Mp3s set as “Audiobook” have stopped showing up in iBooks

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For a while now I've been importing mp3s, setting them as "Audiobook" and listening to them via iBooks, like normal. However, for some unknown reason a few weeks ago, this stopped happening: Even though they show up in "Audiobooks" on iTunes, they WILL NOT show up in iBooks anymore—they still appear in the Music app, like a regular mp3. Nothing I have tried will force it to show up in iBooks again.

Edit, to clarify: The problem is that I add an MP3 audiobook to my iPhone via iTunes in the normal matter, but it shows up in "Music" and NOT "iBooks" EVEN THOUGH I set the file type as "Audiobook." iTunes—on multiple computers!—correctly shows the audiobook, but not on the phone. Furthermore, I deleted an old audiobook on the phone yet iBooks STILL shows it!

This is on iOS 10.3.3, iTunes 12.7.1.14, and reconfirmed on iOS 11.2.2, iTunes 12.7.2.58.

Best Answer

If I am understanding you correctly, you have MP3s which are audiobooks which exist in iTunes on a desktop/laptop and you want them to sync to a mobile device and be automatically available in iBooks the way they used to be, is that right?

Apple recently changed the way audiobooks sync between iBooks and iTunes. This support document lets you know how you can sync these files using iCloud which seems to be the way they are encouraging people to do this sort of thing now. In short

  • iBooks must be turned on in iCloud settings on your Mac and your device
  • in iBook's general preferences you have to makes sure "Sync bookmarks, highlights and collections across devices" is checked
  • Make sure you don't have "Hide iCloud Books" selected from within whatever Collection you are viewing in iBooks

And then when you sync you should see these files as "downloadable from the cloud" (i.e. with the little cloud icon next to them) and then you can tap to download.

I think this is sort of a nutty workaround for what used to just work but seems to be how Apple is trying to get people to do what you are tying to do here.

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