjust to avoid conflicts with existing user configs.

04-14-2026, 07:29 AM	#1
MrSilverstrike Enthusiast Posts: 28 Karma: 78007 Join Date: Apr 2024 Location: Belgium Device: Kobo Libra Color, Kobo Clara Color	KoboPatch WebUI: customization (NickelMenu, KOReader) and patching via your browser Hi all. A while back I shared an early version of a web UI I built for applying kobopatch patches. Since then it's grown a fair bit and expanded in scope, so I figured it was worth a dedicated thread. It's an open-source web app that lets you customise your Kobo without needing to install anything on your computer. Everything runs in the browser, and there are two modes: NickelMenu mode: the safer option. Installs my NickelMenu fork on any supported Kobo, either stock or with a curated preset (custom menus, Readerly fonts, screensaver images, simplified tabs/home screen, and optionally KOReader), all in a single step. Can also uninstall NickelMenu. (My NickelMenu fork is used here in order to enable the simplified home screen functionality.) Custom patches mode: lets you pick which community patches you want to apply to your firmware. More flexible, but a bit more experimental, and you'll need to re-run it after each Kobo software update. Powered by a WASM build of kobopatch that runs directly in your browser. Also offers a restore original firmware option if you want to undo patches. HOW TO USE IT The easiest way to try it is to visit the website I set up for it. There's also a video with a demo and chapter markers if you want to see it in action first, and a blog post with more background. SOURCE CODE You can find the source code on GitHub at github.com/nicoverbruggen/kobopatch-webui (MIT licensed), so you can also clone and run it locally if you want to. I've made sure all of the functionality is properly tested, and I try to get support for the latest updates sorted out as quickly as possible. DEVICE & BROWSER SUPPORT For NickelMenu: any Kobo released in 2025 or earlier, running software 4.6 and above (but not 5.x). Uses my fork of NickelMenu. Changes stick around across system updates, as long as NickelMenu itself stays compatible. For custom patches: Software 4.45.x: Kobo Libra Colour, Clara Colour, Clara BW Software 4.38.x: Clara 2E, Libra 2, Elipsa 2E, Sage, Elipsa If your browser supports the File System Access API (Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Arc), the app can detect a connected Kobo automatically and write patches straight to the device. On Firefox and Safari, or on Brave (which disables the API by default for privacy reasons), you'll get a manual flow instead: pick your model and software version, get a ZIP, copy it over yourself. CREDITS Big thanks to the following folks: pgaskin (geek1011), for kobopatch and NickelMenu, which this app is built on top of. JSWolf, for maintaining the 4.45 patch set this app ships with, and the earlier patch sets it builds on. jackie-w, Semwize, aardvark, and DNSB, for their patch contributions over the years. The wider community here for bug reports, testing, and the reverse-engineering work that makes all of this possible. The KOReader team, for the reader that's bundled as an optional install. If I've missed someone who should be credited here, let me know and I'll fix it. Obviously, this is not affiliated with Rakuten/Kobo. Patching modifies system files and voids your warranty, and software 5.x is not supported. I've tested on my own Clara BW and Libra Colour, but the patch set covers more models than that, so let me know if you hit anything weird on the other ones. FEEDBACK? If you have any feedback or want to report a bug, feel free to do so here or on GitHub. There's still some stuff I want to do (like make patches editable in the browser, as sometimes you may want to make manual adjustments) but for now I think it's good enough to share!

06-11-2026, 05:41 PM	#10
MrSilverstrike Enthusiast Posts: 28 Karma: 78007 Join Date: Apr 2024 Location: Belgium Device: Kobo Libra Color, Kobo Clara Color	Hi everyone. So, to answer your questions: @hamers: Ideally, you should backup your existing NickelMenu config and you can copy/paste what you want to keep into the file generated by the web UI. If you already have a config, I highly recommend doing the manual process, it's easy to see what's happening that way and you can merge your existing config w/ the one downloaded via the web UI. @JSWolf: I last updated the patches two weeks ago when the latest software update dropped. I have an automated flow that verifies which patches work with the older v4.38 and newer v4.45 releases. I see there's some new and updated patches, I'll try to add them tomorrow. Some further updates on the Web UI: The YouTube video is getting picked up a bunch lately, and feedback has been good. I've been putting out minor updates most weeks. I'm currently working on some polish updates for the NickelMenu flow. It'll have a nicer user experience, it'll sport new fonts (check out Libron! I'm looking for feedback on that) and more including a log that gets written to your device so you can audit what the web UI changed for you (when using USB mode). Once that's done I plan on doing a pass to seriously improve the custom patches feature, which I haven't really used myself lately anymore (but is extensively tested, mind you). Any suggestions as to improve the custom patches mode are welcome. On the list I currently have: Searching for patches via filter/search bar; thanks for the suggestion above! Allow manually customizing patches' text for easy customization; perhaps some patches can get "pre-filled" text fields... not sure how to approach this yet. This should give everyone the benefit of more manual control w/o needing to manually run kobopatch via your favorite terminal. Set up side effects for certain patches. For example, in order to easily enable Google Drive/Dropbox support. Cheers!

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06-11-2026, 08:32 AM	#2
hamers Enthusiast Posts: 44 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2018 Device: Kobo Aura (6", 4GB)	Thanks for this tool (and beautiful UI as well, which is so rare). I wouldn't mind doing your default install but I already have a basic few NickelReader menu items installed. Is there a way to integrate my current ones before proceeding, or do I have to choose either B (strictly patching) or to overwrite my current Nickel? Thanks again.

06-11-2026, 08:41 AM	#3
hamers Enthusiast Posts: 44 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2018 Device: Kobo Aura (6", 4GB)	Oh, and one suggestion I'd make is a live search/text filtering functionality. When one goes to look at custom patches and there are so many, a live type that winnows down would be immensely helpful.

06-11-2026, 08:51 AM	#4
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 83,895 Karma: 153649587 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Is the version of the patches that include two new patches in 4.38.23697 supported?

06-11-2026, 09:09 AM	#6
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 83,895 Karma: 153649587 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	The patch Both page turn buttons go next has been fixed. I've just updated it in the patch thread. I cannot say if the webUI is using the latest set of patches.

06-11-2026, 11:13 AM	#7
rantanplan Weirdo Posts: 1,129 Karma: 12503116 Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: Wuppertal, Germany Device: Kobo Sage, Kobo Libra 2, reMarkable PaperPro	I really love your onboarding video, it's done really well.

06-11-2026, 06:03 PM	#11
DJUNGELSKOG Groupie Posts: 157 Karma: 585486 Join Date: Nov 2023 Location: Belgium / Vlaanderen Device: Kobo Libra 2 + Vivlio Light HD + (ancient) iPad Pro	This looks really nice!!

06-11-2026, 06:14 PM	#12
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 83,895 Karma: 153649587 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	@MrSilverstrike the new/updated patches for 4.45.23697 are still beta until they are applied/tested and we get report(s) that they work.

06-11-2026, 06:40 PM	#14
PeterT Grand Sorcerer Posts: 14,011 Karma: 82524140 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Toronto Device: Libra H2O, Libra Colour	It's worth remembering you can have multiple NuckelMenu confug files present and they will all be used, so nothing prevents one from just copying your existing config file; no need to edit the generated one to add more entries.