# SimpleUI for KOReader: A configurable reading dashboard > SimpleUI is a Lua plugin for KOReader that replaces part of the standard navigation model with a configurable home screen, navigation bar, top bar, and reading modules. It is aimed at readers who want quick access to books, collections, statistics, and device actions, while accepting that the plugin changes familiar KOReader navigation. **doctorhetfield-cmd/simpleui.koplugin** — A highly customizable UI plugin for KOReader that features a home screen, bottom navigation bar, top bar and desktop modules/widgets. - Repository: https://github.com/doctorhetfield-cmd/simpleui.koplugin - Stars: 1,939 · Forks: 113 - Language: Lua - License: GPL-3.0 - Published: 2026-10-16 · Updated: 2026-10-16 · Language: en - Canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/doctorhetfield-cmd-simpleui-koplugin ## Why SimpleUI changes the KOReader reading flow SimpleUI targets people who use KOReader as a daily reading interface rather than only as a file reader. Its central problem is navigation density. The README says the plugin provides a dedicated Home Screen and places the library, history, collections, and reading statistics in a more direct layout instead of requiring movement through nested menus. That is a clear interface decision rather than a new document engine. The audience is readers working on Kobo, Kindle, or Android devices who want a dashboard built around their current book and library. A reader can see the active title, author, cover, progress percentage, estimated time remaining, recent books, and other modules without first opening a general library view. Quick Actions also provides shortcut buttons for familiar destinations and device controls. This approach has a trade-off. It is useful when the reader wants a persistent starting point, but it adds a plugin-specific layer over KOReader. People who already have a preferred KOReader workflow, or who dislike rearranging navigation, may find the original interface more predictable. SimpleUI is therefore a customization layer, not a replacement for KOReader's document handling. ## The plugin architecture visible in the repository Based on the repository layout, SimpleUI is implemented as a Lua plugin with a top-level entry point and separate directories for engines, features, modules, screens, icons, infrastructure, locales, and scripts. The presence of `main.lua` and `_meta.lua` matches the installation requirement that both files appear directly inside the plugin folder. The directory split suggests that the plugin separates UI screens, reusable modules, supported rendering or platform engines, and supporting code rather than keeping the entire interface in one file. The Home Screen is assembled from configurable modules. The README identifies modules for the clock and date, the current book, recent and newly added books, to-be-read books, cover decks, a flat library, collections, featured collections, reading goals, reading statistics, quick actions, action lists, spacers, and quotes. Modules can be reordered and resized according to the documented module-ordering and per-module-scaling feature. The data comes from KOReader concepts rather than a separate catalog. The TBR module is backed by a KOReader collection. Collections are displayed as cover cards, and featured collections focus on one collection at a time. Reading statistics are connected to KOReader reading events, while the current-book module uses the active book and its progress. The repository's `screens/`, `modules/`, and `features/` directories are consistent with this split between screen composition, visual modules, and interactive behavior. ## Home Screen modules and their practical choices The module list gives the plugin more value than a static launcher. A reader can choose a large clock and full date, then place the active book beneath it. The current-book module includes cover art, title, author, progress bar, percentage read, and estimated time left. Recent Books can show up to five books with thumbnails and progress indicators, allowing a reader to resume a title from the dashboard. New Books is opt-in through Arrange Modules. It is based on file date, labels unread books as new, and shows read percentages for started books. This is a meaningful distinction from a conventional library listing because it presents both freshness and progress, although the README does not specify how file dates are interpreted across all platforms or storage sources. The library-oriented modules offer different information densities. Flat Library exposes every book in one grid regardless of folder structure. Collections and Featured Collection preserve KOReader collection organization. Cover Deck presents recent or TBR books as a horizontal carousel, which may suit touch-first devices better than a grid. Reading Goals and Reading Stats expose annual, daily, and all-time measures, including physical books. Spacer modules are useful when the selected widgets otherwise leave an awkward gap. Quote of the Day can use the built-in list, which the README describes as containing more than 100 quotes, or a custom pool. Custom quote files go in `/simpleui/sui_quotes/`, and a Lua file must return a table of entries containing `q`, `a`, and an optional `b`. The README says updates do not touch this custom directory, which is a sensible separation between user data and plugin code. ## Navigation, top bar, and quick controls The plugin does more than add a home page. Its Navigation Bar provides tabs and buttons, including the Settings button that opens the SUI Settings Window. The README also describes a top status bar, a quick settings bar, and a custom title bar for the library. Together, these elements change several parts of the KOReader interface, so the plugin is best evaluated as a coordinated UI replacement rather than a single dashboard widget. Quick Actions can contain up to three customizable rows. The documented shortcuts include Library, History, Wi-Fi toggle, Brightness, and Stats, with additional actions referenced in the feature list. The Action List presents the same type of shortcuts vertically, offering an alternative to the horizontal layout. This choice matters on smaller E Ink screens, where a dense row may consume more horizontal space than a vertical list. The Welcome Screen appears only on the first launch after installation and asks the reader to choose a starter layout and see quick tips. The README states that `Start with Home Screen` is enabled after the Welcome Screen finishes, causing KOReader to open directly to the Home Screen. That behavior can be changed under `Home Screen → Behaviour → Start with Home Screen`. The main limitation is discoverability. SimpleUI changes several navigation surfaces at once, and the README does not document a rollback command or a single switch that restores every original KOReader interface element. A reader who wants to compare both interfaces should verify the plugin's Settings controls and the repository's backup process before changing the layout. ## Installing the release ZIP and completing first launch SimpleUI must be installed from the latest release rather than from `Code → Download ZIP`. The README explains that a repository download extracts into a folder such as `simpleui.koplugin-main`, which KOReader does not recognize as the plugin. The release asset is named `simpleui.koplugin.zip`. After downloading the release asset, extract it on a computer. The expected top-level folder is named exactly `simpleui.koplugin`, with `main.lua` and `_meta.lua` directly inside. If an extraction tool creates `simpleui.koplugin/simpleui.koplugin`, the inner folder containing `main.lua` is the one to copy. The documented destination differs by device. For Kobo it is `/.adds/koreader/plugins`, for Kindle it is `/koreader/plugins`, and for Android it is `koreader/plugins` at the root of onboard storage. Copy the folder there, then restart KOReader. SimpleUI enables itself automatically and opens the Welcome Screen on the first launch. The reader selects a starter layout, sees quick tips, and lands on the Home Screen. The first useful action is to open the gear-icon Settings button on the Navigation Bar. From there, confirm whether Home Screen modules should be arranged for the device, whether `Start with Home Screen` is desirable, and whether the TBR collection and reading statistics are being used. The README does not provide a command-line installer, so there is no documented shell command to substitute for the file-copy procedure. ## Customization, backups, and platform limits The plugin supports several customization layers. Home Screen modules can be reordered and individually scaled. The Navigation Bar, top status bar, quick settings bar, library title bar, and Home Screen are separate feature areas. Icon packs provide another customization route, with a documented convention for pack placement and an optional `pack.lua` manifest. The README describes a custom icons folder as well. This flexibility creates an operational cost. A user may need to understand module behavior, icon-pack file naming, locale settings, and the difference between built-in and custom quote files. The plugin also lists backup, restore, and factory reset features, but their exact controls, backup file format, and restore coverage should be verified. It would be incorrect to promise a complete settings rollback based only on the feature heading. Compatibility with every KOReader version and every Android packaging path is not established. The release history shows versions `2.7.5`, `2.7.1`, and `2.7.0`, while the repository's last push was on 2026-10-15 and it is not archived. That indicates recent project activity, but it does not establish compatibility with every KOReader build. The MIT license permits use and modification under its terms, subject to the license text. Anyone distributing a modified build should preserve the required license notices and review the actual `LICENSE` file. The plugin is copied onto the device, so upgrades may involve replacing plugin code while retaining the separate custom quotes directory described in the README. ## SimpleUI versus the standard KOReader interface The closest alternative is KOReader's standard interface without SimpleUI. The difference is not document compatibility. It is the organization of controls and information. KOReader's normal menus provide the baseline library and reading navigation, while SimpleUI places a configurable Home Screen, module grid, shortcut rows, collection cards, and reading statistics at the center of the experience. That alternative is simpler in one important way: it does not introduce a plugin-specific directory, welcome flow, module arrangement, icon pack, or custom quote pool. It is the better choice when minimizing changes matters, when the reader wants KOReader's established menus, or when copying and updating a plugin on the device is inconvenient. SimpleUI is the better choice when the reader repeatedly jumps between the active book, recent titles, collections, history, statistics, and device settings. Its advantage is direct access to several kinds of information in one configurable surface. The cost is more UI state to understand and more dependence on plugin behavior. The README does not document a complete comparison of every KOReader version, so compatibility with the reader's installed version should be checked before relying on any individual module. ## Conclusion SimpleUI fits readers who spend substantial time in KOReader and want their library, active book, statistics, collections, and device controls gathered into a configurable dashboard. It is a poorer fit for people who want the smallest change to KOReader's normal menus or who cannot maintain a plugin copied directly onto the device. Before adoption, verify that the release ZIP extracts to the exact `simpleui.koplugin` directory, that the plugin folder sits directly inside the platform-specific `plugins/` directory, and that the configured home-screen modules match your reading habits. ## FAQ ### How do I install SimpleUI for KOReader? Download `simpleui.koplugin.zip` from the latest release, extract it, and copy the folder named exactly `simpleui.koplugin` into the platform's KOReader `plugins/` directory. Restart KOReader after copying it. ### Where should I copy SimpleUI on a Kobo, Kindle, or Android device? The documented paths are `/.adds/koreader/plugins` for Kobo, `/koreader/plugins` for Kindle, and `koreader/plugins` at the root of onboard storage for Android. The folder must not be nested inside another `simpleui.koplugin` directory. ### Can SimpleUI show my own quotes? Yes. Put a Lua file in `/simpleui/sui_quotes/`, have it return a table of entries with `q`, `a`, and an optional `b`, then set the Quote of the Day module's `Source` to `Custom`. ## Sources - [doctorhetfield-cmd/simpleui.koplugin on GitHub](https://github.com/doctorhetfield-cmd/simpleui.koplugin) - [Issues](https://github.com/doctorhetfield-cmd/simpleui.koplugin/issues) - [License: MIT](https://github.com/doctorhetfield-cmd/simpleui.koplugin/blob/main/LICENSE) - [README](https://github.com/doctorhetfield-cmd/simpleui.koplugin/blob/main/README.md) - [Releases](https://github.com/doctorhetfield-cmd/simpleui.koplugin/releases) --- Hysen Labs editorial analysis, written from the project's own repository and release notes. Cite the canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/doctorhetfield-cmd-simpleui-koplugin