What is new about Thus Far, the chapter-locked book club app?
Thus Far: No-Spoiler Book Club appeared on the US App Store with version 1.0.1 on 19 September 2026 and added book clubs ten days later. Its idea is simple: every post carries the chapter it was written at and stays hidden until you finish that chapter. What is newer is how it handles AI, with eight labelled "Book Buddies" you can switch off, and a PageKeeper tool that checks posts for spoilers.
What arrived, and when?
| Version | Date | What the release notes say |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0.1 | 19 September | First version on the US App Store |
| 1.0.3 | 29 September | "Book clubs are here." Start a club, vote on the next read, read with a friend, a new Apple Watch app |
| 1.0.4 | 1 October | Club setup: "pick your pace, turn on Book Buddies and chapter recaps"; Pulse for hosts |
| 1.0.5 | 2 October | Latest clubs first; Book Buddy settings apply right away |
| 1.0.6 | 6 October | "Every edition of your book now finds its feed, special editions included" |
How does the chapter lock work?
From the listing: "Every post carries the chapter it was written at. Finish chapter 12 and everything people wrote about chapter 12 opens up. Chapter 13 stays hidden until you finish that one too." You save your place by photographing the page, screenshotting a Kindle or Audible screen, scanning the barcode or tapping the chapter, so print, ebook and audio all work.
This is a chapter lock on people's posts, which is a different thing from a page lock on an AI's knowledge. Both are drawn in How page-locked recaps work.
Why do the Book Buddies matter?
A chapter-locked feed has a cold-start problem: if nobody has reached your chapter, the room is empty. Thus Far fills it with "Eight Book Buddies with real points of view" that "post at every chapter". What stands out is the labelling. The listing says they "are generated by Thus Far and labelled as Book Buddies on every post and profile", that "A post by a reader is marked as a reader and is human", and that "Turning the Book Buddies off is one switch."
That is a clear contrast with the episode that pushed Fable to remove AI-generated reader summaries in January 2025; see our note on Fable.
What else is in the listing?
- PageKeeper, which "checks shared posts for spoilers and community safety", plus reporting, blocking and a request for human review.
- Ownership check. "For a copyrighted book, one tap confirms you own a copy. Thus Far does not sell or provide books."
- Free reading, paid hosting. Reading, posting and joining clubs are free; hosting uses the Thus Far Hosts+ subscription.
What are the catches?
- iOS 26 or later, on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac and Apple Vision. No Android.
- Tracking. Its App Store privacy label lists purchases, identifiers and usage data as data used to track you; see Reading app privacy labels.
- Five ratings on the US App Store, averaging 4.2, on 30 October 2026.
Our Thus Far profile has the full fact sheet.
Questions
- Q1
When did Thus Far launch?
Its US App Store version history begins with version 1.0.1 on 19 September 2026. Book clubs arrived in version 1.0.3 on 29 September.
- Q2
How does Thus Far stop spoilers?
Every post carries the chapter it was written at and stays hidden until you finish that chapter. PageKeeper also checks shared posts for spoilers.
- Q3
Are Thus Far's Book Buddies AI?
Yes. The listing says they are generated by Thus Far, labelled on every post and profile, and can be turned off with one switch.
- Q4
Does Thus Far need iOS 26?
Yes. The listing says it requires iOS 26.0 or later.
Sources
Related
- 01Thus FarThus Far is a chapter-locked book club app: posts stay hidden until you finish their chapter, with labelled AI Book Buddies and a PageKeeper spoiler check. Platforms, price, privacy label, limits.03 Apps
- 02FableFable is a social reading app with spoiler-free chapter rooms, its own interactive ebook reader and a 2025 AI-summary controversy. What it does, platforms, price, privacy label and limits.03 Apps
- 03How page-locked recaps workHow an AI reading companion finds your place, matches it to the book, cuts the story off at your page and writes a recap, cast list or answer. With diagrams, limits and what each maker says.01 Guides
- 04Interactive reading timelineEvery dated event in AI reading companions on one line: Fable's AI summaries pulled, Kindle Recaps and Ask this Book, the Authors Guild statement, Magic Bookmark and Thus Far launches.02 Resources