Tried using Google Play for ebooks

GracieAllen · 06-21-2025, 06:24 PM

I’m trying to read an e-book I bought on Google Play. I THOUGHT it would be simple…

I figured out how to find the ebook (it showed up in Google Play), except if you attempt to use the Google Play format it gets exported as an ACSM. I tried using Adobe Digital Editions to get a file I could open. Adobe Digital Editions information in says the username and password I tried to use has previously been used and can’t be used now.

This all seems like a lot more bother than necessary, so unless there’s a reader (the equivalent of the Libby reader or the Kindle reader, or Coolreader. Is there a reader for Google play that looks decent and works well?

Sirtel · 06-21-2025, 06:34 PM

There's the Google Play Books app. I've never used it, so can't say if it's any good.

I think there are other apps capable of reading DRMed epubs, but again, no idea which (DRM always gets removed from any epub I buy).

Quoth · 06-22-2025, 06:39 AM

I've used the Google Play app on Android for some free ebooks that mysteriously don't have downloads. Better than Borrowbox and no worse than Kindle.

I've had no problem with ACSM downloads from Google Playstore Playbooks, but I use Linux and plug-ins on Calibre. Not used ADE for about 10 years.

Considering Google's size and Playstore, their books product is a failure. Any one of Kindle, Kobo, Apple, Smashwords/Draft2Digital, Nook, Tollno, Scribed/Everand, ebooks . com etc seems to sell more ebooks.
We've never sold any via Google.
Partly people don't like the way Google operates payment methods. Hence even on apps the paid sales are tiny compared to "free" (often ad or personal data financed, or distribution of app for a sold HW product). Obviously the Kindle app is the most downloaded ereader app as Amazon has over 90% of English language ebook sales and the majority of ebooks are read on phones.

EDIT:
Some Google content is PDF based and some of that uses DRM. Some paid and free epub content on Google Playstore Playbooks is DRM free, unlike Amazon, who always put DRM on KFX.

GracieAllen · 06-22-2025, 11:53 AM

Thanks for the replies.

I don't recall finding a Google Play Books app. I'll have to find it and see how it is.

I haven't done enough with Google to have much of an opinion, but I wasn't impressed with trying to get the reader to work for their ebooks. I suspect if I'm going to deal with the bother, unless the Google e-reader is a lot better than the Kindle books I got (which isn't saying a lot), it's going to have to be pretty good to be worth dealing with another format.

I DO wish there was a way to use a better editor like Coolreader for my various ebook sources, but I haven't wanted to go though the bother of dealing with DRM and ADE and having more tools to mess with.

BUT, I'm probably just being lazy and crotchety and need to give it a try. It would be nice not to have a different app for every kind of ebook I read.

cgsmom · 06-22-2025, 12:25 PM

I have the Google Play Books app on my iPad and iPhone. It seems to work fine. I don’t use it much because I prefer to read on eink. At one time you could upload epubs to your library and Google would sync between devices. I don’t know if that is still possible. I thought they would do well if they would just get an eink reader.

DNSB · 06-22-2025, 02:14 PM

I've picked up some books from Google Play. I was using my Adobe ID and saw no issues as long as I opened the ACSM file before it expired. One acquaintance of mine who was trying to use anonymous authentication found that only 1 of the 11 books they tried worked since Google apparently limits the number of downloads.

Once you have calibre and it's plugins configured correctly, removing DRM is pretty much automatic. I do use the ACSM plugin so no need for ADE.

JSWolf · 06-22-2025, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GracieAllen

I’m trying to read an e-book I bought on Google Play. I THOUGHT it would be simple…

I figured out how to find the ebook (it showed up in Google Play), except if you attempt to use the Google Play format it gets exported as an ACSM. I tried using Adobe Digital Editions to get a file I could open. Adobe Digital Editions information in says the username and password I tried to use has previously been used and can’t be used now.

This all seems like a lot more bother than necessary, so unless there’s a reader (the equivalent of the Libby reader or the Kindle reader, or Coolreader. Is there a reader for Google play that looks decent and works well?

Have you or anyone else previously downloaded this eBook with a different account?

DrNefario · 06-23-2025, 05:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GracieAllen

I’m trying to read an e-book I bought on Google Play. I THOUGHT it would be simple…

I figured out how to find the ebook (it showed up in Google Play), except if you attempt to use the Google Play format it gets exported as an ACSM. I tried using Adobe Digital Editions to get a file I could open. Adobe Digital Editions information in says the username and password I tried to use has previously been used and can’t be used now.

So the problem here is getting the ACSM fulfilled to get the EPUB? That doesn't seem like it's specifically a Google Play problem. Have you bought or borrowed from anywhere else that uses ACSMs? Do they work OK?

Is the problem with the book or with the account? Are you trying to create a new account when you get the error with ADE? Or did you already have one which is for some reason not working with this book?

salamanderjuice · 06-23-2025, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrNefario

So the problem here is getting the ACSM fulfilled to get the EPUB? That doesn't seem like it's specifically a Google Play problem. Have you bought or borrowed from anywhere else that uses ACSMs? Do they work OK?

Is the problem with the book or with the account? Are you trying to create a new account when you get the error with ADE? Or did you already have one which is for some reason not working with this book?

Yeah, that error sounds to me like they already have an Adobe account with that email address and less a problem with ACSM file.

If it is a problem with the ACSM file it might be worth trying Google support and seeing if they can do anything.

Quoth · 06-23-2025, 10:58 AM

ASCM files do expire. Seems to be about 4 hours on Kobo.

Adobe don't expect too rapid use, so when I buy a bunch of ebooks at the same time with Adobe DRM, I only download and get "fulfilment" on one title at a time.

I've never bought an ebook from Google, though I have purchased maybe 3 apps since 2010.

Renate · 06-23-2025, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quoth

... though I have purchased maybe 3 apps since 2010.

You're really burning a hole through their servers!

I think that I bought an app from Google Play once (on a burner gift card).
It was from a plucky little company that made a nice little app.
Then, of course, the next time I turned around it had been bought up by a big evil company which wanted too much money for it.

GracieAllen · 06-23-2025, 05:23 PM

I apparently used something with Adobe Digital editions OR something that USED ADE or something it doesn't like. The information needed doesn't work any more with the username and login I've got. At some point I'll have to set up another login for ADE to use.

Unfortunately, I got the Google reader to work and it's about the same as what the Kindle uses, so it's not worth switching.

tomsem · 06-25-2025, 07:40 PM

I have purchased a few books from Play Books, have no issue getting them via ACSM file (I use the calibre plugin, no ADE required, create a new AdobeID if you need to). Sometimes you can get both ePub and PDF. In these cases you may find the ePub has a lot of extra markup, apparently to enable switching between re-flowable and fixed-layout with Google's reading app and preserving reading position.

However some purchases do not offer a download option, so it is best to check the details before purchasing.

If something I want is in Kindle Store and it is in Print Replica format (used for textbooks mostly), I look to see if Google has it (in PDF format). While I can still remove DRM using K4PC method, that may not work at some point. Also, I can then push the PDF to Send To Kindle and it is a Write On Book on my Scribe, with ability to share the annotations etc. Most print replica titles in Kindle Store are not made available for Kindles even though the newer ones support this format (yet only Scribe and Colorsoft get the print-replica conversion of PDFs you add to library).

06-21-2025, 06:24 PM	#1
GracieAllen Enthusiast Posts: 38 Karma: 93638 Join Date: Nov 2017 Device: Nexus 9	Tried using Google Play for ebooks I’m trying to read an e-book I bought on Google Play. I THOUGHT it would be simple… I figured out how to find the ebook (it showed up in Google Play), except if you attempt to use the Google Play format it gets exported as an ACSM. I tried using Adobe Digital Editions to get a file I could open. Adobe Digital Editions information in says the username and password I tried to use has previously been used and can’t be used now. This all seems like a lot more bother than necessary, so unless there’s a reader (the equivalent of the Libby reader or the Kindle reader, or Coolreader. Is there a reader for Google play that looks decent and works well?

06-22-2025, 06:39 AM	#3
Quoth Still reading Posts: 13,928 Karma: 103895653 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	I've used the Google Play app on Android for some free ebooks that mysteriously don't have downloads. Better than Borrowbox and no worse than Kindle. I've had no problem with ACSM downloads from Google Playstore Playbooks, but I use Linux and plug-ins on Calibre. Not used ADE for about 10 years. Considering Google's size and Playstore, their books product is a failure. Any one of Kindle, Kobo, Apple, Smashwords/Draft2Digital, Nook, Tollno, Scribed/Everand, ebooks . com etc seems to sell more ebooks. We've never sold any via Google. Partly people don't like the way Google operates payment methods. Hence even on apps the paid sales are tiny compared to "free" (often ad or personal data financed, or distribution of app for a sold HW product). Obviously the Kindle app is the most downloaded ereader app as Amazon has over 90% of English language ebook sales and the majority of ebooks are read on phones. EDIT: Some Google content is PDF based and some of that uses DRM. Some paid and free epub content on Google Playstore Playbooks is DRM free, unlike Amazon, who always put DRM on KFX. Last edited by Quoth; 06-22-2025 at 06:42 AM.

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06-21-2025, 06:34 PM	#2
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,428 Karma: 238915019 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	There's the Google Play Books app. I've never used it, so can't say if it's any good. I think there are other apps capable of reading DRMed epubs, but again, no idea which (DRM always gets removed from any epub I buy).

06-22-2025, 11:53 AM	#4
GracieAllen Enthusiast Posts: 38 Karma: 93638 Join Date: Nov 2017 Device: Nexus 9	Thanks for the replies. I don't recall finding a Google Play Books app. I'll have to find it and see how it is. I haven't done enough with Google to have much of an opinion, but I wasn't impressed with trying to get the reader to work for their ebooks. I suspect if I'm going to deal with the bother, unless the Google e-reader is a lot better than the Kindle books I got (which isn't saying a lot), it's going to have to be pretty good to be worth dealing with another format. I DO wish there was a way to use a better editor like Coolreader for my various ebook sources, but I haven't wanted to go though the bother of dealing with DRM and ADE and having more tools to mess with. BUT, I'm probably just being lazy and crotchety and need to give it a try. It would be nice not to have a different app for every kind of ebook I read.

06-22-2025, 12:25 PM	#5
cgsmom Addict Posts: 330 Karma: 3797667 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: USA Device: Kindle Colorsoft, Nook GL4+, Nook GL4, Kindle Oasis 3, iPhone 14	I have the Google Play Books app on my iPad and iPhone. It seems to work fine. I don’t use it much because I prefer to read on eink. At one time you could upload epubs to your library and Google would sync between devices. I don’t know if that is still possible. I thought they would do well if they would just get an eink reader.

06-22-2025, 02:14 PM	#6
DNSB Bibliophagist Posts: 45,882 Karma: 168959602 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Vancouver Device: Kobo Sage, Libra Colour, Lenovo M8 FHD, Paperwhite 4, Tolino epos	I've picked up some books from Google Play. I was using my Adobe ID and saw no issues as long as I opened the ACSM file before it expired. One acquaintance of mine who was trying to use anonymous authentication found that only 1 of the 11 books they tried worked since Google apparently limits the number of downloads. Once you have calibre and it's plugins configured correctly, removing DRM is pretty much automatic. I do use the ACSM plugin so no need for ADE.

06-23-2025, 10:58 AM	#10
Quoth Still reading Posts: 13,928 Karma: 103895653 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	ASCM files do expire. Seems to be about 4 hours on Kobo. Adobe don't expect too rapid use, so when I buy a bunch of ebooks at the same time with Adobe DRM, I only download and get "fulfilment" on one title at a time. I've never bought an ebook from Google, though I have purchased maybe 3 apps since 2010.

06-23-2025, 05:23 PM	#12
GracieAllen Enthusiast Posts: 38 Karma: 93638 Join Date: Nov 2017 Device: Nexus 9	I apparently used something with Adobe Digital editions OR something that USED ADE or something it doesn't like. The information needed doesn't work any more with the username and login I've got. At some point I'll have to set up another login for ADE to use. Unfortunately, I got the Google reader to work and it's about the same as what the Kindle uses, so it's not worth switching.

06-25-2025, 07:40 PM	#13
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,930 Karma: 27013865 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	I have purchased a few books from Play Books, have no issue getting them via ACSM file (I use the calibre plugin, no ADE required, create a new AdobeID if you need to). Sometimes you can get both ePub and PDF. In these cases you may find the ePub has a lot of extra markup, apparently to enable switching between re-flowable and fixed-layout with Google's reading app and preserving reading position. However some purchases do not offer a download option, so it is best to check the details before purchasing. If something I want is in Kindle Store and it is in Print Replica format (used for textbooks mostly), I look to see if Google has it (in PDF format). While I can still remove DRM using K4PC method, that may not work at some point. Also, I can then push the PDF to Send To Kindle and it is a Write On Book on my Scribe, with ability to share the annotations etc. Most print replica titles in Kindle Store are not made available for Kindles even though the newer ones support this format (yet only Scribe and Colorsoft get the print-replica conversion of PDFs you add to library).

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