Download a paper
Open a paper from the library. If its PDF is not on the device yet, Rectoly downloads it and then opens it. Once downloaded, the paper opens from the device next time.
Downloading new PDFs is included in the purchase. It is free during the 14-day trial, and before you start the trial your first paper downloads free. Opening PDFs that are already on the device is always free. See Trial and purchase.
Download many papers at once
- Choose … › Sync › Download PDFs in this view for offline, or press Download all on the banner that counts the papers not available offline. In selection mode, Download Missing PDFs downloads the selected papers.
Only the papers in the current view are downloaded, never the whole library by itself. Downloads continue in the background, and you can stop them and run them again later for the rest.
- On Windows, PDFs download one at a time as you open papers.
Which papers are on the device
Rows show whether the PDF is already on the device:
- Offline with a check mark, or Not on device with a cloud.
- Downloaded. The Downloaded chip above the list shows only those papers.
Without a connection, only these papers open. Everything else in the library stays listed, and you can still read and annotate the papers you have. Annotations made offline are sent when you are back online. See Annotation sync.
Free up space
To remove a PDF from the device but keep the paper in your library, long-press the paper and choose Remove PDF from This Device (keep paper). In selection mode you can remove several at once. The paper stays in Mendeley or Zotero and can be downloaded again at any time.
Signing out with Sign out and delete its papers from this PC removes that account's downloaded papers. See Signing in and accounts.
Download notifications
Rectoly can tell you when a PDF finishes downloading while the app is in the background. Go to Settings › Sync & Backup › Download notifications and allow notifications (Allow notifications).
"File not synced" in the Zotero edition
A paper marked File not synced has no PDF in Zotero storage, so Rectoly cannot download it. Sync the file from Zotero on your computer first. If your attachment files are on a WebDAV server, or ZotFile or ZotMoov moved them into a cloud folder, set that up in settings: see Files on a WebDAV server and Files linked with ZotFile or ZotMoov.