Whirr — Support

Last updated: 8 November 2026

Whirr is an iOS client for Audiobookshelf. It plays audiobooks and podcasts and reads EPUBs from a server you run yourself.

What you need

• An Audiobookshelf server you can reach from your device. Whirr does not provide one, and there is no Whirr account to create.
• iOS 26 or later, on iPhone or iPad.

Getting started

Open Whirr, enter your server's address, and sign in with your Audiobookshelf username and password. Your library appears once the first sync finishes.

Common problems

The app can't reach my server

Check the address in a browser on the same device first. If it doesn't load there, it's a network or server problem rather than a Whirr problem. Most often it's one of:

• You're away from home. A server on your home network isn't reachable from outside it unless you've set up remote access — a VPN such as Tailscale or WireGuard is the usual approach.
• Wrong port. Audiobookshelf commonly runs on :13378. Include it if your server needs it.
• Scheme. Whirr defaults to https://. If your server only serves plain HTTP, you must type http:// deliberately.

My server uses plain HTTP

That's supported, and Whirr shows a short note when the configured address is plain HTTP. Be aware that on that route your login token and media travel unencrypted, so the protection is the network itself — a trusted LAN or a VPN tunnel. If you want encryption and your server is on a tailnet, Tailscale can issue a real certificate for your *.ts.net hostname.

I was signed out unexpectedly

If your session expires or your server rejects the token, Whirr asks you to sign in again but does not delete anything. Completed downloads stay playable and your local progress is kept. Signing back in as the same user on the same server restores normal operation.

Downloads aren't starting or finishing

• Check whether downloads over cellular are enabled in Settings.
• Check your storage limit in Settings — Whirr honours a ceiling you set.
• Large downloads continue in the background, but iOS decides when to run them. Opening the app brings them forward.

Playback stops when I lock the screen

Whirr plays in the background and supports the lock screen and CarPlay-style remote controls. If playback stops, confirm Whirr isn't restricted in Settings ▸ General ▸ Background App Refresh.

An EPUB won't open

Whirr reads unencrypted EPUBs. DRM-protected books are not supported. Whirr also refuses files that expand far beyond a reasonable size, which protects your device against malformed archives.

Privacy

Whirr collects nothing about you and has no server of its own. See the privacy policy.

Contact

Bug reports, questions, and feature requests: support@whirrapp.uk

It helps to include your device model, iOS version, the Whirr version from Settings, and what you expected to happen. Please don't include your server address, username, or password.