Apple Books Not Working on iPhone XS? Here’s How to Fix It

Trying to open Apple Books (or iBooks) on your iPhone XS but nothing loads, or the Book Store won’t open? Whether it’s crashing, showing a blank screen, or just not responding, here are several ways to get it working again.

1. Restart Your iPhone XS

This is the simplest way to fix a frozen or glitchy app.

Press and hold the Side button + Volume Up or Down until the power slider appears.
Slide to power off.
Wait 30 seconds, then turn your phone back on.

If the screen is unresponsive, do a force restart instead:

Press and quickly release Volume Up.
Press and quickly release Volume Down.
Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.

2. Refresh Apple Books Cache

This is a hidden trick that works surprisingly well.

Open the Books app.
Tap any icon on the bottom tab bar 10 times in a row.

The app will refresh its content and clear its cache.

3. Reset Location & Privacy Settings

If Apple Books opens but shows a blank screen, privacy settings could be blocking it.

Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Location & Privacy.
Enter your passcode and confirm.

Apps will ask for permission again next time they need access to location or services.

4. Reset All Settings

This keeps your data intact but reverts all system settings to their defaults.

Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset All Settings.
Enter your passcode and confirm.

After rebooting, try launching Apple Books again.

5. Update iOS

Bugs in iOS can cause built-in apps like Books to misbehave.

Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
If there’s an update, download and install it.

Once complete, restart your phone.

6. Sign Out and Sign In to Apple ID

Sometimes your Apple account needs to be refreshed.

Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Media & Purchases > Sign Out.
Restart your iPhone.
Go back and sign in again.

Make sure your payment info is up to date if you’re having issues buying books.

7. Check Apple System Status

The issue might be on Apple’s end.

Visit Apple’s System Status page.
Look for Apple Books or iTunes Store. If it’s down, you’ll need to wait it out.

8. Factory Reset (Last Resort)

If nothing else works, you can factory reset your iPhone.

Warning: This will erase everything. Back up first!

Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings.

You can also do this via iTunes/Finder for a fresh start.