Summary
- Users can now purchase ebooks from Google Play Books directly on an Apple devices.
- Despite needing to complete purchases on a web page, Google’s new button makes buying ebooks convenient for all users.
- Tech companies like Google are finding ways to work around Apple’s restrictions, hinting at potential changes in the future.
Apple has kept its ecosystem locked down to outside purchases for years. For example, if you wanted to purchase an ebook from Google Play Books on your iPad, you had to open Chrome and find the Play Store’s books and buy it there, or jump over to your
Android device
. But no longer.
Related
Google is rolling out a new “Get Book” button on Google Play Books that takes users directly to Google Play’s website. There, users can buy their ebooks and read them seamlessly on their Android phone and their iPad. This is much more convenient than jumping through all the hoops Apple set up for us Android users.
Here’s why this matters to everyone
Android tablets only recently started matching iPads in performance and form factor, and anyone with an iPad knows it is a pleasure to read on. Some unfortunate souls have even migrated over to iPhone and now find themselves trapped in Apple’s enticing walled garden.
Thankfully, this update now makes it easier to purchase books from an Apple device while still keeping everything within Google’s platform-agnostic ecosystem. To purchase a book from the Google Play Store app on iOS or iPadOS, simply:
- Tap the Get ebook button.
- Tap the link to the Play Store on the next screen.
- Choose Continue on Apple’s warning page.
- Choose the book you want to purchase and follow the prompts as normal.
Apple still being Apple, at least for now
This doesn’t completely bypass Apple’s lockdown and App Store rules. You still need to complete your purchase on a web page instead of directly in the app. However, Google has removed several major inconveniences and made it as simple as possible to purchase books.
Apple being Apple, it is unknown how long Google will be able to get away with this. However, there is a shift happening as tech companies face increasing global pressure to loosen restrictions on in-app purchases. For instance:
- Microsoft will soon allow game purchases on Android directly through the XBox app, thanks to the Epic v. Google case.
- The European Union is coming down hard on big tech monopolies and has challenged both Apple and Google’s app store dominance.
But for most Android users who have an iPad and simply want a smooth experience across platforms, without being locked into Apple, this is a great step forward. Now you can browse, purchase, and read your books on an iPad without leaving the app. Or you can consider picking up an
Android tablet
and live your life happily ever after.
