Reading stats and progress sync are the two things Xteink owners ask about after the wallpaper phase. The answers are different for every firmware: some keep a dashboard on the device, some speak KOReader's sync protocol, some do neither. Here is what each one actually does, how to make sync work, and which parts still have no solution.
What each system records
| System | On-device stats | Progress sync | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stock XT 7.x (X3, X4) | Basic progress | No | Official app and cloud sync for books, not reading position across other readers |
| XT Licorice (X4 Pro, X4 Classic) | Desk stats, book tickets, goals | KOSync, beta | Upgrades can reset the bookshelf and stats; the X4 Classic's Convert option keeps some |
| CrossPoint | Basic progress | KOSync | The most common base; sync is configured on the reader |
| CrossInk | Stats and highlights | — | Focus mode and bookmarks; no plugin layer |
| CrossNext (X4 Pro) | Stats, books finished, goals | — | Also Anki and games; built on an older CrossPoint base |
| Xerif (XPoint) | Basic progress | KOSync | Bluetooth page turners and OPDS 2.0 |
| BookFusion Ink (third party) | Library and reading data | Yes, automatic | Free tier up to three devices and two books a month; paid subscription above that |
The pattern: the stock system is best at stats you look at on the device, CrossPoint and its forks are best at talking to a sync server, and BookFusion is the only one that syncs the whole library without you configuring anything. None of them moves stats from one firmware to another.
The one shared protocol: KOSync
KOReader's sync server (KOSync) is the closest thing to a standard. CrossPoint, Licorice (beta), Xerif and the Readest app can all talk to it, which is why “sync my Xteink with my phone” usually means KOSync. The setup is the same everywhere:
- Put the same DRM-free EPUB on the reader and in the other app. Same file, not a re-download with different metadata.
- In the reader's settings, turn on KOReader sync and enter the server URL, a username and a password. A self-hosted KOReader sync server works; so do hosted ones.
- Choose how the two sides recognise a book: document hash (a partial MD5 of the file) or filename. If one side says “binary” and the other sends only a filename, nothing matches. This is the single most common failure.
- Sync on open and on close. In Readest, turn on metadata sending if the merge button shows two versions of the same book.
Two limits are worth knowing before you plan around it. A Kindle needs KOReader (and therefore a jailbreak) to join; the Kindle's own store books are DRM-protected and cannot sync this way. And the readers do not sync when they go to sleep: owners have asked for “sync before sleep” for months, and it is still a feature request. BookFusion is the one that reportedly does it automatically.
What still breaks
- Switching firmware loses the history. CrossPoint, Licorice and CrossNext store stats in different places. Inkwell, a launcher for Xteink readers, keeps a shared stats backup so a switch carries over; that is the exception, not the rule.
- An update can wipe the counter. Licorice owners reported their reading stats resetting after the 24 October build. Back up before updating, and don't treat the number as permanent.
- Hash mismatches look like “sync doesn't work”. The same book from two stores has two hashes. Use filename matching, or copy the exact file.
- China-market units and the official app. The XTEINK app can refuse a CN device even after a global flash, so the “official” stats route may be closed; KOSync is the workaround.
If you want stats without a server
On an X4 Pro, CrossNext goes furthest: books finished, goals, Anki and a redesigned home, all on the device. Licorice's Desk is the polished stock version, with book tickets and goals but less history. CrossInk adds stats and highlights on the X3 and original X4, where Licorice and CrossNext cannot run. BookFusion is the paid shortcut if you want your library and place across an X3, an X4 Pro and a phone without touching a sync server; the free tier covers a light reader, and the subscription is the only recurring cost in this list.
None of these is affiliated with einktools. The firmware chooser links each project's own page; BookFusion is named because owners recommend it, not because we earn from it.
The gap we keep hearing about
Every thread ends in the same place: there is no single place that says how much you read this week across a CrossPoint X3, a Licorice X4 Pro and the Kindle app, and no way to carry a streak through a firmware swap. A KOSync-compatible endpoint plus a small dashboard would cover most of it: the reader already knows how to send progress, and the missing part is a place to keep it and show it back.
We are testing whether that is worth building as a paid add-on (the basics free, the history and year recap paid). It is not built yet, and we won't ask for an email or take a payment until it is. If you would use it, the button below is the signal.
Idea, not built yet
$2 a month
One reading-stats hub, across firmware and your phone
Reading time, streaks and the page you're on, gathered from CrossPoint, CrossInk, Licorice or your phone, so changing firmware or reading a chapter somewhere else doesn't lose your place. The basics stay free.
What to do this week
- If you only read on one device, skip sync entirely; the on-device stats are enough.
- If you read on two, pick KOSync and copy the exact EPUB to both sides. Test with one book before moving the library.
- If you want the least setup and don't mind a subscription, try BookFusion's free tier first.
- Before any firmware change, export or photograph the stats you care about. There is no universal backup yet.
Choosing the firmware is the first decision; the firmware chooser puts stats, sync and fonts in one place. The threads behind this guide: KOSync setup, sync at sleep, Kindle + Xteink, and BookFusion.
