Libby app stopped opening?

[sunviking90]

Has anyone else had this issue on Princess? I’ve been using the Libby library app to read my books on numerous cruises but last night it stopped opening for me. I was using it this cruise with and without wifi reading my downloads. I tried deleting it and downloading it again from the App Store and still the same result. I went down to the Internet cafe today hoping they might have some insight, but he just did what I had already tried. Help! I have 4 more sea days and need my books, lol.

[Rick&Jeannie]

Where are you?  Location/itinerary can make all the difference as far as internet response.

[sunviking90]

Just now, Rick&Jeannie said:

Where are you?  Location/itinerary can make all the difference as far as internet response.

We are coming back from Hawaii via Ensenada. Arrive in Ensenada on Sunday afternoon. My app usually works without wifi on cruises though.

Edited January 27, 2023 by sunviking90

[Itchy&Scratchy]

I have this problem with Hoopla sometimes. Can't access downloaded items because Hoopla won't open without the wifi access.

[Rick&Jeannie]

5 minutes ago, sunviking90 said:

. My app usually works without wifi on cruises though.

You must have a very unusual app that can work without WiFi!

[Fa-Li]

I don't have any advice to get Libby to open, but do suggest that if you get it to work, immediately ask it to share your books to the kindle app (if you have that)  Even at home, my Libby sometimes gets persnickety with books I've downloaded ( @Rick&Jeannie - this is why it should work without wifi, it's basically a repository of pages that have already been downloaded, it doesn't need to connect every time) but my Kindle app works every time.  

[Rick&Jeannie]

My apologies! I misunderstood what the OP was saying.  I have a Kindle and I download several books before each cruise so it also "works without WiFi" since they are already saved in local storage.  I'm not familiar with Libby...I thought *maybe* it required cloud access or some such arrangement.  I think I understand now...it sounds like the same way the Kindle works.  I have no suggestions as to why it would be finicky.  Sorry!

[sunviking90]

Just now, Rick&Jeannie said:

You must have a very unusual app that can work without WiFi!

It opens and I can read already downloaded content. I use it on planes without wifi and I usually don’t buy ship wifi. Obviously I can’t do anything else other than that on it. Sort of like watching downloaded Netflix without wifi. I’m actually wondering if this is what messed it up as I opened while still on extremely bad wifi, and it tried to connect and sync and failed. 

[sunviking90]

Just now, Rick&Jeannie said:

My apologies! I misunderstood what the OP was saying.  I have a Kindle and I download several books before each cruise so it also "works without WiFi" since they are already saved in local storage.  I'm not familiar with Libby...I thought *maybe* it required cloud access or some such arrangement.  I think I understand now...it sounds like the same way the Kindle works.  I have no suggestions as to why it would be finicky.  Sorry!

All good. Appreciate you trying to help 😊.

[Fa-Li]

1 hour ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

My apologies! I misunderstood what the OP was saying.  I have a Kindle and I download several books before each cruise so it also "works without WiFi" since they are already saved in local storage.  I'm not familiar with Libby...I thought *maybe* it required cloud access or some such arrangement.  I think I understand now...it sounds like the same way the Kindle works.  I have no suggestions as to why it would be finicky.  Sorry!

It works exactly like kindle except you are borrowing ebooks on your library card instead of buying them on amazon.  Best thing ever, when it works!

[amet beach]

I used my Libby library app recently on the Enchanted. I downloaded books prior to cruise but also “borrowed” a couple more mid cruise. Downloaded them in cabin to my iPad and my husband’s tablet.
it’s a great app and I had no problem on the cruise. My husband and I now use Libby regularly for free library books.

[JerrySueW]

I had this same problem a couple of weeks ago on the Island Princess. We lost the satellite for the final 4-5 days of the cruise and I could not open Libby or my weather app. I was not able to resolve the problem on board but once we got off the ship, it worked fine on cellular service. No idea why those two apps would not open when everything else I use routinely continued to work just fine.

[niknot]

This has happened to me as well. So frustrating. 
 

My theory is that Libby and Hoopla may have issues if you are outside of the location of your library system. So my work around is to check out books, making sure to download them to your device before travel. Then I turn off all internet connections on my iPad. The books and movies will then stay on your device until you connect back to the internet. 

 

I have recently begun using a vpn service on my devices. By setting your home location on the vpn, it should tell Libby and Hoopla that you are still at home and not in another region. I have not tried it yet (next cruise is in May). 

[sunviking90]

1 hour ago, niknot said:

This has happened to me as well. So frustrating. 
 

My theory is that Libby and Hoopla may have issues if you are outside of the location of your library system. So my work around is to check out books, making sure to download them to your device before travel. Then I turn off all internet connections on my iPad. The books and movies will then stay on your device until you connect back to the internet. 

 

I have recently begun using a vpn service on my devices. By setting your home location on the vpn, it should tell Libby and Hoopla that you are still at home and not in another region. I have not tried it yet (next cruise is in May). 

Thanks. Just tried with my VPN and no luck. Pretty much can’t use the VPN on the ship as it makes the terrible wifi unusable. I was able to log into my library and am reading my books online, so that will do for now. Thanks everyone for the helpful advice. In future I will make sure my wifi is logged out completely before opening Libby as it think that’s what messed it up in the first place.

[KKB]

22 hours ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

You must have a very unusual app that can work without WiFi!

I download all my Libby books to my Kindle app on my iPad so I never need Wifi to read.

[KKB]

22 hours ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

I have this problem with Hoopla sometimes. Can't access downloaded items because Hoopla won't open without the wifi access.

I had a couple books on my Hoopla on our cruise this month.

I downloaded them & had no issues reading them w/o Wifi.

[niknot]

I forgot about the issues that the cruise line wifi has with vpns. Thanks for checking.

 

KKB - I will have to give the kindle app a try.

[LibrarianMonroe]

I'm a librarian and deal with Libby quite a lot, but don't know the answer to this question.  It doesn't help you at sea, but I'd ask your library system to investigate it once you are home.

 

Overdrive's answer on their website is less than useful - basically, that it should work overseas unless the country in question blocks Overdrive.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

On 1/27/2023 at 12:02 PM, Rick&Jeannie said:

My apologies! I misunderstood what the OP was saying.  I have a Kindle and I download several books before each cruise so it also "works without WiFi" since they are already saved in local storage.  I'm not familiar with Libby...I thought *maybe* it required cloud access or some such arrangement.  I think I understand now...it sounds like the same way the Kindle works.  I have no suggestions as to why it would be finicky.  Sorry!

With Libby you can download books to your Kindle free from the library.