Why does Books only show the first page of each chapter after updating to iOS 18.5?

UPDATE: After several hours with Apple Support over several days, the rather unsatisfying answer was that something about the .epub formatting is no longer acceptable but they can't figure out what changed that it suddenly became no good. They recommended using a different reader. I successfully loaded my book to the kindle app on my iPad by dragging the file into https://www.amazon.com/gp/sendtokindle and then asking for delivery to the particular device. It is in the docs section of your library which becomes visible if you click the filters icon (lines with slider circles), which is also where other epubs and pdfs would be. Hope this helps.

UPDATE: After several hours with Apple Support over several days, the rather unsatisfying answer was that something about the .epub formatting is no longer acceptable but they can't figure out what changed that it suddenly became no good. They recommended using a different reader. I successfully loaded my book to the kindle app on my iPad by dragging the file into https://www.amazon.com/gp/sendtokindle and then asking for delivery to the particular device. It is in the docs section of your library which becomes visible if you click the filters icon (lines with slider circles), which is also where other epubs and pdfs would be. Hope this helps.

Hi,

I had this happen to me twice in the last month: while syncing iPad to Mac, for books bought NOT from Apple.

I may be weird, but I hate having purchased books available in different reader apps, so use Calibre to put the epubs all onto Books. (to me using multiple reader apps is like having some of my physical books in different parts of my house: the book that you are looking for is never where you are looking, so I consolidate them to stop annoying me)

The books in question are fine on the Mac, but as soon as I sync them to the iPad, only the first page of each chapter appears when opened on the iPad. I tried all of the things you folk mention but nothing worked.

We got it work by:

• deleting the faulty book from iPad
• deleting the relevant book from Books on Mac
• re-downloading the book from the shop (in this last case, Kobo)
• Open Calibre, add the book from Kobo
• Re-process the epub as an epub AGAIN using calibre

(the format in calibre now reads "EPUB, ORIGINAL_EPUB" against this book)

• Add it to Books, sync iPad

Bingo, 365 pages show in stead of 24

Yes, still an Apple/ iOS 18.5 issue but I wanted to read my book , so needs must.

Not sure if it is a fix for everyone but there you go.

Did you already try to redownload one of these books as a test?

Redownload books and audiobooks - Apple Support

You have already force restarted your iPhone after the latest update?

Force restart iPhone - Apple Support

I have the same problem, most books were cut off to the first five pages, I contacted Apple support, they connected to my devices, were very surprised and said they did not know what the problem was. They say that this is the first case in their experience. As I understand it, this happened after the last update in May 2025. All books were purchased online on a third-party service and exported to iBooks. When re-exporting, the same books open completely, but I am not satisfied with this, since all my notes and bookmarks in the books read over the past few years have disappeared. That is, I see them, but I can not open them in the original file. I really liked using iBooks, but since May I stopped using it until they fix it and return all my books with very important notes for me.

Did you already contact the Bean Books Support about that?

You should also let Apple know directly about this issue by using the Feedback link, as this is the only way to reach them.

The more users do that, the more likely the issue will be noticed by Apple Techs and hopefully fixed in an upcoming update.

Feedback - Books for iOS and iPadOS - Apple

Did you try to add those books again?

Maybe the PDF files got damaged.

Did you already use the Feedback link to let Apple know about the software update issues?

Feedback - Books for iOS and iPadOS - Apple

Feedback - Books for macOS - Apple

This is what I see after clicking on those Feedback links from above:

Maybe try this link for the Feedback Main page and go from there:

Product Feedback - Apple

Confirming issue.

Subject book: CSS: The Definitive Guide

Eric A. Meyer, Estelle Weyl

Revision History for the Fifth Edition: 2023-05-30: First Release

I have tons of marks and bookmarks, but I can see only first page from each chapter.

Issue discover history:

• IpadOS 18.4 - everything's fine. Then updated to 18.5 - book rendering is broken
• MacOS 15.4 - everything's fine. Then updated to 15.5 - book rendering is broken

I probably wouldn't notice it, but I'm actively reading the book, and now I can't study :(

Please, fix. BTW, on Ipad I can check this app in App Store and update it manually (if update released), but how can I do that in macOS? I see not Books app in App Store...

NB: Of course I tried to re-download the book and re-installing the app, but that didn't help

This exact same issue

Rebooted/Hard reboot on iDevice and iOS

Ventura OS device loads the book and pages with no probelm

iOS on two separate devices (an older iPad but on current iOS) and a new iPhone 16, latest iO,S same thing

I have deleted Books on the iPhone reinstalled - same

I have disconnected iCloud Books and reconnected

I have loaded the book locally by emailing the ePub file

I have deleted *ALL* the books on all devices (what a royal PiA) and then tried just this book

I tried deleteing Books form the Ventura OSx and then rebooting (Books reappears and probably never got removed)

I have burned up a quarter of a lifetime turnign it on and off again

All the above and other 'ideas' I can't remember have no impact

Perhaps,I am paranoid, although it may be justified, but this seems to be happening on books purchased from non apple sources. Is this an effort to shut out everyone that does it pay apple? Antitrust much?

I’m having the exact same issue. In all the previously uploaded books I have in EPUB format, now only the first page of each chapter opens. What kind of nonsense is this? Moreover, this is happening on macOS, iPadOS, and iOS after the latest update. It affects both new books that I upload in EPUB format and those that were already downloaded locally before the update. Now they all display incorrectly. New books also display incorrectly. Deleting and re-downloading doesn’t help—on none of my devices. Neither on my Mac, nor on my iPhone, nor on my iPad. What a disaster. I also have a problem with Spotlight search in iOS: I can’t find most of the apps I have installed anymore. The same thing started after the update. When I type the app name, the iPhone doesn’t find it, although it used to.

while this issue is appearing on most books app for the latest iOS, iPadOs, and MacOS version, does anyone have recommendations for another good epub reader application? sadly, apple books apps is the most comprehensive epub book app i know so far.