To change how far the rewind and fast forward buttons skip in Audible on iPhone, open the Audible app, tap Profile, tap the Settings gear, and tap Player. Then pick a new time for Jump Forward and Jump Back. Both start at 30 seconds.
These steps cover the current Audible app for iPhone and iPad on iOS 26 and iOS 27. The Audible app for Android uses the same menus. The setting lives inside Audible, not in the iPhone’s Settings app, so it doesn’t change Apple Books or Apple Podcasts. Audible’s own app listening guide confirms both routes to the player settings below.
Before You Start
- Update the Audible app if it’s been a while. Player settings are only in the iPhone and Android apps, not on the Audible website.
- Know the label your version uses. Current versions list Jump Forward and Jump Back separately. Some versions show one row called Skip forward and back instead, which opens a single window with both values and a Set button. The steps below cover both.
- Nothing else changes. The interval only controls how far one tap moves you. Your downloads, bookmarks, and listening position stay as they are.
Change the Skip Intervals From Your Profile
- Open the Audible app.
- Tap Profile in the menu bar at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap the Settings gear icon at the top of the Profile screen. A list of app settings opens.
- Tap Player. This page holds Audible’s playback preferences, such as the progress bar, timer, and skip intervals.
- Tap Jump Forward. A list of times appears.
- Tap how many seconds the fast forward button should skip. Audible offers preset times from 10 to 90 seconds.
- Tap Jump Back and choose how many seconds the rewind button should skip.
- If your app shows Skip forward and back instead, tap it, choose a forward time and a back time in the window that opens, and tap Set.
- Go back to your book. The skip buttons on either side of the Play button now show the new numbers.
You pick from a preset list, and you can’t type a custom number of seconds.
Change the Skip Intervals While You Listen
If a book is already playing, you don’t need to leave it.
- Open the full player. If you only see the small playback bar at the bottom of the screen, tap it to expand the player.
- Tap the More menu (three dots) at the top of the player.
- Tap Player settings. The same Player page from the Profile route opens.
- Change Jump Forward and Jump Back (or Skip forward and back), then close the menu to return to your book.
Check That the Change Worked
Look at the skip buttons in the full player. The number inside each circular arrow matches the interval you chose. For a quick test, pause in the middle of a chapter, note the elapsed time, and tap the forward button once. If you chose 15 seconds, the time should move from 5:00 to 5:15.
Test away from the start or end of a chapter, because a skip can stop at the chapter boundary.
To undo the change, repeat the steps and pick 30 seconds for both directions, which is Audible’s default.
Which Interval Should You Pick?
| Listening habit | Rewind | Fast forward |
|---|---|---|
| You miss a name or a single sentence | 10 or 15 seconds | 30 seconds |
| You drift off and lose a whole paragraph | 30 or 60 seconds | 30 seconds |
| Fiction, where a big jump can skip a plot detail | 15 seconds | 15 or 30 seconds |
| Nonfiction or courses with long intros you already know | 15 or 30 seconds | 60 or 90 seconds |
You can set the two directions differently, and many listeners keep a short rewind and a longer fast forward. If you’re using the buttons while walking or exercising, a longer interval means fewer taps on a screen you can’t look at closely.
If you also listen to podcasts at bedtime, here is how to set a sleep timer in Apple Podcasts on iPhone.
To move to a whole new section instead of seconds at a time, use the Chapters button in the player and pick a chapter from the list. Audible explains it in its chapter navigation help.
Other Player Settings on the Same Page
The Player page has a few related options worth knowing while you’re there:
- Progress bar can show your place in the current chapter or in the whole title. Chapter view makes a 15-second skip easier to see on the bar.
- Player customization lets you choose which shortcuts sit along the bottom of the player, such as the sleep timer or bookmarks.
- Automatic Car Mode switches Audible to its simpler driving screen when the iPhone connects to your car.
- Shake to extend adds time to a running sleep timer when you shake the phone.
Narration speed is a separate control. Tap the speed button (for example 1.0x) in the player to change it.
Lock Screen, Headphones, and Car Controls
The iPhone Lock Screen and Control Center also show skip buttons while Audible plays. Check the number on them after a change. Headphone and car controls depend on the device. Some send a skip command, while others send a “next track” command, which can jump to the next chapter instead of a few seconds.
Audible’s Car Mode shows larger, simpler buttons for use while driving, including a large rewind button. Change your intervals while parked, before you start the trip, and check what the rewind button shows in Car Mode.
Apple Books and Podcasts Have Their Own Setting
If you also listen in Apple’s apps, their skip times are set in the iPhone’s Settings app, not in Audible. For audiobooks bought from Apple, go to Settings > Apps > Books and change Skip Forward and Skip Back. For more on the Books player, read about buying an audiobook on iPhone.
Troubleshooting
- There’s no Player option in Settings. Update Audible. Open the App Store, tap your account photo at the top right, tap App Updates, and tap Update next to Audible. Apple explains this in how to update apps on iPhone.
- The More menu doesn’t show Player settings. Make sure you’re in the full player, not the Library or the small playback bar. The Profile route above always works.
- The buttons still skip 30 seconds. Close the player and open the book again. If that doesn’t help, force close Audible by swiping up from the bottom of the screen, pausing, and swiping the Audible card up, then reopen it.
- A skip jumps to the next chapter. You’re probably using a headphone or car control that sends a “next track” command. Use the on-screen buttons, or check your headphone settings.
- Your iPad or Android phone still uses the old interval. Each device keeps its own player settings. Repeat the steps in the Audible app on each one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the default skip interval in Audible?
Audible skips 30 seconds forward and 30 seconds back until you change it.
Can I set a custom number of seconds?
No. You pick from the preset times Audible offers, which run from 10 to 90 seconds.
Can the rewind and fast forward times be different?
Yes. Jump Forward and Jump Back are separate settings, so you can use a short rewind with a longer fast forward.
Does changing the interval change the playback speed?
No. The skip interval only changes how far one tap moves you. Narration speed is the separate speed button (for example 1.0x) in the player.
Will this delete my downloaded book or my place in it?
No. Changing the interval doesn’t touch your downloads or your listening position. To free up storage, you can remove downloaded Audible books from iPhone and check how big Audible files are on an iPhone.
Matthew Burleigh is the founder, head writer, and editor of Solve Your Tech, which he launched in 2012. He has written technology tutorials since 2008 and worked in IT since 2003, including small-business support, IT management, and consulting. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Matthew writes practical guides for Windows, iPhone and iPad, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Google apps, and Android. Solve Your Tech’s guides are checked step by step against the device or app maker’s own documentation and tested on his own devices whenever he has the hardware or software, with clear steps, sources, and update dates.
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