Getting started with BookLyre

BookLyre reads your ebooks aloud with a different voice for every character. Everything happens on your iPhone or iPad, so it works offline and your books never leave your device.

1. Add a book

1. Tap + in your Library.
2. Choose a DRM-free EPUB from Files. You can also share an EPUB to BookLyre from another app, or add audiobook files (M4B, M4A, MP3, AAC) you already own.
3. BookLyre reads the book, finds its chapters and detects the characters. Longer books take a moment.

BookLyre can't open books protected by DRM, which includes most books bought from the big ebook stores. Look for DRM-free editions from authors and publishers, or try public-domain classics. A sample book is included so you can hear the full cast straight away.

2. Meet the cast

Open a book and go to Characters. You'll see everyone BookLyre found, how many lines each one has, and the voice they've been given.

• Tap a character to change their voice. Pick any voice and preview it first.
• Auto-Assign gives everyone a voice that suits them. Clean Up merges duplicates (like "Liz" and "Elizabeth").
• The Narrator reads everything that isn't dialogue.

Character detection is automatic and won't always be perfect. If a line goes to the wrong person, you can fix it.

3. Listen

Tap Play. Narration is prepared as you listen, so you can start right away.

• Speed: tap the speed button for anything from 0.5× to 2.5×.
• Sleep Timer: 5, 15, 30 or 60 minutes, or the end of the chapter or book.
• Bookmarks: tap the bookmark icon to save your place. Find them all under Bookmarks.
• Read Along: open Read Along while playing to see the text highlighted in time with the voice.
• Playback keeps going in the background and from the Lock Screen, Control Center, AirPods, and CarPlay.

4. Full cast

Every book plays with its full cast: a different voice for each character, with the narrator reading everything else. It's all included in the app's price, with no in-app purchases or subscriptions.

5. Prepare ahead and manage space

• Prepare a whole book in advance so listening never waits, or let BookLyre prepare it overnight while your device charges.
• The app needs about 1 GB, plus space for prepared audio. See and delete each book's audio in Settings → Storage. Audio for books you haven't opened in a while is cleared automatically and prepared again when you come back.
• Preparing audio is demanding work, so your device may get warm. BookLyre slows down by itself if it gets hot.

6. Organize your library

Group books into Collections, follow series in order, and pick up where you left off in Currently Reading. Long-press any book for quick actions.

Need help?

Tap Spotted a bug? in the app, or email support@booklyre.com.