How to download books from Google Books

Google offers a huge inventory of eBooks through Google Books. There is a Google Books search engine and a Google Play Books store. Here's how to download books from Google Books.

Google offers a huge inventory of eBooks through Google Books. There is a Google Books search engine and a Google Play Books store. Both services allow you to save copies of books so they can be read offline. Here's how to download books from Google Books.

Do you know how to download books from Google Books?

  1. Google Books search engine
    1. What is the Google Books search engine?
    2. Can you download any title on Google Books for free?
    3. How to download books from Google Books
  2. Google Play Books
    1. How to download books from Google Play Books
    2. Download Google Play Books on Android or iOS
    3. Download Google Play Books on Windows and Mac
  3. Other ways to download free books online

Google Books search engine

First, consider how to download a book from Google Books for free.

What is the Google Books search engine?

The Google Books search engine has been around since 2004. It allows you to search more than 30 million titles, each of which has been scanned and converted into text by OCR. Several journals are also included here.

When you click on the search results, you will see scanned pages, book information (such as author, publication date and introduction), as well as links to buy in ebook or print form.

You can also add your own reviews and save books to the library.

Can you download any title on Google Books for free?

Is not. Each book title on Google Books is assigned one of the following 4 access levels:

  1. No Preview: If Google has not yet scanned the book, you will not be able to see any text related to it. However, you will still have access to the book's metadata and ISBN.
  2. Snippet: If Google doesn't have the necessary copyright rights, you should be able to see up to 3 snippets. Snippet displays several sentences of a specific query. No excerpts are displayed for reference books such as encyclopedias and dictionaries.
  3. Preview: Most books on Google Books fall under the Preview category . This item is available for books that are still being printed and Google has permission from the copyright owner. If a book is on the Preview list , you will be able to browse a number of different pages. All pages are stamped and you cannot download, save or copy them.
  4. Full View: Google assigns a Full View catalog to books that are no longer printed and in the public domain. A small number of printed books is also included. This is the only catalog you can download from Google Books.

How to download books from Google Books

So how do you download books from Google Books in the Full View category?

Unless you know what title you want, you should use the Google Books Advanced Search feature . It allows you to enter a number of specific parameters, one of which is the category of the book. Obviously, you need to select Full View.

You can also enter keywords, preferred publishers, authors, ISBN, ISSN and title. When ready, press the Google Search button in the upper right corner.

Picture 1 of How to download books from Google Books

From the list of results, click on the title of the book you are looking for. The book information page will be loaded. You can find the download link in the upper left corner. It is labeled as EBOOK — FREE.

By hovering over the link, you can see which devices you can read and what additional features the book supports.

Picture 2 of How to download books from Google Books

When you click on the link, you will receive an additional prompt to confirm your decision. Select Read and the book will be available in the My Books section of the Google Play Store. To download, click the three dots on the list and choose Download PDF or Download EPUB (depending on availability).

Google Play Books

Google Play Books is Google's ebook store. It is the second largest ebook store on the web after Amazon. Google Play Books offers over 6 million titles for purchase. You can also use the platform to buy audiobooks and rent textbooks.

How to download books from Google Play Books

Google Play Books allows you to download any book you own to read offline. The options available to you will vary depending on whether or not you have purchased the book, if it's free.

If you have free eBooks in your library (because you saved them using Google Books using the previous method or you took advantage of the free eBook offer on the store itself), you can download it PDF or EPUB file version. You can then copy, copy and share the file as you like.

However, for paid books, you can only download one copy on your device to read offline. You will not be able to access PDF or EPUB files.

To download books, you'll need the Google Play Books smartphone app (for mobile devices) or the Chrome browser and the Play Books extension from the Chrome Web Store (for desktop).

Download Google Play Books on Android or iOS

To download books to your mobile device, follow the instructions below:

1. Get a free copy of the Google Play Books app from the appropriate app store.

2. Make sure your device is connected to the Internet.

3. Click the Library tab at the bottom of the screen.

4. Click the book you want to save to read offline.

The download will start automatically. When it is finished, you will see a vestige appear on the book's thumbnail.

To view books you've downloaded from Google Play, go to Menu> Downloaded Only .

  1. Download Google Play Books for Android | Google Play Books for iOS (Free)

Download Google Play Books on Windows and Mac

Picture 3 of How to download books from Google Books

If you prefer to download a book on your desktop instead, use the following instructions:

1. Download Google Chrome for your favorite operating system.

2. Download the Google Play Books web app for Google Chrome.

3. Open Chrome and access the Google Play Books application.

4. Find the book you want to download to read offline.

5. Hover over the book thumbnail and click Make available offline .

If you want to delete the book in the future, just deselect the same checkbox.

  1. Download Google Chrome (Free)
  2. Download Google Play Books for Google Chrome (Free)

Other ways to download free books online

The methods described in this article will help you ensure you always have plenty of material to read, even if you plan to be offline for an extended period of time.

And remember, Google Books is not the only place where you can find free ebooks. If you want to learn more, here are some convenient free ebook libraries and the best sites for getting free ebooks.

Wish you find a suitable choice!

Update 17 October 2019
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