DeerReader Help
Your guide for the DeerReader suite: listen on iPhone, iPad, visionOS, and CarPlay, then manage and share your library from DeerReader Server for Mac.
Overview
DeerReader is the listening app for iPhone, iPad, visionOS, and CarPlay. DeerReader Server is the Mac companion app for managing your audiobook library, sharing it over your local network, and syncing playback position.
Listen with DeerReader
Use this path when you want to play, organize, download, or share audiobooks from the listening app.
- Start with First Launch and App Navigation if you are new to the app.
- Use My Books, Audio Player, Chapter Navigation, and Sleep Timer for day-to-day listening.
- Use Importing Books for files stored on your device, or Remote Libraries and Download Manager for books hosted by DeerReader Server.
- Use Sharing, Widgets, and CarPlay for platform integrations.
Set Up DeerReader Server for Mac
Use this path when you want your Mac to manage, organize, and share your audiobook library.
Connect a Device
Connect each DeerReader device to DeerReader Server, then use the Libraries tab to browse and download from your Mac. The connection resolves a listener profile so the server can apply the right permissions and playback state.
Getting Started
From a fresh install to your first listen in just a few steps.
My Books Library
My Books is your personal audiobook collection. Everything you import or download lives here.
View Modes
Toggle between Grid and List view using the icon in the toolbar. Grid view shows large cover art — great for visual browsing. List view is compact and information-dense.
Sorting
- Sort by: Title · Author · Date Added · Last Read
- Search: Type in the search bar to filter by title, author, or narrator instantly
Book Actions
Long-press any book cover (or tap the context menu button) to access:
- Edit Metadata — change title, author, narrator, or cover art
- View Info — see file details, source server name, and sync status when available
- Save to Files — export a copy of a local audiobook outside the app sandbox
- Add to Collection — place the book in one or more collections
- Delete — remove the book from your library (with confirmation)
Audio Player
Tap any book to open the full-screen player. The UI automatically adapts its colors to match the dominant tones in the book's cover art.
Playback Controls
- Play / Pause — large centered button
- Skip Back / Forward — jumps by your configured skip interval (default 30 seconds)
- Scrubber — drag to seek anywhere in the current file
- Audio Route — tap the speaker icon to switch between device speaker, headphones, AirPlay, or Bluetooth
Playback Speed
Tap the speed button to cycle through presets or pick a custom value:
Speed is saved per book — switching to a different title won't change its saved speed.
Lock Screen & Background
Playback continues when you lock your screen or switch to another app. Standard system media controls, including Lock Screen, Control Center, and AirPods controls, all work with DeerReader.
Repeat
Toggle Repeat Book from the options menu (···) to have the current book restart automatically when it finishes.
Chapter Navigation
For books with chapter markers, DeerReader surfaces full chapter navigation in the player.
- The current chapter title is displayed prominently below the cover art
- Tap the chapter title or the chapter list button to open a scrollable list of all chapters
- Tap any chapter to jump directly to it
- Use the Previous Chapter and Next Chapter buttons flanking the skip controls
- The scrubber shows your position within the current chapter
Sleep Timer
Set the app to stop playing automatically after a set amount of time or at a chapter boundary.
Open the sleep timer from the player's options menu (···). Available durations:
- 15 minutes
- 30 minutes
- 1 hour
- 2 hours
- End of current chapter
A countdown indicator appears in the player while the timer is active. Tap it to cancel the timer at any time.
Collections
Group your audiobooks into collections — by genre, mood, series, or anything else you like.
Creating a Collection
Custom Ordering and Server Collections
Use the Reorder action to set a custom order for books in a collection. Collections downloaded from DeerReader Server are mirrored locally as read-only collections, including their server artwork and book membership.
Search
The Search tab lets you find content across your entire library — and optionally across DeerReader Server libraries running on your Mac too.
Search Scopes
- All — searches books, collections, and remote libraries simultaneously
- Books — your local library only (title, author, narrator)
- Collections — find a specific collection by name
- Libraries — content available from connected DeerReader Server libraries (can be toggled in Settings)
Results are grouped by source. Tap a book to open it, tap a collection to browse it, or tap a remote result to view its details and queue it for download.
Metadata Editing
DeerReader automatically extracts metadata when you import a book, but every field is editable at any time.
Editable Fields
- Title
- Author
- Narrator
- Series
- Cover Art — choose any image from your Photos library
How to Edit
There are three ways to reach the metadata editor:
- Long-press a book in My Books → Edit Metadata
- In the player, tap the options menu (···) → Edit Book
- Tap a book in Search results → Edit
Importing Audiobooks
There are several ways to get audiobooks into DeerReader.
From the Files App
Open the Files app, navigate to your audio file, tap Share → DeerReader. The file is imported and metadata is extracted automatically.
From the Import Button
In My Books, tap the import (⊕) button to open a file picker. You can select one or multiple audio files at once.
From DeerReader Server
Browse the Libraries tab, find the book you want, and tap Download. See the Download Manager section for details.
Supported Formats
DeerReader plays standard Apple-platform audio formats, including M4B, M4A, MP3, and AAC. M4B files with embedded chapter markers are fully supported.
Remote Libraries
The Libraries tab connects to DeerReader Server for Mac, giving you access to a shared catalog of audiobooks over your local network.
Connecting to Your Mac
Enable Local Network Sharing in DeerReader Server on your Mac, then open the Libraries tab in DeerReader and select the server from the dropdown. If the server does not appear or the list looks stale, tap the refresh button next to the server dropdown. Keep your Mac awake and on the same Wi-Fi network while browsing or syncing.
Browsing a Library
- Use the server-dropdown-list to select a server and browse its catalog
- Browse books and collections
- Tap any book to see its details: title, author, narrator, duration, and download status
- Tap Download to add a book, or download a server collection to mirror it locally
Download Status
Each book in the remote library shows its current status: Available, Queued, Downloading, or Downloaded. Once a download finishes, the book is automatically imported into My Books.
Download Manager
DeerReader's download system is built for large audiobook files — it's fast, resumable, and works in the background.
How Downloads Work
- Downloads use a single reliable transfer path tuned for large audiobook files
- If interrupted or backgrounded, DeerReader reattaches to in-flight work and avoids duplicate downloads
- Background downloads continue even when DeerReader is not the active app
- When a background download completes, the book is imported, metadata is refreshed, and the title is ready to play the next time you open DeerReader
Monitoring Progress
Active downloads show a progress bar, current speed, and estimated time remaining. You can queue multiple books and they will download sequentially.
DeerReader Server for Mac
DeerReader Server is the Mac companion app for managing your personal .m4b audiobook library and making it available to DeerReader devices on your local network.
Library Folder
The first DeerReader Server setup step is choosing the Mac folder that contains your audiobook files.
If you move or rename the folder later, DeerReader Server will ask you to choose the library folder again so it can restore access.
Importing on Mac
DeerReader Server is designed around .m4b audiobook files stored in your chosen library folder.
Ways to Add Books
- Click Add Audiobooks in the toolbar or menu bar to select individual .m4b files or folders.
- Drag .m4b files or folders directly onto the library view.
- Copy .m4b files into the library folder in Finder and let the server detect them automatically.
Import Queue
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Queued | Waiting to be processed |
| Scanning | Reading metadata and file structure |
| Hashing | Computing a SHA-256 fingerprint for duplicate detection |
| Resolving Duplicates | Checking whether the same audiobook already exists |
| Importing | Adding the book to the library index |
| Completed / Skipped / Failed | Finished, ignored as an exact duplicate, or stopped with an error message |
Duplicate Detection
DeerReader Server uses SHA-256 hashing to detect exact duplicate files. If you choose to keep both copies, the new file is added with a unique name.
Metadata & Cover Art
Use DeerReader Server when you want changes to be written into the source .m4b files on your Mac.
Editing Metadata
Select a book to open its detail panel. Changes are saved automatically.
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Title | Main book title, required by default |
| Subtitle | Optional subtitle or edition info |
| Author | Author name, required by default |
| Narrator | Audiobook narrator |
| Series / Series Index | Used for series grouping and ordering |
| Genre / Comment | Optional organization and notes fields |
| Chapters | Extracted chapter list, you can change chapter titles but you cannot create or remove chapters |
Bulk Editing
Select multiple books with Command or Shift. Any field you change is applied to all selected books when you save; fields with mixed values can be left unchanged.
Cover Art
Click Set Cover beneath a book cover to choose a JPEG or PNG image, then save to write the artwork into the .m4b file. Use Remove Cover to clear embedded artwork.
Server Collections
Collections on the Mac organize the shared catalog and can be downloaded or mirrored by DeerReader devices.
Creating and Ordering
- Click Collections in the sidebar, then add a new collection from the toolbar.
- Name the collection and use Select Books to choose titles.
- Drag books within a collection to override the default series/title ordering.
- Set collection artwork so DeerReader can display the shared shelf with the right visual identity.
Deleting Collections
Deleting a collection removes only the grouping. It does not delete the books inside it.
Profiles & Permissions
Profiles represent the people and devices that access your library through DeerReader.
Profile Roles
| Role | Capabilities |
|---|---|
| Librarian | Full administrative access for books, collections, profiles, and permissions |
| Reader | Access to permitted books and collections without management controls |
Creating and Managing Profiles
Profiles are created or reused automatically when DeerReader resolves a listener profile. Select a profile to rename it, change its role, manage book permissions, inspect playback state, or delete profiles.
Permissions
- Book permissions control which profiles can access individual books.
- Collection permissions propagate access to the books in that collection.
- New imports are not automatically granted to every profile; explicitly grant access where needed.
- When the 'Available to Everyone' toggle is on, newly created profiles will have access by default.
Local Network Sharing
Local Network Sharing serves your Mac library to DeerReader devices on the same Wi-Fi network. It does not upload your audiobooks to an internet service.
Enable Sharing
63337. Make sure firewall, VPN, or security software is not blocking it.If servers are not appearing in DeerReader, make sure the Mac and DeerReader device are on the same Wi-Fi network, then tap the refresh button in the Libraries tab.
Listener Profile Resolution
DeerReader connects to DeerReader Server by resolving the listener profile used for browsing, permissions, and playback sync.
Profile Flow
- Open DeerReader's Libraries tab and enter a profile name if prompted.
- Select a discovered DeerReader Server.
- DeerReader resolves or creates the matching server profile.
- The server applies the profile's book and collection permissions when DeerReader browses the shared library.
Playback Sync
DeerReader sends listening progress to DeerReader Server, and the server keeps the canonical playback position for each profile.
Setting Up Sync
How Sync Behaves
- Position is synced when you pause playback
- Position is synced when the app enters the background
- Scrubs and seek changes are queued as durable sync events
- Periodic sync happens during long listening sessions
- If the server is unreachable, updates are queued and sent when connectivity returns
Viewing Playback State on Mac
In DeerReader Server, select a profile and review its playback state to see each book's last-known position, duration, and finished status.
Conflict Resolution
- A book marked finished on any connected device takes priority.
- Small rewind differences are tolerated and the more recent position wins.
- Large stale rewinds are rejected to avoid accidentally losing progress.
Sharing
Share what you're listening to with a beautiful, auto-generated card.
From inside the player, tap the Share button in the top right. DeerReader generates a square image featuring:
- The book's cover art
- A progress ring showing how far through the book you are
- Time elapsed and time remaining
- The current chapter title
- A color background derived from the cover art
- A subtle "Created with DeerReader" footer
The standard share sheet opens so you can send the image to Messages, social media, email, or anywhere else.
Widgets
Add DeerReader widgets to your Home Screen or Lock Screen to check your listening progress and jump back in with one tap.
To add a widget, long-press your Home Screen → tap + → search for DeerReader → choose a size.
CarPlay
DeerReader has a dedicated CarPlay interface for safe, distraction-free listening on the road.
- Browse your full library from the car display
- Quick-access list of Recently Played and Unfinished books
- If a book is already loaded, a Now Playing shortcut appears at the top for instant resume
- Full playback controls: play, pause, skip, chapter navigation
- Works with both wired and wireless CarPlay
DeerReader Settings Reference
Device-side settings for the listening app.
Playback
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Skip Length | Choose how many seconds the skip forward and skip back buttons move: 5, 10, 15, 30, or 60 seconds. | 30 s |
| Scrub per Chapter | Uses the current chapter as the scrubbing range so the progress control moves within that chapter instead of the full book. | On |
Display
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Display Book Progress with Artwork | Shows book progress together with cover artwork in supported app views. | On |
Search
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Search Libraries in Search Tab | Includes results from connected DeerReader Server libraries in the Search tab. | On |
Support and Help
| Item | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Support Us | Opens subscription options. DeerReader is free with every feature included; subscribing removes hourly support messages. | Optional |
| User Manual | Opens this manual. | Manual action |
| Send us Feedback | Opens a feedback message so you can contact the DeerReader developer. | Manual action |
Server Settings Reference
Mac-side settings for the library manager and local network server.
General
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Start on Login | Launches DeerReader Server automatically when you sign in to the Mac. | On |
| Open Window on Launch | Opens the main library window when the server starts instead of staying in the menu bar. | On |
Books
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Books Folder | The folder DeerReader Server reads from and writes to. | Required on first launch |
| Open in Finder | Opens the current Books Folder in Finder. | Manual action |
| Change Books Folder | Selects a different folder for the server library. | Manual action |
| Sync Library with Files | Scans the Books Folder and reconciles the server database with the files on disk. | Manual action |
| Cleanup | Shows how many inactive books are in the library. Use Show Inactive Books to review records whose files are missing, then Forget Inactive Books to remove those stale records. | 0 inactive |
| Select Metadata Quality | Controls which metadata fields are required before a book is considered complete. | Title and Author |
Local Network Sharing
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Local Network Sharing | Starts or stops the HTTP server that DeerReader connects to. | Off |
| Sharing Port | The fixed port DeerReader Server uses for local network access. | 63337 |
| Sharing Status URL | Shows the server's current local network address. Use Copy if you need the address for troubleshooting. | Generated when sharing is on |
| Network Log | Opens recent local network sharing activity and connection details for troubleshooting. | Manual action |
Help
| Item | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Support Us | Opens subscription options for supporting DeerReader development. | Optional |
| Open User Manual | Opens this manual. | Manual action |
Library Maintenance
Use these server tools when the Mac library needs to be reconciled, moved, or cleaned up.
Metadata Quality
Configure required fields in Settings → Metadata → Select Metadata Quality. Books missing required fields show a warning badge. Use the Low Quality Metadata sort option to bring those books to the top while you clean up your library.
Rebuilding the Library
If books are missing, stale, duplicated, or out of sync with Finder, run Settings → Books → Sync Library with Files. The server scans the books folder and reconciles the database with the files on disk.
Inactive Books
If a .m4b file is deleted outside DeerReader Server, the old database record can remain as an inactive book. Use Show Inactive Books to review stale records, then Forget Inactive Books to remove them.
Changing the Library Folder
Keyboard Shortcuts
Useful shortcuts in DeerReader Server for Mac.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Command A | Select all books in the current view |
| Command , | Open Settings |
| Delete | Delete selected book or books after confirmation |
| Space | Play or pause the in-app preview player when book detail is focused |
| Escape | Cancel pending metadata edits |
Fix Sync or Connection Issues
Start here when DeerReader cannot see the Mac server, downloads do not start, or playback position looks wrong.
DeerReader Cannot Connect to the Mac Library
- Confirm Local Network Sharing is enabled in DeerReader Server Settings.
- Make sure the Mac and DeerReader device are on the same Wi-Fi network.
- Tap the refresh button in DeerReader's Libraries tab if the server list is empty or stale.
- Check firewall, VPN, or security software that might block port
63337. - Make sure the Mac is awake and DeerReader Server is still running.
The Wrong Profile Appears
- Confirm the profile name in DeerReader's Libraries tab is the listener name you expect.
- Tap the refresh button in Libraries if the server list is showing stale information.
- Reconnect from the Libraries tab so DeerReader resolves the current profile name with the server.
A Book Added on Mac Is Missing
- Confirm the file has a .m4b extension.
- Check the Import Queue or alerts for validation errors.
- Run Settings → Books → Sync Library with Files to force a fresh scan.
Metadata Changes Are Not Saving
- Make sure you clicked Save in the detail panel.
- Check that the .m4b file is not open in another app.
- Confirm the library folder is still accessible and has not been moved, renamed, or disconnected.
The Library Folder Needs Authorization Again
This can happen when the folder was moved, renamed, deleted, or when macOS revoked sandbox access. Open Settings → Books → Change Books Folder and select the correct location to restore access.
Playback Position Looks Wrong
- Make sure DeerReader was connected to DeerReader Server during the last listening session.
- Check the profile's recorded playback state in DeerReader Server.
- If two devices listened before syncing, the conflict rules in Playback Sync decide which position wins.