Which Player Should You Use?
If you’re on Apple devices and want the simplest setup, use Apple Books. Double-click an M4B file on your Mac and it appears in your library. It syncs to your iPhone and iPad automatically. No accounts, no servers, no configuration.
If you run a media server at home, pair Plex with Prologue on iOS, or use Audiobookshelf for a fully open-source alternative. Both handle M4B chapters properly and track your listening progress across sessions.
For a dedicated iPhone player without the server overhead, BookPlayer is hard to beat. It’s free, fast, and does exactly what you need. On Android, Smart AudioBook Player is the clear choice for M4B playback with chapter support.
VLC works in a pinch, but skip it for regular audiobook listening. It won’t remember your position or show chapters.