ebook cover lockscreen doesn't work for sideloaded books

[PeterCay]

Hello,


So I have turned on the new function to show the cover of the book I read on the lockscreen.

On the lockscreen I can see the "choose something to read to see its cover here" text.

All of my books are sideloaded, and the covers are not showing from them at all. I have tried with mobi and azw3 ebook formats as well.

Is there any special format and/or resolution for the books and/or covers in order to show on the lockscreen?


Thanks,
Peter

[Skydog]

Has already been discussed:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=338675

[tomsem]

On that thread someone states that books side loaded with calibre will show on lock screen. It’s not something I do so I cannot verify. It doesn’t show for Docs.

[PeterCay]

Let me update myself after some test:

All the books I sideloaded using calibre.

Around 85% book covers are working with books in mobi format.
Most of them which is not working were manually added covers by myself.

None of the book covers are working with books in azw3 format.

I have converted the azw3 books to mobi, and the covers are still not working.

So there must be some rules to work, about resolution, or format, jpg bmp gif png or whatever?

[poohbear_nc]

I have loaded azw3 ebooks via USB from Standard Ebooks (without downloading the separate file for the cover) and the cover does appear on the lockscreen.

[Skydog]

Originally Posted by PeterCay

Let me update myself after some test:

All the books I sideloaded using calibre.

Around 85% book covers are working with books in mobi format.
Most of them which is not working were manually added covers by myself.

None of the book covers are working with books in azw3 format.

I have converted the azw3 books to mobi, and the covers are still not working.

So there must be some rules to work, about resolution, or format, jpg bmp gif png or whatever?

I don't think there is a definitive answer yet. None of my sideloaded azw3s display a cover. Another reason I prefer my Kobos.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by Skydog

I don't think there is a definitive answer yet. None of my sideloaded azw3s display a cover. Another reason I prefer my Kobos.

I'm wondering if this is due to the ASIN not matching an book in Amazon's database.

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by DNSB

I'm wondering if this is due to the ASIN not matching an book in Amazon's database.

I'm thinking the same thing. It's been a while since I messed with cover issues, but at that long-ago time, Kindles downloaded covers for azw3 based on ASIN; they didn't use any image file found inside the azw3.

For those having cover woes, try this:

• Make sure there's a correct ASIN in the opf: <dc:identifier opf:scheme="MOBI-ASIN">B000000000</dc:identifier> or <dc:identifier opf:scheme="AMAZON">B000000000</dc:identifier> (Fill in the 0's with the actual ASIN numbers, which you can get from the Product Details on the ebook page on Amazon's website.)
  
  
• In Calibre, use the Quality Check plugin to "Fix ASIN for Kindle Fire". That will properly add the ASIN to the azw3 based on the ASIN found in the opf. (This works for eink Kindles, even though the plugin says Kindle Fire.)
  OR
  If you're starting with an epub, load it in Sigil, run the KindleGen plugin, and select "Add fake ASIN". The plugin will insert the ASIN found in the opf.
  
  
• Sideload via USB while WiFi is on. Kindle will connect to Amazon's server and download the cover image to the proper folder on your Kindle based on the ASIN. Once that's done you'll see the cover and you can turn off WiFi if you want.
  
  Note: If WiFi is off, Kindle won't be able to connect to Amazon to download the cover. Also, Send to Kindle, either the email or app won't work because Amazon automatically creates a new ASIN for every doc sent via Send to Kindle.

Again, this info may be out-of-date or otherwise incorrect as I use Send to Kindle nowadays and this info is from before I started doing that.

[guykindle]

Originally Posted by odamizu

[*] If you're starting with an epub, load it in Sigil and run the KindleGen plugin and select "Add fake ASIN".

[*] Sideload via USB while WiFi is on. (If WiFi is off, Kindle won't be able to connect to Amazon to download the cover. Also, Send to Kindle, either the email or app won't work because Amazon automatically creates a new ASIN for every doc sent via Send to Kindle.)[/list]

Works even when wifi is off. Thanks for this!

[Skydog]

Originally Posted by DNSB

I'm wondering if this is due to the ASIN not matching an book in Amazon's database.

Apparently. The required hoop-jumping is ridiculous.

[Quoth]

This is why I use a Kobo + Calibre + Alf to read eBooks from Amazon that I paid good money for.
Also annotation export, collections, series, changes to FW are all far better on Kobo than Kindle.
The two uses of my Kindle are a final check of Kindle format I produce (though I upload epub2 to Amazon) and the serial number for my Download via PC and USB.

The Cloud, or a Cloud library, is back to the 1960s and someone else's server.

[rupan88]

Well, the books I buy in my country aren't available on Amazon. I have added a fake asin and ebok cdetype with the fix for Kindle Fire and yet almost none of them display as a doc and have no screensaver cover. Only five of them show a cover and I have no idea why is that.

[odamizu]

You need to start with a real and correct ASIN for the book and add it to the opf. That was step #1.

After you do that, you run "Fix for Kindle Fire" or "Add Fake ASIN".

But if Amazon doesn't sell the book, then there is no real and correct ASIN to add to the opf, and I don't think this will work.

Originally Posted by rupan88

Well, the books I buy in my country aren't available on Amazon. I have added a fake asin and ebok cdetype with the fix for Kindle Fire and yet almost none of them display as a doc and have no screensaver cover. Only five of them show a cover and I have no idea why is that.

[PeterCay]

There must be a way to show custom book covers as a lockscreen without a proper Amazon ASIN number.


As an example I have the mobi book of "The Swiss Family Robinson" by J.D. Wyss

mobi-asin:340ffd6b-ba15-4894-b570-a07b846f00f5

My kindle can show the custom Hungarian language cover of this book as lockscreen. It is definitely not sold by amazon, only in English language with a completely different cover.

Other books with the same mobi-asin format is not showing their covers as lockscreen (showing only in the library of course).

What I don't understand is, how to read these mobi-asin codes, and therefore, how to set a proper one or a proper fake one for them.

[Skydog]

Originally Posted by Quoth

This is why I use a Kobo + Calibre + Alf to read eBooks from Amazon that I paid good money for.
Also annotation export, collections, series, changes to FW are all far better on Kobo than Kindle.
The two uses of my Kindle are a final check of Kindle format I produce (though I upload epub2 to Amazon) and the serial number for my Download via PC and USB.

The Cloud, or a Cloud library, is back to the 1960s and someone else's server.

Ditto.