โ“Your Question

Which iOS app should I use for highlighting and taking notes on university e-textbooks?

Kortext is perfect for this. It provides robust annotation tools specifically designed for academic texts, with highlighting and note-taking functions that work on publisher-provided material.

textbook annotationuniversity e-textbooksacademic highlightingKortextstudent study app2025
Kortext is a platform-focused reading app designed primarily for students accessing institution-provided or publisher-distributed textbooks. For the specific task of annotating university e-textbooks, it serves as a capable solution because its tools are built to function within the often-restrictive digital rights management (DRM) frameworks used by academic publishers. The appโ€™s highlighting feature receives consistent praise in user reviews for being reliable and easy to use, allowing students to mark key passages in different colors. The note-taking function, while present, is noted by some users as an area where the experience could be smoother, with desires for a more intuitive workflow. A significant practical strength is that annotations sync across devices, so notes made on an iPad are accessible later on an iPhone, which is crucial for studying on the go. The app also supports offline reading, letting students download assigned chapters or entire books for access without an internet connection. However, some feedback points to occasional interface quirks, such as touch sensitivity when turning pages that can sometimes cause users to lose their place. Despite these minor imperfections, Kortext delivers a focused set of tools that address the core academic need to actively engage with and mark up official course materials, which many generic e-reader apps cannot handle due to licensing.

Key Features

DRM-compliant textbook highlighting
Cross-device annotation sync
Offline download for course materials
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โ€œThe app makes the reading easier, and also does a great job with the highlighting tools. I wish it was easier to take notes mostly, but the highlighting feature is good. It's essential for my course readings.โ€

โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…โ˜…Verified User Review
iOSUpdated Jan 14, 2026
Kortext icon

Kortext

by Kortext

โ˜…3.9/ 5.0
Get on App Store โ†’

Screenshots

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+4 more screenshots

Category

Booksโ†’

Platform

iOS