[Enhancement]: Persistent ‘Random’ Sort Order #1225

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2026-04-24T23:54:20+02:00

adam commented

2026-04-24 23:54:20 +02:00

Originally created by @stauby22 on GitHub (Jun 7, 2025).

Describe the Feature/Enhancement

When I pick Sort ➜ Randomly in my library, Audiobookshelf should shuffle once and keep that order until I say otherwise.

Ideal flow

Library view ➜ Sort ➜ Random → list shuffles.
I open a book, read the description or sample a chapter.
I hit “Back” → I land on the exact same list in the same order and scroll position.
The list only re‑shuffles if I manually refresh, switch sort options, or leave the library tab to a different tab.

Why would this be helpful?

• My library is gigantic (~6000 titles). Alphabetical browsing means I stall in the Cs every time.
• Random sort surfaces forgotten gems and fights decision fatigue.
• Right now, every time I back out of a book the list reshuffles, so I can’t compare a few contenders side‑by‑side.
• Persisting the order lets users bounce around, sample, and pick a book—making discovery smoother without adding UI clutter.

Future Implementation (Screenshot)

Option A – Quick toggle
Add a second item in the sort menu:
• “Random (locked)” – one‑time shuffle, persists
• “Random (reshuffle)” – current behavior

Option B – Sensible default
Keep the existing “Random” label but cache the shuffle until:
• user pulls to refresh, or
• user changes sort criteria.

Either way, no extra screens are needed. A tiny tooltip (“Tap pull‑to‑refresh to re‑randomize”) could clarify the behavior.

Audiobookshelf App Version

iOS App - 0.9.81

Current Implementation (Screenshot)

When you select Sort → Random in Audiobookshelf, the app performs a fresh shuffle every time the library view is re‑rendered. That means:

The random order is not stored—there’s no session‑level cache or identifier tying that shuffle to your current browsing session.
Navigating into a book’s detail page triggers a full library reload when you press “Back,” so the list is re‑shuffled immediately.
Scroll position is lost and any mental shortlist you were forming disappears, forcing you to restart the discovery process from scratch.

In short, “Random” is currently a stateless shuffle applied on each view refresh rather than a persistent ordering you can explore until you choose to re‑randomize.

Originally created by @stauby22 on GitHub (Jun 7, 2025). ### Describe the Feature/Enhancement When I pick **Sort ➜ Randomly** in my library, Audiobookshelf should shuffle once and keep that order until I say otherwise. Ideal flow 1. Library view ➜ Sort ➜ Random → list shuffles. 2. I open a book, read the description or sample a chapter. 3. I hit “Back” → I land on the exact same list in the same order and scroll position. 4. The list only re‑shuffles if I manually refresh, switch sort options, or leave the library tab to a different tab. ### Why would this be helpful? • My library is gigantic (~6000 titles). Alphabetical browsing means I stall in the Cs every time. • Random sort surfaces forgotten gems and fights decision fatigue. • Right now, every time I back out of a book the list reshuffles, so I can’t compare a few contenders side‑by‑side. • Persisting the order lets users bounce around, sample, and pick a book—making discovery smoother without adding UI clutter. ### Future Implementation (Screenshot) Option A – Quick toggle Add a second item in the sort menu: • “Random (locked)” – one‑time shuffle, persists • “Random (reshuffle)” – current behavior Option B – Sensible default Keep the existing “Random” label but cache the shuffle until: • user pulls to refresh, or • user changes sort criteria. Either way, no extra screens are needed. A tiny tooltip (“Tap pull‑to‑refresh to re‑randomize”) could clarify the behavior. ### Audiobookshelf App Version iOS App - 0.9.81 ### Current Implementation (Screenshot) When you select Sort → Random in Audiobookshelf, the app performs a fresh shuffle every time the library view is re‑rendered. That means: - The random order is not stored—there’s no session‑level cache or identifier tying that shuffle to your current browsing session. - Navigating into a book’s detail page triggers a full library reload when you press “Back,” so the list is re‑shuffled immediately. - Scroll position is lost and any mental shortlist you were forming disappears, forcing you to restart the discovery process from scratch. In short, “Random” is currently a stateless shuffle applied on each view refresh rather than a persistent ordering you can explore until you choose to re‑randomize.

adam added the enhancement label 2026-04-24 23:54:20 +02:00

adam referenced this issue

2026-04-24 23:59:03 +02:00

[PR #1225] [MERGED] Update de.json #1525

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Reference: starred/audiobookshelf-app#1225