Dear all,
Warning! I downloaded the new version, 3.5.0, of the Overdrive - library e-books and audio books app late last night. The app does not work.
When you first update the app and open it, you get a message that says 'updating, please wait'. I waited an hour and the message did not change. I then deleted the app and re-installed it. The app opened and asked me to either login with Facebook, login with an existing account via a library username and pin or create a new account.
I first tried to login with Facebook. This was a disaster. As soon as I hit login after entering my e-mail and password, the app just crashed and then would not open again. I deleted the app, re-installed it and tried again. I now entered my login for the library I use (as I am in the UK, I use the Royal National Institute of Blind People's audio library). This time, I managed to open the app, look around the new layout and go to settings. However, I could not find any of the books I had already downloaded in the bookshelf and when I closed the app, it would not open again.
I again deleted the app and re-installed it. This time, I setup a new account which I did by entering my name, e-mail and a password. I was sent an e-mail to verify my account which I did and the app opened in my RNIB account. However, yet again I could not find any of my books in the bookshelf and when I closed the app, I could not open it again.
I then went to the Overdrive web page on my lap top. This gave me some tips of how to get the app working on my IOS device. I followed all the steps from closing cookies, switching my phone off and on again, deleting the app etc. etc. Nothing worked.
I then went to the App Store and looked at the Overdrive - library e-books and audio books entry. It seems that I am not the only one having trouble. There are five reviews on the app entry that says that the app will not work: everything I have experienced and more.
Therefore, please do not update the app because it will not work! A plee to Overdrive INC (you cannot contact them either from the App Store or from their web site). Please can you get this app working as soon as possible. It just seems that you did not even test it! I am using an iPhone 6 with IOS 9.2.1.
Kind regards,
Steve.
Comments
Thank you for this
Very grateful to you for posting this.
It's working here
I updated overdrive yesterday before Steve's post and don't seem to have the same problems. I had only one ebook on my bookshelf at the time and have not tried an audio book yet.
The update went smoothly and I was able to continue reading the ebook.
I'n located in Canada so maybe it's a regional problem.
Sorry that I can't be more helpful.
My iPad Mini updated automatically
I have since turned off auto updates for apps, pretty sure I had already done that but whatever. I too had only one title. It was on the screen looking like the book front. With Voiceover on I got nowhere tapping the book but when I turned Voiceover off when I tapped the book it opened to the chapter I was last reading. I then turned Voiceover back on and reading the book worked fine. I have no reading list so can't remark on navigating that. I am in the U.S.
I am also having difficulties
I've also had lods of issues and have decided to wait for a future update. I'm unable to return books, plus the app crashes when i'm playing any kind of title. I put these issues down to the folks not testing the accessibility of the app first. I'm sure it'll be updated on a regular basis because Overdrive is used by many libraries world wide and thus needs to work. For now, best to either hold off on updating or just wait a couple of weeks for something new to drop from the Overdrive people, not ideal but these things happen. At least for me, the RNIB library is free for use so I can hold out for a while.
Accessibility?
iMHO the latest version has not improved accessibility at all.
As Steve mentioned there are many unhappy folks providing feedback in the appstore.
Update on Overdrive
Dear All,
I have spoken to one of the rniboverdrive team at length and she has heard me try to open, download and add my e-mail and password to open my Overdrive account on my landline. She told me that other people had telephoned the rnib helpline in the Uk to report similar problems to mine, although not that many at the time I spoke to her at 10.30 AM this morning. However, after listening to my difficulties with Overdrive 3.5.0, she has contacted Overdrive INC to see if a solution can be found.
Like James, I have a free membership to the rniboverdrive library so this is not critical while I also have Audible and Borrowbox at my disposal, I still want a speedy and successful solution to this problem as I rely on the rnib and Overdrive so much for my reading material.
I'll report back when I hear something.
Steve.
Overdrive update
Hello all,
Just a quick update. After lengthy discussions with one of the rniboverdrive team at the RNIB and an e-mail to Overdrive INC. from them, I have heard that there is indeed a bug with the Overdrive - library e-books and audio books app. Overdrive INC are working on a fix but I have no further information of when it will be updated to a new version.
The App store listing for the Overdrive - library e-books and audio books app now has 40 reviews, almost all of whom have provided feedback about the crash issues with Overdrive and consequently, they have altered their ratings to 1 star. The overall rating for the app has gone down from 4 stars to 1 star and most, if not all people in the review section are really angry with Overdrive INC and cannot understand why a company would release an update with such a massive error. Overdrive INC. will have to do something really special to redeme themselves on this occasion... we have seen similar errors in updates from them in the past but none as catastrophic as this one!
Steve.
Thanks...
...for the info.
I have the same on my Ipad
I have the same on my Ipad mini - was working fine but since 3.5.0 it wont open overdreive - just shuts down app almost instantely - no error messages
I wonder if this problem is only in the UK?
Dear all,
I do not know where most of you are but the 3.5.0 update of Overdrive seems to be ok in Canada and perhaps in the USA. If the others of you that have had problems live in the UK then that is an interesting discovery. I'm not sure where you are James but certainly Burnley81 might well be in England?
Steve.
Overdrive
I have also encountered this problem when updating to the latest version of the app. I am so grateful that I still have an older version on an old ipod so that I can still listen to my books. I do hope that rnib are reading the riot act to overdrive for publishing such an obviously buggy update!
Regards to the appleviz community all over the world
Cannot redownload my books.
Having problems in the US also. I updated the app and lost all my books on my iphone. I have tried all of the trouble shooting tips on the Overdrive website and I still am unable to download the books I had checked out previous to the update. I can go the the library page in Safari and read or listen to my books there. I am not happy with this solution as it requires either a wifi or cellular connection to the internet and I like to listen to audio books while driving. Additional problems are that after I finish a book through the internet, I cannot return it and now have to wait for it to expire and self delete from my account. Some of these books I waited weeks for and I am sure there are currently others waiting to read or listen to them.
I keep trying everyday to redownload the books. I get a message "title added" but nothing shows up in the app.
New version 3.5.1 now available
Seems to be working here...
Yes, now working with 3.5.1
Yes, just as frankd says, the Overdrive app is now working with version 3.5.1. However, I did notice on the update notes that it appears that they have not finished yet. The information suggested that there were more updates to come that will make good other issues (whatever they are). Mine now works fine, although I must say that the app is quite a lot different to the last iteration. I live in Essex, UK and use the Essex County Council library service as well as the RNIB. The RNIB site looks exactly the same. However, the County Library has updated to what appears to be a new Overdrive site and it is a lot more confusing than the one used by the RNIB. Lots of links for searching and then bening highlighted whereas the RNIB Overdrive site still requires one to double tap on an item i.e. 'date added' before sliding ones finger up and down to select a date period and then a double tap to select. Has anyone else seen this as there might be different ways to use the new version that I have not used yet?
Steve.
I can also confirm it is working
The latest update is, as Steve said, much different from the previous version, though it is usable enough. I am from Peterborough in the UK so another person who is British added to the list of those of us who had trouble. I'm just glad the majour issues were fixed and that the app is now usable again.
Overdrive app rececent update bugs
Overdrive app deleted all books from my bookshelf, on iPad Air. I had books I purchased from foreign bookstores that cannot be re-loaded. Looks like they are Lost forever. New loans from the library work. I also had many books downloaded from gutenberg.org, they are all lost also. This problem appears all over the globe. It is impossible to contact Overdrive, they are supposedly working on the update. Hopefully the bugs will be fixed.
Lost epub books
I have the same problem, plus more. Books I owned, that I copied to Overdrive are all lost. How do I retrieve them?
NO, not working with 3.5.1
Just updated to 3.5.1 and lost my books and the ability to load them. Also lost all my history.
Download from our New Zealand library says "Title Added" but it doesn't appear.
I'm not sure if I had version 3.5.0 but I'm definitely on 3.5.1 on iPhone 5S running iOS 9.2.1
Overdrive version 3.5.1
Hello all,
Sorry about the delay in responding... had the flu over the weekend and just got up! As I said on Friday, Overdrive is now working for me. After playing with itfor a while, I have found some really sillybugs or maybe not bugs but just accessibility problems. For example, every tme I open the app, it is a lottery where it will open: sometimes in the bookshelf, sometims on the book player page and sometimes on the main library age for the UK's RNIBoverdrive site. This needs fixing. So does the settings page which is totally inaccessible. I also notice that things like the chapter back and chapter forward descriptor has changed to something not understandable. Some more work to do then and it also appears that problemsstill exist in NZ and other places.
Steve.
Overdrive v3.5.1
Hello folks,
Sorry to hear that many of you are still experiencing problems. I guess I'm one of the lucky minority that does not have these problems.
Certainly the new layout needs a little learning but when you figure it out it seems to work OK.
My setup is pretty basic which might explain why others are having problems and I'm not. I currently have one library account configured with one ebook and one audio book on my bookshelf. For me, Overdrive consistently takes me to the bookshelf pafe everytime it is launched and From there I can do whatever I need to do.
The only issue I have is that pausing and resuming reading within a chapter of an ebook does not work correctly but this problem was also there before. I also notice the the history page is empty which does not seem to be correct.
I only use Overdrive because that is the only option available at my local library. For other reading sources I use iBooks and Voice Dream Reader so I can't speak to the problem of losing downloaded books.
Hopefully Overdrive will release some fixes for you soon.
A few more observations
I've noticed that when you edit the book shelf to return books, the titles aren't read. What I do in this case is open the book from the main bookshelf, stop it, go back to the home menu and edit the book shelf. The title you need to return will always be the first one. I hope this makes sense, i'm writing this comment in a bit of a hurry but wanted to support those of us using this new version.
Not working ver.3.5.1 on iPad
I have just updated to the 3.5.1 yesterday to only realize that I've lost all my ePub books I've downloaded on my iPad. Strangely enough that the audiobook were still there. I believe I have deleted them ages ago. And now, I tried to download an ebook from the local libraries (I'm a member of 2 libraries here) and every time I tried to download an ebook it says 'fulfillment failed'. I have tried many suggestions to resolve the issue but still unsuccessful. Can anybody help in finding out if I can get my old book back or resolve the fulfillment issue? I'm in New Zealand.
I wanted to echo James's comments
Hello all,
I just wanted to echo James's comments regarding the Overdrive app and all other issues people on applevis have supported me with. A brilliant forum an one that I tell VI people about all the time.
Steve.
Overdrive and Bluetooth issue
Dear all
If any of you own a Bluetooth sspeaker and you use it with the overdrive app to listen to audiobooks. Are any of you experiencing an issue where by the beginning of a sentence gets cut off?
This is an issue that's happening to me and I wondered if it was was specific to the overdrive app and iOS 9 because every other app I've used that plays audio, doesn't behave in this manor.
Thanking everyone in advance forall responses.