Google Play Books vs Nook

Last updated: July 09, 2023
Google Play Books and Nook are both popular platforms for accessing and reading digital books, but they have distinct differences in terms of their ecosystems, content availability, and features. One key difference lies in their ecosystems and platform compatibility. Google Play Books is part of the Google Play Store ecosystem, which offers a wide range of digital content including books, apps, movies, and more. Google Play Books is available on multiple platforms, including Android, iOS, and web browsers, allowing users to access their books across different devices. On the other hand, Nook is Barnes & Noble's e-reader platform, and it primarily focuses on its own Nook devices. Nook offers a dedicated app for iOS and Android devices, allowing users to access their books on smartphones and tablets, but the platform compatibility may be more limited compared to Google Play Books.

Another notable difference between Google Play Books and Nook lies in their content availability and library size. Google Play Books offers a vast collection of e-books, including bestsellers, new releases, and a variety of genres. It provides access to a large selection of books from major publishers, independent authors, and self-publishing platforms. Google Play Books also supports uploading personal PDF and EPUB files, allowing users to read their own documents within the app. Nook, on the other hand, offers its own collection of e-books through the Nook Store. While the Nook Store may not have the same extensive library as Google Play Books, it still offers a range of e-books, including bestsellers and various genres. Nook users also have the option to borrow e-books from participating public libraries, expanding their reading options.

In terms of features, Google Play Books and Nook have different offerings. Google Play Books provides a user-friendly reading experience with features like customizable font settings, highlighting, bookmarking, and synchronization across devices. It also offers a built-in dictionary and integration with Google Drive for cloud storage of books and personal documents. Nook, on the other hand, offers features like customizable reading settings, highlighting, note-taking, and access to Barnes & Noble's LendMe program, which allows users to lend eligible e-books to friends for a limited time. Nook devices may also provide additional features like expandable storage, water resistance, and access to the Nook Press platform for self-publishing.
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Google Play Books
Choose from millions of titles on Google Play including new releases, New York Times best sellers, up-and-coming authors, and free books. Easily personalize your reading experience, pick up where you left off on your phone, tablet, or computer, and get reading today
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Nook
Explore millions of choices, including over 1 million free titles. The free and easy way to access over 3 million titles across your favorite devices. Lend books to friends and family, sample them for free & more!
Google Play Books vs Nook in our news:

2023. NOOK Reading App for Windows is discontinued



Barnes and Noble has officially discontinued the NOOK reading app for the Microsoft Windows Store, with the app's listing removed and new downloads no longer permitted. While existing users can still utilize the app for the time being, the company has not clarified whether they will ultimately terminate the service altogether. Encouraging a more expansive reading experience, Barnes and Noble suggests users explore their suite of NOOK Reading Apps available for Android and iOS devices, along with NOOK for Web, facilitating online reading. This decision to discontinue services extends beyond the Windows app, as Barnes and Noble previously announced the impending closure of all services for the Nook Simple Touch, Nook Simple Touch with Glowlight, and the Nook Glowlight a month ago. Starting in April of the following year, customers will lose access to the Nook Store and won't be able to sync additional digital content.


2023. Nook iOS app adds Trends to track reading progress



Barnes and Noble's latest enhancement to their Nook reading app for iPhones and iPads involves a novel aspect. They are infusing an element of gamification into the act of reading ebooks through the introduction of an innovative feature labeled as "Trends." Within this fresh section named Trends, users can effectively monitor their monthly reading and listening advancements. The section encompasses a dynamic wheel dedicated to tracking the consecutive days during which individuals engage with digital content or partake in audiobooks. The bookselling company has expressed its intention to introduce forthcoming attributes and incentives tied to the Trends concept. Parallels can be drawn between Barnes and Noble's Trends and the Kindle system for iOS, both of which monitor the uninterrupted streaks of digital reading days. The Kindle's reading progress has spawned a substantial community, with enthusiasts readily sharing their achievements on social media platforms—instances of individuals boasting multi-year streaks of daily reading are not uncommon. Barnes and Noble aspires to leverage this notion of progress in reading. An added personal wish is for this feature to extend beyond the Nook app and encompass their ebook readers as well.


2023. Google Reading Insights allows to track your kid’s reading habits



Google has introduced a new feature in Google Play Books called Reading Insights, which serves as a tool for parents to monitor their children's reading activities. This feature, conveniently integrated into the Family Link app along with other parental control tools, enables parents to track their children's book choices and their progress in specific titles. By using Reading Insights, parents can access various information, such as the recent books their children have read, their most frequently read books, their reading frequency, and the extent to which they have progressed in a particular title. This comprehensive overview allows parents to gain a better understanding of their children's reading habits. Furthermore, the Reading Insights feature also supports tracking audiobook titles.


2023. Google Play Books app adds new book management feature



Google Play Books app has recently introduced a significant enhancement to its redesigned library management system, with the aim of making the organization of your book collection simpler. One notable improvement is the ability to handle multiple books at the same time, allowing users to easily select and manage numerous titles together. Now, actions like adding books to shelves, marking them as finished, or removing downloaded copies from devices can be done in bulk. To aid in efficient book discovery, Google has implemented various filtering options. Users can now filter books by genre, author, reading age (particularly beneficial for children's books), and family library status. These filters make it effortless to quickly identify specific books based on personal preferences.


2023. Google Play Books now offering new Reading Practice tool for kids



Google Play Books is introducing a new feature called Reading Practice in the United States, which aims to assist young readers in improving their comprehension skills using children's e-books. This feature will be accessible through the Google Play Books Android app and Google Kids Space. With Reading Practice, children will be able to enhance their vocabulary by tapping on words to hear their pronunciation and child-friendly definition. For early readers, a text tracker will highlight the words as they read aloud, allowing them to practice any missed or mispronounced words at the end of each page. The majority of books on Google Play Books will include Reading Practice, ensuring easy access to this valuable tool. Google Play is committed to creating family-oriented products and services that support children in learning and exploring technology safely. The goal is to provide parents with the necessary tools and flexibility to encourage reading in their children while fostering healthy and positive digital habits.


2022. Google Play Books adds a Wish List



Google Play Books is rolling out an update for its Android app, introducing a convenient wish list feature accessible through the main navigation bar at the bottom of the screen, alongside the Home, Library, and Shop buttons. This dedicated wish list option is designed specifically for Play Books, allowing users to add desired titles for future purchase, which can be viewed at any time. Clicking on a title in the wish list will redirect users to the respective Google Play Books entry, enabling them to download a sample or make a purchase. The Play Books app has been a popular choice among users for both buying and reading books, as it offers a seamless in-app purchase experience. However, in recent months, the company has revised its billing policy, imposing a 30% charge on developers for each in-app transaction. As a result, this change has compelled Audible, Amazon Kindle, and Barnes & Noble to remove the ability to purchase content, transforming their apps into consumption-only platforms.


2021. Nook released a new cheap Tablet for e-Reading



Barnes and Noble, in collaboration with Lenovo, has unveiled the new Nook Tablet. This latest model is positioned as an affordable option, priced at $129, similar to its predecessor. However, it features a lower resolution screen with a resolution of 1280 x 800. On the positive side, the new Nook Tablet operates on Android 10 and offers Google Play support for installing Android applications. It boasts an octa-core CPU, a USB-C port, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, an FM radio, 32GB of internal storage, and a microSD card slot. Additionally, it incorporates an 8MP rear camera, a 5MP front camera, and weighs a relatively light 420 grams compared to other 10-inch tablets.


2021. Google Play Books now has new tools to make reading easier for kids



Google Play Books has introduced a set of new tools designed to simplify the reading experience for children. With the Read & Listen feature, books can be read aloud to kids, allowing for both manual page-turning or automatic progression. The Tap to Read feature enables word pronunciation by simply tapping on any selected word, providing a description and often an accompanying illustration to enhance understanding. Additionally, a Kid-Friendly Dictionary is available to offer simplified explanations of word meanings, further supporting the learning process and ensuring a comprehensive understanding for young readers.


2021. Google Play Books will help kids to learn to read



To facilitate the learning process for young children, Google Play Books has introduced several new features. Firstly, it allows children to listen to books being read aloud, enhancing their auditory learning experience. Moreover, kids can now tap on individual words within the books to hear them spoken out loud, aiding in vocabulary development. Additionally, Google Play Books offers access to thousands of kid-friendly definitions, with many definitions accompanied by illustrations to enhance comprehension and foster learning. Google states that most of their children's books are equipped with these new reading tools. Parents can also download a free sample of any children's book to confirm if the reading tools are enabled for that particular title before making a purchase.


2020. Barnes and Noble improved author sorting in Nooks



Barnes and Noble has recently released a firmware update, version 52.0.78, for several of their Nook e-readers. This software update brings along a range of bug fixes and enhancements to improve the user experience. Notably, one significant enhancement is that author names will now consistently appear as their first and last names. This feature proves particularly useful for readers who enjoy books by the same author, as it allows for easier sorting within the library. Additionally, a progress bar has been added to the library interface, providing readers with a visual indication of their progress in various ebooks. While there are likely other improvements included in the update, Barnes and Noble no longer publishes detailed changelogs for these firmware releases.


2019. Barnes and Noble will continue to support the Nook e-Reader



James Daunt, the newly appointed CEO of Barnes and Noble, has affirmed the company's commitment to supporting the Nook e-Reader. While emphasizing his primary focus on enhancing B&N's physical stores, Daunt expressed his belief that by improving the stores, all other aspects of the business will thrive. However, customers can still anticipate the release of new Nook models on a yearly or biennial basis in the foreseeable future.


2019. Google Play allows to rent ebooks



Google Play has recently introduced a new ebook rental system. This system quietly launched last week, offering approximately 200 titles from Open Road Media. The rental prices range from $1 to $2, and the rental period lasts for 3 days, providing ample time to avidly devour most of the available romance, thriller, and science-fiction novels. However, it's important to note that the Google Play rental system is currently limited to customers in the United States. It remains uncertain whether this system is being tested to assess consumer feedback or if it signifies a broader effort to enter the rental market in collaboration with other publishers.


2019. Google Play Books adds custom shelves, shelf icons



Google Play Books has introduced Beta Features, granting users early access to experimental functionalities. The initial set of features includes customized bookshelves, enabling users to organize their books in any way they prefer. The availability of searching and sorting options allows for quick retrieval of specific books or sorting the library based on different criteria. Additionally, the Ready to Read feature presents a new shelf displaying books that users haven't finished, facilitating easy resumption from where they left off. Initially, these beta features are accessible through the desktop browser and will subsequently extend to Android and iOS platforms.


2019. Google Play Books gets redesign on Android



Play Books has received an update from Google, featuring a new material design that enhances its visual appeal and promotes a more streamlined and minimalist look. The focus of the redesign is primarily on aesthetics, with hollow iconography, predominantly white backgrounds, and the implementation of Google/Product Sans fonts. Both the carousel on the home screen and the bookstore have been made smaller and more compact, aligning with this new design. While the reading experience within the app has undergone minimal changes, some users may find the slight adjustments less favorable for accessibility. Certain text elements have reduced in size, and interactive components are also smaller. However, as an ebook reader, users have the option to customize the font sizes according to their preferences.


2018. Barnes and Noble releases Nook Tablet 7 2018 Edition



Barnes and Noble has introduced the second generation of their NOOK 7 tablet, offering expanded storage to accommodate your virtual library and an enhanced reading experience, just in time for holiday shopping. The device is now available both in stores and online, priced at $49.99. The NOOK 7 boasts double the storage capacity compared to its predecessor, with 16GB of internal storage (expandable up to 128GB). It also features a front and rear-facing camera, Bluetooth capability, a headphone jack, a speaker, and a microphone. This new NOOK tablet is a fully equipped device, complete with a captivating LCD display, access to the Google Play Store, a soft-touch finish, and upgraded NOOK software, ensuring an improved experience for reading and browsing.


2018. Barnes & Noble released new Nook tablet



Barnes & Noble has unveiled their latest tablet, the Nook 10.1, priced at $130. While the device features a 10.1-inch screen with a moderate 224 ppi, there isn't much else noteworthy about this budget Android tablet, which offers 32GB of storage, two cameras, and a headphone jack—a feature that holds significance in 2018. However, its soft-touch feel and lightweight design make it an ideal holiday gift for avid readers who seek to indulge in their favorite books for hours. Barnes & Noble is positioning it as a "game changer," marking their first Nook release since 2016 when they introduced a highly affordable $50 model, back when the bookseller was a ubiquitous presence.


2018. Google Audiobooks gets Trim Silences feature



Google Play Books has recently introduced a new feature known as Trim Silences, available exclusively for listening to audiobooks purchased from Google. This functionality automatically shortens extended pauses between words or sentences. While professional audiobooks typically have these pauses removed by default, Trim Silences proves particularly valuable for certain small presses and independent authors who may have unintentional longer pauses.


2018. Android e-Readers can no longer access Google Play



Google has implemented a new security policy that is causing difficulties for users trying to access the Google Play Store on their Android e-readers. Many popular brands in Asia and Europe lack an official license for Google Play and instead rely on loading the framework and app store independently. However, this approach is no longer sufficient due to the updated policy. Existing e-reader users who have already linked their Google accounts before March 16th, 2018, should not encounter any issues. On the other hand, individuals who have recently purchased a new Android e-reader or have restored their existing one to factory settings will no longer be able to access the Play Store.


2018. Google Play audiobooks get Smart Resume and bookmarks



Google Play Audiobooks has received a significant update, introducing several much-needed features to enhance the service since its initial launch earlier this year. One notable addition is the Smart Resume feature, which addresses interruptions during audiobook playback. Instead of resuming in the middle of a sentence or word, Smart Resume intelligently rewinds to the beginning of the interrupted word or sentence, ensuring a seamless listening experience. Furthermore, this update introduces the ability to set bookmarks, allowing users to easily revisit their favorite parts of a book, as well as the option to adjust the audio speed, enabling users to savor their preferred passages at their desired pace, even in a literary masterpiece like Ulysses. If you are an avid user of Google Assistant's Routines feature, you'll be delighted to know that you can now choose to continue your audiobooks when you wake up or commence your daily commute.


2018. Barnes and Noble launched book social discovery app



Barnes and Noble has recently introduced a new Android app called Browsery, which serves as a social community for book enthusiasts to engage in discussions about various literary works. Drawing inspiration from the fundamental aspects of the Barnes & Noble store experience, namely browsing, community, and conversation, Browsery facilitates the process of discovering your next beloved book by harnessing the knowledge and passion of fellow readers. Within this platform, you'll find intriguing inquiries such as "What biography would you recommend delving into after watching The Crown?", "Which stories have moved you to tears?", and "What's your all-time favorite book about books?"