Downloading public-domain books

Overview

Lexxio can search and download public-domain books directly from within the desktop app, sourced from Project Gutenberg, a long-running catalog of books whose copyright has expired. Lexxio isn't affiliated with or endorsed by Project Gutenberg. It's a third-party source the app connects to on your behalf.

This feature lives in the Mac and Windows apps and isn't available on mobile.

Finding a book

From the Library screen, open Find Public-Domain Books. From there you can search by title or author, or browse a rotating list of popular titles.

The list defaults to books in your own native language, since the point of a public-domain title is usually to read something you already understand well enough to translate into your target language. A toggle switches the view to all languages if you want to search more broadly.

The plan requirement

Downloading requires an active Lexxio plan, the same gate as importing your own EPUB. That requirement is for the app's download and translation tooling, not the books themselves. The books are free from Project Gutenberg regardless of whether you have a Lexxio plan. A plan just gets you the in-app search, download, and translation workflow around them.

See Lexxio's plans, credits, and what each one includes for what's included.

The third-party source notice

The first time you download a book this way, Lexxio shows a one-time notice explaining that the download comes from a third-party source. You'll need to accept it before the download starts. After that first time, you won't see it again.

Not on mobile

If you're on the mobile app, this feature isn't available. Add books there by syncing from your desktop app instead. See Getting books onto your phone.