Google Play Books & Audiobooks

Zift Advisory

Google Play Books allows users to download ebooks and audiobooks to enjoy on the go. This app is available for download in the App Store and Google Play Store. It is rated for users 4 years of age and older in the App Store but rated “Teen” in the Google Play Store. Parental control settings are available on this app.

About Google Play Books & Audiobooks

What is Google Play Books & Audiobooks?

Google Play Books was initially released in December, 2010 as Google eBooks. The app has recently been revamped to enhance the user experience. It’s brighter, cleaner and easier to use.

With Google Play Books, you can enjoy ebooks and audiobooks from Google Play. There are millions of titles to choose from Google Play so download a book to read on the go (even when you’re offline!). This app will even recommend your next great read based on your previous selections.

This app can be downloaded from both the App Store and the Google Play Store. It is free to download and is rated for teen users. This app features in-app purchases.

Like to read in bed? The Night Light setting will automatically adjust the background color and brightness as the sun sets so you can fall asleep with ease.

If book clubs are your thing, Google Play Books allows you to take notes that sync with Google Drive and share them with your book club members for easy collaboration and discussion.

Since Google Play Books uses real chapter titles vs. track lists, navigating through chapters is a breeze. This also makes it easy to pick up where you left off if you can’t read your favorite book in one sitting.

In-app purchases range from $1.99 to $56.64 and can be made using credit or debit card, PayPal, gift card, Google Play Credit or billing via mobile service provider.

In a May 2014 review, Riley Dennis of MakeUseOf wrote that "Play Books is a delight to read on, from the refreshingly simple interface to the customizable and smooth reading experience". Dennis concluded his review by writing: "Play Books is a solid eReading app, but it still has room for growth."

Users share Dennis’ sentiment, giving this app fairly positive reviews (4.0/5.0 average). They’re generally pleased with the app’s basic functionality but consider some features, compared to similar apps (Kindle Reader, eReader Prestigio), to be marginal. Common complaints include images not downloading properly. This is especially frustrating for those using the app to read comic books which are image-heavy.

Is Google Play Books & Audiobooks safe for my kids?

Google Play Books is a very popular eReader app with an age rating as low as 4 years of age and older on iTunes. The Google Play Store gives an ESRB rating of “Teen”, however.

There are parental controls on the app which allow for restricting unrated content and content which may be more suitable for older teens or adults. As long as parents create the accounts for their children and enable the parental control feature at that time, the app should be safe for children.

A password (PIN) is required to access this function and change settings, giving added security that children won’t be exposed to inappropriate content.

Because of the ability to make in-app purchases, parents should have open discussions with their children about spending on the app.