SoundLeaf on iPad and Mac: Audiobookshelf on a bigger screen

SoundLeaf works on iPad, and on a Mac with Apple silicon it runs as the iPad app. It’s the same app as on iPhone, with the same library, player and ebook reader. Downloads are kept on each device, so download books again on the iPad or Mac. One purchase of Pro covers all of them.

On a Mac, install it from the Mac App Store. It’s the iPad version, so it looks and behaves like SoundLeaf on an iPad, in a window.

Sign in to your Audiobookshelf server on the iPad or Mac the same way you did on your iPhone. Your listening progress then syncs through the server as usual (see how progress syncs), and Restore Purchases brings Pro or Supporter across. Use the same Apple Account you bought with.

What is different on iPad?

• Settings fit the screen. Settings pages keep their rows to a readable width instead of stretching across the whole display.
• Landscape works everywhere. The iPad turns any way up, upside down included, and the player lays itself out for landscape.
• Bigger panels. The reader’s appearance options and the player’s lists open in a larger panel.
• Guided setup spreads out. The first-run setup puts things side by side, like the listening goals.

How do I show two ebook pages side by side?

The ebook reader can show two pages side by side, like an open book. Open a book, show the controls, and open the appearance options. Under Page, Page layout has three choices:

• Automatic: two pages in landscape when the text fits.
• One Page: one page in any orientation.
• Two Pages: two pages when the text fits, including in portrait.

Page layout needs horizontal page turns. With Scroll set to Vertical, the reader says “Use horizontal scrolling to choose a page layout.”

On iPhone the screen is too narrow for two pages, so this option is not shown there.

Can I turn ebook pages with a keyboard?

Yes. With a keyboard connected to an iPad, or on a Mac, the left and right arrow keys turn the page back and forward. This works in horizontal page mode, when you are not selecting text.

What isn’t on iPad or Mac?

Some things need an iPhone, so SoundLeaf leaves them out instead of showing settings that can’t do anything.

• Apple Watch. An iPad or Mac can’t pair a watch, so there’s no Watch row in Settings. Use your iPhone for the Apple Watch app.
• CarPlay. CarPlay runs from an iPhone only, so its settings row isn’t there either. See CarPlay.
• NFC tags. iPads and Macs can’t read NFC tags. You can still create and share QR codes in Settings > NFC & QR.

How do I match light and dark mode on iPad or Mac?

The theme setting follows the device it’s running on. On iPad it reads Match iPad appearance, and on a Mac Match Mac appearance, so you can pick one theme for light mode and another for dark mode. See themes, fonts and app icons.