▲ 40 r/xteinkereader
I've been collecting every Xteink X4 (and X3) accessory people mention — what am I missing?
For the last few months I've been saving every accessory people bring up in Reddit comments, AliExpress finds, Etsy makers, and 3D-print sites, and organizing it into one running list.
- Reading light
- Cases
- Sleeves & leather
- 3D-print (free STLs)
- Screen protectors
- Magnetic rings/mounts
- Charging
- Traveler's Notebooks, LOCHBY pocket journals
https://www.pocketink.io/accessories
What am I missing? Share your favourite accessories
Especially keen on: good cases you actually use daily, and clever 3D-print files I haven't found yet.
u/i4nkit — 8 days ago
▲ 82 r/XTEINK
Which Xteink firmware should I flash? A 30-second decision tree + one chart (lock-aware). I'll keep it updated.
Every week someone asks "which firmware?" and gets six different answers, because people answer for their own reading habits.
Here's a chart that helps you pick in no time.
Three things before anything else
1. Need Bluetooth? Stay on stock. None of the firmware in this guide ships Bluetooth, it's dropped to free up memory for reading features. So if you use a BT page-turner remote, stock is the safe pick. (A couple of community forks like CrumBLE has added Bluetooth page-turners back.)
2. Check the lock. "Locked" = the unit shipped with USB flashing blocked (common on AliExpress / Taobao grey-market stock; units from xteink.com or Amazon are usually unlocked). A locked unit won't appear in the browser flasher over USB — but locked only blocks USB; SD-card flashing still works, so you can still install firmware:
- Try the SD card first — works on X3 and X4. Put the firmware's
update.binon a microSD (FAT32 or exFAT), plug USB in for power, then hold power + up (top-left button on the X3). The OEM bootloader flashes from the card. This doesn't unlock USB, but it does install custom firmware. - If SD flashing won't take, run the CrossPoint OTA Unlocker (serves firmware over Wi-Fi). It's the fallback, not the first step — the tool itself tells you to try SD first.
3. Back up first (unlocked units only). Before flashing an unlocked unit, open the flasher and click Save full flash to copy your current firmware (~25 min). If a flash goes wrong, you load that file back — so most "bricks" are a 5-minute fix. Locked units can't do this — the backup runs over USB, which is exactly what's blocked; keep a stock update.bin on an SD card as your rollback instead.
Pick in 30 seconds — answer in order, stop at the first "yes"
- Want the most complete, best-supported reader (wireless transfer, fonts, EPUB Optimizer, KOReader sync)? → CrossPoint. Right answer for most people — stop here.
- Already on CrossPoint and want better typography + reading stats? → CrossInk.
- On an X4 and want a minimal, low-setup reader? → Microreader (X4 only).
- Read mostly FB2 / Markdown / TXT? → Papyrix (no OTA — keep an SD recovery card, read the warning).
- Want a dictionary, flashcards, streaks & a reading heatmap? → Vcodex — CrossPoint's features plus those (locked-safe — direct via SD).
- Here for AO3 / fan fiction (unlocked unit)? → AvesO3.
The chart
| Firmware | Model | Best for | OTA / recover? | Safe on a LOCKED unit? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock | X3 + X4 | Reading without flashing; only FW in our list with Bluetooth | Official (XT-Cloud) | n/a — it's what ships |
| CrossPoint | X3 + X4 | Most people: full reader, wireless, fonts, KOReader sync | Yes — SD + OTA + full backup | Yes — direct (SD on X3 & X4; Unlocker as fallback) |
| CrossInk | X3 + X4 | CrossPoint + better fonts, reading stats, streak calendar | Yes — SD + OTA (fork) | Yes — direct (SD) |
| Vcodex (cpr-vcodex) | X4 (X3*) | CrossPoint + dictionary, flashcards, streaks, heatmap | Yes — SD + OTA (fork) | Yes — direct via SD (rename release .bin → update.bin)* |
| Microreader | X4 only | Minimal, low-setup reader | SD-card; no OTA | No — no OTA recovery |
| Papyrix | X3 + X4 | FB2 / Markdown / TXT, RTL | No OTA — SD recovery only | Avoid — SD-flashable but no OTA way back |
| AvesO3 | X4 | AO3 / fanfiction reader | Fork (unlocked install only) | No — unlocked only |
* Vcodex's dev documents the unlocked Web-Serial install and tests on X4. Direct SD-flashing onto a locked unit (rename the release .bin to update.bin, power + up) is community-reported — confirmed on X4, X3 not yet verified.
How "locked-safe" works: locked only blocks the USB route. The device's own SD/OTA updater still runs, and it accepts any full firmware image built for your model — it can't tell CrossPoint's update.bin from a renamed Vcodex .bin. So the test isn't "is it CrossPoint?" — it's "does the fork ship a complete standalone update.bin for your X3/X4?" CrossPoint, CrossInk, and Vcodex all do → all three install directly on a locked unit. A fork is only "indirect" (flash CrossPoint first, then switch by OTA) if it ships an OTA-only update or just documents the unlocked Web-Serial path. Firmwares without OTA (Papyrix, base Microreader) leave you stranded on a locked unit — treat them as unlocked-only.
There are 20+ forks now; this covers the main ones. Full community-maintained "safe on locked" matrix: BRICK Club firmware sheet.
TL;DR: Locked? CrossPoint, CrossInk, and Vcodex can all go on directly via SD — CrossPoint is the safe default; reach for a fork only for its specific extras (Vcodex = dictionary/flashcards/heatmap). Unlocked and unsure? Flash CrossPoint — it's the base every fork builds on.
Edit: corrected Vcodex (locked-safe — via CrossPoint first — and added its heatmap), fixed X4 SD-flashing, added a Bluetooth note and a link to the community locked-safe sheet.
Edit 2: Vcodex is directly SD-flashable on a locked unit (rename the release .bin → update.bin*) — it ships a full standalone image, so the OEM SD bootloader takes it like CrossPoint's. Updated the chart, the decision tree, and the "how locked-safe works" note to explain what actually makes a fork direct-flashable. Thanks* u/Low-Schedule-2200*.*
Thanks u/DanielEnots*,* u/Low-Schedule-2200*,* u/LordBaac
u/i4nkit — 14 days ago
▲ 13 r/XTEINK
Creating a list of X3/X4 compatible accessories — what am I missing?
I've been collecting every X3/X4 compatible accessory I can find into one list: https://www.pocketink.dev/accessories
Most of it actually came from digging through threads and comments here on Reddit - people mentioning the case they bought, them sharing 3d print link they used, a magnetic mount that works, etc.
I just gathered it all into one place so it's not scattered across a dozen posts.
Cases, lights, sleeves, screen protectors, magnetic rings/mounts, 3D-print files, charging stuff - it's all there. But it's not complete.
What are you using that isn't on it? Drop a name or a link and I'll add the good ones.
u/i4nkit — 15 days ago
▲ 10 r/chrome_extensions
From 22 to 200 users in 4 days
Still investigating the source: I'm not yet able to tell exactly where the growth is coming from.
u/i4nkit — 17 days ago
▲ 36 r/alpinism
My first 6000m peak
Kang Yatse II, 6,250m, Markha Valley, Ladakh. 1st Aug 2025. My first 6,000m peak.
I had done a few multi day treks before this, but nothing with crampons, ropes, or a proper summit attempt.
I also did not research it properly, which looking back was probably stupid. A friend asked if I wanted to go, and I said yes.
We trekked for four days through Markha, Hankar and Nimaling to reach base camp, which was around 5,100m. After acclimatising and resting for a day, a bit of training, we left for the summit at 11 PM. The idea is to reach the top before the morning sun starts softening the ice.
We started as a small group, but even before the ice, a couple of people had already turned back.
Seeing people go back while you are still going up does something to you. Not in a dramatic way. It just puts that option somewhere in your head. Like, okay, people can turn around and that is also fine. And once that thought enters, it stays there quietly.
By the time we reached the ice, there were still two of us climbing, me and another climber, along with three guides.
This was where the actual climbing starts. It was hailing, and we stopped there to put on the gear. Crampons, harness, everything.
I had never climbed on ice before. Not properly. I had only done a few basic crampon drills at base camp. But now, standing there and looking at the ice in front of me, it suddenly became real. I remember thinking, wait, I actually have to climb on this?
The moment I put on the boots and crampons, I realised how different it was from normal walking. Everything felt stiff. The boots, the crampons, the way the foot had to land. It felt like my ankle had no freedom at all.
Then I put my first foot on the ice. Almost immediately I felt this sharp discomfort in my ankle. Not injury pain exactly, but the kind of pain where your body is saying, this is not normal. The first two steps only, and I was already scared thinking will have to keep doing this for like 8-10 hours.
It was uncomfortable in a way I had not expected. Not just tiring. Wrong. Like my legs did not know what they were supposed to do.
The lead guide was in front, then the other climber, then me. She was also moving slowly, and at first I think that actually helped me. Because I was struggling too. Her pace gave me a bit of time to adjust, and push through.
I was not confident. I was just forcing myself through the first few steps. Sometimes you are not being brave or strong. You are just pushing through because stopping feels like admitting something too early. So I kept going.
Step, pain, adjust.
Step, pain, adjust.
Slowly I started to understand that maybe this is how it is supposed to feel. The other climber tried to continue too, but she was having trouble. She slipped once, was moving slowly, and seemed unsure.
After a bit, they decided she should turn back with one of the guides.
So now she was going down with one guide, and I was continuing up with the other two.
As that guide was leaving, he leaned in and quietly said, "You have to make it."
And honestly, that made it worse.
Because I was not standing there feeling strong. I was already in pain. Already unsure. Already trying to convince myself that I could even walk properly on the ice.
And now, suddenly, there was pressure too.
Other people had turned back and they were fine. They were alive, safe, no problem. So what exactly was I doing there?
It was not some deep mountain thought or anything. Just this basic thing in my head. What is the point of this? You climb it. You come back. Life goes on. For a while I genuinely wanted to say, let's just go back.
And the thing is, I could have.
At some point, maybe after an hour or two of walking and struggling, I realised I could stop anytime. All I had to do was say, "I can't continue," and they would turn around with me. No judgement.
The suffering was real, but until you say it, it isn't. So the loop just ran. One more step. One more step. One more step. Don't say it. Hundreds of times. Maybe thousands. Every step is it's own little negotiation.
And under all of it, a quieter doubt: how do you even know if you're pushing the right amount? Past a point it's not a logical decision anymore. One part of you says just go, one more step. Another part is asking, am I being stupid here? Am I crossing a line I shouldn't? On a mountain that thought isn't dramatic. It's real. Push past the wrong line and things can go very bad.
Somehow that got me to the midpoint. There was a patch of rock where you can sit for a bit. My shirt was soaked through. A climber coming down passed us and I asked how long to the top. Two, maybe three more hours, he said.
Two or three more hours of this. Then the descent. That broke something for a second. I went quiet and quietly took out my phone and started recording. I don't fully know why. Some part of me thought if something happens, at least this will exist. At least there's proof I was here and I choose this.
I wanted to say what I was actually feeling, but the guide was right there, and I thought if I said it he'd know how scared I was and he'd worry. So I just smiled, said something generic like it was a normal trek, and stopped recording.
After that it was just ascend, stop, breathe, keep going. At some point I stopped thinking at all. Just moving. Then the lead guide pointed and said that's the summit. Something in my chest released, like I'd been holding it for hours without knowing.
And then we were there 🎉. Handshakes, congratulations, taking photos. I just sat down for a bit. Tired, but mostly relief that quiet kind where you're not thinking about anything yet, just sitting and looking around.
Cloudy at the top, but what you could see was beautiful in a way I don't have words for. Kang Yatse I on one side, clearly a different beast. On the other side smaller mountains, layer after layer, going on like they had no end.
I sat in that for a while. And then it crept back in: I still have to go down too.
People say the descent is harder. By then my mind was just numb I'd reached, no point thinking, the only way out is down. So I just copied the lead guide. How he placed his crampons, when he slid, how he used his weight. The clouds actually helped: visibility was maybe 10-20 metres, so I couldn't see how far the slope dropped. So I didn't think about it. Just coping the guide, and the next step.
We came down fast. I slipped into a couple of crevasses on the way the rope went tight and pulled me back up. Cold shock, then moving again. After the ice it was another two hours on foot. Raining by the time we hit base camp, completely drenched.
The original plan had been twin peaks Kang Yatse II first, then Dzo Jongo after a day of rest, back to back. Right after the congratulations Subodh (founder of TVT, trekking company I went with) asked me about the second one. I said never again. Pretty sure those were my exact words. He laughed and said he'd talk to me in a few days.
He was right to laugh. A couple of days later something had quietly shifted. The exhaustion was gone, and what was left wasn't just pride it was that I'd actually hit a limit for the first time. Before this I thought I knew my limits, but I'd never really touched them. I'd always been able to sit five minutes and recover. Every single step on this one was the struggle I assumed would never happen to me. And I kept going anyway.
I didn't do Dzo Jongo that trip. But I said yes to the idea of going back someday.
Happy to do a mini AMA gear, the route, acclimatising, what it's actually like up there. Ask away.
u/i4nkit — 18 days ago
[Milestone] Hit 50 installs — a bit lost on what to do next, looking for advice from people who've been here
I built a Chrome extension called Totem that turns your Twitter/X bookmarks into a distraction free searchable reader on new tab.
I made it because I had 500+ bookmarks, wanted to read them, but you open twitter and goes back to doom scrolling and adding more. Figured other people had the same problem.
A few weeks in, I've hit 50 installs. No paid promotion, no Product Hunt launch, just organic from the Chrome Web Store and a couple of posts on website.
Here's where things actually stand:
**Installs (last 30 days):** 62
**Uninstalls:** 4 (down 50% vs. previous period)
**Active users trending:** ~7 → 19 daily users
The retention feels okay for this stage — people aren't installing and leaving, which surprised me. But I genuinely don't know how to get from 50 to 200.
Three specific things I'm confused about:
**CWS SEO** — my title has "Bookmarks, Search & Export" in it. Is there something more I should be doing to the description or keywords section to show up for more searches?
**The ChromeOS skew** — half my installs are ChromeOS users. I didn't expect that. Does that change where I should be promoting?
Happy to return the favor and test/review anyone else's extension too.
u/i4nkit — 20 days ago
▲ 134 r/xteinkereader
XTEINK X4 screen broke after clipping a small reading light to the top
I clipped a small reading light to the top of my XTEINK X4 so I could read at night, and the screen is damaged now.
No pressure, just attaching the clip-on light. Cons of being used to sturdier phones and tablets I guess.
The damaged area seems to start near the edge where the light was clipped and later expanded when I pressed.
Has anyone else had this happen? Is there anything I can do besides replacing the screen?
Should I contact XTEINK support, try a DIY panel replacement, or avoid using clip-on lights entirely with this device?
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
u/i4nkit — 21 days ago
I built a Chrome extension to export and read X/Twitter bookmarks locally
I built Totem because my X/Twitter bookmarks had become a pile of useful posts I never opened again.
Totem is a Chrome extension that turns your X bookmarks into a searchable new-tab reading queue. You can read saved posts, highlight them, and export your bookmarks as Markdown, CSV, and JSONL.
It’s local-first: no server, no password, no hosted bookmark database.
I’m looking for feedback on: - permissions - export flow - UX - whether the Chrome Web Store page feels trustworthy
Disclosure: I built Totem.
u/i4nkit — 1 month ago