What you need to know
- Google Play Books celebrates its 15th birthday in December, which kickstarts a massive points party for users.
- Readers from Dec 5-7 can earn 15x the Play Points on book purchases.
- Earlier this year, Google Photos celebrated its 10th birthday, which brought AI editing suggestions and QR codes for album sharing.
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The festivities are kicking off as Google Play Books begins celebrating its birthday weekend with Android, iOS, and more readers.
In a Keyword post, Google announced that Play Books is turning 15 this weekend, and it's looking to bring that celebration to everyone. While there are stats and features regarding Play Books, Google says that users can expect a gift this weekend: the gift of 15x points. Beginning today (Dec 5) through December 7, users purchasing books can earn 15x the Play Points.
The company says this boost will apply to all users regardless of their Play Points level.
Since launching in 2010, Google says Play Books has expanded to over 75 countries and has built a library of "over 10 million ebooks and audiobooks." The company draws attention to its shelves, which helps users organize their books by genre or author. Users are also able to access their Play Books library between devices. Users can quickly pick up their stories from one phone to another (or even a tablet) without a problem.
Samples in Google Play Books give users a chance to understand the prose or general pacing of a book in question. More than that, the subscription gives users quick alerts when a new title is added to their favorite series.
Happy Birthday, Google Play Books
Google Play Books is back in the spotlight after the Play Store celebrated the year's end with its typical "Best Of" showcase. While apps like Focus Friends and Pokémon TCG Pocket won Best Overall app and Best Game, stories for quiet moments were also highlighted. Per Google, The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson won its pick for "Best Fantasy," while Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister took "Favorite Thriller."
For kids, Wind Watchers by Micha Archer was Google's favorite picture book.
Play Books isn't the only app celebrating its birthday this year, as Google Photos popped some fireworks for its 10th birthday in May.
That birthday update brought two major features to users on Android and iOS: a redesigned editing interface and QR codes. The Photos app's redesigned editor included AI suggestions to help users quickly spruce up their photos, so they can quickly save, share, and more. Additionally, QR codes are a new alternative to sharing albums.
