The day has come! The wait is over! We are delighted to announce that our new iOS app update is live and available in the App Store.
Read on to get all the details, learn what’s new, and hear from the app developers who made it possible.
What’s New
Explore and search for audiobooks through the app
Redeem your Libro.fm credits
View curated audiobook playlists
Build your Wish List
See your bookstore’s details
Explore and search:
You can now explore and search Libro.fm’s entire audiobook catalog within the app.
Playlists:
Discover your next favorite audiobook with playlists curated by expert booksellers, the Libro.fm team, influencers, and more.
Use credits in the app:
Use credits to get and gift audiobooks without ever leaving the app.
4.9 Rating in the App Store with ~8k reviews
Wish List:
Fresh out of credits? Add audiobooks to your Wish List so you can get them later.
Bookstore:
See your bookstore’s details in the app.
Q&A with the iOS developers
Irwin, iOS Lead Developer
Waleed, iOS Developer
Question: Introduce yourself, please!
Irwin: Hello, my name is Irwin Coleman. I joined Libro.fm in October last year. I live in Atlanta, Georgia, with my wife, my daughter, three cats, and two dogs. My fondest memory of audiobooks is listening to various Sherlock Holmes stories on long car trips with my father.
Waleed: My name is Waleed, and I’m an iOS developer from Detroit, Michigan. I joined Libro.fm in November of last year. I love listening to audiobooks while I’m road-tripping and while I’m painting. The most recent book I’ve been listening to is Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad.
Q: Okay, let’s get real—how long have you been working on this update?
Irwin: Well, I started right away in October 2020, and I have been working on it ever since.
Waleed: I started working on the update immediately when I joined in November 2020.
Q: What is your favorite new feature?
Irwin: I like the ability to browse and discover new books in so many ways. You can find another book by your favorite author, check out your favorite genre, or see recommendations for things you would never know about otherwise.
Waleed: Searching the Libro.fm catalog in-app is definitely my favorite new feature. I’m all about creating the best user experience for our app. Giving users the option to search for books and use credits to purchase them without having to go to the website is a huge step and a great improvement for the app.
Q: What is an “easter egg” or special feature you want people to know about it?
Irwin: Easter Eggs are meant to be found. 🙂
Q: What was the biggest challenge you faced?
Irwin: This new version of the application is a LOT bigger than our previous version. It’s been a lot of work to make sure the experience runs well and looks good on a variety of devices.
Waleed: Making sure our app works correctly and looks the same on older versions of iOS has been pretty challenging. However, I think it’s worth it because we want to make our app and supporting local bookstores accessible to as many people as we can.
What kept you going: coffee, tea, energy drinks, beer…?
Irwin: I am a big coffee-drinker in the mornings. My afternoons usually involve a Diet Coke or two. A Cabernet or Syrah in the evenings doesn’t hurt.
Waleed: What has kept me going is really just excitement. I really enjoy what I do here at Libro.fm and I’ve been really excited to contribute to a major update for the app.
Anything else you want Libro.fm listeners to know?
Irwin: We are so excited to bring this update to everyone. I hope it transforms your audiobook experience for the better!
Waleed: We hope you enjoy the new updates to the app and we’d love to hear from you. One of the coolest things I’ve noticed about Libro.fm since I’ve been here is how customer feedback is really valued and prioritized. We are definitely listening and considering any feedback you give!
Get the update:
Libro.fm makes it possible for you to buy audiobooks through your local bookstore, giving you the power to keep money within your local economy, create local jobs, and make a difference in your community.
Choose from 185,000+ audiobooks on Libro.fm, including bestsellers and bookseller picks. Your audiobook purchases sync with the app immediately so you can start listening right away.
What’s next for the Android app?
Davin, Android Lead Developer
Avery, Android Developer
Davin and Avery: On Android we’re currently refactoring the codebase, which is kind of the technical equivalent of a rewrite: improving the structure, wording, fixing a bunch of details, but for the most part the plot remains the same. We’re updating a lot of our technical approach under the hood, which should make for a faster, stabler (and most likely smaller) app, but the stuff on the surface won’t change much in this release. That said, the app will be more responsive, manage its memory and battery usage, and once done will hugely ease development of the new features added to iOS (including in-app browsing), as well as others down the road.
Have questions?
To get help, share feedback, or to ask for a good audiobook recommendation, reach out to us at hello@libro.fm, and a real, audiobook-loving human will get back to you.