Your phone or tablet can serve as an NYPL reading device and an audiobook player. The library says readers can browse e-books and e-audiobooks in its catalog or other apps, then read or listen on their own devices. The app name to recognize first for mobile use is Libby.
Start with Libby for mobile reading and listening
NYPL says the Libby app provides access to e-books and e-audiobooks on mobile devices and tablets. That covers both formats named in the question: a book to read on screen and a book to hear. Libby is associated with OverDrive in the library's help material.
If you are browsing rather than starting with an app, NYPL also points to its catalog for digital books and audio. The catalog and the app are ways into the library's digital collection; the supplied material does not say every title appears in every service. Look for the format you want instead of assuming a print listing is a digital loan.
CloudLibrary is another service to know
NYPL describes CloudLibrary as offering a selection of e-books and e-audiobooks for PCs, Macs and many other devices. It directs readers to device-specific setup instructions. For a phone or tablet, that means checking the library's current instructions for your device rather than assuming the Libby setup and CloudLibrary setup are identical.
The two distributors also have separate borrowing limits in the supplied NYPL guidance: three online holds or checkouts from each, Libby/OverDrive and CloudLibrary, at one time. Demand for digital titles can be high. A hold or checkout limit is not a promise that the title you want is immediately available.
If you previously used SimplyE
Do not begin a new setup with SimplyE. NYPL says that e-reader app was discontinued on August 28, 2025. Loans and requests made through it before discontinuation were saved with the vendors; NYPL says checked-out materials and holds remain accessible in Libby and CloudLibrary apps and in patrons' NYPL accounts.
A digital library card obtained through SimplyE can still be used to access e-content, NYPL says. The app's closure and the status of that card are separate matters. If you are returning to digital borrowing after a gap, focus on the supported services rather than interpreting an old app failure as a lost loan.
Manage a loan on the device
In Libby, NYPL's early-return path is Shelf, Manage Loan, Return Early, then Return Loan. You do not have to return a digital item early to avoid a late fine: NYPL says downloadable content has no fines or fees and automatically expires on its due date if not returned.
For travel outside the United States, NYPL advises downloading an e-book before leaving if possible. That is a useful preparation step if you plan to read on a phone or tablet away from home. Between Libby, CloudLibrary and the catalog, choose the service that carries your intended digital format and follow its current device guidance.
