Mobile Experience¶

Jinbocho is a web application that works on any modern smartphone or tablet without installation. Open it in your mobile browser and it adapts to your screen.

No App to Install¶

Jinbocho runs in your browser. On mobile, open your preferred browser and navigate to your Jinbocho URL:

iOS — Safari, Chrome, or Firefox
Android — Chrome, Firefox, or Samsung Internet

Add to Home Screen

For a near-app experience, add Jinbocho to your home screen:

iOS (Safari): Tap the Share icon → Add to Home Screen → Add

Android (Chrome): Tap the menu → Add to Home screen → Add

The shortcut opens Jinbocho in full-screen mode without browser chrome.

Mobile Layout¶

On small screens, Jinbocho switches to a mobile layout:

┌─────────────────────────────┐
│  ☰  Jinbocho          🔍 + │  ← Top bar (menu, search, add)
├─────────────────────────────┤
│                             │
│  [Book card]                │
│  The Name of the Wind       │
│  Patrick Rothfuss · 🟡      │
│                             │
│  [Book card]                │
│  Il deserto dei Tartari     │
│  Dino Buzzati · 🟢          │
│                             │
│  [Book card]                │
│  …                          │
│                             │
├─────────────────────────────┤
│  🏠    📚    🔍    ⚙️       │  ← Bottom navigation bar
└─────────────────────────────┘

The sidebar (visible on desktop) becomes a hamburger menu (☰) on mobile.

ISBN Scanning on Mobile¶

The barcode scanner works best on mobile because smartphone cameras have autofocus and a good macro lens.

Using the back camera¶

Tap Add Book (+ button)
Select Scan ISBN
Allow camera access when prompted
Jinbocho uses the rear camera automatically on mobile
Point the camera at the barcode

             📱
         ┌───────┐
         │ 📷 ←──┼── rear camera
         │       │
         │       │
         └───────┘
              │
              ↓ (15–25 cm)
    ══════════════════
    ▐▌▐▌▐▌▐▌▐▌▐▌▐▌▐▌  ← barcode
    ══════════════════

Hold the phone above the book, not at an angle
Keep the barcode fully inside the camera view
Tap the screen to focus if the image is blurry

See ISBN Scanning for complete guidance.

Touch Gestures¶

Gesture	Action
Tap a book card	Open book detail
Tap the status badge	Change reading status
Pull to refresh	Reload the current list

Location Picker on Mobile¶

The location picker (room → bookcase → shelf) is optimised for touch:

Tap Add Book → Scan or Manual
In the form, tap Choose location
A bottom sheet slides up with the location tree
Tap to expand: Room → Bookcase → Section → Shelf
Tap the shelf you want
The bottom sheet closes and the location is filled in

Mobile Performance Tips¶

Slow loading on first visit¶

Jinbocho uses TanStack Query to cache API responses in memory. The first time you open a page, it loads from the server. Subsequent visits within the same session are instant (cached).

If the app feels slow on the first open, it may be due to Render free-tier cold starts. See FAQ → Cold starts.

Low memory devices¶

If the app becomes unresponsive after extended use, close and reopen the browser tab. This clears the in-memory cache and frees up RAM.

Offline Support¶

Jinbocho currently requires an internet connection to function. There is no offline mode — all data is stored on the server.

If you lose connectivity while scanning:

The camera still decodes the barcode
The ISBN lookup fails (no internet → no metadata)
The book cannot be saved until the connection is restored

Responsive Breakpoints¶

Screen width	Layout used
< 640 px	Mobile: bottom nav, stacked cards
640 – 1024 px	Tablet: sidebar (collapsible), 2-column grid
> 1024 px	Desktop: full sidebar, 3-column grid