{"id":5548,"date":"2026-08-15T13:14:12","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T13:14:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=5548"},"modified":"2026-08-15T13:14:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T13:14:12","slug":"xteink-x3-x4-x4-pro-e-reader-libby-plug-ins-drm-crosspoint-reader","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=5548","title":{"rendered":"Xteink\u2019s tiny e-readers are getting access to free books through Libby"},"content":{"rendered":"


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One of the big tradeoffs with Xteink\u2019s pocket-friendly e-readers is a lack of easy access to ebooks. On a Kindle or Kobo you can download tens of thousands of titles through each device\u2019s respective online bookstores, but with Xteink\u2019s devices you have to source DRM-free ebooks on your own. That\u2019s about to change, as the developers of CrossPoint Reader<\/a>, a free alternative firmware for the X3<\/a>, X4<\/a>, and X4 Pro<\/a>, are introducing support for third-party plug-ins that will expand the e-readers\u2019 capabilities. One of the first from the community will give the devices access to DRM-protected ebooks borrowed through OverDrive\u2019s Libby library app<\/a>, or purchased through bookstores like Kobo\u2019s.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The new functionality is still in beta, but while the team behind CrossPoint Reader provided me with custom firmware I\u2019ve been testing on the X4 Pro for the past few days, it\u2019s now available to anyone who wants to try it<\/a>. Getting ebooks from Libby onto the tiny e-readers isn\u2019t as streamlined as using its mobile app or as simple as Kobo\u2019s native OverDrive support, but it\u2019s much easier than I expected. If you\u2019re already comfortable with wirelessly transferring files to your tiny e-reader, loading ebooks from Libby isn\u2019t much harder.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Until now, you had to source DRM-free ebooks to load and read on Xteink\u2019s e-readers.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The first step is saying good riddance to the frustrating stock firmware on Xteink\u2019s devices and installing the free CrossPoint Reader alternative. The easiest approach is to connect your e-reader to your computer with its USB-C cable, power it on, and then flash the new firmware directly through a browser using the CrossPoint Reader website<\/a> that lets you select your specific device and which version of the firmware you want.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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You then need to download and install CrossPoint Reader\u2019s new Plugin Store, which is available here<\/a>. Installation is as simple as unzipping a few files onto your e-reader\u2019s microSD card, which will put a new Plugins section on the e-reader\u2019s homescreen. It\u2019s currently populated with a few different tools you can download, but the important one to install is the \u201cProtected Content\u201d plug-in. It runs through CrossPoint Reader\u2019s built-in web server (which is probably much easier to use<\/a> than you think) and allows Xteink\u2019s devices to access ebooks protected by the Adobe Digital Editions DRM.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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To get it all working you\u2019ll need a free ByteBooks account<\/a> (or you can convert an older Adobe Digital Editions account you haven\u2019t touched in years) so you can login and authorize your e-reader to open DRM-protected ebooks. You\u2019ll also need access to Libby itself on another device, which requires a library card to sign in. For several reasons, including the fact that Xteink\u2019s devices use low-power ESP-32 processors, you\u2019re not able to search or download ebooks from Libby directly on the e-readers themselves.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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You can use CrossPoint Reader\u2019s built-in web server to wirelessly copy ebooks to your e-reader. But its new \u201cProtected Content\u201d plug-in now allows you to load DRM-protected ebooks, too.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Once you borrow a book the Libby apps will let you download it as a protected EPUB file. What you\u2019re actually downloading first is a tiny ACSM file that an authorized reading app uses to access the DRM-protected ebook file. The new \u201cProtected Content\u201d plug-in running through the CrossPoint Reader web server processes an ACSM file moved to the microSD card, downloads a copy of the book, and copies the EPUB file to your e-reader, where you can read it for as long as the loan allows.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The process is similar for ebooks purchased from stores like Kobo\u2019s that use the EPUB format with ADE. (Amazon doesn\u2019t.) When logged into Kobo\u2019s website (not the desktop app) you can download an ACSM file for a book you\u2019ve purchased, copy it to your Xteink device, and then process it with the plug-in to access the ebook you can actually read.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Common Stacks is a free mobile and desktop app that streamlines the process of borrowing library books through Libby and getting them onto Xteink\u2019s e-readers.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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If you want to simplify the Libby process, you can instead download and install an app called Common Stacks<\/a> (available for Android, Windows, and macOS, with iOS support coming soon) that\u2019s designed to provide access to multiple free ebook libraries, including ones you host yourself. The app includes full access to Libby and can both download and send ebook files directly to Xteink\u2019s e-readers with just a couple of clicks. Common Stacks also relies on CrossPoint Reader\u2019s web server functionality running in the back end, but getting borrowed books onto the X4 Pro was as easy as borrowing library books on my Kobo is.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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While Libby and Common Stacks is one of the best ways to get free ebooks onto Xteink\u2019s devices, you\u2019ll want to be mindful that selection will vary from library to library, and you may occasionally have to wait to download a popular title depending on how many digital copies are available or are already loaned out. However, now that Xteink\u2019s tiny e-readers finally have access to DRM-protected ebooks \u2014 whether borrowed or bought \u2014 they\u2019re an even more tempting alternative to Kindles and Kobos.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Photography by Andrew Liszewski \/ The Verge<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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