Bookshop.org has re-committed, again, to e-reader support: per TechCrunch, July 6, 2026, the company confirmed its ebooks will be readable on Kobo devices sometime within 2026. The promise originally attached itself to 2025, slipped to a vague someday, and now has a fresh deadline — the second of its kind.
As things stand, per TechCrunch's July 6, 2026 report, Bookshop.org ebooks live inside the company's own apps and browser reader. No dedicated e-reader works with the store's protected catalog, an odd fit for a bookseller whose whole pitch is supporting stores that love print — and whose customers often love E Ink just as much.
The promise has history. Support for Kobo hardware was originally slated for 2025, drifted into vaguer sometime-soon phrasing, and has now been re-anchored to 2026, per TechCrunch. Independent bookshops have been the emotional center of that story all along — their survival is a running theme in books and culture coverage at the BBC — and Bookshop.org is the mechanism that routes ebook money toward them.
What does confirmed Kobo support change for readers?
Choice with a conscience gets more practical. Buying ebooks from Bookshop.org sends a cut to independent bookstores instead of retail giants, and until now the price was reading on a phone or laptop. Native Kobo support would move those purchases onto an E Ink screen — where long-form reading actually lives.
Practically, native support would mean buying from Bookshop.org and reading on the same Kobo you already own, no app juggling. Until then, the honest posture is cautious optimism: the commitment is on record twice now, but a deadline that has moved once can move again. Judge the company by the shipping date, not the press date.
What can Kobo owners do today instead of waiting?
Here is the overlooked part: the wait only applies to DRM-protected titles. Bookshop.org also sells ebooks without DRM, and those files sideload onto a Kobo — or any EPUB-friendly reader — over USB right now, no announcement required. Which titles are DRM-free depends on the publisher behind each book, and the store marks it where it applies. If a book you want is locked, the app route remains the only path for now.
Can I read Bookshop.org ebooks on a Kobo right now?
Partially. DRM-free titles from Bookshop.org can be downloaded and sideloaded onto a Kobo immediately, but everything protected by DRM stays inside the Bookshop.org apps and browser reader. Full native Kobo support is confirmed for 2026, per TechCrunch, July 6, 2026. Until it ships, check each title's format before buying with a Kobo in mind.
Which Bookshop.org ebooks are DRM-free?
Whichever ones the publisher decided to release that way — DRM is a per-title choice made upstream of the store. Bookshop.org indicates the format on product pages where it applies, so that is the place to check before buying. Smaller and independent presses tend to be friendlier to open formats, though it varies book by book.
Why does Kobo support keep getting delayed?
The honest answer: nobody outside the company fully knows. TechCrunch's July 6, 2026 report confirms the renewed 2026 commitment but does not detail what stalled the original 2025 plan. E-reader compatibility typically involves format and DRM certification with hardware makers, which is slower than app development. Skepticism until ship day is reasonable.
For more context, read Amazon Starts DRM-Free EPUB Downloads: What It Changes.
For more context, read What E-Book DRM Actually Does to the Books You Buy.
For more context, read How to Borrow Library eBooks on a Kobo eReader.