Problems With AUDIBLE: 13 Most-Common Issues (Solved)

Audible is an audiobook lover’s dream, and with its enormous library of content, fantastic mobile app, and affordable subscription deals, it’s easy to see why.

However, Audible is not without its share of problems, and in this article, we’ll look at the most common issues that users have experienced while accessing the platform.

The Most Common Audible Problems & Issues:

Common Audible issues include playback issues, an inability to download a title, the Audible app crashes, and an inability to find an audiobook within the user’s library. You can resolve these issues by updating the Audible app, adjusting settings, or updating your device.

Table of Contents

1. Why Does My Audible App Keep Crashing?

There are a few reasons why the Audible app crashes, but the most likely cause has nothing to do with the app itself; rather, the reason lies with the device you are using.

If the Audible app crashes on your iOS or Android device, it is worth checking if your device’s operating system is up-to-date.
If your device is not updated, it can cause apps to glitch and, at worse, completely crash on you.
Ensuring that your device is running the latest iOS or Android version is essential if you want to prevent Audible from crashing.

Updating iOS or Android:

If you’re unsure of how to update to the latest version of iOS, follow the steps below:

To update your iOS device, plug it into an electrical outlet or ensure it has sufficient battery power.
Open ‘Settings’ and tap ‘General.’
Now select ‘Software Update.’
Tap to install the relevant update and wait for it to complete.

If you’re using an Android device, then take these steps instead:

Launch the ‘Settings’ app on your phone.
Next, select ‘System,’ followed by ‘System update.’
Continue with any on-screen steps to complete the update.

Remember, your Audible app needs to be up-to-date, too. Details on this can be found at the end of this article.

2. Why Will Audible Not Start Playing?

If you’ve just found an audiobook that you cannot wait to listen to, the last thing you want is for it to be impossible to play. We have a full article on why Audible may not start playing.

Audible does not intend for its customers to encounter unplayable audiobooks; however, if you’ve found yourself in this position, there’s likely a problem while downloading the content.

Problems can occur when your connection to the internet is interrupted while the download is in progress.

Audible advises that: “Sometimes the download may have been incomplete or corrupted. Delete the audiobook from your device and then re-download.”

Deleting and re-downloading an Audible audiobook is simple; follow these steps:

Deleting & Redownloading Audiobooks On Android:

Launch the Audible app on your Android device.
Open your ‘Library.’
Find the unplayable audiobook and tap the 3 dots beside the title.
Now choose ‘Remove From Device.’
Now navigate to your ‘Library’ and find the title in the ‘All’ section.
Re-download the title with a stable internet connection.

Check out our easy answer guide to typical questions about Audible and Android!

Deleting & Redownloading Audiobooks On iOS:

Launch the Audible app on your iOS device.
From your ‘Library,’ find the unplayable audiobook.
Swipe left on the audiobook and then tap ‘Remove from Device.’
Re-download the title from your library.

3. Why Will Audible Not Start Downloading?

It’s not ideal when you find an audiobook that you want to store on your device for offline play, but it won’t download.

The first thing to remember is to always ensure that you have the latest version of the Audible app downloaded, but if that’s already the case, then it may be worth adjusting the download quality.

Adjusting the download quality or downloading the audiobook in parts can help the download begin and complete.
If your device is low on storage and the file is too big to download, reducing the quality or downloading parts can make it more manageable.
Adjusting how a file is downloaded is simple and can be done through the Audible app.
Whether you are on iOS or Android, open your profile, tap the gear icon and navigate to either ‘Data & Storage’ (iOS) or ‘Download’ (Android), followed by ‘Download Quality.
From within ‘Download Quality,’ a user can dictate whether the download is made in parts and reduce the quality.

Check our solutions to when Audible is freezing on phones.

4. Why Did My Audible Book Disappear?

There are a few different reasons why your audiobook isn’t appearing within your Audible library, but rest assured, it’s not gone forever.

If you’re struggling to find an Audible audiobook in your library, then try the following:

Refresh the library.
- The titles you purchase may have a time lag before they appear in your library.
- Refreshing the library in the Audible app will usually do the trick. Do this via the Audible app by going to your Profile > Gear Icon > Data & Storage > Refresh Library (You may have to wait a couple of minutes for the refresh to complete).
Remove the audiobook from the archive.
- If your audiobook has become archived, it won’t appear in your library.
- To bring your audiobook back from the archive, open ‘Collections’ and navigate to ‘Archive.’ Now select the audiobook and tap ‘Remove from Archive.’
Sign out of your account and sign back in.
- Sometimes the Audible app may glitch, resulting in your purchased audiobooks not appearing when they should.
- If this is the case, a simple log out and login can reset your library and should reveal your missing audiobook.
Adjust your filter options.
- The Audible app allows you to filter what is shown in your library.
- Your filter settings can be configured so that titles you’ve not begun listening to do not appear.
- To ensure that you can find all the content you own, tap ‘All Titles’ within your library and then hit the sort by, making sure you have ‘Recent’ selected.

5. Why Does Audible Keep Cutting Out?

Your internet connection is the main cause of choppy playback while listening to Audible.

If you’re streaming an audiobook on Audible, you’ll need a stable connection to the internet.

If your WiFi connection or cellular connections drops out, then playback of your audiobook will cut out.

One of the best ways to avoid this playback issue is to download audiobooks for offline listening. By doing so, you won’t rely on a stable connection and can listen without problems.

However, if you’re experiencing this same problem with a downloaded Audible audiobook, it’s worth deleting and re-downloading the file. The steps you need to take to do this can be found in this article.

6. How Do You Recover Your Login & Password to Audible?

Everyone draws a blank once in a while, and so it’s unsurprising that there are days that we forget our login details for our favorite online platforms.

If you’ve had trouble logging on to your Audible account, don’t panic, and take the following steps to gain access again.

Use your Email to Find Out your Login Details:

- If you need to retrieve your Audible username, head to the Audible desktop website and hit sign-in.
- Enter the email used to sign up for your Audible account, and you should be on your way to regaining access.

Audible states that: “You will receive an email with instructions on how to access your Audible account. If you do not receive an email or no longer use the email address associated with your Audible account, contact us for help restoring access to your account.”

For email problems specific to Yahoo, check this article.

Recover your Password on your Mobile Device

If you need to reset your password, head to the mobile site for Audible and navigate to ‘Sign-in,’ then follow these steps:

You’ll need to tap ‘Forgot your Password’ first and type in your username.
Complete the captcha box and hit continue.
You’ll receive an email from Audible that will instruct you to reset your password.
Once complete, you’ll be able to sign in to your account.

7. Why Won’t Audible Work with the Alexa Device?

Always ensure that your Alexa device is turned on. You will know it is by checking to see if there is a blue light on the top.

Make sure that your Amazon account and your Alexa device are connected. If they are not, you will experience issues when playing a file. To merge your accounts, log on to Audible using the desktop site and navigate to ‘Account Details,’ from here, you can choose the option ‘Merge now.’

Double-check for any error messages in the Alexa companion app. Connection issues could be why you cannot seem to play any titles.

This can lead to Audible not letting you buy anything.

8. Why Won’t Audible Work with the Sonos System?

An outdated Sonos system is the most common reason that Audible isn’t working.

Always ensure that the Sonos app on your iOS, Android, or desktop is up-to-date to avoid any issues with listening to your favorite audiobook.

Other solutions could involve:

Updating your Audible app.
Force quitting and reopening the Audible app.
Ensuring you have a stable internet connection.

9. How Do you Get Audible to Sync Across Devices?

‘Whispersync for Voice’ is a great feature with Audible that should automatically sync your position across multiple connected devices as long as they are connected to WiFi.

The process is very simple if you want to manually sync your devices; just read the instructions below.

Check our answer to FAQ about Audible and synching.

How to sync Audible on the iOS app:

Open Audible on your iOS device and select the profile icon in the bottom right.
Tap on settings, identified by a small gear icon in the top right.
Select ‘Player.’
Locate ‘Sync Device Position’ and toggle it off and then again.

How to Sync Device on the Android app:

Open the Audible app on your android device.
Go to the ‘Library’ section.
From here, swipe your finger down across the screen.

This will refresh and manually sync your device.

10. How Does Audible’s Timer Work?

One of Audible’s great features is that users can set a timer so that they can choose when the audiobook stops playing. This is incredibly useful for those who like to fall asleep listening to their favorite book, as they will wake to know they haven’t missed out on any chapters while they slept.

To set a timer on the Audible app, follow these steps:

Open up Audible on your iOS or Android device.
Navigate to the player screen on your Audiobook.
Next, tap the ‘Sleep timer’ button at the bottom of your screen.
You can select how long you want your audiobook to run.

11. How Do you Restart the Audible App?

Sometimes apps need to be closed if they appear to be glitching or malfunctioning in some way.

To restart the Audible app on your iOS device, follow these steps:

Begin by double tapping the home button. This will bring up the active devices menu, where you can see every app your device is currently running.
Next, scroll through the list until you find Audible.
Drag the screen upwards to force close the app.
Now you can open the Audible app from scratch.

To restart the Audible app on your Android device, follow these steps:

Open up the list of all your running devices by swiping upwards on your screen.
Locate Audible in the list.
Swipe up on the screen again to force close the Audible app.
Next, click on the Audible icon to open the app again.

12. How Can I Check if I Have the Latest Version of Audible?

Having the latest Audible version is an important factor if you want a smooth-running app.

To check if you have the latest update installed, go to either the Google Play Store or the App Store and check if Audible is listed in the available updates section.

If you cannot find Audible listed here, you can be safe knowing you have the most up-to-date version.