Google Play Books & Audiobooks: Reading and Listening App

Google Play Books & Audiobooks is a reading app by Google LLC that lets users explore and manage ebooks, audiobooks, comics, and manga. It brings a wide range of reading material into one place, with options to buy individual titles instead of paying for a subscription. The app is designed to work across phones, tablets, computers, and even in the car through Android Auto.

The app focuses on flexibility and personalization. Users can download books for offline access, arrange titles on custom shelves, and adjust reading settings such as font, text size, and brightness. Smart notes can be synced with Google Drive for easy collaboration, and voice control through Google Assistant allows hands-free audiobook playback. For comic and manga fans, Bubble Zoom offers a specialized viewing experience.

In version 2025.1.10, the ebook text selection menu was improved for easier use. Other useful capabilities include uploading EPUB and PDF files so they can be read across devices, and downloading purchased ebooks and audiobooks that are DRM-free when allowed by the publisher. The app supports kid-friendly reading tools such as word definitions and read-aloud features, though these practice tools are available only in English.

Key features

• Access ebooks, audiobooks, comics, and manga in one app
• Download titles for offline reading
• Listen or read in the car using Android Auto
• Create custom shelves to organize your library
• Sync notes with Google Drive and share them with others
• Use Bubble Zoom for an immersive comic and manga reading experience
• Adjust font, text size, brightness, and other reading settings
• Control audiobooks hands-free with Google Assistant
• Preview samples before buying a book
• Upload EPUB and PDF files and read them on all your devices

How to install

1. Tap the download button on this page to get the APK file.
2. When Android asks, allow your browser or file manager to install apps by enabling the 'Install unknown apps' setting.
3. Open the downloaded APK file. The file size is about 22 MB.
4. Tap Install and wait for the process to finish.
5. Open the app and sign in to start browsing and reading. Your device must run Android 7.0 or higher.

What's New

This update focuses on making ebook text selection easier to use. The selection menu has been improved so that choosing and working with text feels more straightforward. No other major changes are mentioned in the release notes.

This app is well suited to casual readers who want a pay-per-book model without a recurring subscription. It also fits commuters who listen to audiobooks hands-free in the car, and families looking for kid-friendly reading tools, though those tools are limited to English.

Use custom shelves to group books by genre or author, and upload your own EPUB or PDF files to keep all your reading material in one synchronized library.

For building a personal digital library of ebooks and audiobooks, Google Play Books & Audiobooks is a solid, feature-rich choice. It offers flexibility without a subscription and works well across devices, though some tools are restricted by language or region. Overall, it is a dependable option for most readers.