High Shelf / FAQ
Everything to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Tracking, importing, social features, pricing, and privacy — the full picture, not just the six-question version on the homepage.

General

The basics

What is High Shelf?

High Shelf is a free app for tracking movies, TV shows, books, video games, and music in one place — rate what you finish, write reviews, follow friends, and keep one library instead of five separate apps.

Is High Shelf free?

Yes. Core tracking, ratings, reviews, lists, and social features are free forever. An optional High Shelf Pro subscription adds extra stats, themes, and unlimited lists.

What can I track on High Shelf?

Movies, TV shows (down to the individual episode), books, video games, and music albums — all under one profile.

What platforms is High Shelf available on?

iOS is available now on the App Store. Android support is in progress. A full web app also works in the browser.

Does High Shelf work in a browser?

Yes — the web app is the same codebase, same account, and same data as the iOS app, not a stripped-down version.

Who is High Shelf for?

Anyone tracking media across more than one app today — film on Letterboxd, books on Goodreads, TV on Trakt or TV Time — and who'd rather keep it all in one place.

Tracking & features

What High Shelf actually does

How does rating work on High Shelf?

Ratings run 0.5 to 5 stars in half-star steps, and can be changed any time after logging.

Can I track my progress through a book, show, or game?

Yes — log page number, episode, percent complete, or hours played, depending on the media type. Updating progress twice in one sitting doesn't create duplicate entries.

Does High Shelf track TV shows episode by episode?

Yes. TV shows are tracked at both the show level and the individual episode level, with likes and comments on specific episodes, not just the show as a whole.

Does High Shelf show me when a new episode is airing?

Yes — each show's page shows its next episode with a live countdown, and you can turn on new-season alerts so you're notified when a show you're tracking has a new season out.

Can I see where to stream something?

Yes — movie and TV pages show streaming, rental, and purchase availability for your region, with direct links to each service.

Does High Shelf show critic ratings like IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes?

Yes — IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, and Metacritic scores appear on movie and TV detail pages alongside High Shelf's own community rating.

Can I create custom lists?

Yes — ranked or unranked, public or private. Free accounts can make 3 lists; High Shelf Pro removes the limit.

Can I collaborate on a list with friends?

Yes — invite collaborators to a shared list; each person can add to it and remove their own additions.

Can I log re-watches or re-reads?

Yes — logging something again records a new entry in your history without duplicating or overwriting the original one.

Does High Shelf have a yearly recap like Spotify Wrapped?

Yes — Year in Review is free for everyone, with a cover collage, your per-format #1s, and a shareable image.

Can I set yearly goals?

Yes — set a per-media-type target for the year and track your pace with a color-coded progress ring.

Importing & switching

Bringing your library over

Can I bring my existing library over from another app?

Yes — import from Settings → Import. It matches your existing entries against High Shelf's catalog automatically.

Which apps can I import from?

Letterboxd, IMDb, Goodreads, Trakt, TV Time, and Simkl.

Does importing spam my followers with activity?

No — bulk imports never generate feed events, so your followers won't see a flood of activity from years of imported history.

Is my original account on the other app affected when I import?

No — importing only copies data into High Shelf. Your original account and data on the other service are untouched.

Social

Following, feeds, and reviews

Is High Shelf social, or can I use it privately?

Both — follow friends and post reviews if you want a social feed, or just use it to track your own library. Nothing requires posting.

Can I follow friends and see what they're tracking?

Yes — following is one-directional (like Twitter/X, not a mutual-friend model), and your Home feed shows activity from people you follow.

Can I comment on and like reviews?

Yes — likes and one level of replies work on entries, reviews, posts, and individual TV episodes.

Are my reviews and ratings public?

By default, yes — profiles, reviews, and lists are public-readable, similar to Letterboxd or Goodreads.

Can I make my profile private?

Not currently. Everything is public-readable by default; private accounts are a possible future addition, not yet built.

Can I compare my taste with a friend's?

Yes, as a High Shelf Pro feature — it shows a compatibility score plus shared recommendations based on what you've both logged and rated.

Points & notifications

Levels, badges, and how loud the app is

What are the points and levels for?

Every action you take (logging, rating, reviewing) earns points that build toward a level shown on your profile, with badges and a level-up celebration along the way.

Is there a leaderboard?

No — points and levels are personal progress, not a competitive ranking against other users.

How many notifications does High Shelf send?

You control it — follows, likes, comments, and mentions can each be toggled individually in Settings, and the weekly digest and new-season alerts can be turned off separately from everything else.

Pricing & Pro

Free vs. High Shelf Pro

What does High Shelf Pro include?

Advanced stats, taste compatibility with friends, an uncapped "For You" recommendation feed, CSV library export, unlimited lists, extra accent themes, and no ads.

Does High Shelf show ads?

Free accounts see a light ad load, suppressed for your first 50 app opens. High Shelf Pro removes ads entirely.

Can I export my library?

High Shelf Pro subscribers can export their full library as a CSV file. Everyone, on any plan, can also request a full copy of their account data from Settings.

Privacy & safety

Your data and your account

Is my data private?

Account credentials and personal settings are private; tracked media, ratings, reviews, and lists are public-readable by design, the same way Letterboxd or Goodreads works. See the Privacy Policy for full details.

Can I report or block someone?

Yes — reviews, posts, and profiles can be reported for moderation review, and you can block or mute any user.

Can I delete my account and data?

Yes — Settings → Delete Account permanently removes your account and associated data. This can't be undone.

Getting help

Still stuck?

We're here to help

The Support page covers getting started, moderation, Pro, and account troubleshooting in more detail. Or email us directly and we'll get back to you.

contact@highshelf.app