Google Play Books vs Microsoft Bookstore

2024. Google Play Books offers hundreds of free eBooks for children



Google Play Books has announced a significant expansion of its kids’ collection, offering over 300 non-fiction titles for free, each equipped with the "Read & Listen" feature, facilitating simultaneous reading and listening to aid children in enhancing their reading comprehension and decoding skills. Additionally, Google has introduced various enhancements to foster children's interest and enjoyment in reading, such as the introduction of Reading Rewards digital stickers, which children can earn by reaching reading milestones on Google Kids Space or the Play Books Android app. Furthermore, Google has made thousands of audiobook previews available on its YouTube channel, potentially increasing sales by leveraging YouTube's broader audience reach. Moreover, the new "Upcoming" section on the "Library" tab of the app allows users to access book pre-orders and recommendations, further enriching the reading experience.


2024. Google Play Books to offer audiobook previews on YouTube



Google Play Books has been provided an update that introduces several new features to the app. That includes integration with YouTube where users will be able to listen to audiobook previews for free. This would be in addition to the audiobook previews that are already available via the Play Books app for Android, iOS, and the web. As it is, YouTube enjoys a huge userbase and it is only natural Google will like to leverage it to seek better exposure for its audiobooks as well. In any case, Google has been restructuring its media business of late, and several of its services such as Play Music and Podcasts have been brought under the purview of YouTube. Among the other changes introduced to Play Books include the addition of the new Upcoming tab at the top of the Library section. So, you will now have Your books, Shelves, and Series along with the newly added Upcoming tabs at the top under Library. This, as Google explained, will show “all your pre-orders in one location on a calendar that can be filtered based on specific series or authors.” You will also be provided updates on authors and series that you might have shown interest in, which can be like titles that you may have searched or viewed.


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 a new update for its Android app that introduces a wish list feature on the main navigation bar at the bottom of the screen. This is alongside the Home, Library, and Shop buttons. It is a dedicated feature specific to Play Books, allowing you to add titles you wish to purchase later to your wish list, which you can view at any time. Tapping on a title in the wish list will direct you to the Google Play Books entry for it, where you can download a sample or make a purchase. Most users who buy books are using the Play Books app for this purpose, as it allows both purchasing and reading within the app. However, in recent months, the company has updated its billing policy, imposing a 30% fee on each in-app transaction. This has led Audible, Amazon Kindle, and Barnes & Noble to remove the ability to purchase content, turning their apps into consumption-only platforms.


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



Google Play Books has unveiled a suite of new tools designed to make it easier for even young readers to start enjoying books. The Read & Listen feature will narrate a book to your children. You can either turn the pages manually or allow them to turn automatically. The Tap to Read feature will read aloud any word that you tap on. This helps kids learn the correct pronunciation of the word and provides a description, often accompanied by an illustration, to ensure a complete understanding of the term. Additionally, the Kid-Friendly Dictionary offers simple explanations of words, further supporting the learning process.


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



Google Play Books has introduced several new features designed to assist young readers. Firstly, it now allows children to hear books read aloud, and they can tap on individual words to hear them pronounced. Additionally, kids can read or listen to thousands of child-friendly definitions, many of which include illustrations to aid in understanding and learning. Google states that most of their children's books come with these new reading tools. Parents can also download a free sample of any children's book to check if the reading tools are available for that title before making a purchase.


2019. Google Play allows to rent ebooks



Google Play has introduced a new system for renting ebooks. A small section that quietly went live last week features around 200 titles from Open Road Media. The rental prices range from $1 to $2, with a rental period of 3 days, which should be sufficient to voraciously read most of the romance, thriller, and science-fiction novels available. The Google Play rental system is currently available only in the United States. It is not yet clear whether this is a pilot program to assess consumer interest or part of a larger strategy to enter the rental market with additional publishers.


2019. Google Play Books adds custom shelves, shelf icons



Google Play Books has introduced Beta Features, offering users early access to experimental functionalities. The initial features include customized bookshelves, allowing you to arrange them however you prefer. Search and Sort options are also available, enabling you to swiftly find a specific book or organize your library using various criteria. The final beta feature is Ready to Read, a new shelf that displays the books you haven't completed yet to help you easily pick up where you left off. Currently, these beta features are available for your desktop browser and will eventually be rolled out to Android and iOS.


2019. Microsoft Bookstore for Windows 10 is now officially closed



Microsoft has closed its separate ebook store, Microsoft Bookstore, which allowed US customers to download both free and paid titles. Microsoft’s “official reason” is that this decision is part of a strategy to streamline the focus of the Microsoft Store. It appears the company no longer wishes to compete with Amazon, Apple Books, and Google Play Books. One major reason for the failure of the Microsoft Store was the lack of distribution options for self-published authors, and all the links that publishers used to stock the Microsoft Bookstore’s virtual shelves led to 404 errors. The fact that the bookstore was limited to US customers was a critical issue, as Amazon controls over 75% of all ebook sales, making it nearly impossible for Microsoft to compete unless they sold their books internationally.


2019. Google Play Books gets redesign on Android



Google has refreshed Play Books with a new material design that gives it a more minimalist and streamlined appearance. The update is primarily focused on visuals, with hollow iconography, predominantly white backgrounds, and a switch to Google/Product Sans fonts. The carousel on the home screen has been made smaller and more compact, a change that also applies to the bookstore. The reading experience within the app hasn't been significantly altered, although the minor adjustments may not favor those looking for enhanced accessibility. Some of the text on the screen has been reduced in size, and certain interactive elements have been minimized. However, as this is an ebook reader, you can still customize font sizes to suit your preferences.


2018. Google Audiobooks gets Trim Silences feature



Google Play Books is the sole platform where you can listen to audiobooks bought from Google, and they have just introduced a new feature called Trim Silences. This feature will automatically eliminate long pauses between words or sentences. While most audiobooks are professionally produced and remove these pauses by default, some small publishers and indie authors may have pauses, making Trim Silences a helpful tool.


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



Google has introduced a new security policy that is blocking users from accessing the Google Play Store on an Android e-reader. Dozens of popular brands in Asia and Europe do not have an official license for Google Play; instead, they only load the framework and the app store. Previously, this was sufficient, but not anymore. If you have an existing e-reader and linked your Google account before March 16th, 2018, you should be fine. However, if you have recently purchased a new Android e-reader or reset your existing one to factory settings, you will no longer be able to access the Play Store.


2018. Microsoft Edge for iOS and Android now supports ebooks



just replace some words with synonyms: Microsoft Edge browser for Android, iPad and iPhone can now read ebooks you have purchased from the Microsoft Bookstore. This app is considered to be in preview mode, so it lacks most of the functionality as the main desktop version, such as TTS and Cortana. The only thing the new Edge browser does well is change the size of the font and the font type. Unfortunately, things like bookmarks, annotation, and highlights are not supported at this time. There is also no way to purchase ebooks from the Microsoft Store, they are just able to be imported into Edge with your Hotmail account. Although the Edge browser is available for anyone to download, only readers in the United States can browse their collections and read ebooks.


2018. Google Play audiobooks get Smart Resume and bookmarks



Google Play Audiobooks is receiving a significant update that introduces several new features that were notably absent when it debuted earlier this year. The most beneficial new feature is Smart Resume. Instead of resuming in the middle of a sentence or even a word when your audiobook playback is interrupted, this new feature will intelligently rewind to the start of the word or sentence, helping you maintain your immersion. This update also includes the ability to set bookmarks so you can easily return to your favorite sections of a book and the option to adjust the playback speed—whether speeding it up or slowing it down to thoroughly enjoy a favorite passage in Ulysses. If you regularly use Google Assistant and are already taking advantage of the newly launched Routines feature, you'll be pleased to know that you can now choose to continue your audiobooks when you wake up or begin your commute.


2018. Google brings audiobooks to its Play store



Google Play Store now offers audiobooks. This new audiobook feature is rolling out in 45 countries and nine languages. Similar to other platforms, you can listen to a preview of the audiobook on the Play Store, and audiobooks are automatically added to your family library, allowing you to easily share your audiobook copy of “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” with everyone in your household. One handy feature is its integration with Google Assistant on both your phone and Google Home. With this integration, you can simply ask the assistant to read your book, and it will do so. You can also inquire about basic details of the book (“Who is the author?”). Google’s pricing appears to be competitive with similar offerings from Amazon.


2017. Google Play Books improves reading experience



Google Play Books app for Android has undergone a major overhaul and now streamlines the reading experience. The Library page has seen considerable updates, with four of the five tabs being eliminated, leaving just two: Shelves and Books. The new Shelves system features vibrant and engaging cover art that displays books you haven’t started reading yet, while below that are books you’re currently reading. The third row is reserved for books you’ve completed. All the functions previously found in the removed tabs are now incorporated into the Books tab. The old tabs were essentially filters for the books in your account. The new Books tab offers a comprehensive list of your books, and you can use the filter button at the top right of the page to narrow the list to your uploads, purchases, or those in the family library.


2016. Google Play now allows to gift e-books



Google Play Books has released a minor update to their Android app that enables users to gift e-books. To do so, you simply need to go to a book on your homepage or within the Play Books Store and tap on the three dots. There is an option to gift the e-book to someone with an existing account, and they will receive an immediate notification that you have sent it, along with detailed instructions on how to access and read the book within the app.


2015. Google Play Books makes it easier to read at night



If you’re a night reader on your mobile device, you know it’s difficult to get tired with the bright screen glaring at your eyes. This isn’t an issue with physical books, as you can use a soft light to create a relaxing atmosphere. Google Play Books aims to replicate that softer experience with a feature called “Night Light.” As the evening progresses, it gradually filters out the blue light from your screen, replacing it with a warm, amber hue as the sun sets, to make reading more comfortable. Night Light automatically adjusts based on the amount of natural sunlight outside according to the time of day, providing the ideal warmth and brightness. This color adjustment is easier on your eyes and significantly enhances reading in low-light conditions.