feature requests - a few design tweaks, additional features

[cupanoodle]

I have a few suggestions for changes I would like to see. If you happen to agree with any of the below let me know and I can make separate issues if you want.

• New feature: Mono audio toggle in the audio enhancements menu. This if a niche thing that would be handy for me, but is not 100% necessary as android has a system wide mono toggle in the developer options. Sometimes I listen with one headphone and the audio content is recorded in stereo.
• New feature: Show book status in the home tab. Currently it does not label 'done' or progress on books in the home tab, which are shown in the library tab.
• New feature: Allow an option to pick which controls show up for a book in the "absorbing" cards. There are four controls currently and the remainder are under the 'more' menu, two of which (book details and playback history) I personally use much more often than playback speed and bookmark. Again something useful to me, but I may be in the minority on this. already implemented.
• Change: Several places in the UI the terms 'absorb', 'done', 'complete' are used interchangeably. They should ideally be more consistent. Personally I like 'done', 'complete', or 'finished' but I'd understand picking 'absorb' as you seem to like the word.
• Change: The current and total times for book and chapter text in the "absorbing" card can have very low contrast with the background depending on the cover art. This is a mild annoyance and only really a problem when using low screen brightness.
• Change: The "Absorb" button text in book details can have low constrast with the button background when it shows "Absorbing..." as you are absorbing a book. Maybe add a text outline or semi transparent background to the text in a more contrasting color. Since the background color can be a variable these would probably be the best options.
• New feature: Option to auto Downdload n-chapters or the whole book after starting listening to new book. This may be redundant with your options to auto download n books in the Absorbing queue.
• New feature: Option to ignore audio focus so the book can continue playing while on hold or listening to music in another app. Another niche feature, but I enjoy being able to listen to an audiobook while waiting on hold in a call.
• Fix: Improve battery use, app usage for every audiobookshelf client I've tried has been atrocious. Seriously the app uses more battery playing audio with the screen off than watching a movie with the screen on. Since this seems to happen only with audiobookshelf clients it may be a server side issue or something specific to me. That said, the fade animation when switching tabs is a bit slow for my taste and speeding up animations can help battery use, right?

Feel free to ignore any or all of my suggestions. Just thought I'd mention them since this is my favorite client so far.

[pounat]

Thanks you for all the suggestions! I'll think about each of them and let you know what gets implemented.

If you are up to date with the GitHub versions, you can already re arrange the buttons on the absorbing card. Just press the more button and there's an edit icon in the top right.

And the auto download, not sure if it's exactly what you're thinking, but you can turn on auto download per series in the series sheet. It will auto download the next n books you have set in the settings. Finish one and it rolls to download the next in line.

Thanks again!

[cupanoodle]

Ah, I missed the feature rearranging feature. It's exactly what I had in mind.

As for the auto-download, I know about the options to download books in queue or in a series, these are useful features. What I had in mind was an option to have a book auto download once you start playing it, assuming you don't already have it downloaded. For example, the option might allow you to automatically download x number of chapters ahead of where you are or the whole book, and the trigger for this download would simply be you hitting absorb on a book. Then the book would simply stream until the next time you pause and resume playback which would then resume from the local copy.

[pounat]

Here's what's coming in the next release:

Implemented:

• Mono audio toggle - Added to the Audio Enhancements sheet under Effects. Persists across sessions.
• Book status on home tab - Home screen cards now show progress bars, "Done" and "Saved" badges (matching the library grid style).
• Time text contrast on absorbing card - Added text shadows to chapter and book time labels so they're readable against any cover art.
• Absorbing button contrast - The "Absorbing..." button now keeps its primary color instead of going to the muted disabled style.

Let me know how these work for you once the update is out!