Credit: René Ramos/Lifehacker/Boox/Adobe Stock
While the Kindle is the most popular e-reader in the world, it’s not the best option for people who want more control over their digital libraries. If you’re a true e-book nerd, you’ve probably heard of the Boox Palma, the e-ink device with a phone-like form factor that has attracted a huge cult following on social media.
The thing about the Palma, though, is that it’s way more than an e-reader—it costs about the same as an Android tablet because it basically is one. You can sideload your e-books to read on the native reading app (called NeoReader), or you can install most any app from the Google Play Store. In short, it can do way more than a Kindle, but that also means it can be way more complicated to get it working how you want to. To that end, here are five ways to get more out of your Boox e-reader (whether that’s the original Palma, the Palma 2, or the Palma 2 Pro).
Adjust Your Palma’s Settings So You Can Turn Pages With the Volume Buttons
Unlike all modern Kindles, the Boox Palma still has physical buttons, which is a big plus for anyone who prefers not to turn pages with a touchscreen. Unfortunately, not all apps are configured to recognize a press of the volume up or down button as a request to turn the page. Fortunately, this is typically an easy fix, though you’ll have to check your settings in a few different spots to get it working.
Turn Pages With Volume Buttons in the Kindle App
To use the volume buttons to turn pages in the Kindle app, follow these steps — they are far from intuitive:
- Open the Kindle app and navigate to any book.
- Tap the center of the screen to bring up the reading overlay menu, then tap the “Aa” icon to open display settings.
- Tap the “Layout” tab and make sure the slider next to “Continuous Scrolling” is turned off.
- Now tap the “More” tab and scroll down until you see “Turn Pages with Volume Controls” and set that slider to on.
Turn Pages With Volume Buttons in a Different Reading App
While specific instructions might be different depending on your reading app of choice, there’s also a system-level settings option you can try to enable page turns with the volume buttons:
- Long-press the app icon on the home screen to open quick settings and tap “Optimize.”
- Tap the “Others” tab.
- Next to the “Customize Buttons” menu option you’ll see three icons; tap the one on the far left that looks like an arrow in a circle to set the Volume button setting to “Page-turning.” (If you prefer to use the volume buttons to trigger the continuous scroll option, that’s what the up/down arrow icon on the right is for.)
Disable Your Palma’s Touchscreen With a Shake to Stop Accidental Page Turns
If you’re a “turn pages with the buttons” kind of person, you might also want to turn off the touchscreen so you don’t accidentally turn the page if you touch the screen accidentally or put your Palma in your pocket without putting it to sleep first. Unfortunately, there’s no system- or app-level setting for this, but you can accomplish it with a third-party app.
There are a ton of options for these kinds of apps on the Google Play Store, but some of them will go too far by disabling physical buttons as well, while others will fill your screen with ads. A better alternative is an app called Touch Protector, but it’s not on Google Play — so you’ll have to install the Aptoide app store first. Aptoide is a decentralized, open-source alternative to Google Play.
Note: Using a decentralized app store means you’re opening yourself up to a bit more risk, so look for apps with the green “Trusted” icon, indicating that they have been scanned for malware and compared against apps in other app stores to ensure they aren’t copycats. You’ll also need to be comfortable with overriding some system-level security recommendations. This approach is best suited for a device used only for reading, not for financial transactions or sensitive email. Use your own judgment.
With those disclaimers out of the way, here are the steps involved:
- Navigate to the Aptoide app store from your Palma’s web browser, then tap the “More” option on the lower right; on the next screen, tap “Get Aptoide.” (You’ll have to click through some permissions screens indicating you understand there’s risk in downloading an app APK file from an “unknown” source.)
- Once you’ve downloaded the Aptoide APK file, open it from your downloads folder and install it (this will require another security acknowledgement).
- Once installed, open Aptoide and search for “Touch Protector” (or use this link). The first time you use Aptoide, you’ll be prompted to give it system-level permission to install apps; it will open the relevant settings menu automatically. If you have a Boox Palma 2 Pro running Android 15, you may also receive a message indicating that Touch Protector was designed for an earlier version of Android, but the app still functions normally on that platform.
