Nothing can replace the real feeling of turning the pages with physical books. However, sometimes it is not possible to find the book you want and read it. That’s when e-books serve the purpose. Google Play Books, Kindle, Kobo etc from phones, tablets and PC. You can buy and read e-books in popular apps like You can even sync ebooks between mobile and computer. But what if you want to add your own eBook (PDF, EPUB, Mobi, etc.) to a service like Google Play Books? In this article, we will guide you in the same way.
Google Play Books is an excellent eBook reader and can be a great alternative to the Kindle app if you know how to use it effectively. Besides being free, it lets you add notes and highlights and sync reading locations across devices. All functions also work for your ebooks. Syncing is done with a Google account and notes are saved in Google Drive.
Does it sound exciting? Let’s begin our journey of adding ebooks to Google Play Books on Android, iPhone and PC.
How to Add EBooks to Google Play Books on Android, iPhone and Desktop?
Before we move on to the steps, you should know some important things:
- Google Play Books only supports manual addition of ebooks in PDF and EPUB formats. You cannot upload books in other formats like Mobi (which works with Kindle by the way). PDF, EPUB, Mobi etc. Learn the difference between different ebook formats such as
- Notes, bookmarks and highlights can only be added to EPUB format ebooks. So if your book is in PDF format, you should convert it to EPUB.
- Books you add to the Google Play Books library are private. That is, only you can see the books. Other Google Play Books users cannot see or access them.
- E-books usually take the overall cover or first page of the book. You cannot customize book covers.
- Google Play Books does not support adding ebooks from an iPhone or iPad. But you can read them.
Let’s check the steps.
How to Add E-Books to Google Play Books on Computer
Stage 1: Open the Google Play Books website i.e. play.google.com/store/books in any browser from your computer.
Step 2: Click My Books on the left.
Stage 3: Click Upload files in the top right corner of the page.
Step 4: You can add files from your local folders on your computer or you can also add them directly from Google Drive. Choose the option you want and attach the file.
Step 5: Wait for the file to load. You will see the embroidery next to the book. Be patient.
After your books are uploaded, they will be visible in the My Books section. Click on the book to start reading. You can organize ebooks using shelves in Play Books. You can read your ebooks offline with the help of Google Play Books Chrome extension.
Pro Tip: You can export WhatsApp chat as PDF and read it on Google Play Books.
How to Add E-Books to Google Play Books on Mobile Device?
The steps to add ebooks to Google Play Books on Android are slightly different than on PC. First, you need to enable a setting, which is a one-time step. You need to add books from any File Manager on your Android phone instead of the Google Play Books app. Do not worry. Here are the steps:
Stage 1: Open the Google Play Books app on your Android or iPhone.
Step 2: On the Home tab, tap the profile picture icon at the top. Tap on Play Books settings.
Stage 3: Check the box next to Enable PDF upload.
Step 4: Exit Google Play Books and open File Explorer app on your phone. Navigate to the folder containing your ebook.
Tap the ebook. You should get Open with a screen. Next, select Play Books. In case the ebook is opened in a different application, select the ebook in the file explorer and click on the three dots icon. Select Open with. Select Play Books or Upload to Play Books.
Wait for the ebook to load. Once successfully installed, go to the Library tab in Google Play Books. You will find your e-books. Not started, In progress etc. You can filter e-books using the available filters at the top, such as Google Play Books on Android does not support shelves at the time of this writing.
Note: As mentioned earlier, you cannot add ebooks to Google Play Books from iPhone or iPad. However, this does not affect ebooks added from other devices. So if you add your ebook from a computer or Android phone or tablet, you can read the same on iPhone or iPad.
How to Find eBooks and Convert to EPUB
Many sites offer free ebooks in various formats. We’ve compiled a list of sites to find free ebooks. If the ebook is not available in an EPUB format, you will need to use software like Caliber or online tools like zamzar.com to convert PDF to EPUB.
After downloading, upload it to Google Play Books as shown above. You can use the same steps to import books from a different app to Play Books. Download the books from the second app and upload them to Play Books.
Troubleshoot Google Play Books Not Working
If your books aren’t uploading to Play Books or can’t read them properly, make sure the book is in the correct format i.e. PDF or EPUB. Books should also not contain DRM protection. Learn how to find out if an ebook has DRM. Second, check if you are logged in with the correct Google account. If the ebook is processing, wait a while. The e-book takes time to load depending on the internet speed. You should check other fixes mentioned by Google.
Next: In case Google Play Books continues to give you tantrums, try using the Kindle app. Find out how Kindle app differs from Google Play Books in the next link.
