Do I need Kobo software on my computer to sideload a PDF?

No. A Kobo mounts as ordinary USB mass storage, so it behaves like a flash drive on Windows, macOS, and Linux with nothing installed. Connect the cable, tap Connect on the device when it asks, drag the PDF onto the Kobo drive, then eject properly and give the library a moment to index the new file.

Can I get a planner onto my Kobo without a cable?

Yes, through the built-in Dropbox and Google Drive integration on the Elipsa 2E and Libra Colour. Link the account in the device settings, then import the file from the on-device browser. One caveat that surprises people: a sideloaded file lives on the device you imported it to. It does not sync to your other Kobo readers the way purchased books do.

Do planner hyperlinks work on a Kobo?

The evidence says yes and we have not confirmed it on hardware ourselves. Kobo's reader has supported active hyperlinks in PDFs for years, a detailed review of the original Elipsa demonstrated them working, and template sellers ship hyperlinked planners for the Sage, Elipsa, Elipsa 2E, and Libra Colour. What nobody has published is whether a stylus tap follows a link or only a finger tap. Use your finger and you are on the well-tested path.

Why can I write on my planner but not on some other PDFs?

Annotation depends on the file's permissions. A PDF with DRM or copy protection can block markup, which is a real limitation Kobo documents. It does not affect a planner you generated yourself: those files carry no protection, so writing, highlighting, and links all behave normally.

Getting a PDF planner onto a Kobo Elipsa 2E or Libra Colour

Kobo is the easiest sideload in e-ink: it mounts as a plain USB drive. Here is the cable route, the Dropbox and Google Drive route, what the reader does to a PDF, and the one thing about Kobo planner links we will not claim until we have tested it.

2026-08-07· 3 min read

KoboTransfer guides

Of the five e-ink families we support, Kobo has the least interesting transfer story, and that is a compliment. The tablet mounts as a USB drive. You drag a file onto it. Done.

The interesting parts are what the reader does afterwards, and one honest gap in what we can tell you.

Route 1: the cable

Connect the Kobo to your computer with USB.
The device asks whether to connect. Tap Connect.
It appears as a drive called KOBOeReader. Drag the PDF into the root, or into a folder if you like tidiness.
Eject properly, then wait a few seconds while the library picks up the new file.

That is genuine USB mass storage, not the MTP protocol Supernote and Boox use, which is why there is no macOS helper app in this guide.

Route 2: Dropbox or Google Drive, no cable

The Elipsa 2E and Libra Colour can pull files straight from Dropbox or Google Drive. Link the account once in settings, then browse and import on the device.

One thing to expect: Kobo is explicit that imported content stays on the device you imported it to. Purchased books follow your account across readers; a planner you sideloaded does not. If you own two Kobos, import it twice.

What the reader does to your PDF

Kobo’s PDF reader is plainer than the competition’s, with a few habits worth knowing before you decide a file is broken.

No margin crop. Some readers offer to trim whitespace. Kobo does not, so a page sized for A4 keeps its full letterboxing on a 10.3-inch screen. Page size is decided when the file is made, not when it is read. A planner built at 1404×1872 for the Elipsa 2E, or 1264×1680 for the Libra Colour, uses the whole panel.

Zoom behaves oddly on page turns. Zoom in on a page and turn it, and older firmware would drop you at the top-left corner of the new page rather than the same spot. A later zoom-lock update improved that. Either way, a planner you never need to zoom is a planner that never hits this.

Corner holds are page-scan gestures. Holding a corner brings up fast page scanning, which is why a tab target that sits right in the corner is a bad idea. Ours stay inboard of the edges by design.

Chrome appears on tap. Header and footer overlays surface when you tap, then get out of the way. Nothing to configure.

The honest gap: stylus taps

We will say plainly what we know and do not know here, because it is the one thing a Kobo planner buyer should decide for themselves.

Internal PDF links work in Kobo’s reader. That is supported by a hands-on review of the original Elipsa, by Kobo’s own description of active hyperlinks, and by the fact that several template shops sell hyperlinked planners for exactly these models.

What no source we could find has tested is whether the stylus follows a link, or whether that is finger-only as it is on reMarkable and the Kindle Scribe. On every other family the answer is finger-first, so that is what we recommend on Kobo too. If you try it with the Stylus 2 and it behaves differently, we would like to know: support@plannedpages.com reaches a person, and we will update this page with what you find.

Worth noting on hardware: the Elipsa 2E includes the Stylus 2, and the Libra Colour does not. If you bought a Libra Colour without the pen, finger navigation is the only kind you have, and a linked planner still works fine.

The 30-second version

Cable, tap Connect, drag, eject. Or link Dropbox and import on the device, remembering that sideloads do not sync between Kobos. Tap links with your finger. Do not zoom. Keep the file sized for your model, because Kobo will not crop anything for you.

Kobo owners get skipped by a lot of planner shops, which is the main reason we built for it. Planned Pages generates for the Elipsa 2E and the Libra Colour at their native dimensions, free while we are in early access. If you are the first Kobo owner to tap-test a full year on hardware, we would like the report.

Curious how the pages themselves are laid out? Choosing a weekly layout covers the ones we generate and who each suits.