Email CatShelf Support
Please do not attach a shelf photo unless we ask for it while troubleshooting.
System requirements
- An iPhone running iOS 17 or later.
- Camera access for live shelf scanning, or the photo picker for an existing image.
- An internet connection for cloud book recognition, recommendations, sign-in, and account operations.
- Enough free device storage to hold a protected retry copy while a scan or import is in progress.
Scanning and shelf results
The camera will not open
Open iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Camera and allow CatShelf. You can also choose an existing shelf photo from the scan screen.
A scan is taking longer than expected
CatShelf keeps accepted scans in Recent scans and can resume them after you reopen the app. Keep network access available. If the scan reaches a retry or failure state, use the action shown there rather than submitting the same photo repeatedly.
A title or author is wrong
Use the correction action on the book result. CatShelf keeps the correction with that scan and uses the corrected book for your library actions.
Find on shelf cannot locate a book
The feature requires a completed scan with its shelf photo still available. Try reopening the exact scan from Recent scans. Very small, blocked, angled, or face-out books can still be difficult to localize.
Accounts and sign-in
Sign in with Apple or Google does not finish
Confirm that Safari can open web pages, temporarily disable a content blocker or VPN that may interrupt the return to CatShelf, and try again. Use the same provider you originally chose when returning to an existing account.
My onboarding books did not appear after sign-in
Keep CatShelf open and online for a moment; the app safely links pre-account shelf and picker data during sign-in. If it still does not appear, email support before repeating onboarding so we can preserve the original state.
Subscriptions and billing
I subscribed but paid scanning is locked
On the CatShelf paywall or subscription screen, choose Restore Purchases. Make sure the iPhone is signed in to the Apple Account that made the purchase, then reopen CatShelf.
How do I cancel or change a subscription?
Open iOS Settings → your name → Subscriptions → CatShelf. Apple manages billing, cancellation, refunds, and renewal. Deleting CatShelf data does not cancel Apple billing.
Goodreads and StoryGraph imports
An import is still processing
Accepted imports survive closing and reopening the app. Return to Me to see progress. CatShelf prevents duplicate active imports, so wait for the current import to finish or use its cancel/retry action.
Some imported books need review
Use the review list in Me to search for the intended edition or title. CatShelf intentionally leaves uncertain rows for you rather than silently attaching the wrong book.
What parts of my export are used?
CatShelf uses book identity, shelf names, reading status, and ratings needed to build your library. Review text and private notes are ignored. See the Privacy Policy for retention details.
Notifications
CatShelf can notify you when a long-running shelf scan or library import finishes and can schedule one first-day reminder. It does not send streaks, rating nags, or per-book marketing alerts.
- Change CatShelf notification categories in Me.
- Change visible alerts, sound, and badges in iOS Settings → Notifications → CatShelf.
- The Home bell keeps the same useful completion updates inside the app even if system alerts are off.
Delete your CatShelf data
- Open CatShelf and go to Me.
- In the Data section, choose Delete all my data.
- Read the confirmation and approve deletion.
- Keep the app online while it confirms server deletion and clears the device.
This deletes the CatShelf account and reader data, including saved profile state, scan history, and retained shelf photos. It does not cancel an Apple subscription. If deletion cannot finish because of a network interruption, reopen CatShelf online and it will continue the protected recovery flow.
If the in-app flow remains unavailable, email support@catshelfapp.com for help. Do not send passwords, Apple verification codes, or full payment information.