The web player no longer downloads the books you play on its own

From server 2.5.1, the web player streams the book you play and stops there. Download automatically now starts at Never in the web player. The iPhone, iPad and Android apps are unchanged.

Why it changed

Before, starting a book in a browser also downloaded all of it, alongside the stream. The default was On Wi-Fi, the same as the apps.

A phone knows whether it’s on Wi-Fi. A browser can’t tell, so On Wi-Fi meant every connection. For one LibriVox book we tried, pressing play downloaded 190 MB while you listened to chapter one. On a tethered laptop or a slow line, that’s data you didn’t ask to spend.

Streaming needs none of it. The book plays from your server, and your place is saved the same way.

What happens to your setting

Your setting before	After 2.5.1
On Wi-Fi (the old default)	Switched to Never, once
Always	Stays Always
On Wi-Fi with Keep the next books ready at 1, 2 or 3	Stays On Wi-Fi
The apps	Unchanged: they still start at On Wi-Fi

Settings are per device, so each browser makes this change the first time it opens the 2.5.1 web player.

Turning automatic downloads back on

1. Open the Downloads page.
2. Under Automatic downloads, choose On Wi-Fi or Always.

The same setting is in Settings > Up next and downloads. In a browser both choices download on any connection, and the card says so.

Good to know

• You can still download one book by hand with the download button on its page.
• Downloads in a browser need a secure (https://) connection to your server.
• Downloads are also lighter on the browser now: only the progress ring and the size redraw as a download runs.

The docs have the details: Automatic downloads, Downloads in a web browser and Up next and downloads.