Guide
Understand first-time setup, contextual page guidance, and the controls for replaying or pausing it.
Published 2026-08-09 · Reviewed 2026-08-09
ARC Library uses three light layers of guidance. Your first chapter gets a new Reader to value in three stages. Page hints explain a workspace when you first reach it. The optional discovery shelf suggests a few useful next actions after setup without blocking the dashboard.
Your first chapter
Choose what you want help with first, optionally bring one real book into your library, then open the dashboard. Profile details, themes, book types, and social links are not required before you can use the app; they remain available in Settings and the relevant workspaces.
If you created a book before registering on the website, ARC Library preserves it through registration, completes this first chapter, and opens that book directly. Reader registration in the mobile and desktop apps uses the same three-stage setup. Author registration continues into Author verification, while PA registration hands off to the PA workspace.
After setup, the dashboard may show an optional discovery shelf. You can add a book, open Reading Desk, browse book discovery, complete the actions in any order, or dismiss the shelf. Progress and dismissal sync with your account.
Guidance follows your desk
Every destination available from Reader, Author, and PA navigation has guidance, including their home, library or professional workspaces, discovery, review and planning views, Profile, Settings, Help, and Notifications. Query-driven destinations such as an Author opening PA Connections receive their own explanation instead of reusing the PA workspace introduction.
On a phone, guidance uses a centered card or bottom-safe placement instead of covering the navigation bar. On tablets and computers, a spotlight may sit beside the control it describes.
Replay or pause guidance
Open Help Desk → Onboarding & hints. Choose Replay setup wizard to revisit account setup, Replay page hints to make page guidance available again, or Turn hints off to pause automatic hints. Turning hints off does not remove your books, preferences, or completed setup.
Guides remain searchable in Help Desk whether hints are on or off.