TritonPanelsThe short answer
In TritonPanels, tap + in the Library to open Connect Storage, then under Folders and drives tap Add a folder or drive. Pick the folder in the system picker, give the library a name and tap Attach folder. The app indexes the folder and every supported comic in it, including subfolders, appears as a library you can read straight away. On iPhone and iPad, an iCloud Drive folder has its own card, iCloud Drive folder.
TritonPanels only reads the folder. In the app’s own words: “Nothing in it is copied, moved, renamed or deleted.”
Import or live library: which one?
There are two ways to get comics from a folder into a reader, and they suit different collections.
| Import | Live library from a folder | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the file lives | A copy is stored inside the app | Stays in your folder |
| Storage used | The comic’s full size, again | No second copy for a folder on the device |
| New files | Import them yourself | Appear on the next refresh |
| Deleting the original | Your imported copy is unaffected | The comic shows as not found |
| Best for | A handful of comics you want on the phone | A big, growing collection you manage on disk |
Imports come from Import from Device, the Files app, a cloud service or Transfer over Wi-Fi. A live library suits anyone who already keeps a tidy folder of comics and wants to carry on managing it with their usual tools.
Adding a folder, step by step
- In the Library, tap + (Add comics) to open Connect Storage.
- Under Folders and drives, tap Add a folder or drive. The system folder picker opens.
- Open the folder you want to keep as a library and confirm it. On Android, open the folder first and then tap Use this folder.
- On the Add folder screen, check the location, change the Library name if you like, and tap Attach folder.
- The app shows Indexing the folder… with a running count of folders scanned and comics found. When it finishes, the comics are ready to read.
You can connect up to 16 folders this way. Each becomes its own library, so you can switch between them or search across all of them at once. Files TritonPanels cannot read are counted as skipped (unsupported, hidden or too large) rather than silently ignored.
iCloud Drive on iPhone and iPad
On iOS, tap iCloud Drive folder on Connect Storage, then Choose iCloud Drive folder. Files opens inside iCloud Drive; pick one folder and tap Attach as live library. Only that folder and what is inside it become available to TritonPanels. If you pick an iCloud folder through Add a folder or drive instead, the app notices and offers Use as iCloud Drive library.
iCloud Drive often keeps files in the cloud until they are needed. Comics that are not on the device yet show as In iCloud — download required, and opening one downloads it first. If you want them available without a connection, turn on Keep offline; reading comics offline covers it. A folder shared with you through iCloud Drive works too, and your reading progress stays on your device rather than being shown to the other people in the share.
SD cards and USB drives
Android
An SD card, or a USB drive connected with a USB-C or OTG adapter, appears in Android’s folder picker alongside internal storage. One rule catches people out: Android does not let apps take the top of internal storage, the top of an SD card or the Download folder itself. Choose a folder inside them, such as Comics on the SD card or Download/Comics.
iPhone and iPad
A USB drive or SD card reader connected to an iPhone or iPad shows up in the Files app, and you pick a folder on it the same way. Any location that appears in Files can be used.
When the drive is unplugged
The library stays, with your progress, but its comics show Drive not connected until you plug the drive back in. If you want a particular comic with you while the drive stays at home, open its details and tap Keep on this device, which saves a copy inside the app.
When files change
With Refresh libraries automatically on in Settings, folder and drive libraries check for changes when you open the Library, every few minutes while it is open, and when the folder reports a change. To force a check, go to Settings → Folders and drives, open the source and tap Refresh now.
- New files are added to the library on the next refresh.
- Deleted or moved files are listed as Not found in folder, not removed, so a drive that is only half-mounted cannot wipe your progress. When you are sure they are gone, Remove missing comics forgets them.
- A changed file is refreshed, and the app asks how to handle your place in it if the pages changed.
- If a refresh cannot finish, the app says so and marks nothing missing.
Organising inside the app — folders, reading lists and tags — never renames or moves your files, so your folder on disk stays exactly as you arranged it.
Permissions and privacy
TritonPanels asks for access to one folder at a time, not your whole storage. On Android it uses the system folder picker’s grant for the folder you chose and does not request broad storage permissions. On iOS it keeps a bookmark to the folder you picked in Files. Either way the app can see that folder and its subfolders, and nothing else.
Occasionally the system withdraws that access, for example after the drive is reformatted or the folder is moved. The library then shows Access needs to be renewed; tap Choose folder again and pick the same folder, and your comics are matched back up with their progress.
Removing a folder library
To stop using a folder, open its source in Settings → Folders and drives and tap Detach library. Nothing in the folder is deleted. If some of its comics carry your progress, notes or other changes, the app offers to keep them as ordinary comics in another library, so you do not lose that history.
Frequently asked questions
Does TritonPanels copy my comics when I add a folder?
No. A folder on the device, an SD card or a USB drive is read in place, and nothing in it is copied, moved, renamed or deleted. The app keeps only what it needs to show the library, such as covers and pages it has unpacked.
Why can I not choose the top of my SD card on Android?
Android does not allow apps to take the top of internal storage, an SD card or the Download folder itself. Create or choose a folder inside it, such as Comics, and add that.
Can I read comics from iCloud Drive on Android?
No. The iCloud Drive folder library is for iPhone and iPad. On Android, a Dropbox folder, a folder on the device or SD card, or a network share can serve the same purpose.
What happens to my progress if I unplug the USB drive?
It stays. The comics show Drive not connected until you plug the drive back in, and then you carry on where you left off. To read one while the drive is away, use Keep on this device first.
Read your comics with TritonPanels
A comic and manga reader for iPhone, iPad and Android. CBZ, CBR, CB7, CBT, PDF and image-based EPUB from your device, your cloud, a network share or your own Komga, Kavita or OPDS server — single page, spreads, continuous scroll or Panel by Panel. No ads, no account. 14-day free trial, then a monthly or yearly subscription.
Your own files: TritonPanels reads comics you already have. It does not sell, host or supply comics, and it cannot open copy-protected (DRM) purchases that are locked to another store’s app. Komga, Kavita, Calibre, Dropbox and the other names on this page belong to their owners, who do not endorse TritonPanels.