# BARD Mobile

> Digital library access for visually impaired and print-disabled individuals. (iPhone/iPad app by Library Of Congress.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bard-mobile/id705229586 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Library Of Congress](https://appshunter.io/developer/380309748)
- Category: Books, Entertainment
- Price: Free
- Rating: 3.83/5 from 187 App Store ratings · 121 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 14.0 · 22 MB
- Languages: English, Spanish
- Released: 2013-09-19
- Data updated: 2026-08-17
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bard-mobile/id705229586/reviews.md

## What is BARD Mobile?

CARRY A LIBRARY IN YOUR POCKET

Access tens of thousands of books—from current best sellers to much-loved classics, popular magazines, and music instruction and scores—in audio and electronic braille, with new selections added daily. 


WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

BARD Mobile is a service of NLS. NLS provides free audio and braille reading materials to residents of the US and American citizens living abroad who cannot read regular print. If you are blind or have temporary or permanent low vision or a physical or reading disability that prevents you from holding or reading the printed page, you may be eligible for this program. For more information, visit https://www.loc.gov/nls/about/eligibility-for-nls-services. 


HOW DO I GET STARTED?

This app allows access for eligible users who have enrolled in the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) at the Library of Congress. To enroll, call 1-888-NLS-READ (1-888-657-7323) and follow the prompts to find your state. Or to learn more at https://www.loc.gov/thatallmayread.

If you are already an NLS patron, contact your cooperating NLS library to request a BARD account. You can find your library by visiting https://www.loc.gov/nls/find-a-local-library/.


SUPPORT

For support and help with BARD account issues, or to report bugs, email NLSDownload@loc.gov. 
For FAQ, visit https://www.loc.gov/nls/braille-audio-reading-materials/bard-access/nls-bard-frequently-asked-questions/. 
For the User Guides: https://www.loc.gov/nls/braille-audio-reading-materials/bard-access/bard-mobile-ios-version/

## Key features

- Tens of thousands of books
- Current best sellers and classics
- Popular magazines
- Music instruction and scores
- Audio and electronic braille formats
- New selections added daily

## What do users think of BARD Mobile?

Overall sentiment: mixed

**Pros**

- 📚 Massive library of audiobooks and magazines
- 👍 User-friendly interface with VoiceOver support
- 🎙️ Human narrators instead of text-to-speech
- 📱 Convenient mobile access to books
- ⚡ Ability to download books offline
- 🎧 Good playback controls and chapter navigation
- 💰 Free service for eligible users
- 🔄 Generally stable app performance
- ⏱️ Sleep timer functionality
- 📖 High-quality audiobook narration

**Cons**

- 🐛 Frequent login and authentication failures
- 🐛 Download queue issues and stalled downloads
- 🐛 App crashes and freezes
- 📵 Poor braille display compatibility
- 🔌 Inconsistent VoiceOver and accessibility support
- ⚠️ Lack of metadata display (genre, narrator, publication year)
- ⚠️ No cross-device synchronization
- ⚠️ Removed website access from app
- ⚠️ iOS compatibility issues with recent updates
- ⚠️ Search functionality limitations
- 🔋 Screen stays on, draining battery
- ⚠️ Playback interruptions from notifications
- ⚠️ Wireless headset control issues
- ⚠️ Limited speed and tone adjustment options
- ⚠️ Account suspension errors

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Login credentials cannot be decrypted error
- Device registration failed when logging in from different locations
- Downloads stuck in queue indefinitely
- App crashes on iOS 26 and recent iOS versions
- VoiceOver focus jumping unexpectedly
- Braille books display gibberish or won't advance properly
- Search results disappear when switching apps or receiving calls
- Playback stops when screen turns off
- Wireless headset stop button not responding
- Sleep timer not working correctly
- Books not syncing across multiple devices
- Account marked as suspended without reason
- Password reset functionality broken
- Airplay 2 compatibility issues
- Siri commands inconsistent
- Playback lag and stuttering
- Books fail to extract after download
- Recent downloads cannot be cleared
- Braille display connection issues
- Tone adjustment button not functioning

**Most requested features**

- Genre and category filtering for book browsing
- Cross-device synchronization of bookmarks and reading position
- Equalizer and pitch shifter controls
- More playback speed options
- Volume control within the app
- Rewind/fast-forward button customization
- Favorites list feature
- Book request/suggestion feature
- Web browser access within the app
- Braille text display alongside audio
- Dark mode for reduced brightness
- Table of contents for short story collections
- Customizable reading lists
- Ability to cleanup recent downloads
- USB flash drive support for storage
- Better book series organization
- Faster book addition to library
- Book sharing feature between patrons

## Recent user reviews (10 of 121)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bard-mobile/id705229586/reviews.md

### 4/5 — Great app, but needs better book organization

*2026-06-06*

Hello all, I love how far this app has come. I remember it when it looked like a website but now it looks really cool and neatly laid out. I do have one problem with it, though; I wish you could organize your library into folders, and then I wish you could put the books one downloads into said folders. I also wish the books would stay in the order that they were downloaded in. For example, book one of the Harry Potter series, and then book 2 of the Harry Potter series; However, that does not happen. Once I download a book, it throws it in some random order so for example, the first Harry Potter book would be there, and then the first Lord of the rings book, and finally the second Harry Potter book. It is rather annoying to have to swipe through an unorganized library. That is why I request folders and for the ability for the books to stay in the order of the book series.

### 3/5 — Keeps crashing since last IOS update

*2026-04-30, version 2.2.5*

Titlle

### 4/5 — Need more book info

*2026-03-19*

An older version of Bard used to show the genre and narrator on new books added and on searches. Now we see the title and author. I want to be able to see and search by genre and narrator. It’s very frustrating to wade through hundreds or thousands of titles hoping to find something suitable. Remember, we can’t see well. Please consider adding back genre and narrator. Publication year would be nice too. Surely this info is already part of the metadata, and it would make the app much more useful and user friendly.

### 5/5 — More updates for the app and the DA two player

*2026-02-21, version 2.2.5*

I have a question about this is there any possible way that when you update the app you can fix a search problem for like when you search for a book you want and as you’re going through the list of books after you click search as your swipe in your finger through all of the books if you get it, incoming phone call and then when you hang up, is it possible to fix it to where it can stay where you left off instead of having to research all over again because when you get an incoming phone call, it seems like it just goes back to the main search page and you lost all your listing of books that you can swipe through after searching now about the DA two player, I love it a lot. I really do. I love the fact that you can download books from the site. or still use cartridges but I was wondering if it’s possible if another software for the machine will be released maybe another new update keep up the good work, I enjoy it a lot if it’s possible, even if it’s not, that’s no big deal. I still love it but if it’s possible within the next software release update if there would be like a feature that were, we can actually create an ad to favorites list. I know you have the bookshelf button on the player and that’s good too but what I’m getting at is like when you get so many books inside the player if there’s a way that you can actually favor a book like maybe hold one of the buttons down to enter favorites list or something like that I know it’s gonna take time but I’m just making a suggestion for a new feature and I don’t know how to contact and make a suggestions directly on the web so I’m actually putting this in my review here on the App Store and since we already have a bookshelf button on the DA two player, I was suggesting maybe the place stop button having a new feature like how you hold it in to enter the book bookshelf that way, cause there’s two different ways to enter the bookshelf, but if it would be possible and then after you get it all figured out maybe put that little section inside your user‘s God because we have a regular bookshelf button so it would be neat to actually take and hold down on the plane and stop button and it’ll enter like some kind of maybe favorites list you can go through your favorite books without scrolling through them all I meant to say play stop button sorry for the misspelling or whatever I’m using dictation so NLS thank you I really appreciate you guys, but if it is kind of possible, that would be a real neat feature because like I was saying, we do have the bookshelf button on the player so if you can change the play stop button into like some kind of favorites. We would all have to figure that out and I don’t know how you guys would put that effort into it, but that would be a great neat little feature. Thank you guys. I mean, I get it you give us two different ways to enter the bookshelf. One is to hit the bookshelf button directly. The other is to hold down on place stop but I would suggest you maybe take place stop and hold it down to go through your favorites list had the voice prompt say entering flavors list and then you use your right left arrow to scroll through your favorite books and click click play on the book that you want or when you hit the bookshelf button as your list of books come up and it tells you the name of that book have it come on after it’s done telling you the name of the book and how long it is and everything have it come on and say add to favorites list hit info to confirm or any other key to cancel thumbs up NLS thank you guys if there’s anyway you can maybe reply to my review and say well yeah that would be possible or no. We don’t think it’d be possible but either way I still love it. I love the app. I love the book player machine, but I was just making a suggestion. Hopefully, you can read this review because that would definitely definitely be a five star feature that would be great. i’m gonna go ahead and end my review hopefully to hear from you guys soon. Thank you guys again. thank you, Library of Congress for bringing talking books and services for The Blind and visually impaired.

### 1/5 — Broken Bard

*2026-01-19, version 2.2.5*

Since the last update, Bard is impossible to navigate with SiRI and with VoiceOver. In the main catalog of the Music Library: 1. I cannot search or select for titles and download them. 2. I’m unable to retrieve previous downloads because of lag time with voiceover. And the titles are no longer in alphabetical order or chronological order by date.  3. I’m unable to work with the Bookshelf List for the same reasons. 
What happened?

### 5/5 — Book request

*2026-01-09*

Hello, I have started using the BARD Mobile app for maybe a few months now and I find it very nice but I beg of you please put in a feature to where we can suggest books to add to the app or just please add the trapped in the video game series that has the books trapped in a video game, trapped in a video game the invisible invasion trapped in a video game for robots revolt, etc. please add D0 Chronicles, which include the books 0G dragon planet and stargazer and please add the book interview with the robot because so far I’ve only been able to find these books on audible or learning ally, but I think this app is a lot better than the other others, but please add these books to the app and make a feature to where we can request books to be added to the app without having to go to the App Store where you like this please and thank you Joseph a.k.a. blind goose

### 2/5 — App Doesn’t work with braille

*2025-12-27, version 2.2.5*

I am deafblind so don’t use audio. I’m giving it two stars because I know it works better with audio files. But it does not work with braille books. I can download the books ok with a braille display, but it can’t read them. I’ve tried with multiple braille displays and settings. It shows varying levels of jibberish or it doesn’t allow you to advance (pan) to the next line without going down and hitting the line button which is just awful to have to do every 20 characters. I have asked for help and they just tell me to send back the ereader for replacement. But it is not the problem. I know this because the ereader will do fine to read bookshare books and kindle books. And I’ve tried other braille displays and it works the same. This is a BARD app problem. It has nothing to do with the ereader. But they act like I don’t know what I am doing. My partner and I own an adaptive tech company. I’m willing to look into whether I am missing something, but I don’t think its me. I think it is that they don’t have anyone who really is competent in braille on their staff to fix this. So I have to remember to download a book every (month? Six months? Year? It keeps changing) to keep the service, but am basically cut out of all the braille.Disappointing from a service FOR the blind.

### 4/5 — I love BARD Mobile, but when I go places, it won’t let me login

*2025-12-26, version 2.2.5*

I just tried to login at a different house than mine and it didn’t work. It just kept saying device registration failed and I can’t read the books that I read every night. Super annoying because at this house, I can’t watch TV because there’s no streaming services. please just send some kind of update to iOS 26.1 that stops this because this is really driving me nuts

### 1/5 — Can’t download

*2025-12-24, version 2.2.5*

I have not been able to download an audio book for a while now. It just says that it is in the que to download. I have deleted the app and reinstalled to no avail. Can’t listen to books anymore. Real bummer!

### 4/5 — Download problem

*2025-12-12*

Could y’all please fix the problem with the downloading of the books, and magazines on your app? I downloaded up to 20, and I tried to download another, and it said that you were download Q is full. Now I am waiting, and all the books that I have downloaded referring to the audiobooks, are still on the queue for download mode. No, I’m not on Wi-Fi, I’m on cellular data. I think your app has a problem, and it is taking forever for the books referring to the audiobooks to be downloaded. I wonder if this download problem is also happening with audio magazines, even though I haven’t done it. Please fix this as issue from now on. Thank you. I believe them that your app is excellent! But please fix the issue from now on. Thanks. Sorry for the mistakes in the review. The phone acts up. Sometimes.

## Frequently asked questions about BARD Mobile

### What is BARD Mobile?

BARD Mobile provides eligible users with access to a digital library of tens of thousands of books, magazines, and music scores in audio and electronic braille formats. It is a service of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS).

### Who is eligible to use BARD Mobile?

Eligibility is for residents of the US and American citizens living abroad who cannot read regular print due to blindness, temporary or permanent low vision, or a physical or reading disability. You must be enrolled in the NLS program.

### How do I get started with BARD Mobile?

To use BARD Mobile, you must first enroll in the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS). You can enroll by calling 1-888-NLS-READ or by contacting your cooperating NLS library if you are already an NLS patron. You will then need to request a BARD account.

### Is there a cost to use BARD Mobile?

No, BARD Mobile is a free service. The app itself is free to download and use, and access to the library materials is provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) at no cost to eligible users.

### What kind of content is available on BARD Mobile?

BARD Mobile offers access to a wide range of content, including current best sellers, classic literature, popular magazines, and music instruction and scores. All content is available in both audio and electronic braille formats.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.2.6 — 2026-07-03

What’s new in Version 2.2.6 (865):

iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 support
•	Fully compatible with iOS 26 and iPadOS 26
•	Also supports the two previous iOS versions
Improved searching and sorting
•	Long lists (e.g., Recently Added, Most Popular) are now fully searchable
•	Improved VoiceOver experience when searching and sorting
Bug fixes and improvements
•	Pausing and resuming downloads now works reliably
•	Wish List result count updates correctly after deleting an item
•	Deleted items no longer appear in the Wish List
•	Braille playback scrolling now works correctly on iOS 26 and iPadOS 26
VoiceOver improvements
•	VoiceOver focus now stays on Now Reading after selecting a book for playback
•	VoiceOver focus remains in place when selecting “Expand Annotation”
Technical enhancements
•	Implemented Offline Tokens for improved reliability

### 2.2.5 — 2025-11-19

The newest version of BARD Mobile brings major improvements to performance, accessibility, and ease of use.


1.	BARD Login Integration
•	Updated to the latest BARD Login system
•	A smoother, more accessible login experience
•	Improved password reset, EULA review, and Terms of Use acceptance

2.	BARD 2.0 Integration
•	Updated to work seamlessly with the newest BARD system
•	Better overall reliability and performance

3.	iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 Support
•	Fully compatible with iOS 18 and iPadOS 18
•	Also supports the two previous OS versions

4.	Updated User Guides
•	English and Spanish guides now reflect current functionality

5.	Bug Fixes and Improvements
•	Bluetooth headsets (including Shokz) now pause/play reliably
•	Playback resumes correctly with a single Bluetooth button tap
•	Get Books search results no longer show duplicates
•	Music, Magazine, and Series searches now match the BARD 2 website
•	VoiceOver improvements, including smoother scrolling in long lists
•	Wishlist items remain accessible after deleting a book

6.	Technical Enhancements
•	Improved monitoring, analytics, and data tracking

### 2.2.2 — 2024-02-22

The app now supports iOS versions 14-17.

Other updates include:
1.	Siri Shortcuts (Voice User Interface)
•	The app can now be operated by voice commands for playback and navigation, including stopping and resuming a playback, fast-forwarding and rewinding by various intervals, and setting a sleep timer or a bookmark. Add Siri shortcuts in the App Settings.

2.	International language search 
•	Set up to four languages in the app's settings and then filter search results by selecting a preferred language.

3.	Accessibility improvements for visually impaired users
•	We have boosted color contrast between selected and unselected search categories. This update enhances visibility with Smart Invert, Classic Invert, and Dark Mode on.

4.	Multiword search for Search/Search music 

5.	Bug fixes, including:
•	Garbled Credentials Error
•	Switch from tone to speed on iOS 17
•	“Get books” and “Bookshelf” return only titles matching the type selected in the “Show Me” setting, i.e. Audio Only/ Braille Only/ Both Audio and Braille

### 2.2.1 — 2023-06-13

-in-app password reset functionality

### 2.2 — 2023-04-11

-Search Music collections
-Search Spanish and other language books
-Access to expand and read the full book annotation
-Bug fixes

## Apps similar to BARD Mobile

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Audiobooks Now Audio Books](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/audiobooks-now-audio-books/id558525346) | 4.1 (425) | Free | Books |
| [Libro.fm Audiobooks](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/librofm-audiobooks/id1057776523) | 4.9 (37,487) | Free | Books |
| [Comics Plus](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/comics-plus/id1520340626) | 2.6 (98) | Free | Books |
| [Dolphin EasyReader](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dolphin-easyreader/id1161662515) | 3.9 (119) | Free | Books |
| [The Palace Project](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-palace-project/id1574359693) | 4.6 (4,770) | Free | Books |
| [Boundless](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boundless/id6449712082) | 4.4 (18,192) | Free | Books |

## More apps by Library Of Congress

- [Aesop for Children](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aesop-for-children/id538815234)
- [LOC Collections](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/loc-collections/id1446790792)

All apps by Library Of Congress: https://appshunter.io/developer/380309748

## Related topics

[bard mobile](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/bard-mobile) · [bard](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/bard) · [nls bard](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/nls-bard) · [inclusion and accessibility labs](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/inclusion-and-accessibility-labs) · [blinders](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/blinders) · [bartlett careers](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/bartlett-careers) · [accessibility techniques](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/accessibility-techniques) · [artea lizingas](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/artea-lizingas) · [werecognize](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/werecognize) · [denken in beperkingen](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/denken-in-beperkingen) · [accessibility website](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/accessibility-website) · [library of congress](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/library-of-congress)

---

*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-17.*