[UPDATE: GoodReader 5 was finally released on January 28, 2019. I’m testing the app now and will post a review soon.]
One of the most important apps for any attorney using an iPad is an app to organize, view and annotate PDF files. There are quite a few excellent choices out there, but for many years my app of choice has been GoodReader. The last major update was GoodReader 4, released in 2014. A lot has changed in the iPad and iOS world since then, so I’ve been eagerly looking forward to the next major update, GoodReader 5. For example, version 4 of the app doesn’t include advanced support for the Apple Pencil like some other apps, nor does the app support multitasking features such as split screen.
The developer of the app, Yuri Selukoff, teased the version 5 release in April 2017, when he said the following on Facebook: “It’s a huge update with a completely new design and new features, some you may not even know you’ll want until you’ve seen them! So fear not, and get ready (or for those of you who’ve been ready, stay ready) – GoodReader 5.0 is on the way!” Throughout 2017 and into early 2018, I saw similar comments from the developer in response to user reviews on the App Store. For example, the developer said: “We understand why the app appears to be abandoned. There have been no updates for quite a while! However, we assure you, nothing could be further from the truth. We’re working around the clock on our biggest update ever, GoodReader 5. It’s going to be huge, with features you didn’t even know you wanted until you’ve seen them. We appreciate your patience!”
In response to another app review noting the lack of support for the features of the iPhone X, the developer responded:
We want to assure you that GoodReader is definitely not abandoned. We guarantee, it is indeed being developed further. We’re still working hard on GoodReader 5 which will be a free, automatic update from GoodReader 4, but we admit it’s taking much longer to complete than we originally estimated. … We do regret that this update is running late, but we assure you it will be a free update from GoodReader 4 to GoodReader 5. Anyone considering purchasing GoodReader for the first time, should know that they can buy GoodReader 4 now and receive GoodReader 5 as a free update — but it’s also not a bad idea to wait until GoodReader 5 is released before deciding whether to buy it or not — that makes perfect sense to me! We hope this clears up any concerns you may have about GoodReader’s continued development into the future.
And in yet another response from the developer, he says: “Our main goal is to make sure it’s done right, and that it lives up to the high standards our users have come to expect from GoodReader.”
A few days ago, I saw that there was an update to GoodReader. At first, I thought that this was the major update we have been waiting for, but then I saw that the update was still part of version 4 — version 4.13.0 to be exact. The developer explained that this was just a minor bug fix and that “we’re finishing our huge GoodReader 5 upgrade … [s]tay tuned for the free major upgrade that is to follow soon!”
If the developer is “finishing” version 5, hopefully that means that we will see it in weeks or months, and won’t have to wait until 2019.
Speaking of the recent update to version 4.13.0, I actually had a problem with that update, and the developer helped me to fix it. While the release notes say that the recent update was apparently supposed to solve some sync issues, that update actually caused me to experience sync problems with Dropbox. After the update, the app crashed for me every time I pressed the button to sync to Dropbox. I reported the bug through the GoodReader website and within just a few hours, the developer gave me a fix. (In case you experience the problem I did: click the gear icon next to Dropbox in the Connect pane of GoodReader, then log out of Dropbox, then log back in again.) I understand that hiccups happen from time to time. I appreciate the developer’s quick response to me with a solution, and hopefully this is a good sign of the attention that the developer is giving to GoodReader as he finishes up the work on version 5.
Thank you so much for sharing the fix for the sync problem!
Fixing the Google Drive connectivity issue is a big step in the right direction; but that sure took a while for “working around the clock” on what is less complicated than what I imagine will be tougher to figure out when it comes to palm protection with the Apple Pencil. The longer they take the more customers they’ll lose to other competitors like PDF Expert.
I hd this problem for 1+ month, and finally found the answer – ” click the gear icon next to Dropbox in the Connect pane of GoodReader, then log out of Dropbox, then log back in again” – this did it for me, FINALLY synchronizing again …
Found this through Google search, wife had issues with the sync with Dropbox, thanks for the tip!!!
I’ve been searching for a replacement for GoodReader for over a year. Documents app comes close, but is not even that close. The ability to use GoodReaderUSB on both Mac and Windows is invaluable. If we see nothing of GoodReader 5 by December, I’ll need to move my work to other platforms, sadly.
I updated my iPad to IOS 11 and since then I cannot open my GoodReader because it says that GoodReader needs to be updated.
I have many important files and data stored in GoodReader.
How do I access them?
When is the update likely to happen!!!
It sounds like you have an older version of GoodReader. The app was updated to version 4 in 2014. My review:
http://www.iphonejd.com/iphone_jd/2014/05/review-goodreader-4.html
If you are using an earlier version, you need to purchase the new version. As noted in this post, the developer has said that version 5 will be a free upgrade, so you should not have to worry about paying for version 4 today and then having to pay for version 5 soon thereafter. It will give you some prompts to migrate your data from GoodReader 3 (or whatever version you have) into GoodReader 4.
I have not heard whether a similar migration will be necessary whenever GoodReader 5 is released, but that wouldn’t surprise me.
-Jeff
I also had the older version but then bought the new version – and every time I want to migrate my files from the Oder version to the new one it keeps on saying that the developer of the App must first update it before I can do that # so strange
The time to migrate the files from Goodreader 3 has passed. Goodreader 4 was released 4 years ago. With so many ios upgrades during that time, they would not maintain it to work with each update. That would be twice the work for an application they were no longer offering for sale. If you want to migrate your files, try plugging your ios device into a computer and using the iTunes interface. Be warned that may not work either. Your files may be lost. If your data is essential, you may have to downgrade your ios to the last working version for 3.
Thank you for this helpful article. Nine months later and Goodreader 5.0 has not been born. 🙁
Yes. I am very aware of this as I continue to use the app every day. As I’ve been saying for years, I hope that the update is soon!
-Jeff
I have Goodreader 4.13 on my iPad. It have been running well without any problems. A couple of days ago, Prior to installing MAC OX Mojave, I split a n extrenal disk drive into 3 partitions for backup purposes. I then installed Mojave. Since then Goodreader syncs have failed, with just the message ,
‘Invalid response’. I then found that the AFP server connection shows only my external disk volumes but does not include the Macintosh HD drive. And that’s why the syncs Now fail. Does anyone know why the Mac HD folder has disappeared?
Has anyone upgraded to ios 12 that can verify whether Goodreader 4 still works? I am afraid to leave ios 11 because I depend on Goodreader.
It works.
-Jeff
Hi I am using Ios 12 with Goodreader 4 with no problems. I have no issue with the wait for 5 as Goodreader does everything that I need it to. That said there are other things that I hope will be in 5 such a pencil implementation. I have had assurances only a couple of months ago that they are expecting to release it soon. I do not think that they handle expectation well. It would be better it they gave a realistic date ie September 2019 so that when its out in the January 2019 we are all pleased with the fact they got it out early.
I am still awaiting GoodReader 5
Apparently Goodreader 5 is now in beta testing! https://www.reddit.com/r/ipad/comments/9oqvzm/comment/eegk9pi
And as of Sunday night, January 28, 2019, it is now available in the App Store.
-Jeff
what about v5? is it stable? I am thinking search alternative
I’m running this app through its paces right now. It is stable — I haven’t had any crashes. There is lots of new great stuff. It is also missing some features that other apps have. I’ll post a full review after I have finished testing it, but in short, I’m thrilled to see that the app is finally available.
-Jeff
Does anyone know how to rollback to Goodreader 4 from 5 (I’m currently about five hours into this)? The new app has a noticeable lag on pageloading that GR4 didn’t. I also do not like the new navigation system which is just confusing. Thanks.