Getting Started

Install FableFrog, connect to your Audiobookshelf server, and start listening to your audiobook library on iOS.

What You'll Need

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

  • An iPhone running iOS 17 or later. FableFrog is built with SwiftUI and targets iOS 17 as the minimum deployment version.
  • A self-hosted Audiobookshelf server running v2.x. FableFrog is a client app. It connects to your existing Audiobookshelf instance. If you don't have one yet, visit audiobookshelf.org to get started.
  • Your server URL and login credentials. You'll need the address of your server (e.g., https://abs.example.com) and a valid username and password, or an OIDC provider configured on your server.

Installing FableFrog

Download FableFrog from the App Store. The app is free to download and includes full streaming playback, library browsing, bookmarks, playlists, CarPlay, widgets, and four built-in themes at no cost. FableFrog is localized in 15+ languages, including full right-to-left support for Arabic and Hebrew.

Premium features (offline downloads, Smart Downloads, listening statistics, additional themes, and custom app icons) are available as an in-app purchase. See the Premium guide for details on what's included and pricing.

Connecting to Your Server

Once you open FableFrog for the first time, you'll see the login screen.

  1. Enter your server URL. Type the full address of your Audiobookshelf server, including the protocol (http:// or https://). If your server runs on a non-standard port, include it (e.g., https://abs.example.com:13378). If it's behind a path prefix on a reverse proxy, include that too (e.g., https://example.com/audiobookshelf).
  2. Sign in. Enter your Audiobookshelf username and password, then tap Sign In. If your server uses OIDC/SSO, tap the appropriate provider button to authenticate through your identity provider.
  3. Choose your library. If your server has multiple audiobook libraries, you'll be asked to select one. You can switch libraries later without signing out.

FableFrog validates the server connection before completing login. If something goes wrong, check the Connecting guide for detailed troubleshooting.

First Steps After Connecting

Once you're connected, FableFrog syncs your library metadata and drops you into the app. Here's where to go first:

Browse the Home Tab

The Home tab is your starting point. It shows personalized shelves powered by your Audiobookshelf server, such as Continue Listening, Recently Added, Discover, and more. You'll also see your favorites, weekly listening stats, and any upcoming books from series you follow. Scroll through to get a sense of what's available.

Play Your First Book

Tap any book cover to open its detail page. You'll see the cover art, description, chapter list, duration, and metadata. Tap Play to start streaming. The player opens with full controls: play/pause, skip forward and backward, a scrubber for seeking, and chapter navigation.

Explore Settings

Head to Settings (gear icon) to personalize FableFrog. A few things worth configuring early:

  • Theme. FableFrog ships with 20 themes: 6 light, 11 dark, and 3 accessibility themes. The free tier includes Default, Midnight, High Contrast, and Blue-Orange. Premium unlocks the remaining 16.
  • Playback preferences. Set your default playback speed (0.5x to 3x), volume boost level, skip forward/backward durations, and headphone double-press action.
  • Text size. Choose from six text size levels (XS through XL) to match your reading comfort.
  • Listening goal. Set a daily listening target to track your habits on the Home screen.

Set Up Downloads (Premium)

If you have FableFrog Premium, you can download audiobooks for offline listening. Navigate to any book's detail page and tap the download button. For a hands-free approach, enable Smart Downloads in Settings. FableFrog will automatically download books after you've listened for a configurable amount of time, and optionally remove them when you finish.

Explore Further

From here, the app is yours to discover:

If you run into any issues, the Troubleshooting guide covers the most common scenarios with step-by-step solutions.

Found a typo or error? Let us know
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