Export your Kobo notes on a computer
Nothing to install. Open this page in Chrome or Edge on a computer, select your connected Kobo, and it creates a LeafTrove import file. Your notes are processed only on your computer and are not uploaded.
Using a USB-C iPhone (iPhone 15 or later) or a USB-C iPad? LeafTrove can read the Kobo directly by cable, with no computer. See the cable steps. Not sure which port you have? Check your model first.
Three steps
- Connect a compatible Kobo to the computer with a USB cable that supports data transfer, and tap “Connect” on the eReader. Text highlights and notes from EPUB/KEPUB books are supported; PDF, handwritten notes and book text are not.
- Select the button below and choose the “KOBOeReader” disk itself (do not open a folder inside it).
- When reading finishes, download the export file, then send it to your iPhone or iPad and import it into LeafTrove.
This browser cannot select a disk directly. Chrome or Edge is recommended. You can also use the button above: the browser may ask about “uploading”, but the files are only read on this computer and are not sent anywhere.
The tool only reads and never changes the eReader. Do not unplug the cable while it is reading.
Reading finished
Download export fileAfter downloading, eject KOBOeReader in Finder on a Mac, or with “Safely Remove Hardware” on Windows, before you unplug the cable.
Need the whole process? See the web export and import steps.
Continue with the step-by-step import guide If the guide is already open, return to that tab to continue.
Send the export file to your iPhone or iPad
Need the app first? Download LeafTrove free, then import the file on your iPhone or iPad.
- Mac: in Finder, right-click the file → Share → AirDrop, and send it to your iPhone or iPad.
- Windows: email it to yourself, send it to yourself in a messaging app, or save it to iCloud Drive or Google Drive.
- On the iPhone or iPad: save the file to the Files app first. In LeafTrove, tap “Bring in my Kobo notes” (once your library has books, “Import” next to “My books”), then “Choose export file”. On a Lightning device, first answer the adapter question with “No, export on a computer”; on a USB-C device, open “Use a computer export file instead” to find that button. Check the preview, then tap “Confirm import to library”.
The file contains your book titles and notes: send it only to yourself. Importing again adds new notes and updates existing ones; this device keeps your favorites, thoughts, tags and review schedule.
Common questions
Are my notes uploaded to the internet?
No. Once this page has loaded, all reading and packaging happen in your browser. No notes or eReader data are sent anywhere.
Is the file the same as the one from the computer assistant?
The format is the same. Imports from the same Kobo by either method go into the same library, without duplicates.
Why do some books have no cover?
The web tool uses the Kobo’s cover cache. Covers the eReader has not cached are skipped; your notes are still imported in full, and covers you already have are kept.
What content is supported?
Text highlights and notes from EPUB/KEPUB books. PDF, handwritten notes and book text are not included.
If something goes wrong, contact LeafTrove support. You do not need to send your full notes.