How to Export Apple Books Highlights (2026 Guide)

Quick Answer: The fastest way to export Apple Books highlights on Mac is to open a book, click the Notes icon, and copy individual highlights — but that does not scale. For the full library, the most reliable methods in 2026 are: (1) the dedicated Mac app Highlights (one-time clean export to Markdown/HTML), (2) Readwise's Mac sync (automatic, requires the Mac to be running), or (3) directly querying the AEAnnotation SQLite database for power users. There is still no official Apple export. After exporting, import into a retention tool that uses spaced repetition for readers — sitting highlights in a notes app produces almost no learning.

Apple Books is a great reading experience—but Apple makes it surprisingly difficult to get your highlights and notes out. Unlike Kindle, there's no official web portal for viewing your annotations, and Apple provides no native export feature.

If you've been highlighting passages in Apple Books and want to do more with them—like reviewing them with spaced repetition or importing them into a learning tool—here's how. (If you also read on Kindle, the workflow and tradeoffs are different — see our parallel guide on exporting Kindle highlights.)

Method 1: Copy from Apple Books on Mac

The simplest free method, but tedious for large libraries.

Steps:

1. Open Apple Books on your Mac
2. Open a book and click the Table of Contents icon (three horizontal lines)
3. Select the Notes tab to see all your highlights and notes
4. Select highlights and copy (Cmd+C) to paste elsewhere

Limitations:

• One book at a time
• No bulk export across your entire library
• Manual copy-paste process
• Formatting can be inconsistent

Best For:

Grabbing highlights from a specific book when you only need a few.

Method 2: Share Individual Highlights (iOS/Mac)

Apple Books lets you share individual highlights, but not in bulk.

Steps:

1. Open a book in Apple Books
2. Tap or click on a highlight
3. Select Share
4. Choose your destination (Notes, Mail, Messages, etc.)

Limitations:

• One highlight at a time—not practical for bulk export
• Limited format options

Best For:

Sharing a single quote, not exporting your library.

Method 3: Readwise (Automatic Sync)

Readwise can sync Apple Books highlights, though the process requires your Mac to be running. If that constraint rules it out, compare the other highlight-sync tools.

Steps:

1. Sign up for Readwise ($6.99–$12.99/month, or $5.59–$9.99/month billed annually)
2. Install the Readwise desktop app on your Mac
3. The app reads your Apple Books annotation database directly
4. Highlights sync to Readwise automatically when your Mac is on

How It Works:

Apple Books stores annotations in a SQLite database on your Mac. Readwise's desktop app reads this database and syncs highlights to your Readwise account. This happens locally—your data goes directly from your Mac to Readwise's servers.

Limitations:

• Requires a Mac (doesn't work from iPhone/iPad alone)
• Mac must be on and running the Readwise app for syncing
• Paid subscription required
• Occasional sync delays

Best For:

Mac users who want automatic, hands-off syncing and already use (or want to use) Readwise.

Method 4: Highlights App (Mac)

Highlights is a Mac app specifically designed to extract annotations from Apple Books and PDFs.

Steps:

1. Download Highlights from the Mac App Store
2. Open the app—it automatically detects your Apple Books annotations
3. Browse highlights organized by book
4. Export as Markdown, HTML, or plain text

Limitations:

• Mac only
• One-time purchase cost
• Limited to what's in your local Apple Books database
• No automatic re-syncing (manual process each time)

Best For:

A one-time clean export of all your Apple Books highlights in a well-organized format.

Method 5: Manual Database Access (Advanced)

For the technically inclined, you can access Apple Books' annotation database directly.

Steps:

1. Open Finder and press Cmd+Shift+G
2. Navigate to: ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.iBooksX/Data/Documents/AEAnnotation/
3. Find the .sqlite database files
4. Open with a SQLite browser (like DB Browser for SQLite)
5. Query the ZAEANNOTATION table for your highlights

Limitations:

• Requires technical knowledge of SQLite
• Database schema can change with macOS updates
• Risk of corrupting the database if you make changes
• Not practical for most users

Best For:

Developers or power users who want full programmatic access to their annotations.

What to Do After Exporting

Getting highlights out is step one. Making them useful is step two:

1. Import into a learning tool: Bring your highlights into Chapterly for AI-powered discussion and spaced repetition review.

2. Organize by theme: Group highlights from different books by topic to see patterns and connections across authors.

3. Start reviewing: Use spaced repetition to revisit highlights at optimal intervals. Without regular review, even your best highlights will fade from memory.

4. Add context notes: While the highlights are fresh, add a sentence about why each one mattered to you. Your future self will thank you.

How These Export Methods Compare

The five methods solve different problems. Picking the wrong one wastes hours of manual copy-paste or, worse, leaves you with a database file you do not know how to use.

Method	Best for	iOS-only readers	Setup time	Bulk export	Ongoing sync	Cost
Read.amazon.com style copy from Apple Books on Mac	A few highlights from one book	No (Mac required)	None	No — one at a time	No	Free
Share Sheet (iOS / Mac)	A single quote to Notes or Messages	Yes	None	No	No	Free
Readwise desktop sync	Hands-off automation across your library	No (Mac required)	~5 min	Yes	Yes — when Mac runs	$6.99–$12.99/mo
Highlights app (Mac)	One-time clean Markdown/HTML export	No (Mac required)	~2 min	Yes	Manual re-run	One-time purchase
Direct SQLite query	Programmatic / developer access	No (Mac required)	15+ min	Yes	DIY scripting	Free

The pattern is clear: iOS-only readers have almost no good option beyond manually sharing single highlights. If you own a Mac (even an old one), the Highlights app or Readwise sync are the only methods that scale.

How We Picked These Methods

We did not include every tool that markets itself as an Apple Books exporter. To make the list, a method had to satisfy four criteria:

1. It actually works in 2026. Apple has changed the AEAnnotation database schema multiple times since 2020; methods that relied on older schemas have silently broken. Every method above was validated against the current macOS Sequoia / iOS 18 storage layout.
2. It does not violate Apple's terms of service. Methods that require jailbreaking, MDM bypass, or scraping authenticated cloud endpoints are excluded — they break and they put your account at risk.
3. The output is structured, not screenshots. A "method" that ends in screenshots of pages is not export, it is photography. Every option above produces text you can search, organize, and import.
4. The reader can finish the job in one session. Methods that require ongoing manual processing for every new highlight (without sync) are flagged as one-time only, not ongoing solutions.

The single most decisive factor is criterion 4: most readers do not actually want export, they want automated export so that today's highlights are in tomorrow's review queue without thinking about it.

Our Recommendation

For most Apple Books readers:

• If you have a Mac and want automatic sync: Readwise (Method 3) is the most reliable hands-off option — though if you're weighing whether that subscription earns its keep, it's worth seeing how Chapterly compares to Readwise first
• If you want a one-time clean export: The Highlights app (Method 4) gives you well-formatted output
• If you're technical: Direct database access (Method 5) gives you full control
• For occasional use: Manual copy (Method 1) works fine for a few highlights

The most important thing is to get your highlights into a system where you'll actually use them. Highlights trapped in Apple Books do nothing for your learning — see how to remember what you read for the science behind what to do next.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn't Apple Books have a built-in export feature?

Apple has never explained the design decision, but the pattern fits its broader ecosystem strategy — annotations sync seamlessly between your own Apple devices via iCloud, and the company has historically not prioritized export workflows that would push user data to competing services. As of 2026, there is still no official bulk export, no web notebook (the way Kindle has read.amazon.com), and no JSON or CSV download. Every method in this guide is a workaround that uses what Apple does expose: the local annotation database on Mac, the iOS Share Sheet, or copy-paste from the Notes tab.

Can I export Apple Books highlights from an iPhone or iPad alone, without a Mac?

Not in bulk. The Share Sheet lets you send individual highlights to Notes, Mail, or Messages one at a time, but there is no iOS-only method that exports a whole book or a whole library. The AEAnnotation SQLite database — the file every desktop tool reads — lives only on macOS. If you are iOS-only, the practical options are (a) Share Sheet a few key highlights to a notes app, or (b) borrow a Mac for an hour and run the Highlights app or Readwise sync once.

Where exactly does Apple Books store highlights on a Mac?

Highlights and notes are stored in a SQLite database at ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.iBooksX/Data/Documents/AEAnnotation/. The relevant table is ZAEANNOTATION. Tools like the Highlights app, Readwise's desktop client, and a few open-source scripts read this file directly. The schema changes occasionally with macOS updates, which is why some older export tools quietly stop working — they were not updated for the current layout. If you query the database yourself, copy the file before opening it (modifying the live file while Apple Books is running can corrupt your annotations).

Will my Apple Books highlights sync if I switch reading platforms?

Only between Apple devices via iCloud. There is no Apple-supported way to take your annotations to Kindle, Kobo, or another platform. The closest workaround is the export-and-import workflow this guide describes: export to Markdown or to a service like Readwise, then import the highlights into whatever tool you use next. Plan for some formatting cleanup — page numbers and chapter references are inconsistent across platforms.

How does Chapterly help with exported Apple Books highlights?

Chapterly is a nonfiction reading superapp for serious learners, built around AI-driven active reading and spaced repetition. Once you export your Apple Books highlights, you can bring them into Chapterly to actually retain the ideas: each highlight enters an active recall review schedule, and you can discuss the underlying chapters with an AI tutor instead of letting the export sit untouched in a Markdown folder.

Related Reading

• How to Export Kindle Highlights — A similar guide for Kindle users.
• How to Export Google Play Books Highlights — For readers on Android or the Play Store instead.
• How to Export Libby Highlights — For library ebooks borrowed through OverDrive/Libby.
• How to Export Nook Highlights — For Barnes & Noble Nook readers.
• Spaced Repetition for Readers: Beyond Flashcards — The best way to review your exported highlights.
• How to Remember What You Read — Why exporting and reviewing highlights matters for retention.
• Active Reading Strategies That Actually Work — The reading habits that make highlights worth exporting in the first place.

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After exporting your Apple Books highlights, bring them into Chapterly for AI-powered review and spaced repetition. Start your free trial.