Audible's new Apple Watch app puts your favorite audiobooks on your wrist

Amazon sure has been busy lately. Not only has it just announced a slew of new products, there’s also an updated version of the Audible app which makes it easy for Apple Watch users to listen to their favorite audiobooks directly from the device.

The Audible update takes advantage of Apple’s latest WatchOS 5, which rolled out this week. It allows third-party services, like Amazon-owned Audible, to play background audio on the Watch.

Watch users can now sync their Audible libraries from their iPhones or iPads to the Watch, play books while on the go via Bluetooth, and control playback from the small screen on their wrist. With the ability to listen offline, users will no longer need to have their iPhones with them to enjoy audiobooks.

How to sync your Audible audiobooks to your Apple Watch

As there is currently no API available to stream directly from the Watch, users will need to sync their libraries either from their iPhone or their iPad. 

To do that, first install the Audible app on the Apple Watch, then open the corresponding app on the iPhone or iPad and locate the book you want to sync.

With that done, tap on the ellipsis (...) icon and tap ‘Send to Apple Watch’. This may take a while if it’s a large book, especially when transferring via Bluetooth. To speed up the process, however, Audible recommends placing the Watch on its charger.

The new Audible app for the Apple Watch is currently available for free on the App Store.

Sharmishta Sarkar
Managing Editor (APAC)

Sharmishta is TechRadar's APAC Managing Editor and loves all things photography, something she discovered while chasing monkeys in the wilds of India (she studied to be a primatologist but has since left monkey business behind). While she's happiest with a camera in her hand, she's also an avid reader and has become a passionate proponent of ereaders, having appeared on Singaporean radio to talk about the convenience of these underrated devices. When she's not testing camera kits or the latest in e-paper tablets, she's discovering the joys and foibles of smart home gizmos. She's also the Australian Managing Editor of Digital Camera World and, if that wasn't enough, she contributes to T3 and Tom's Guide, while also working on two of Future's photography print magazines Down Under.