Quote Quote
Guide

How to keep quotes from your paper books

Quote Quote is an iPhone app that keeps the quotes from your paper books: you photograph the page, tap the first and last word of the passage, and the quote is saved with its book, with no account and nothing to copy out.

Before building it, we tried every other method. Here is what each one does, and where it stops.

The methods, compared

  • Highlighter or pencil

    What works
    Instant, without leaving the page.
    Where it falls short
    The line stays in the book: you can’t find it without reopening it, or search for it.

  • Sticky notes and folded corners

    What works
    Quick, and sticky notes keep the book clean.
    Where it falls short
    You know there was something, rarely what. Nothing is searchable.

  • A handwritten notebook

    What works
    Writing helps you remember, and a notebook is nice to reread.
    Where it falls short
    Copying takes time and breaks your reading. A notebook can’t be searched.

  • A notes app (Notes, Notion, Evernote)

    What works
    Everything is searchable, on all your devices.
    Where it falls short
    You have to type it all, then sort it by book and author yourself.

  • A photo in your camera roll

    What works
    Two seconds, without leaving the page.
    Where it falls short
    Photos get lost among the others, and the text can’t be read on its own or searched.

  • Readwise

    What works
    Very complete for reviewing highlights, especially digital ones (Kindle, articles).
    Where it falls short
    Built for digital reading first, and on a monthly subscription.

  • Quote Quote

    What works
    A photo, two words tapped, and the quote is filed with its book: searchable, exportable, and brought back every day by a widget.
    Where it falls short
    iPhone only for now.

Keeping a quote with Quote Quote

  1. Photograph the page. The text is recognised on your iPhone, even offline.
  2. Tap the first and last word of the passage: everything in between is selected.
  3. The quote is filed with its book. Scan the ISBN the first time; after that the app knows the book.
  4. In a hurry? Keep the photo and pick the passage later.

Try it with the book you’re reading right now.

On the App Store at the end of the year, iPhone only.