How to listen to audiobooks on Apple Watch

Play audiobooks stored locally on your Apple Watch, or stream them from your Apple Books library on your iPhone.

You can also download an audiobook for offline listening, for when Apple Watch isn’t connected to your iPhone or the internet.

The Play screen for an audiobook. The Close button is at the top left, the More button at the top right, the skip back 15 seconds button at the bottom left, the Play/Pause button at the bottom middle, and the skip ahead 15 seconds button at the bottom right. In the middle is the book art, chapter number, and remaining time in the chapter.

Play an audiobook

Start the Audiobooks app on your Apple Watch.
Go to an audiobook. Tap the cover to start playing it.
Use the playback controls to play, pause, skip forward and backward, adjust the speed, or change the audio destination.

Download an audiobook for offline listening

Any audiobook you add can play even when Apple Watch isn’t connected to your iPhone or the internet.

Start the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
Tap My Watch and tap Apps. Then tap Audiobooks.
Tap Add Audiobook, then tap a title.

Apple Watch automatically syncs up to five hours of each audiobook you add, plus the one you’re currently listening to and the one in your Want to Read list, whenever it has available storage and is connected to power.