Fix problems using Google Play Books

If you’re having problems downloading, reading or listening to e-books or audiobooks, try the steps below.

Fix book loading problems

If your e-book or audiobook won’t open or download, try these steps.

Step 1: Check your connection and updates
  1. Make sure your device is connected to Wi-Fi or a 3G/4G mobile network.
  2. Make sure your Play Books app is updated with the latest version.
Step 2: Refresh and re-download
  1. Open the Google Play Books app Play Books.
  2. To refresh the app, pull the screen down.
  3. To remove the e-book or audiobook, on the cover, tap More Moreand then Remove download.
  4. To reload and open the e-book or audiobook, tap More Moreand then Download.
  5. If that doesn’t work, go to step 3.
Step 3: Clear your app data
  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap Storage and then Other Apps.
  3. Tap Google Play Books and then Clear data.
  4. Make sure your device is connected to Wi-Fi or a 3G/4G mobile network.
  5. Open the Google Play Books app and sign in. You'll see the e-books and audiobooks you already downloaded, but you'll have to download them again.

If these steps don’t work, the file type likely isn’t supported by Google Play Books.

Find a book in your library

If you can’t find an e-book or audiobook you bought in your library, follow these steps.

Step 1: Make sure you’re signed in to the right account
  1. Open the Google Play Books app Play Books.
  2. At the left, tap Menu Menu.
  3. Tap the Down arrow Down Arrow. Select the account you used to buy the e-book or audiobook. If you don’t see your account, you’ll need to add it to your device.
Step 2: Check whether you bought the book
  1. Go to the Google Play Store.
  2. Search for the e-book or audiobook.
  3. Tap the cover.
  4. Find the blue button.
    • If it says "Read," you already own it.
    • If it says "Buy," the e-book or audiobook isn’t in your library. You’ll need to buy it to read or listen to it.

Fix "device limit reached" problem

Most books limit how many devices you can download them on at the same time. Remove the e-book or audiobook from one of your devices and download it on another, or turn off Books syncing on devices you don't use often.

Remove a downloaded book
  1. Open the Google Play Books app Play Books.
  2. Find the e-book or audiobook you want to remove.
  3. Tap Offline Offline and then Remove.

Turn off syncing for Books on Android

  1. Open your device’s Settings app.
  2. Tap Accounts and then Google.
  3. Turn "Google Play Books" off. 

Fix problems playing audiobooks

Step 1: Check the sound settings on your device

  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Settings app.
  2. Tap Sounds.
  3. Make sure the media volume is not muted. 

Step 2: Check your device storage

 If your audiobook stops playing abruptly, you may not have enough space on your device. 

  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Settings app.
  2. Tap Storage.
  3. Tap Free Up Space.
  4. Re-download the audiobook.

Step 3: Disconnect from a Bluetooth or Chromecast device

  1. On your Android phone or tablet, open the Settings app.
  2. Tap Connected devices and choose an option:
    • ​To disconnect from a Bluetooth device, tap Bluetooth, then disconnect from the paired device.
    • To disconnect from a Chromecast device, tap Cast, then disconnect from the paired device. 

Page numbers are missing or wrong

Most e-books on Google Play Books adjust to fit your screen when you change page features like font size or line spacing. This means:

  • The same page number can appear on more than one page
  • The page count you see might be different than the page count on the book’s details page.

See the original scanned pages of a book

Note: You won’t be able to adjust font size, line spacing, or other page formatting.

  1. Open the e-book.
  2. Tap the center of the page.
  3. Tap MoreMoreand then Original pages. To change back, tap Flowing text.

Pages are missing

If pages are missing, the e-book may not have downloaded correctly. You can remove and then re-download the e-book.

  1. Open the Google Play Books app Play Books.
  2. On the cover of the e-book that isn’t working, tap More Moreand then Remove download and then OK.
  3. Make sure you’re connected to a Wi-Fi or cellular network.
  4. Tap the cover of the e-book you want to re-download.

 

Was this article helpful?
How can we improve it?