Varq

Your books, beautifully read.

A warm, native, open-source e-reader for macOS.
Read DRM-free EPUB, PDF, and CBZ files without Electron, accounts, ads, or tracking.

Install · Roadmap · Issues · Contribute

Important

Varq is pre-release software. TestFlight and Mac App Store distribution are still being prepared. Until signed builds are published, install Varq by building it from source.

Why Varq?

Apple Books is polished but restrictive about formats. Calibre is powerful but does not feel at home on macOS. Varq sits between them: a focused reader for the files you already own, built with native Apple frameworks and a warm visual identity of its own.

Varq (वर्क़ / ورق) means “leaf” or “page” in Hindi and Urdu. It also refers to the fine decorative foil used in Indian art and cuisine—an idea reflected in Varq’s restrained indigo, saffron, terracotta, and parchment palette.

See Varq in action

_{Your library, in every format — covers, metadata, collections, and reading progress in one native Mac app.}

Keep the lines that matter Persistent highlights and reading notes	Make difficult pages clearer On-device reading aids on eligible Macs

_{Actual pre-release Varq interface. Click any screenshot to view it full size.}

What it does

Build a library that stays yours

• Import individual files or entire folders with drag and drop or the system file picker
• Read DRM-free EPUB, PDF, and CBZ files in one library
• Extract titles, authors, and covers automatically
• Detect duplicate files with content hashing
• Organize books into custom and smart collections
• Sort by title, author, date added, or recently read
• Resume each book from the exact place you left it

Read comfortably

• Paginated reading with keyboard and trackpad navigation
• Adjustable font, text size, line height, margins, and EPUB page layout
• Light, Indigo, Black, and Monochrome app appearances
• Independent sepia reading tone for a warmer page at any time of day
• Table-of-contents navigation for EPUB books
• Right-to-left reading, one- or two-page spreads, and fit controls for CBZ comics
• Reading-session timer, estimated time remaining, and optional local daily goals
• Reduced-motion behavior and VoiceOver-friendly controls

Keep the lines that matter

• Persistent text highlights with brand and high-contrast color choices
• Reading notes attached to selected text or the current location
• One-click navigation back to saved annotations
• Annotation replay for reviewing highlights in sequence
• Sandboxed Obsidian Vault Export with stable Markdown and wikilinks

Keep private books private

• Protect selected books with Touch ID or the macOS authentication fallback
• Encrypt managed book files at rest with AES-256-GCM
• Store encryption keys in the macOS Keychain
• Skip Private Books during Obsidian exports
• Require explicit per-book consent before using Private Book content with Local Intelligence
• Store the library, progress, annotations, collections, and preferences locally

Read with Local Intelligence

On supported Macs running macOS 26 or later with Apple Intelligence enabled, Varq can produce Generated Reading Aids entirely on-device:

• Explain, simplify, or summarize a selected passage
• Generate discussion questions
• Recap the current EPUB chapter
• Explain readable text on a visible PDF or comic page with local OCR
• Copy a result or explicitly save it as a note—generated text is never saved silently

Core reading does not require Local Intelligence and remains available on macOS 15 or later.

Supported formats

Format	Reader experience
EPUB	Reflowable, paginated reading; typography controls; table of contents; precise highlights and notes
PDF	Native PDFKit rendering; saved position; text highlights, notes, and visible-page OCR
CBZ	Native image-sequence reader; left-to-right or right-to-left; single or dual-page layouts

Varq reads DRM-free files. CBR, MOBI, AZW3, FB2, and DRM-protected books are not currently supported; see the roadmap for planned format work.

Install

Mac App Store

Coming soon. Watch this repository or follow the release roadmap for TestFlight and App Store updates.

Build from source

Requirements

• macOS 15 (Sequoia) or later
• Xcode 26 or later
• Git

git clone https://github.com/PratikRai0101/Varq.git
cd Varq
xcodebuild -resolvePackageDependencies \
  -project Varq.xcodeproj \
  -scheme Varq
open Varq.xcodeproj

In Xcode, select the Varq scheme, choose your development team if prompted, and press ⌘R.

To compile from the command line without a local signing identity:

xcodebuild -project Varq.xcodeproj \
  -scheme Varq \
  -destination 'platform=macOS' \
  CODE_SIGNING_ALLOWED=NO \
  build

After configuring development signing in Xcode, run the full test suite with:

xcodebuild -project Varq.xcodeproj \
  -scheme Varq \
  -destination 'platform=macOS' \
  test

Swift Package Manager resolves the only third-party package, ZIPFoundation, automatically.

Quick start

1. Launch Varq and drag an EPUB, PDF, or CBZ file—or a folder—into the library.
2. Organize books into collections and choose your preferred sort order.
3. Open a book, then tune its page tone, typography, and layout from the reader toolbar.
4. Select text to highlight it, add a reading note, or request a Local Intelligence aid when available.
5. Export public reading artifacts to your Obsidian vault, or mark sensitive books as private.

Privacy by design

Varq has no account system, advertising, analytics, telemetry, or remote sync service. Imported books are copied into the app’s sandboxed managed library; reading data stays on your Mac. Local Intelligence uses Apple’s on-device Foundation Models framework and does not send book content to a model provider.

Read the full privacy policy.

Architecture

Varq is a native Swift and SwiftUI application. Format-specific readers sit behind a shared reader-engine boundary, keeping UI and persistence independent from rendering details.

Technology	Used for
SwiftUI	Native macOS interface and interaction
SwiftData	Local books, collections, progress, highlights, and notes
WebKit	Paginated EPUB content
PDFKit	Native PDF rendering and annotations
ZIPFoundation	EPUB and CBZ archive handling
CryptoKit, Keychain & LocalAuthentication	Encrypted Private Books and system authentication
Foundation Models	On-device Generated Reading Aids on eligible Macs
Vision	Local OCR for visible-page explanations

The codebase follows MVVM: Views stay focused on presentation, ViewModels coordinate state, and testable Services own parsing, file access, encryption, export, and intelligence work. See the architecture notes for details.

Project status

The core reader, library, annotation, Private Book, export, and Local Intelligence flows are implemented. Varq is now in pre-release polish and distribution work:

• TestFlight beta with real readers
• Address beta feedback
• Mac App Store review and public release

Progress is tracked in the MVP backlog. Future work—including grounded chapter Q&A, Spotlight and App Intents, more formats, iCloud continuity, and an iOS companion—is ordered in the post-MVP roadmap.

Documentation

Document	Purpose
Product requirements	Product goals, audience, and supported scope
Architecture	Modules, boundaries, storage, and security decisions
Design system	Varq’s palette, typography, motion, and visual principles
Roadmap	Approved release sequence and privacy commitments
Backlog	Current implementation and release progress
App Store materials	Distribution copy and claim review

Contributing

Contributions and thoughtful issue reports are welcome.

1. Read the contributing guide.
2. Check the backlog and open issues.
3. Read the design system before changing UI.
4. Keep changes focused and include tests for Service or ViewModel behavior.

Please open an issue before starting a large feature so its scope and release fit can be agreed first.

License

Varq is available under the MIT License.

Support the project

If Varq is useful to you, star the repository—it helps more Mac readers discover the project. A Star History chart will be added once the project has enough public history to make the chart useful and reliable.