Fix: Audible Book Won't Download on iPhone and More Devices

By Ivan Scott Updated on 2023-12-15 / Update for Audiobook Tips

Audible provides a more convenient and healthier way to read any digital books on the go. You can easily browse through thousands of audiobooks on Audible to broaden your horizons. To enjoy audiobooks without WiFi or cellular data, a majority of readers will opt to purchase and download Audible books.

However, some users complain that they have encountered such unpleasant experiences, for instance, Audible book didn't fully download, Audible book queued but won't download, etc. Amid such situations, this article compiles all the possible reasons and working solutions on Audible book won't download on iPhone, iPad, PC, Apple Watch, and more. Also, a professional tool will be introduced to convert Audible books for offline playback wherever and whenever you want.

audible book not downloading

Part 1. Why Won't My Audible Book Download

You may be confused about the Audible download issue and wonder why the Audible app won't download on iPhones, computers, or other supported devices. Based on the comments of Audible users, we have listed several potential reasons behind the Audible books not downloading error as follows:

1. Problems with Audible download settings. Selecting certain settings in the Audible app is necessary in order to download Audible books smoothly.

2. Temporary Audible errors or malfunctions. If the Audible app malfunctions, it may also cause downloading problems.

3. Outdated Audible app. The latest version of the Audible app is required to ensure that the download process is carried out properly.

4. Not connected to the Internet. The Audible download function will only work if you are connected to the Internet.

5. The Audible downloads are corruppted. If the downloading process is interrupted, the Audible app won't be fully downloaded, bringing corrupted and unplayable caches.

6. The potential bugs of the Audible updates. Sometimes, a new version of an updated Audible app may kick off a problem, which can be solved till the next update.

7. The audiobooks have not been purchased before. It is noted that only purchase the Audible books before can you download them later. Please take a look at How to Buy Audible Books without Membership.

Part 2. 10 Solutions for Audible Book Won't Download

Solution 1. Make Sure Audible Audiobooks Is Purchased

As described before, Audible allows you to download audiobooks only after you buy them from its website. Just head over to Audible.com and click on the 'Library' tab from the top navigation bar. If you don't find the titles you want to download, that means you have not got the titles purchased.

Solution 2. Update the Audible App

It is important to keep the Audible application up-to-date, as outdated apps often have glitches that are likely to cause Audible to not function properly, including download issues. You can follow the following methods to get the latest Audible app for iOS, Android, Windows, or Apple Watch.

For iOS

Step 1. Launch the App Store on your iOS device and tap the top-right profile icon.

Step 2. Swipe down the screen to the 'AVAILABLE UPDATES' section.

Step 3. Hit the 'UPDATE' button next to the Audible app.

update audible app on ios

For Android

Step 1. On the Google Play Store of your Android, tap on the Profile picture at the upper right.

Step 2. Pick the 'My apps & games' option from the list.

Step 3. Locate the Audible app from the 'Updates Pending' list and hit the 'Update' button.

For Windows 11

Audible has phrased out its app from Mac. However, Windows allows you to install and keep updating the Audible app from the Amazon Appstore on Windows 11.

Step 1. Go to the Start screen and fire up the Microsoft Store.

Step 2. From the upper-right corner, you will see a download arrow with a number (On Windows 8, it will display as the 'Update' word). Please click on the update icon. You will be taken to the 'Downloads and Updates' section (or 'App updates' on Windows 8).

Step 3. Tap on the upper-right 'Get Updates' button on Windows 10 and click on the download icon next to the Audible app. On Windows 8, please select the Audible app and hit the bottom 'Install' button to update it.

update audible on windows

For Apple Watch

Step 1. Boot up the Apple Watch app on your iOS and click on the bottom 'My Watch' tab.

Step 2. Under the 'Available Apps' section, click on the 'Install' or 'Update' button next to the Audible app.

 

Solution 3. Check the Download by Parts Setting

When you download large Audible books, you can find that the available storage space of your device will be limited. In this way, it will also inevitably bring Audible not downloading issues. The fastest solution is to download Audible books by parts so that the Audible files won't take up too much storage space.

For iPhone/Android

Step 1. Launch the Audible app on your iOS/Android device, then tap the top-left profile > gear icons on the screen.

Step 2. Select the Data & Storage option. Under the 'Download by Parts' section, pick the 'Multi-part' option.

change download by part settings on mobile

For PC

Step 1. Open the Audible app on your Windows device and tap the menu and Settings icon.

Step 2. Navigate to the 'Downloads' section. Then toggle on the 'Download your library by Parts' button. Afterward, try downloading the Audible book by section.

check audible download by parts setting on desktop

Solution 4. Change Download Quality of Audible Books

Normally, you are allowed to download Audible books in high (means larger file size) or standard quality. In this case, you may try to change the download quality of Audible books to solve the problem of Audible books not downloading to iPhone, Android, or Windows.

For iOS/Android

Step 1. On the Audible mobile app, tap on the profile icon in the top left corner and click the Gear icon.

Step 2. Go to the 'Data & Storage' section.

Step 3. Under the 'Download Quality' title, change the Audible download quality to 'Standard' or 'High'.

change audible download quality on mobile

For PC

Step 1. Open the Audible app on your Windows device and tap the menu icon on the left.

Step 2. Go to 'Settings' and choose the 'Downloads' option

Step 3. From the 'Download format' section above 'Download your library by Parts', switch on or off the button in front of 'high quality'. At this point, you can change the Audible quality to Standard Quality or High Quality.

Solution 5. Uninstall the Audible App

uninstall audible app to fix audible not downloading

Sometimes, uninstalling the Audible app is a good way as it solves most Audible problems. However, it is worth noting that this attempt will clear the library of downloaded Audible books, so you can try uninstalling and reinstalling the Audible application as appropriate.

Other 5 Common Fixes for Audible Won't Download Books Iuuse

Apart from the above fixes, you can also give the following commonly-used methods a shot to troubleshoot the Audible book not working issue.

Solution 6. Reset the Audible App

If you are suffering from the Audible book queued but won't download problem, a recommended approach is to force close your Audible application. Then reopen the Audible app to see if the download function is available. But it will delete all cached data in the Audible app.

Solution 7. Check Network Status

The Audible download issue on iPhone, Android, computer, and even Apple Watch, etc. may related to the WiFi or cellular data connections. Please check whether your Wi-Fi or data is on and good. Or, switch the network connection from WiFi to data. After that, try to download the desired Audible book again.

Solution 8. Sign Out and In Back to the Audible App

It is also recommended to sign out and back in the Audible app from its settings. This way contributes to fixing unknown bugs and glitches in the Audible app as well as freeing up the Audible space. Later, try to download from Audible again.

Solution 9. Clear Audible Cache

Suppose you check the storage settings on your Android or iPhone, you may find the Audible app has occupied dozens of GB of space, even though you have downloaded only two audiobooks. Audible runs with lots of cache files to make the device and the app faster, leading to less storage for downloaded files. Also, the corrupted cache files are likely to interrupt the downloading process. To free up space and fix the Audible can't download books issue, you can follow the how-to guide to clear cached files on your mobile:

For Android

Step 1. On the Settings app of your Android, choose 'Apps' from the list. (On some models, please choose 'App Manager' > 'Other Apps'.)

Step 2. Find and click on the Audible app title to open its details screen.

Step 3. Choose the 'Storage' > 'Clear Data' option.

clear audible cache on android

For iPhone

Step 1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone and click on the 'General' tab from the menu.

Step 2. Select the 'iPhone Storage' option from the General Settings.

iphone storage on general settings

Step 3. Scroll down to the Audible app and touch on it. Then hit the bottom 'Offload app' button from its details screen.

Solution 10. Contact Audible Support

If the above-introduced methods fail to work, please navigate to audible.com/contactus to contact Audible Customer Service for further assistance. It will help you check the issues of your app and respond with feasible workarounds to get rid of the Audible books not downloading error.

Part 3. How to Download Audible Books to MP3 without Any Issues

Although you can temporarily solve the Audible book won't download problem by following the above solution, honestly, they are never sustainable and the best way to back up Audible books. Due to the limitations of the Audible AA/AAX format, it seems that you can listen to the downloaded audiobooks only inside the Audible app on authorized devices.

Fortunately, AudFree Audible Downloader, a professional tool dedicated to Audible book download and conversion, can effectively convert Audible to MP3, AAC, WAV, and other common formats without any quality loss. Its built-in editor endows you with the ability to keep and edit the ID3 tags such as title, artist, cover, etc. Also, you can opt to customize the output audio quality and split those audiobooks by chapters, time, or segments. With this feature-rich gadget, you are empowered to transfer Audible to other devices freely and enjoy your favorite Audible books offline permanently.

AudFree Audible Audiobook Converter

AudFree Audiobook Converter
  • Break the Audible AA/AAX format limitation
  • Convert Audible AA/AAXC/AAX to MP3, WAV, AAC, FLAC, M4A,and M4B
  • Cut large audiobooks by chapter or at certain intervals
  • Back up Audible books without Audible app

How to Convert Audible Books to MP3 for Offline Listening Forever

Simply hit the above download button to give the AudFree Audible Book Converter a shot on both Windows and Mac computers. Please transfer your downloaded audiobooks to iTunes in advance. Now, walk through the user guide to export Audible AA, AAX, or AAX files to MP3 or other files.

Step 1Load Audible Books from iTunes to AudFree Auditior
add audible audiobooks to audfree auditior
On the AudFree Auditior app, please click the first Add button (namely 'Load iTunes Library') in the bottom left corner, from which you can select and add the downloaded Audible books from the pop-up window. Alternatively, a more direct method is to drag and drop the target Audible files from the iTunes library to the conversion window. It is recommended to hover over each added item and click the 'Edit' icon to split Audible audiobooks by chapter, fixed time, or segments.
Step 2Alter Output Format and Quality for Audible Books
set audible books output format
Click the bottom-right Audio icon from the screen of the converter to bring up the Format Setting pane where you can set the Audible output format to FLAC, MP3, WAV, etc. In addition, you can customize other parameters as required, including codec, channel, and sample rate, among others to enhance the audio quality. Or, providing that you check the bottom 'Keep lossless quality(AA, AAX)' option, the AA-encoded and AAX-encrypted audiobooks will be turned to MP3 and M4A respectively with lossless quality.
Step 3Back up Audible Books without Audible App
export and back up audible without audible app
Once press the large 'Convert' button at the lower-right, all added Audible audiobooks will be exported to local files in the format you set before and be saved in the target folder on your computer as set above. When it is completed, click on the bottom File icon to locate the converted folder. You will have the privilege to save Audible books forever for offline playback on any device even though you cancel the Audible membership. Also, you don't need to be bothered by Audible not downloading issues anymore without the Audible app.

Part 4. In Conclusion

Here are all about how to solve Audible book not downloading difficulties. We hope this guide is helpful and you can back up and enjoy the Audible book as much as you want. Amid this, the AudFree Audible Book Converter is capable of protecting you from almost any Audible not working issues including the download errors. If you still have any questions about the above methods, please don't hesitate to leave your words in the comment section below.

Ivan Scott

Ivan Scott

Staff Editor

(Click to rate this post)
Ivan Scott, an audiobook enthusiast with a passion for writing. He keeps up with information and tech skills related to iTunes and Audible audiobooks, and shares them with readers.
audio

AudFree Auditior

30X convert Apple Music, iTunes podcasts, audiobooks and Audible books. to MP3, etc.