All You Need to Know About Google Play Books
Before we head to the steps, you should know some important things:
- Google Play Books supports the manual addition of ebooks only in PDF and EPUB formats. You cannot upload books in other formats, such as Mobi (which, by the way, works with Kindle). Know the difference between different ebook formats such as PDF, EPUB, Mobi, etc.
- Notes, bookmarks, and highlights can only be added to eBooks in the EPUB format. So if your book is in PDF format, you should convert it to EPUB.
- Books that you add to the Google Play Books library are private. This means they are visible to you only, and Other Google Play Books users cannot see or access them.
- eBooks will typically take the generic cover or the first page of the book. You cannot customize book covers.
- Google Play Books doesn’t support adding ebooks from an iPhone or iPad, but you can read them.
Google Play Books is an excellent eBook reader and a great alternative to the Kindle app if you know how to use it effectively. Sounds exciting? Let’s add Books to Google Play Books on Android, iPhone, and PC.
Upload eBooks to Google Play Books on Mobile
The steps for adding ebooks to Google Play Books on Android are slightly different from that of a PC. You must enable a setting first, which is a one-time step. You must add books from any File Manager on your Android phone instead of the Google Play Books app. Worry not. Here are the steps:
Step 1: Open the Google Play Books app on your Android or iPhone.
Step 2: In the Home tab, tap on the profile picture icon at the top > tap on Play Books settings.
Step 3: Check the box for Enable PDF uploading.
Step 4: Leave Google Play Books and open the File Explorer app on your phone. Then, navigate to the folder containing your eBook.
Step 5: Select your eBook on your phone > you should get the prompt of Open with > select Play Books.
Wait for the eBook to upload. When successfully uploaded, go to the Library tab in Google Play Books. You will find your eBooks. You can filter the eBooks using available filters at the top, such as Not started, In progress, etc. Google Play Books on Android doesn’t support shelves at the time of writing this post.
Note: As mentioned earlier, you cannot add eBooks to Google Play Books from iPhone or iPad. However, that doesn’t impact eBooks added from other devices. So, if you add your eBook from a computer, Android phone, or tablet, you can read it on iPad.
Tip: Learn how to change your country in Google Play Store.
Upload eBooks to Google Play Books on Desktop
Step 1: Open the Google Play Books website on any browser from your computer.
Step 2: Click on My books from the left side.
Step 3: Click on Upload files at the top right of the page.
Step 4: You can add files from your local folders on your computer or directly insert them from Google Drive. Select the desired option and add the file.
Step 5: Wait for the file to upload. You will see processing next to the book. Be patient.
Once uploaded, your books will be visible under the My Books section. Click on a book to start reading it. In Play Books, you can organize eBooks using shelves. You can also read your eBooks offline with the help of the Google Play Books Chrome extension.
Tip: You can export WhatsApp chat as PDF and read it inside Google Play Books.
How to Find and Convert eBooks to EPUB
Several sites offer eBooks in various formats for free. We have compiled a list of sites where you can find free eBooks. If the eBook isn’t available in EPUB format, use software like Calibre to convert PDF to EPUB.
Step 1: Install Calibre on your desktop. It is available for both Mac and Windows users.
Step 2: Click on Add Books > choose the eBook you wish to convert.
Step 3: Right-click and select Convert books > click on Convert individually.
Step 4: The Convert window would have the input and output options at the top two corners, and you can use them to decide the output format of the book.
Step 5: Click Ok, and the conversion should start.
Once downloaded, upload them to Google Play Books, as shown above. You can use the same steps to transfer books from a different app to Play Books. Download the books from the second app and upload them to Play Books.
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Last updated on 05 August, 2024
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