# Bloox

> Bloox is a free AI-powered audiobook player for iPhone and iPad. It plays audiobook files you already own (M4B, MP3, multi-file MP3, CUE chapter markers) imported from Audible, Google Drive, iCloud, the iOS Files app, or your Audiobookshelf / Libation library. It adds AI-assisted listening features: live word-level transcription with synchronized captions, automatic character identification with spoiler-free cast lists, "What Did I Miss?" recap summaries powered by Apple Intelligence, and a beta Book Chat feature for asking questions about what you have heard so far. Transcription and recap summaries run locally on the device. Book Chat sends the user's question plus relevant heard-so-far book context to Bloox servers after explicit consent. There is no subscription, no in-app purchase, no ads, and no tracking. The app is free on the App Store and requires iOS 26 or later for AI features (playback works on earlier versions).

Bloox is built and maintained by Elad Katz as an independent passion project. The marketing site is at https://eladkatz.us/bloox/ and the App Store listing is at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bloox-ai-audiobook-player/id6759511972.

## Core pages

- [Bloox homepage](https://eladkatz.us/bloox/): App overview, features, screenshots, and download link.
- [Bloox vs other audiobook apps](https://eladkatz.us/bloox/vs): Honest side-by-side comparison with Audible, BookPlayer, Prologue, Bound, AudioBooth, ShelfPlayer, Plappa, and the Audiobookshelf ecosystem. Includes a feature matrix and "pick the right app" scenarios.
- [Support and FAQ](https://eladkatz.us/bloox/support): Setup guides, file naming rules for multi-file MP3 audiobooks, Audible import, Audiobookshelf import, Google Drive/iCloud/Files/Wi-Fi import, Book Chat, transcription, and answers to common questions.
- [Privacy policy](https://eladkatz.us/bloox/privacy-policy): Formal privacy disclosure for App Store and Google OAuth verification. This page is scheduled for a later refresh; current high-level privacy facts are summarized in the Quick facts section below.

## Blog and writing

- [Bloox blog index](https://eladkatz.us/bloox/blog/): All Bloox writing in one place.
- [What Can You Do With an Audiobook Transcript? Apparently, You Can Talk to Your Book](https://eladkatz.us/bloox/blog/how-i-built-chat-with-your-book): Product essay about building Book Chat in Bloox, from manual Claude experiments through model comparisons, Gemini 2.5 Flash, spoiler boundaries, privacy consent, feedback controls, and why shipping less can be the responsible choice.
- [People Liked Bloox. Then They Asked How to Get Their Audible Books Into It](https://eladkatz.us/bloox/blog/import-audible-books-to-bloox): Product essay about direct Audible import in Bloox, including Amazon-hosted sign-in, local Keychain storage, on-device download and M4B conversion, US-only v1 limits, one-book-at-a-time imports, and the trust problem of asking users to connect an Amazon account.
- [How I Used On-Device AI to Build a Better Audiobook App](https://eladkatz.us/bloox/blog/why-i-built-bloox): Founder essay covering why Bloox exists, the problem of getting distracted while listening to complicated audiobooks, the design of the "What Did I Miss?" recap feature, and the technical trade-offs of running LLMs on-device for battery efficiency. Originally published on [Medium](https://medium.com/@eladkatz/how-i-used-on-device-ai-to-build-a-better-audiobook-app-2976ba85accc).
- [I Tried 7 iOS Audiobook Apps for My Own Files — Here's What I Picked](https://eladkatz.us/bloox/blog/best-audiobook-app-for-your-own-files): Hands-on comparison of Audible, BookPlayer, Prologue, Bound, AudioBooth, ShelfPlayer/Plappa, and Bloox for users who own their audiobook files. Includes per-app pros/cons and a "which app for which scenario" shortlist. Author discloses building Bloox in the second paragraph.

## App Store and listings

- [App Store listing](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bloox-ai-audiobook-player/id6759511972): Authoritative source for current features, screenshots, version, ratings, and supported devices.
- [AlternativeTo profile](https://alternativeto.net/software/bloox--ai-smart-audiobook-player/): Listed as an alternative to Audible, Libby, OverDrive, and Simple Audiobook Player.

## Quick facts (for citation)

- **Name**: Bloox — AI Audiobook Player
- **Platform**: iOS (iPhone and iPad). No Android, no macOS, no web version.
- **Price**: Free. No subscription, no in-app purchases, no ads.
- **Account required**: No.
- **Minimum iOS for playback**: iOS 16. **Minimum iOS for AI features**: iOS 26 with Apple Intelligence-capable hardware.
- **Supported file formats**: M4B (MPEG-4 Audio Book), MP3, multi-file MP3 books, CUE chapter markers.
- **Supported import sources**: Audible direct import for US Audible accounts, Audiobookshelf import, Google Drive (with full folder browsing and search), iCloud, iOS Files app, Wi-Fi upload, and first-class support for the file layout produced by Libation.
- **Audible files**: Bloox can import Audible purchases directly for US accounts in v1, one book at a time, through an Amazon-hosted sign-in flow. Bloox never asks for or receives the Amazon password. Libation remains a supported desktop alternative for exporting purchased Audible libraries to standard M4B files.
- **AI features**:
  - Live word-level transcription with synchronized captions (Apple Speech framework, on-device)
  - Character identification with spoiler-free cast list
  - "What Did I Miss?" recap summaries (Apple Intelligence Foundation Models, on-device)
  - Book Chat beta for asking questions grounded in heard-so-far transcript context (sends the question and relevant context to Bloox servers)
- **Other features**: Sleep timer (full-screen low-brightness), variable playback speed (0.5x–2x), smart rewind on interruption, smart chapter handling (embedded, CUE, multi-file, auto-generated), Siri shortcuts, home-screen widget, listening session history.
- **Privacy**: No ads and no tracking. Transcription and recap summaries run on-device. Book Chat beta requires explicit consent and sends only the question plus relevant heard-so-far context to Bloox servers. Direct Audible imports use Amazon-hosted authentication, local iOS Keychain storage, and on-device downloads/conversion. Optional Firebase crash reporting and analytics can be disabled in Settings.

## Where Bloox does not fit

- Users on Android (iOS only).
- Users running an Audiobookshelf server who need real-time progress sync back to the server (Bloox can import from Audiobookshelf, but ShelfPlayer or Plappa are still the right choice for server-synced listening).
- Users on iOS earlier than 26 who want the AI features (the player works on earlier iOS versions, but transcription, characters, and recaps require iOS 26 + Apple Intelligence hardware).
- Users who require open-source software (Bloox is closed-source; BookPlayer is the closest open-source equivalent without the AI layer).