# Google Play Books & Audiobooks — user reviews > 549 indexed App Store user reviews of Google Play Books & Audiobooks by Google, rated 4.40/5 from 9,629 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/google-play-books-and-audiobooks/id400989007/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/google-play-books-and-audiobooks/id400989007.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 7,136 · 4★ 1,111 · 3★ 388 · 2★ 262 · 1★ 732 ## What do users think of Google Play Books & Audiobooks? Overall sentiment: neutral **Pros** - 👍 Seamless syncing across devices - 📚 Great selection of books - 🌙 Customizable reading experience - 🎧 Convenient audiobook support **Cons** - 🐛 Frequent crashes and glitches - 💻 Inability to purchase books in-app - 🔍 Lacking search and organization features - 📖 Issues with highlighting and annotations - 🔌 Drains device battery quickly **Commonly reported bugs** - Books disappearing from library - Highlighting and notes not syncing properly - Inability to download or open certain books - Page numbers and content not aligning correctly - App freezing or crashing on launch **Most requested features** - Add vertical scrolling option - Improve table of contents navigation - Allow users to sort books by series - Implement read-aloud functionality on iOS - Provide more customization options for fonts and themes ## Newest reviews (14 of 549) ### 2/5 — Something wrong with *2026-08-08, version 26.731.00* Man, what can I say? new version on iOS 18.3.2, I cannot download the books I uploaded, and I also cannot open the ones I already downloaded. ### 3/5 — . *2026-08-05* Muito bom, mas a parte ruim é q não tem como apagar os livros ### 2/5 — Formatting is Poor *2026-07-10, version 26.703.00* Good selection of books and audiobooks but formatting of books is broken. 2 inch margins bracket an absurdly small column of text. ### 3/5 — Markierung ist nicht möglich *2026-06-07* Seit einem Monat gibt’s es eine fehler kann man nicht mehr markieren oder den Satz in Farbe nehmen Bitte um Hilfe Denn fehler zu beheben ### 2/5 — Skips back randomly *2026-05-30, version 26.507.00* It’s a real pain to do a book study with this app because if you pause it the app will randomly back up. Sometimes 1 sec, sometimes 5 sec, sometimes 60 sec and everything in between, sometimes it doesn’t back up at all. It’s a real hassle. ### 2/5 — Need update *2026-05-29, version 26.507.00* I am using an iPad. After updating to the recent iOS version, when I open the app in window mode, the text is pushed to one side, so I cannot see the full content properly. Please fix this issue. ### 2/5 — split screen broken *2026-05-16, version 26.424.01* App is generally good, but the text is not centered when you use the split screen function in ipad os and pin the book the left or right of your screen. This used to work. Now the text goes off the screen. ### 4/5 — I love the app but… *2026-05-12, version 26.424.01* Since the new iOS update, the split screen function no longer works. Please fix this. ### 4/5 — Last line on each page not visible *2026-05-03, version 26.424.01* It's effectively "skipping" a line each time I flip a page in EPUB uploads. In fact the top of characters in that line is visible, but the most part of them is covered by the footer (reading progress etc.) making the line unreadable. ### 4/5 — Great for listening to instead of getting to much eye stain. *2026-04-25, version 26.406.0* Jack London the boy who cried wolf. ### 4/5 — Android is better *2026-04-06, version 26.318.0* I specifically downloaded Google playbooks on my Apple because on my android I was able to get the app to read my ebooks aloud to me. Come to find out, that on apple they don’t have that function. So it’s basically just as good as Apple Books and there’s really no difference between the 2. ### 1/5 — Blank pages *2026-03-20, version 26.227.0* My book keeps getting blank pages and freezing the app. I have tried everything to fix it. How frustrating. ### 1/5 — Highlighting stays where you put it for only 2 seconds! *2026-03-14, version 25.7.0* Highlighting just disappears. Same deal with notes and bookmarks. And in books where these features used to work before! What the heck? Please fix this. Thanks. ### 3/5 — Good, not great. *2026-03-04, version 26.227.0* Good app, but not as good as it is on Android. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Purchase *2026-07-04, version 26.619.05* I read the sample of a book I liked. I tried to purchase it, and there was no link anywhere to purchase it. ### 1/5 — Bubble Zoom is constantly broken *2026-07-01, version 26.619.05* This would be the greatest app ever for reading comics except that the bubble zoom feature breaks constantly. ### 1/5 — Buggy: No download on mobile network *2026-05-21, version 26.424.01* Why ### 1/5 — Horribly bad *2026-05-20, version 26.424.01* I hate this app ### 1/5 — Não possui a funcao audiolivro *2026-05-12* nao consigo usar ### 1/5 — SINGLE COLUMN PLEASE *2026-04-30, version 26.424.01* AND OTHER FEATURES THAT ANDROID VERSION HAS HAD FOR YEARS ### 1/5 — Rubbish *2026-04-27, version 26.406.0* I can only view certain pages In my books. ### 1/5 — cant open any books *2026-04-19, version 26.406.0* it no longer lets me open books, says network error ### 1/5 — Welp so much for convience *2026-04-15, version 26.406.0* Can’t listen to the audiobook unless I go into the web browser. Not only that. I can’t use the nice slick looking mobile webpage… I have to use the sloppy desktop site that doesn’t fit on the screen, can’t shut my screen off, ohh and on the app it doesn’t even say I have the book or the option to repurchase just for the quickness and easiness. I’m going back to audible. And Apple. Thanks google.. ### 1/5 — Terrible Update Ruined App *2026-03-22, version 26.227.0* Since the latest update, viewing content horizontally on a phone now splits the text into two narrow columns instead of one wide one. This has several negative consequences: 1. Poor Readability: The narrow columns fit very few words per line, making reading feel unnatural and jarring. 2. Reduced Efficiency: Less text fits on the screen, requiring more frequent page turns. 3. Broken Functionality: Text selection and highlighting are inhibited, as text cannot be selected across columns. This update has greatly diminished the readability of books on a phone and as a result, I will be switching to the app “ReadEra”, which does not force this two-column layout. ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Great option *2026-08-07, version 26.731.00* So far, I like the features of this app better than Kindle. I also love how Google books allows you to share e-books and audiobooks with friends just like you can do with physical books - audible does not let you do that. That said, I haven’t read using a Kindle device but only on iPads. So I can’t make a comparison there. ### 5/5 — Otimo *2026-04-17* O melhor pra comprar revistas DC E marvel ### 5/5 — It’s good I just wish for *2026-04-02, version 26.318.0* For discounts like the other ebook platforms but I search all three so it works. ### 5/5 — 5 stars *2026-04-01, version 26.318.0* Amazing book app. I’ve been using this app since I believe 2014 for school and reading. Means a lot to me. Thanks. ### 5/5 — Great app for iPad but… *2026-03-31* It has always been a problem when I search for pdf files or other documents and research papers they don’t seem to open when searched. Recently my uploads refuse to download at all. ### 5/5 — Google Books is Amazing *2026-03-24, version 26.227.0* I’ve enjoyed the finest works in some of the choicest prints in all of recorded history and it’s thanks to Google books. I could cry for how poorly my iPhone 15 pro handles the app but I genuinely consider the older prints on this app the finest free resources on the planet (from fiction to philosophy to history to biography etc!). I just hope they continue to expand the free catalogue of public domain works from prior to the 20th century cause it’s beyond compare for enriching one’s life. ### 5/5 — Read listen view *2026-03-01, version 26.213.0* Fun to read as for audio reading pictures many options ### 5/5 — Greatest Ever *2025-08-03, version 25.7.0* One of my favorite places to buy books at. Keeps reading on the go ### 5/5 — Love it *2025-04-05, version 25.2.0* You can get a sample with some books and there isn’t only like 80 pages there’s like 100.For example I love reading Enid Blyton and I got like 189 pages of free pages to read. ### 5/5 — appreciate *2025-01-28, version 25.1.0* Very well useful to ones need on the go or mental comfort --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-29.*