How To Get Purchased Audiobooks On Iphone

You can easily access and listen to audiobooks on your iPhone using a third-party app or the built-in Apple Books app.
Here's how to get started downloading and listening to audiobooks in the Apple Books app.
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It's quaint to think of the days when listening to an audiobook meant keeping track of — and not scratching — multiple compact discs.

Today, access to an audiobook is as easy as having access to an iPhone.

And while there are lots of quality third-party apps out there for listening to audiobooks, the iPhone's proprietary audiobook platform, Apple Books, is a worthy app as well.

If you're ready to add more than music and podcasts to your iPhone's audio lineup, here's how to get started downloading and listening to audiobooks in the Apple Books app:

Check out the products mentioned in this article:

iPhone 11 (From $699.99 at Best Buy)

How to listen to audiobooks on your iPhone

1. Open the Apple Books app on your iPhone. If you've never used it and aren't sure where it lives on your iPhone, swipe right from the middle of the screen to pull up the search bar.

Having never opened Apple Books before, I wasn't sure where to find it, so I used the search bar.

2. Tap "Audiobooks" from the menu at the bottom of the screen. You can also tap "Explore Audiobooks" from the "Reading Now" tab, which is the page that opens anytime you launch the app, to be taken to the same page.

The homepage and buttons are reminiscent of the iTunes Store app, which makes sense because the iTunes Store is essentially to music what Apple Books is to ebooks and audiobooks.

3. Here, you can find an audiobook by exploring categories, like "New & Trending," the top charting audiobooks, or special price deals.

4. If however, you know what audiobook you'd like to download, go straight to the "Search" tab, on the far right and type in the name.

I opted for a book that I own in hard copy, but can't seem to get around to finish reading.

5. Tap the book that you'd like to listen to, making sure the title is under the "Audiobooks" category.

You can find important information here, like how long the audiobook is, which is something you'll definitely want to know if you only have the headspace for a short time commitment, or in contrast, need an audiobook that will last many, many long commutes.

6. You can choose to preview the book, gift it, add it to a wish list, and more. If you're ready to buy, tap the black "Buy" button, which will include the price of the audiobook.

To finalize the purchase, you may be prompted to sign in to your Apple ID, depending on your settings.

7. The book will usually start downloading immediately if you are connected to Wi-Fi. Tap "Listen" to start listening right away.

If you want to come back to the audiobook later, you can find it in "Library" within Apple Books.

My up-to-date library, with its inaugural entry.

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Emma Witman is an Asheville, NC-based freelance journalist with a keen interest in writing about hardware, PC gaming, politics, and personal finance. She is a former crime reporter for a daily newspaper, and has also written extensively about bartending for Insider. She may or may not judge your drink order when behind the bar. Follow her on Twitter at @emwity.