ComicFlow Guides
These guides cover reading, converting, transferring and organizing comics on iPhone and iPad with ComicFlow. Pick the task you are stuck on, or start with the three answers below.
Start here
- To convert a CBR or CBZ to PDF on iPhone, read how to convert CBR and CBZ to PDF on iPhone.
- To open CBR and CBZ files without converting, read how to read CBR and CBZ files on iPhone.
- If a comic file will not open, read why your CBZ or CBR file won't open.
Convert comics to PDF
To turn a CBR or CBZ into a PDF on iPhone, follow the how-to guide first. It covers all five formats ComicFlow handles. The CBZ guide goes deeper on page order, quality levels and file size, and the roundup compares ComicFlow with Calibre and online converters.
- How to Convert CBR and CBZ to PDF on iPhoneStep-by-step: convert CBR and CBZ comics to PDF on iPhone with ComicFlow. Pick a quality preset, convert in seconds, and share the PDF. No computer needed.
- CBZ to PDF on iPhone and iPad: Quality, Page Order and File Size (2026)What converting a CBZ to PDF does to your pages on iPhone and iPad, how High, Medium and Low change file size, and which CBZ files can't be converted.
- Best CBR to PDF Converters for iPhone, Mac, and PC (2026)Compare five CBR to PDF converters: ComicFlow on iPhone and iPad, Calibre on Mac and PC, and three online tools. Speed, quality control, privacy and price.
Read comics
ComicFlow opens CBR, CBZ and PDF comics directly, so you can read them without converting anything. Start with the guide to opening CBR and CBZ files on iPhone, then pick the device or reading style you care about.
- Read CBR & CBZ Files on iPhone: The 2 Apps That Work (2026)How to open CBR and CBZ files on iPhone or iPad: the two reader apps worth considering, their tradeoffs, and the workarounds that look like they'd work but don't.
- 5 Best Comic Reader Apps for iPhone and iPad (2026)The 5 best comic reader apps for iPhone and iPad in 2026. CBR, CBZ, and PDF support compared with honest pros and cons for each app.
- How to Read PDF Comics on iPhone and iPadPDF comics are everywhere but Apple Books is a terrible reader for them. Here's how to actually read PDF comics on iPhone and iPad with a proper comic reader.
- How to Read Comics on iPad: Apps, Layouts, and Tips (2026)The iPad is the best device for reading digital comics. Here's how to set it up with the right app, reading mode, and settings for comics, manga, and webtoons.
- How to Read Comics on a Mac or Apple Vision Pro (2026)ComicFlow runs on Apple Silicon Macs and Apple Vision Pro as an iPad app. Here is how to read CBR, CBZ and PDF comics on the big screen and get your files in.
- How to Read Comics Offline on iPhone and iPad (2026)Want to read comics without an internet connection? Learn how to set up a fully offline comic library on iPhone and iPad with CBR, CBZ, and PDF files.
- How to Read Manga on iPhone: RTL Reading SetupMost comic readers get manga wrong. Learn why reading direction matters, how RTL mode works, and how to set up your iPhone for an authentic manga reading experience.
- How to Read Webtoons on iPhone with Vertical ScrollWant to read webtoons on your iPhone the way they were meant to be read? Learn how vertical scroll mode works, why it matters for manhwa, and how to set it up.
- How to Read Comics at Night on iPhone Without Eye Strain (2026)Night reading tips for comics and manga on iPhone and iPad: reader night mode, brightness, Night Shift, Reduce White Point, and what to do about white-heavy pages.
- How to Keep Your Place in a Comic Across iPhone and iPad (2026)Read on your iPhone, pick up on your iPad. How ComicFlow's optional iCloud sync matches your page, bookmarks and ratings, and how to get files onto both devices.
Transfer comics to your iPhone
To get comics onto an iPhone from a PC or Mac, start with the transfer guide. The second guide is about finding DRM-free files you own.
- How to Transfer Comics to iPhone from PC or MacGot comic files on your computer but want to read them on your iPhone? Here are 6 ways to transfer CBR, CBZ, and PDF comics to iOS, ranked by speed and ease.
- Where to Find DRM-Free Digital Comics You Actually OwnTired of losing access to comics you paid for? Here are the best places to buy DRM-free digital comics as CBZ, CBR, and PDF files that you truly own forever.
Organize and back up your library
A library stays usable when files are named and grouped consistently and backed up somewhere else. These guides cover collections, backups and a manga-specific setup.
- How to Organize Your Digital Comic CollectionStruggling with a messy digital comic library? Learn practical strategies to organize your collection with collections, ratings, tags, and reading progress tracking.
- How to Back Up Your Digital Comic CollectionProtect your digital comic library from drive failures and lost devices. A practical guide to backing up comic files so your collection survives anything.
- How to Build a Manga Library on iPhone (2026)Want to read manga on your iPhone? Learn where to buy digital manga, how to organize long-running series, and how to set up the perfect manga reading experience.
Read on an e-reader
ComicFlow Pro can send comics to Kobo, Boox, reMarkable and PocketBook e-readers as EPUB. This guide explains how.
Troubleshooting and file formats
If a CBZ or CBR will not open, start with the troubleshooting guide. The formats guide explains what is inside each comic file type.
- Why Your CBZ or CBR File Won't Open, and How to Fix ItMost comic files that won't open are not corrupt. The extension usually lies about what is inside. Seven causes, how to tell them apart, and what fixes each.
- Comic Book File Formats Explained: CBR vs CBZ vs PDFWhat's the difference between CBR, CBZ, PDF, and other comic book file formats? Learn what each format is, which one to use, and how to read them all on iPhone.
About ComicFlow and release notes
The story behind the app, how it differs from the older app with the same name, and what changed in each major version.
- Why I Built ComicFlow (And What I Learned Shipping a Niche iOS App)I'm an indie iOS dev who shipped a comic reader into a market dominated by Panels and Shonen Jump. The unsexy decisions that worked, and the mistakes I made.
- ComicFlow (2012) vs ComicFlow Today: Two Different Comic Apps With the Same NameRemember ComicFlow as a free iPad comic reader, or found an old link that no longer opens? What that app was, what happened to it, and how today's app differs.
- ComicFlow 3.5: iPhone Duo Support, Two-Page Spreads on iPad, and a Clearer Convert ScreenComicFlow 3.5 adds iPhone Duo support with a spread on each side of the fold, two pages on iPad in portrait and Split View, a sidebar, and a clearer Convert screen.
- ComicFlow 3.4: Watch Folders, Wi-Fi Upload, and Clearer Answers When a File Won't OpenComicFlow 3.4 adds two free ways to get comics onto your iPhone without a cable: watch a folder in Files, or drag comics onto a page in your computer's browser.
- ComicFlow 3.0: Send Comics to Your E-Reader, Lock Private Shelves, and Free CBZ ExportComicFlow 3.0 adds EPUB export for Kobo, Boox and reMarkable, Face ID-locked collections, reader presets and free CBZ export. No subscription, works offline.
Manga recommendations
Reading lists rather than app guides. These pick series to read, and you can open them in ComicFlow once you have the files.
- Best Manga for Beginners: 15 Series to Start With (2026)New to manga and not sure where to start? These 15 series are the best entry points, from short thrillers to epic adventures. Each one picked for how easy it is to get into and how hard it is to put down.
- 4 Manga to Binge in a Weekend: Seinen That Will Hijack Your Schedule (2026)Four completed seinen manga that will eat your entire weekend the moment you start them. Mystery thrillers, zombie horror, cyberpunk, and martial arts sci-fi, each one finishable in a few days, each one impossible to put down.
- 4 Manga You Physically Cannot Put Down (2026): The Most Addictive Series Ever DrawnFour manga series so addictive that starting one will erase your entire week. Strategy war epic, devastating short read, escalating sci-fi survival, and the most original world-building in manga.
- 4 Manga Everyone Pretends to Have Read (2026): The Series Most Fans Lie AboutThe four manga every fan claims to have finished but almost nobody actually has. From the 1,100-chapter behemoth to the legendary dark fantasy that runs longer than most readers' patience, these are the lies the manga community keeps telling itself.
- 4 Manga to Read Before You Die (2026): The Bucket List Every Reader Should FinishFour manga that genuinely change how you see storytelling. From the most intelligent power system ever written to the most addictive manhwa of the decade, this is the bucket list every serious reader needs to finish.
- 4 Manga Guaranteed to Make You Cry (2026): The Most Devastating Reads in the MediumFour manga so emotionally devastating they will physically break you. From a redemption story about bullying and disability to one of the saddest coming-of-age tales ever written, these aren't 'might make you sad' reads. They're guaranteed.
- 4 Women Who Changed Manga Forever (2026): The Mangaka Who Built the Modern IndustryFour women whose manga didn't just succeed, they reshaped entire genres. From the most-published female mangaka in history to the artist who created the magical girl genre as we know it, these are the careers that built modern manga.
Looking for something else? Browse the full ComicFlow tag on the blog, check the ComicFlow FAQ, or try the free Comic File Inspector. Many guides also exist in other languages, listed on each language's blog index.