
In our information-filled world, the age-old practice of keeping a commonplace book (a personal collection of quotes, ideas, and insights) is more important than ever.

## What Exactly is a Digital Commonplace Book?

Traditionally, a commonplace book was a simply a physical journal for recording thoughts, excerpts, and observations.

The problem is that those insights are usually left forgotten and collecting dust inside your notebooks.

Nowadays, digital versions serve the same fundamental purpose but enhance it with modern features like powerful search, auto imports, tagging, and easy access across devices.

These apps enable you to gather information from diverse sources and consolidate it into a personalized based, without the hassle of manually writing everything down.

## A Practice Embraced by Notable Thinkers

The value of maintaining a commonplace book is evident in the habits of many influential figures throughout history:

- **Marcus Aurelius**: The Roman emperor’s _Meditations_ essentially originated as his personal commonplace book, filled with reflections.
- **Leonardo da Vinci**: His famous notebooks functioned similarly, capturing a vast range of sketches, ideas, and observations.
- **John Locke**: The philosopher was a dedicated keeper of commonplace books and even published his method for organizing them in 1706.
- **Virginia Woolf**: The renowned author used her commonplace book to gather quotes and passages that fueled her creative work.
- **Mark Twain**: Known for his sharp insights, Twain kept a commonplace book to record ideas and observations.

## Screvi

<img src="/hero.webp" alt="Screvi App Interface"/>

There are many apps that allow you to build a commonplace book, Screvi differentiates itself by concentrating on the core task of a commonplace book: capturing and revisiting meaningful content, particularly from reading.

### Key Features of Screvi:

- **Centralized Highlight Management**: Import highlights from sources like Kindle, Kobo, Apple Books, Twitter, X Bookmarks, YouTube transcripts, and even scans of physical books into a single, searchable location.
- **AI-Powered Semantic Search**: Find saved highlights effectively, even if you don’t recall the exact wording, thanks to intelligent search technology.
- **Daily Digest and Spaced Repetition**: Receive daily email reminders featuring selected highlights, designed to reinforce memory and learning through spaced repetition principles.
- **User-Friendly Interface**: Review your highlights in a familiar, scrollable feed format, making the process of revisiting insights straightforward and engaging.

Screvi’s approach allows users to concentrate on the value of their collected content, instead of wasting time navigating complex software.

## Comparing Screvi to Other Note-Taking Apps

Several popular applications can be adapted for use as digital commonplace books, but their broader scope might be more than needed for users focused primarily on collecting reading highlights:

- **Notion**: A highly versatile workspace that combines notes, databases, and project management. While adaptable for commonplacing, its extensive capabilities can be overwhelming if the main goal is simple highlight curation.
- **Obsidian**: A powerful markdown-based tool focused on linking notes and visualizing connections. Excellent for intricate knowledge management, but potentially excessive for basic commonplace book needs. Can become overwhelming for non-technical users.
- **Evernote**: A long-standing app for web clipping, document scanning, and note organization. Its robust feature set is valuable, but might offer more functionality than required for solely managing reading notes and quotes.

If you tried Notion or Obsidian before but felt like you spent more time organizing your database than taking advantage of it, Screvi might be for you.

## Conclusion

Either your go digital or the old school route, having a commonplace book is a valuable asset for anyone looking to organize their thoughts, inspirations, and knowledge effectively.

Ready to start? Give [Screvi](https://screvi.com) a try!


The Best Apps to Build a Digital Commonplace Book




Reading is an investment of your time and attention. But how much of that investment do you actually retain days or weeks later? For most of us, the answer is "not much."

 Our memory naturally fades, biased towards forgetting information we don't actively reinforce.

Screvi is designed to combat this natural decay using the science of **spaced repetition**. Instead of letting your valuable highlights gather dust in an archive, Screvi intelligently brings them back to you at the precise moments you're most likely to forget them, transforming fleeting insights into long-term knowledge.

### The Forgetting Curve: Why Timely Review is Crucial

Hermann Ebbinghaus's pioneering work on memory revealed the "forgetting curve": a stark illustration of how quickly we lose information over time if there's no review.

 Screvi directly addresses this by scheduling reviews at **increasing intervals**, depending on the choices you make during your review sessions.
 

### At the Heart of Screvi: The SM-2 Algorithm (Adapted for Your Reading)

Screvi's review engine is built upon a modified version of the **SM-2 algorithm**, a proven method originally developed for efficient flashcard learning. Here's how it works for your highlights:

Each highlight in Screvi has dynamic attributes that help the algorithm learn how well you know it:

* **Ease Factor**: This starts at 2.5 and is a core indicator of how difficult you find the highlight to recall. Your feedback after each review directly adjusts this number. If a highlight feels easy to remember, the ease factor decreases, leading to longer intervals. If it's a struggle, the ease factor increases, shortening the time until the next review.
* **Next Review Date**: This is the key output of the algorithm, determining when you'll see the highlight again. It's calculated using the highlight's ease factor and review count. To prevent multiple highlights becoming due on the exact same day, a touch of **randomness** (a factor between 0.8 and 1.2) is applied, smoothing out your review schedule.

Think of the review intervals expanding like this:

* After the **first successful review**: The next review might be in **1 day**.
* After the **second successful review**: The interval grows, perhaps to **6 days**.
* After the **third successful review**: The interval stretches further, potentially to **15 to 20 days**, influenced by the ease factor you've assigned.

The easier you find a highlight, the faster the intervals lengthen, optimizing your learning time.

### Smart Selection: Getting You the Right Highlights at the Right Time

Screvi doesn't just throw random highlights at you. It uses a intelligent, multi-layered system to prioritize which highlights appear in your review sessions:

1.  **Never Seen Before:** Brand new highlights naturally take the top priority: they need their initial exposure to enter the spaced repetition cycle.
2.  **Overdue:** Highlights that have passed their scheduled review date are prioritized to prevent knowledge decay.
3.  **Due Soon:** Highlights scheduled for review within the next 3 days are included to stay ahead of the forgetting curve.

Within these primary groups, highlights are further ranked for optimal review:

* **How Overdue:** The longer a highlight has been overdue, the higher its priority.
* **Review Count:** Highlights with fewer reviews (meaning they are less solidified in memory) are generally prioritized.
* **Ease Factor:** Highlights with a lower ease factor (those you've indicated are harder) are brought back sooner.
* **Randomness:** A final layer of randomness ensures variety even among highlights with similar attributes.

To keep your review sessions diverse and engaging, Screvi limits the number of highlights from any single source (like a book or article) to a maximum of 3 per batch.

### Your Daily Review Flow

Screvi structures your review experience into manageable batches:

* When you're eligible for a review (meaning you have more than 10 total highlights and no active batch), Screvi generates a review batch of up to 10 highlights.
* This batch is stored and remains available for 24 hours, forming the basis for your daily review opportunities, whether through email reminders or within the app.
* If a batch isn't completed within 24 hours, it expires, and the highlights return to the general queue to be rescheduled.
* Need a quick review outside the scheduled batches? You can always trigger an "instant review" session on demand.

<div class="flex justify-center max-w-sm mx-auto">
  <img src="https://dlbvputpolnpwxtshpfu.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/static//review.png" alt="Screvi review flow" class="w-full"/>
  <img src="https://dlbvputpolnpwxtshpfu.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/static//review-finish-portrait.png" alt="Screvi review flow" class="w-full"/>
</div>

### Your Feedback Shapes Your Learning

Every interaction you have with a highlight during review provides valuable feedback that refines Screvi's algorithm for your personal learning style:

* **Show more:** You found this highlight important. Screvi notes this and will show it to you again relatively soon.
* **Show less:** This highlight was not important or not relevant. Screvi will show it less often.
* **Favorite:** You've flagged this as particularly important. Screvi notes this and also decreases the ease factor, ensuring you see it again relatively soon.
* **Skip:** You're not ready to review this highlight right now or you don't have a particular opinion on it. Screvi records the interaction but doesn't adjust the difficulty, rescheduling it for a future batch.
* **Discard:** You no longer want to review this highlight. Screvi removes it from your review queue entirely.

These simple actions personalize the spaced repetition algorithm over time, making it increasingly effective for *you*.

### Staying Focused: Eligibility for Review

Screvi aims to support your learning without becoming a burden. The review prompt appears only when:

* You have a meaningful number of highlights (more than 10 total) to ensure there's enough material for effective spaced repetition.
* There isn't already an active review batch waiting for you, preventing notification overload.

This ensures that when Screvi prompts you to review, it's a valuable opportunity to reinforce your learning.

### Screvi: Making Memory Automatic

Screvi leverages a personalized spaced repetition engine, adapting the well-regarded SM-2 algorithm, to transform how you retain information from your reading. 

Every review strengthens your memory pathways. Every interaction fine-tunes the system to your individual learning needs. Screvi works in the background, ensuring the most important ideas resurface at the optimal time, effortlessly building lasting retention.

All you have to do, is show up and review your highlights. Screvi will take care of the rest.



How Screvi's Highlight Review System Works


Are you an avid reader? Do you diligently highlight your books, hoping to remember and apply them later?

But then… those highlights just sit there, forgotten.

**You’re not alone!**

Many readers struggle to manage and revisit their book highlights, making it feel like highlighting is just a waste of time. Especially for non-fiction books.

Whether you’re a student, researcher, or simply a book lover, **a good highlights manager is crucial to make the most out of your reading.**

This article cuts through the clutter and presents a curated list of the top tools designed to help you organize, revisit, and actually remember the books you highlight.

## The Best Apps and Services to Manage Your Highlights

Here’s a breakdown of the top contenders, highlighting their key features, pros, and cons to help you choose the right fit for your reading workflow:

## 1.  **Screvi**

<img loading="lazy" src="https://dlbvputpolnpwxtshpfu.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog//home.webp" alt="Kindle highlights manager" class="w-full"/>

Screvi offers a modern approach to managing your learning from various sources, including Kindle, Kobo, web articles, YouTube transcripts, and physical books. It aims to make revisiting and retaining your highlights easy and effective, with a big focus on a modern UI/UX.

**Key Features:**

- **Social Media-like Feed**: Screvi mimics an instagram-like feed where you can view your book highlights as posts and stories, as if you were scrolling through a social media app. Perfect if you want to replace your doom scrolling habit.
- **Spaced Repetition**: Screvi intelligently schedules reviews of your highlights at increasing intervals, optimizing memory retention and ensuring that important information stays top of mind.
- **AI-Powered Search**: Powered by AI, this allows you to search not just by keywords but also by concepts and related ideas, making it easier to connect different insights.

**Why it’s great:**

- Leverages proven spaced repetition techniques for better retention.
- Offers powerful AI-driven search capabilities.
- Supports multiple content sources in one platform.
- Includes mobile and web apps

  **Consider this:** If you’re looking for a tool that integrates a modern UI, smart review scheduling, and intelligent search across all your reading materials, Screvi offers a compelling solution.

## 2.  **Readwise**

<img loading="lazy" src="https://dlbvputpolnpwxtshpfu.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog//readwise.webp" alt="Readwise highlights manager" class="w-full"/>

Readwise is a well-established name in the world of highlight management. It’s the classical solution, designed to help you retain and organize your Kindle highlights.

**Key Features:**

- Readwise automatically syncs your highlights and delivers them to you via daily review emails. It also uses spaced repetition to optimize memory retention.
- Also offers Readwise Reader, a read-it later app.

**Why it’s great:**
- Reliable and well-established.
- Anki-style spaced repetition system.
- Integrates with a lot of popular services (Notion, Obsidian, Evernote, Roam Research).


**Consider this:** If you want a battle-tested, mature, and a highlights manager with a strong emphasis on spaced repetition, Readwise is a reliable choice.

## 3.  **Clippings.io**

<img loading="lazy" src="https://dlbvputpolnpwxtshpfu.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog//clippings.webp" alt="Clippings.io highlights manager" class="w-full"/>

Clippings.io is a simple and effective highlights manager that allows you to export your highlights to a variety of formats, including PDF, Word, and Markdown.

**Key Features:**

Clippings.io provides a straightforward way to export and organize your Kindle highlights.

**Key Feature:**

- You upload your “My Clippings.txt” file (or use their browser extension) to manage your highlights. It excels at exporting to various formats (PDF, Word, Excel).

**Why it’s great:**

- Easy export to multiple formats.
- Tagging and collection features for organization.

**Consider this:** If your priority is exporting your highlights for use in other tools or creating organized archives, and want a simple, no fluff solution, Clippings.io is a solid option.

## 4.  **Glasp**

<img loading="lazy" src="https://dlbvputpolnpwxtshpfu.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog//glasp.webp" alt="Glasp highlights manager" class="w-full"/>

While Glasp’s primary focus is on web highlighting and building your “AI Clone”, it also supports importing Kindle highlights.

**Key Features:**

* Glasp emphasizes social learning by allowing you to see what others highlight and discuss.

**Why it’s great:**

- Unique social aspect to highlighting.
- AI-powered features for knowledge management.
- Kindle import functionality.

**Consider this:** If you’re interested in a more social approach to highlighting and want to explore AI-driven knowledge management, Glasp is worth checking out.

## Conclusion

Effectively managing your book highlights doesn’t have to be a chore. With the right tool, you can revisit all your past reading highlights and learn so much more.

Take the time to explore these options and choose the one that best suits your needs and workflow.

Happy reading!


The Best Book and Kindle Highlights Managers



Here's everything that was released in the past month:

### Custom Sources & Highlights

A new way to add sources: You can now create a custom source (for authors, books or documents that are not tied to specific book/url) and save highlights to it.

![Custom sources screenshot](https://resend-attachments.s3.amazonaws.com/r0uGkgv0BscgwP5)

*Custom cover image support and other attributes is coming soon.*

### Find Similar Highlights

Haven't tried the AI search feature yet? Now it's just a tap away. Click the "**Find similar highlights**" button to instantly find related highlights on your database.

![Similar highlights screenshot](https://resend-attachments.s3.amazonaws.com/4QC5ffioWmD50E8)

### Notes on Sources

You can now add notes directly to a source. Perfect to record your thoughts or summary after you've finished a book.

![Notes on sources screenshot](https://resend-attachments.s3.amazonaws.com/tZSdrT1SZzcrkXs)

### Updated UI

The mobile app has a refreshed UI. Making it easier to view your latest highlights (Stories), or scroll through your books.

![Updated UI screenshot](https://resend-attachments.s3.amazonaws.com/on79mG1q5EYX1iH)

### Bugfixes & Improvements

- Soft Deletes: After deleting a highlight or source, they will be moved to the trash folder, where you have to choice to recover of permanently delete them.
- Prevent deleted highlights/sources from being re-imported after deleting them from screvi
- Fixed issue preventing users from exporting sources and highlights
- Improved performance on data fetching operations
- Improved popular book imports flow
- Fixed issue where timezone was not being set in the daily review settings
- Improved UX when searching
- + many other minor bugfixes and improvements



**Want to try new features but your trial expired? Just go back to the [screvi](https://app.screvi.com/) dashboard and extend your trial for free.**




What's New in Screvi - March 2025


Here’s everything that happened with Screvi in the past few weeks:

## Import Popular Highlights

You can now import popular highlights from any book! Head over to the integrations page, and search for your favorite books to instantly import their most highlighted quotes.  

This feature helps you quickly populate your Screvi feed or even discover your next favorite book.

## Improved Physical Book Highlighting

An overhauled version of the physical book highlighting feature is here.  

Now, instead of manually selecting text on a photo, you just take a picture of your book highlights, and AI will automatically detect and parse them.  

This feature will be released on both iOS and Android during this week.

## Improvements & Bug Fixes

As always, bugs have been crushed, and new features have been released. Here are the most significant ones:

- Fixed issue where users were getting logged out of the Chrome extension  
- Improved duplicate detection  
- Goodreads book import  
- New onboarding flow for new users  
- New export options (PDF, export single source)  
- UI/UX improvements  



What's New in Screvi - February 2025


If you're like me, you love reading, highlighting, and writing down notes, only to find that most of those insights end up forgotten, or I have no idea where I saved them.

That's why Screvi exists:

**It's a system designed to collect all your reading highlights and to turn them into something you'll actually use and learn from.**

## Your Personal Knowledge Hub

Your reading highlights and ideas deserve to be revisited and reflected upon, not forgotten in your Kindle or notebook.

Screvi takes these highlights and organizes them into one central hub. And then gives you tools to learn from them and export them elsewhere.

<img loading="lazy" class="w-full" src="https://dlbvputpolnpwxtshpfu.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/static/web_demo.webp" alt="screvi-readwise-alternative">

---

**Import all your Readwise highlights and try it for free at [screvi.com](https://screvi.com).**

---

### Key Features:

- **Sync Highlights from eBooks:** Import your Kindle, Kobo or Apple Books highlights. [View Integrations](https://screvi.com/integrations)
- **Imports:**  Import directly from Readwise, Twitter Bookmarks, Popular Highlights and more
- **Article Reader:** Read, save and highlight articles directly from the app.
- **Semantic AI Search:** Quickly find connections between your notes and highlights. Even if if you don't remember exactly how it was written.
- **Capture Physical Book Highlights:** Take a photo of a book page and screvi will automatically detect and extract the highlighted parts.
- **Web Highlighting:** Save important passages from any webpage
- **Daily Review**: Review your highlights and notes every day, Anki Style, to keep them fresh in your mind.
- **Transcribe Audio Notes:** Use voice-to-text to add highlights or thoughts. or when reading a book out loud.

---

## Screvi vs Readwise

I've been a fan of Readwise for years. It's a fantastic tool, but its focus has shifted towards their Reader app, and the original 1.0 app has seen little in terms of updates. Its UI/UX feels outdated, the highlight viewing experience is lacking, and the search feature is basic.

Screvi fills that gap and offers a more modern, feature-rich experience. **It's focused on being your modern digital commonplace book and highlight manager.**

If you're an existing Readwise user, you can import all your existing highlights and give Screvi a try, for free.

Also, for a limited time, Screvi is running a **[lifetime deal](https://screvi.com/pricing)**, which is perfect for those of you who **can't be bothered with yet another subscription.**




## Replace Your Doom Scrolling Habit

Instead of wasting your time scrolling through social media, you can use Screvi's mobile app and read through all your past highlights instead.

<div class="flex flex-col md:flex-row justify-center items-center">
<div class="prose prose-lg prose-gray mx-auto">
<img loading="lazy" src="https://dlbvputpolnpwxtshpfu.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/static/landing/feed2.webp" alt="screvi-mobile-app" class="w-full max-w-md">
</div>
<p class="text-center">
<ul>
<li><b>Stories:</b> Your daily review and latest highlights show up as stories, just like instagram.
</li>
<li>
<b>Feed:</b> You can scroll through your highlights in a social-media like feed.
</li>
<li>
<b>Search:</b> Quickly find the highlight you're looking for, with semantic search.
</li>
<li>
<b>Physical Book Highlights</b> Take a photo of a book page, highlight the parts you want to highlight, and Screvi will save it.
</li>
</ul>
</p>
</div>

## Daily Review

On the mobile apps, Screvi offers a daily review feature, which is perfect for those of you who want to make the most of what you read.


It's based on a <a target="_blank" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaced_repetition" class="text-teal-600 hover:text-teal-500">Spaced Repetition</a> algorithm, which is a proven way to keep information fresh in your mind.

For each highlight, you're in control: You decide if you want to see it more often, less often, or not at all.

**The algorithm intelligently adapts to your choices, resurfacing each highlight exactly when you need to review it, ensuring optimal retention with minimal effort.**

You can also customize your preferences and opt-in to receive daily emails featuring your personalized highlights.

<div class="flex flex-row justify-center items-center">
<img loading="lazy" src="https://dlbvputpolnpwxtshpfu.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/static//review.png" alt="screvi-daily-review" class="w-[50%] max-w-md">
<img loading="lazy" src="https://dlbvputpolnpwxtshpfu.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/static//review-finish-portrait.png" alt="screvi-daily-review" class="w-[50%] max-w-md">
</div>




## The Power of AI Semantic Search

One of Screvi's main features is its semantic search.

Unlike traditional keyword search, semantic search understands the context and meaning behind your queries.

This means **you can find highlights based on themes, ideas, or even vague recollections of the content.**

**For example:**

if you're working on a project and you want to pull up all the highlights related to _"productivity"_, you can simply search for _"productivity"_ and Screvi will return all the book highlights, tweets or web highlights you've saved related to it.

Even if they don't directly mention the word _"productivity"_.


## Community-Driven Development

One of the unique aspects of Screvi is its community-driven roadmap.

Users have direct input into the app's future. Your feedback shapes what comes next, making Screvi a tool built by the community.

Up next:

- **Notion and Obsidian Export:** Sync your highlights with your existing second brain system.

You can view or add any feature requests here: [Feature Requests](https://screvi.featurebase.app/)

## Join Screvi

Get started today and signup for free [here](https://app.screvi.com/register)!


Screvi: A Readwise Alternative


Google's NotebookLM is an AI tool designed to help you analyze and interact with your notes, documents, and research materials. 

Unlike generic chatbots like ChatGPT, **NotebookLM grounds its answers in the sources you upload**, making it a perfect tool if you only want info from your own sources, and reduce the chances of hallucinations.

Here's a quick demo podcast I created from my highlights from the **"Almanack of Naval Ravikant"** book:

<audio controls>
  <source src="https://dlbvputpolnpwxtshpfu.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/static/notebook-llm.wav" type="audio/mpeg">
  Your browser does not support the audio element.
</audio>


It's not perfect and sometimes may get pronunciations wrong, but I still find it incredible. 

You can even ask questions and take part in the discussion.


## How to Do It:
1. Create an account at [Screvi](https://screvi.com) (You need it to be able to import and export your highlights)

2. Follow the flow and import your book highlights

3. Export your highlights to PDF or Markdown

![Export highlights](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/format:webp/1*gEI-rIG1fr-4l2gpzM57wQ.png)

4. Import the exported file into NotebookLM

![Import highlights](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/format:webp/1*Fgao9Sk0Uf4HpTYp4TptYA@2x.png)

(This example shows only one book, but you can repeat the process and add up to 50 sources.)

5. Done!

Easy, you've created a podcast of your own curated content, with no fluff and no ads.  





## But Why?
![More examples](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:996/format:webp/0*Z8TU_cQuj0gCNjrP.gif)
At first glance, this might seem like just a fun experiment that you'll forget about in a few days. 

However, when used correctly, it's an incredible tool that **makes studying and learning feel like play.**

You can play the recordings back while driving, washing dishes, or any time you want to refresh your memory or revisit one of your favorite books.

**It's almost like having a conversation with a friend about the books you've read.**

This process has completely changed the way I consume non-fiction books. 

I highlight more thoughtfully, **but also 10x more**, knowing I can revisit my notes in Screvi or NotebookLM.

**Try it out with your books and let me know how it went!**

How to Create a Podcast from Your Kindle Highlights


It's been an exciting start to 2025 with several major features and improvements:

## Web Highlighting

The web highlighter is now live! You can now highlight and save content from any webpage using the Chrome extension.

It focuses on being as simple as possible, with no clutter and without messing with your browser.

Just select the text you want to highlight, right-click and hit "Save to screvi" and it'll be saved to your library. 
No unnecessary UI or extra steps.

![Web Highlighting](https://dlbvputpolnpwxtshpfu.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/static/highlight.webp)

___

## YouTube Integration

You can now save and highlight YouTube content!

The Screvi Chrome Extension adds a youtube transcript viewer next to your video player, allowing you to save and highlight content from YouTube videos.

Before saving, the note will be automatically parsed with AI, cleaning it up and making sure it contains the correct formatting and punctuation.

![YouTube Integration](https://dlbvputpolnpwxtshpfu.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/static/transcript.webp)

___


## New Export Options

You can now export your highlights to Apple Notes with full HTML formatting, or export them as Markdown Files.


![Export Options](https://dlbvputpolnpwxtshpfu.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/static/apple_notes_import.webp)
___

## Bugfixes, New Stats Page & UI/UX Improvements

There are new significant improvements to the user experience:

- Improve Sources View, with infinite loading, sorting, etc
- Added a Stats Page, where you can view your top highlights, sources, etc
- Multiple Bugfixes and Improvements
- Improved Mobile Experience on Web App, with better navigation and UI
- Added Option to Register via Email
___

## Help Screvi Grow

Screvi continues to evolve with your feedback. If you have suggestions or encounter any issues, please reach out at main@screvi.com.

Don't forget to leave a review on the iOS App Store and Chrome Web Store if you're enjoying Screvi! 

What's New in Screvi - January 2025




Unfortunately, Apple Notes does not offer an API, making it hard to import notes from external sources.  
But thankfully, it's **possible to sync Kindle highlights to Apple Notes using Screvi.**

## Step-by-Step Guide

### 1. Sign Up for an Account at Screvi.com  
The first step to syncing your Kindle highlights is to create an account on [Screvi](https://screvi.com).  
Screvi is a tool to manage your reading highlights, and we'll use it as the middle-man to get your highlights into Apple Notes.

### 2. Sync Your Kindle Highlights to Screvi  
Once your account is set up, you can import your Kindle highlights into Screvi using one of these two methods: 
 
- **Chrome Extension**: Install the [Screvi Chrome extension](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/screvi/ndlpohihdhnmgdnbmlgpnijmdddefooj) and log in to your account. The extension will allow you to fetch your Kindle highlights directly from your Kindle account and add them into Screvi.  
- **iOS App**: Download the Screvi app from the App Store. Log in to your account, and sync your Kindle highlights.

### 3. Export Your Highlights from Screvi  
After syncing your Kindle highlights, navigate to the Export page within Screvi. Here, you can export all your highlights into **HTML files** or **Markdown**.  
The generated HTML is optimized for Apple Notes and ensures compatibility while retaining the structure of your highlights.

### 4. Import Highlights into Apple Notes  
Now that you have your highlights in HTML format, it's time to move them to Apple Notes:  
1. Extract the downloaded zip file.  
2. Open the Apple Notes app on your Mac.  
3. Go to **File > Import to Notes** from the top menu.  
4. Open the highlights folder you've just extracted, select all HTML files (`CMD + A`), and click **Import**. 


The notes will be imported into Apple Notes, organized and ready for you to access anytime.

![Importing highlights to Apple Notes](https://dlbvputpolnpwxtshpfu.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/static/apple_notes_import.webp)

---

## Why Sync Kindle Highlights to Apple Notes?  
I personally keep all my highlights in Screvi, reference them from there when needed, and do all my writing on Apple Notes. For my use-case, it makes more sense to keep all my notes in one single place.

But syncing your Kindle highlights to Apple Notes offers several benefits:  
- **Simplicity**: Keep all your notes and highlights in one place for easy access.  
- **Cross-Platform Accessibility**: With Apple Notes, you can view your highlights across all your Apple devices.  
- **Productivity**: Use Apple Notes' rich formatting and organizational tools to categorize and annotate your highlights.

---

## Importing Readwise Highlights Into Apple Notes  
If you use Readwise, you can follow the same process. Just connect your Screvi account to Readwise instead of importing from Kindle.  
That way, you'll also sync your web articles, tweets, etc.

---

## Final Thoughts  
Until Apple Notes releases an API, this is currently the best method to get your highlights into Apple Notes.

---

Have any issues, questions or other methods to share? Contact main@screvi.com

How to Sync Kindle Highlights to Apple Notes


Over the years, I’ve tried almost every productivity app you can imagine.

**From Notion to Obsidian, Evernote to Reflect:** I’ve tried them all.

At first, the excitement is always there. Everything feels organized, every piece of information perfectly linked, every workflow mapped out.

But after a few hundred notes, no matter how perfect the structure is, those systems become overwhelming.

It becomes a part-time job just to maintain them.

**So inevitably, I stop using them.**

Complex systems become a distraction, a new way to procrastinate, preventing us from doing the work that actually matters.

## **Don’t be like the Lumberjack**

A lumberjack spends days sharpening his axe, polishing the blade, and admiring the tool’s perfection, but barely cuts any trees.

**While his neighbor, with a modest but sharp axe, fells trees steadily each day.**

Over-preparing and obsessing over tools doesn’t lead to results: **Action does.**

Productivity tools should be functional. 

**They should be a means to an end, not an end in themselves.**

## **Why Do You Even Need a Productivity System?**

Before trying to build a system, or a second brain, ask yourself: What is the end goal?

If you can’t answer that, don’t even bother starting one.

**In my case, I have 3 goals:**

- **Saving Info:** Save highlights from books I read, tweets I come across, conversations I have, etc.
- **Retrieving and Searching:** Have all the things I save easily available. Preferably without dealing with folder structures.
- **Do the actual work:** Write, create content.

Everything else, linked notes, graph nodes and pretty icons are all a waste of time for me.

Using them felt productive, but every second spent there, was a second spent not creating value.

## **My Current Workflow**

I’ve stripped things down to the essentials.

My workflow boils down to two simple tools that align directly with my goals:

- **Screvi:** A central hub where I collect all my highlights and notes from Kindle, Twitter, physical books, and voice transcriptions. And then find what I need with AI Search. The less time I spend on it, the better.
- **A Place To Write:** Apple Notes, a paper notebook or daily notes on Obsidian. Any of them works.

**No endless folders. No complex linked databases. No time wasted on creating and managing systems.**

Just 100% focus on what truly matters: Collecting Ideas and Creating

## **Screvi: Saving and Retrieving Highlights and Ideas**

![Screvi - highlights & bookmarks manager](https://dlbvputpolnpwxtshpfu.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/static/hero4.webp)

Screvi keeps track of the highlights and ideas that I find without them getting buried in clutter.

Here’s what makes it different:

- **A Central Hub:** Screvi collects all my reading highlights and bookmarks in one place, from books to tweets to physical notes. 
- **Integrations:** Imports Kindle Notes, saved Tweets, etc.
- **AI Search:** The semantic search feature makes finding highlights easy. Even if you don’t remember the exact wording, it finds relevant notes based on themes or concepts. No need for complex links and systems, let AI do that work for you.
- **No Fluff:** It focuses on saving and rediscovering your highlights and best ideas, and doesn't try to be anything else.



## **A Place To Write**

Pen & paper, Apple Notes, Obsidian, whatever you prefer.

**Any of them work, as long as you can write on them.**

This is where the actual work happens.

That being said, I still use Day One to journal, especially when I travel because I love seeing my entries on a map, along with photos I take during my trips.

And If I have any insights while journaling, I save them into Screvi so that I can find them later.

## **Focus on ROI**

**Most productivity systems make you feel busy, not productive.**

This workflow is different: It’s about doing less but doing what actually matters.

**Collect the ideas that matter, write about them, hit publish, and move on.**

Forget the complicated systems that promise to change your life. Focus on delivering value.

___

### **But what do you think?**

Do you consider your Second Brain/Productivity system efficient?

**Or are you like me, and use them mostly as a form of procrastination?**


Most Productivity Systems Are a Waste of Time


<b>UPDATE: Beta testing is over and Screvi is now available on Google Play!</b>

Screvi v1.00 for Android is finished, but new Google Play Policies requires more testing and user feedback before it's generally available.

If you'd like to help out and be an early user of the android version, send an email to [main@screvi.com](mailto:main@screvi.com) to get access to the beta version.

In the meantime, check out the updated web version at [screvi.com](https://screvi.com)!



Wanted: Android Beta Testers


It's a been busy few weeks with a ton of new features and upgrades:

## Chrome Extension

The first version of the screvi chrome extension is live!
<br/>
<br/>
Previously, only iOS users were able to import their kindle highlights, but now
 **you can import kindle highlights directly from your browser** as well.

That is the core feature of the extension for now, but the following features are on the roadmap:

- Twitter and Bluesky Bookmark Sync
- Web Highlighter, so you can highlight any article on the web
- Automatic background sync 

You can Download it [here](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/screvi/ndlpohihdhnmgdnbmlgpnijmdddefooj)

___


## Semantic AI Search

A beta version of Semantic Search has been released! This means that you can now search your highlights by topics and ideas.

**For example:** You highlighted something that mentioned ***"being brave"***, but you can't remember exactly how it was written. 

Before, if you didn't know exactly how it was written you had no way of finding it

 But now, you can search for ***"being brave"*** and it'll find the highlight even if what was actually written was ***"courage"*** or ***"don't be afraid".***

Available on the web app right now and the iOS app soon.

**Note:** Old highlights may not show up in the search results yet. 

___


## Android Version: Need Your Help

Screvi v1.00 for Android is finished, but new Google Play Policies require at least 20 people to test the app before it's generally available. 

If you'd like to help out and be an early user of the android version, follow these steps:

-  Join the Group: https://groups.google.com/g/screvi
- Web Link: https://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.screvi.app
- Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.screvi.app

___

Once you've installed the app and created an account, let me know and I'll give you access to screvi!

## Other

### Improved Readwise Integration

You can now directly import all your highlights and sources from Readwise via the Readwise API. Much more reliable than the previous csv import.
 
 ___

## Help Screvi Grow

Screvi is still in a beta phase, so all your feedback and bug reports are extremely useful. If you have any, don't hesisate to get in touch with me at main@screvi.com.

And if you can, leave a 5 star review in the iOS App Store and in the Chrome Marketplace!



What's New in Screvi - December 2024


I used to feel overwhelmed by my saved highlights and bookmarks, like I was just piling them up in an endless "bucket" that I'd never find time to sort through.

**Like many of us, I spent countless hours building complex systems in Notion and Obsidian, only to rarely revisit them. Sound familiar?**

Don't get me wrong - these are powerful tools, and they still have their place in my workflow. But I was spending too much time trying to perfect my "second brain" system, when in reality, I was just procrastinating and creating a false sense of productivity.

The key benefits of this "river" approach:

Instead of treating my digital library like a bucket that needs constant organizing, I started viewing my highlights and bookmarks as a river - always flowing, always changing.

## The key benefits of this "river" approach: 


1. **Natural Learning**: The best insights come not from hoarding information, but from how reading gradually shapes your thinking over time.

2. **Serendipity**: When ideas resurface organically, they often connect perfectly with whatever you're currently working on. That highlight from months ago might suddenly become the missing piece you needed.

3. **Present-Moment Joy**: Sometimes, reading something just because it interests you right now is reason enough. Not everything needs to be about future benefit or productivity.

2. **Easy, Enjoyable Reviewing**: Instead of facing an overwhelming archive, you can revisit your highlights and thoughts in a more natural, flowing manner.

4. **Reduced Maintenance**: No more complex systems or folder structures that you'll abandon in a few months.

## How I Implement This

This philosophy led me to build Screvi, where highlights don't get buried in folders but become part of a dynamic feed that brings ideas back to the surface naturally. It's like having a stream of thoughts that you can dip into whenever inspiration strikes, without the pressure of managing everything you've saved.

The platform combines a feed that surfaces random highlights with powerful search capabilities for when you need to find specific content.

 **It's designed to help you rediscover old ideas naturally, making your digital library feel alive and accessible rather than overwhelming and outdated.**

## Getting Started

If you're feeling buried under an avalanche of saved bookmarks and highlights like I was, try shifting your perspective from "buckets" to river. 

Let your highlights flow, engage with what catches your eye, and trust that valuable ideas will surface when you need them.

Want to try this approach? You can [check out Screvi here](https://screvi.com/pricing), or download the app on [the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/app/screvi/id6670569420).

Treat Your Highlights and Bookmarks Like a River, Not a Bucket



We've all been there: finishing an amazing book, feeling inspired and enlightened, only to draw a blank when trying to recall its key insights a few weeks later.

**You always feel like you know so much, that you could write a book about it, but when you try to explain it to someone, you embarass yourself by not being able to remember the details, or mumble a bunch of incomplete and incoherent thoughts.**

If this sounds like you, don't worry. You're not alone. It just means that you're:

**1. Not using the right strategies to remember what you read**

**2. Not processing the information deeply enough**

But here's the good news: remembering what you read isn't about having a photographic memory—it's about having the right system. Here are seven proven strategies that will help you retain and apply more of what you read, making you a more active learner.

## 1) Teach Someone Else
The number #1 strategy to remember what you read is to teach someone else.
Teaching is one of the most effective ways to learn.

It forces you to explain things in your own words, which forces you to understand the concepts deeply. 

Consider joining a book club or sharing your learnings with a friend.

## 2) Eliminate Distractions to Focus
Distractions are the nemesis of focus. Find a quiet space, put your phone on silent, and create an environment conducive to deep focus when you're reading The first step to better memory is giving your full attention to what you're reading.
If you're reading and scrolling instagram every 10 minutes or watching TV at the same time, chances are you're not going to remember much.

Only reading before bed when you're half asleep is not going to help you remember either.


## 3) Use an App like Screvi
The easiest way to remember what you read and one that does not require any significant lifestyle changes, is to use an app like Screvi.


You can use it to fetch your highlight and all the things you want to remember from several sources like Kindle, your physical books, twitter, etc and then it will automatically generate a social media-like feed of your highlights.

Making it super easy to consistently review them.


## 4) Engage Actively with the Text
Reading isn't just about consuming words; it's about interacting with them:

Highlight or underline, use symbols like stars or question marks, scribble thoughts in margins, and use sticky notes for key sections. This active engagement solidifies your understanding and recall.

## 5) Apply What You've Learned
Knowledge without application is forgettable:

If you read about health, change your habits accordingly. The act of applying what you've learned ensures it sticks because you're using that knowledge actively.

## 6) Review, Review, Review
Memory fades unless information is revisited:

Use spaced repetition like "The Rule of 5":
- Review 5 times the first day
- Once a day for 5 days
- Once a week for 5 weeks

By implementing these strategies, not only will you remember more from your reading, but you'll also find it easier to apply these insights in real-world scenarios, making your reading time truly productive.



7 Tips to Remember What You Read


Here's the latest update on features and improvements coming to Screvi:

## Explore Tab

The new Explore tab in the iOS app allows browsing a curated list of highlights from popular books and authors. This feature is ideal for users who don't yet have enough highlights to fill their feed or for discovering new books and ideas.

<div className="flex justify-center text-center items-center gap-4">
  <img src="https://dlbvputpolnpwxtshpfu.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/static/explore.jpg" alt="Explore Tab" style="width: 42%; border: 1px solid #e5e7eb; border-radius: 0.5rem; margin: 0 auto; margin-top: 1rem;" />
</div>

## Daily Review Emails

The daily review email feature supports building a consistent reading review habit. Each day, a curated selection of past highlights will be sent, making it easier to maintain a steady reading and review routine. 

These emails are not enabled by default. To activate them, visit [app.screvi.com/preferences](https://app.screvi.com/preferences) to customize the schedule.

## 3rd Party Integrations

- Readwise CSV Import is now supported.
- Kindle MyClippings.txt Import is supported.

More integrations are in development. If you need a specific integration to be prioritized, send an email to support@screvi.com.

## Android Version

Screvi v1.00 for Android is complete and awaiting approval from the Google Play review team. 
While the review process is taking much longer than expected, the app will be available once it clears the final stage.  

Meanwhile, the [web version of Screvi](https://app.screvi.com/) is accessible on Android devices.

## What's Next?

**The current roadmap for 2024 includes:**

1. Releasing the Android app
2. Chrome Extension for highlighting articles and importing from Kindle without using the mobile app
3. Multiple improvements and bug fixes

**For the first half of 2025, planned features include:**

1. Notion & Obsidian Sync
2. Improved Daily Review within the app (not just by email)
3. Duplicate highlight detection algorithm
4. AI-powered global highlight search (to search specific topics, themes, etc.)
5. More platform integrations

---

Stay tuned for more updates! 

Questions or feedback can be sent to support@screvi.com.


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