Mihon Library Management and Tracking: A Practical Setup

Once you've got Mihon installed (see the safe installation guide if you haven't) and your sources added (the extensions guide covers that), the app really starts to shine. The library management and tracking features are what turn Mihon from "a reader" into the place your whole manga habit lives.

Setting up your library properly

The library is where series go when you tap "Add to library." Left alone, it becomes a long alphabetical list — fine for ten series, chaos for a hundred. Categories fix that.

Go to the library tab and create categories that match how you actually read. A system that works for most people:

• Reading — what you're actively following right now.
• On hold — series you like but aren't current on.
• Plan to read — the backlog, the recommendations, the "I'll get to it" pile.
• Completed / Favorites — finished series worth keeping.

When you add a series, Mihon asks which categories it belongs in. Take the two seconds to assign it. Future-you, scrolling through 200 series, will be grateful.

Filters that actually help

The filter button in the library is more useful than it looks. Filter by unread chapters to see what's new across everything you follow. Filter by downloaded to see what you can read offline. Combine filters with categories — "unread in Reading" is basically your daily reading queue, generated automatically.

Sort options matter too. Sort by "last read" to resurface what you were in the middle of, or by "latest chapter" to catch up on everything with updates. Play with these once; the right combination replaces a lot of manual scrolling.

Backups: the two-minute habit that saves everything

Mihon can export your entire setup — library, categories, reading history, settings — to a single backup file. Do this regularly, especially before updating the app or switching phones. Restoring a backup on a new device brings back everything, including where you left off in each series.

This is also the migration path from Tachiyomi: if you're coming from the old app, its backup imports into Mihon. We covered the backstory in the what-is-Mihon article — the practical upshot is that nobody has to rebuild their library from scratch.

Tracking: connect MyAnimeList or AniList

Here's the feature that quietly changes the experience. In Settings → Tracking, you can log in with MyAnimeList, AniList, or MangaUpdates. Once connected, Mihon updates your lists automatically as you read — mark chapters, update scores, sync progress — without you opening another app.

Why bother? A few reasons:

• Your progress survives app changes. Even if you reinstall or switch readers someday, your lists on MyAnimeList/AniList still know where you are.
• Discovery gets better. Both services recommend series based on what you've read and scored.
• It settles "where was I?" Pick up any series after months away and your tracked progress tells you exactly which chapter is next.

One tip: decide which service is your "source of truth" and stick with it. Syncing the same library to two trackers is possible but creates the kind of small inconsistencies that are annoying to clean up.

Downloads for offline reading

Any chapter can be downloaded for offline reading — useful for commutes, flights, or spotty connections. You can download per chapter, per series, or set up automatic downloads for new chapters of series you follow. Just keep an eye on storage; manga with image-heavy chapters adds up, and the app's storage settings let you see what's taking space.

Putting it all together

The full routine for a new setup: install from the official download page, add the trusted extension repo, add your series to the library with categories assigned, connect your tracker, make a backup. Thirty minutes of setup buys you a reading system that basically runs itself — new chapters appear in your filters, progress syncs to your lists, and your library stays organized as it grows.

And if you're still deciding whether Mihon is the right reader for you at all, the comparison with other manga readers lays out the trade-offs honestly.