Frequently asked questions

General#

What is Saikou?#

An open-source manga reader for Android. It reads .tachibk backups and extensions built for the Tachiyomi extension API, and adds features of its own such as sync between devices.

Where do I get it?#

From its releases page on GitHub, https://github.com/ShinSaikou/saikou/releases. The source code is there too. See Getting started.

Is there an iOS version?#

No. Saikou is an Android app (Android 8.0 and later).

Does Saikou come with any content?#

No. Read files from your device with the Local source, or add extensions from repositories you choose. See Getting started.

Can I read light novels?#

No. Saikou shows pages as images. It does not lay out text.

I use another reader. Do I have to start over?#

No. Restore its .tachibk backup in Saikou, then copy its downloads. See Getting started.

Can I sync between my devices?#

Yes, through your Google Drive or a WebDAV server. See Sync between devices.

Does Saikou collect data about me?#

No. Saikou has no analytics, no crash reporting and no server of its own. See Security and privacy.

How do I avoid losing my library?#

Keep automatic backups on, and now and then create a backup by hand and keep it off the phone. See Backups and restore.

Library and updates#

Why does an automatic update skip some entries?#

Smart update skips entries with unread chapters, entries you have not started, entries marked Completed, and entries not expected to have a new chapter yet. This saves time and keeps the sites from limiting you. A manual update (pull down on the Library) ignores those rules and checks every entry in the categories you update. See Library updates.

Why am I warned about updating many entries from one source?#

Sending one site a large number of requests can get you limited or blocked. Saikou already slows down for a site that pushes back. To quiet the warning, exclude a category of rarely read entries from updates. See Library updates.

Why do updates not run in the background?#

See Troubleshooting.

How do I see how many chapters I have downloaded?#

Turn on the Downloaded badge in the library sheet's Display tab (or More > Settings > Library > Show download badges).

How do I deal with duplicate chapters from several groups?#

• On the entry's page, Filter > Filter scanlator groups: untick groups you do not want, and rank the rest with Move up / Move down.
• More > Settings > Reader > Skip duplicate chapters: the reader moves to one copy of each chapter, your preferred group's when you ranked them.
• More > Settings > Library > Mark duplicate read chapter as read.
• More > Settings > Downloads > Skip downloading duplicate read chapters.

How do I pause reading history?#

Turn on Incognito in the More tab.

How do I read only what I have downloaded?#

Turn on Downloaded only in the More tab.

Why can I not turn off the library's Downloaded filter?#

Downloaded only is on in the More tab. Turn it off.

Downloads#

Can I download several chapters at the same time?#

Chapters download one after another, while several pages of each chapter download at once (More > Settings > Downloads > Pages downloaded at once). Going one chapter at a time keeps sites from blocking you.

Why did my downloads stop?#

Usually the network or the site. The queue (More > Download queue) shows Failed with the reason, and a notification lists failures. Also check Only download over Wi-Fi.

Where are my downloads? Can I put them on an SD card?#

In Saikou's own app storage on the device. You do not choose a folder, and they never appear in your gallery. See Downloads.

Reader#

Can I see two pages side by side?#

Not yet. Split wide pages and Rotate wide pages to fit in the reader's settings help with double-page spreads. See The reader.

What do all the reader settings do?#

See The reader.

Browse and extensions#

Why do I not see a source I installed?#

• Its language may be turned off: Browse > Sources > Filter, or More > Settings > Browse > Enabled languages.
• You may have disabled it (long press > Disable). Turn it back on in Browse > Sources > Filter.
• It may be marked as mature: More > Settings > Browse > Show mature sources.

Do I need to allow installing unknown apps, or set an installer?#

No. Saikou installs extensions inside the app, without Android's package installer.

How do I uninstall an extension?#

Browse > Extensions, open the extension and tap Uninstall. See Extensions and repositories.

Settings#

Why are screenshots blocked?#

Secure screen is on, or set to Incognito while incognito is on. Change it in More > Settings > Security and privacy.

What is DNS over HTTPS?#

A way to look up site addresses over an encrypted connection instead of your network's DNS, which can get around simple blocks. Set it in More > Settings > Advanced > DNS over HTTPS (DoH) and restart the app.