Kobo Clara BW · KOReader
Install KOReader on the Kobo Clara BW
Add KOReader to the Clara BW by copying one package to the device. This keeps the stock Kobo reader intact and adds a KOReader icon to the home screen.
This is the standard way to run KOReader on a Kobo, and it is the same on the Clara BW as on the larger models: you copy one package to the device over USB, and the Kobo’s own software installs it on the next start-up. Nothing is overwritten — the stock reader, your library and your settings stay as they were, and you switch between the two by opening or closing KOReader.
The one part people get wrong is step 4 — the files have to land at the top level of the drive, not inside a folder. If KOReader does not appear after the device restarts, that is almost always why; the fix is in the troubleshooting guide.
Before you begin
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Update the Clara BW to the current firmware first
The Kobo software unpacks the KOReader installer during a normal boot, and a badly out-of-date system can mishandle that step. On the device, go to the home screen, open the menu, then Settings, then Device information, and let it check for and apply any update before you continue.
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Download the right KOReader package for the Clara BW
On the KOReader releases page, take the newest normal release (dated, such as v2026.07.1 — not a "nightly"). The Clara BW is one of the 2024 Kobos on a newer hardware platform, so it needs the file with **"kobov5"** in the name, such as "koreader-kobov5-v2026.07.1.zip" — the same package covers the Clara Colour and Libra Colour. The plain "koreader-kobo" file is for older Kobos and the Kindle and Android builds will not run here.
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Connect the Clara BW to your computer with the USB-C cable
When the Kobo asks what to do, choose "Connect". It appears on your computer as a removable drive named KOBOeReader. This is the same storage the stock reader uses; you are adding files to it, not replacing anything.
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Copy the contents of the zip to the top level of the Kobo drive
Open the downloaded zip and copy everything inside it onto the KOBOeReader drive so the files sit at the very top, not inside a new folder. The package contains folders named ".kobo" and ".adds"; when your computer asks, choose to merge them with the folders already on the drive. Do not copy the zip file itself onto the device.
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Eject the drive safely, then unplug the cable
Use your operating system's "eject" or "safely remove" option before you pull the cable. Ejecting is what tells the Kobo software the drive is free again, and only then does it look for the installer you just copied.
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Wait for the Clara BW to process the update
The screen shows a progress bar or the word "Installing", may go blank for a moment, and the device may restart once. Leave it alone for a minute or two. What is happening is the Kobo software unpacking a small launcher program called KFMon, which draws the KOReader icon and starts the app.
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Open KOReader from the home screen
Once the device has settled, a KOReader tile appears on the home screen, and in the app list on newer firmware. Tap it. The first launch takes 10 to 20 seconds. To leave KOReader, open its top menu and choose exit; that returns you to the normal Kobo screen.