Customer Reviews (100)

Sembee • 2025-03-31T05:29:34.864Z

An enjoyable read with interesting twists.

Dilip Dha • 2025-03-31T05:12:21.131Z

nice

Vinod Kumar Vinod Kumar Verma • 2025-03-31T05:07:12.180Z

amom

Summary of Key Insights

Google Play Books & Audiobooks generally receives positive feedback, with a significant portion of users praising its ease of use, wide selection of books, and cross-device compatibility. However, several critical issues detract from the user experience, including disappearing annotations and bookmarks, the inability to delete uploaded books, and problems with the read-aloud feature. There are also requests for improved offline translation and a subscription service similar to Kindle Unlimited. The overall sentiment is positive, but addressing the identified pain points is crucial for improving user satisfaction.

  • Overall Rating: High, with a strong skew towards 5-star reviews.
  • Strengths: Extensive library, user-friendliness, offline reading, and cross-device syncing.
  • Weaknesses: Issues with annotations and bookmarks, inability to delete uploaded books, glitches with the read-aloud feature, and lack of a subscription service.
  • Score Distribution: 5-star (61%), 4-star (14%), 3-star (10%), 2-star (2%), 1-star (13%).

Data & Methodology Overview

  • Data Sample Size: 100 reviews.
  • Time Frame: Not specified, but assumed to be recent based on review content.
  • Analysis Methods: Manual sentiment analysis and keyword extraction were performed to identify recurring themes, positive aspects, and pain points. The star rating distribution was also analyzed to provide a quantitative overview of user sentiment.

Key User Pain Points

  • Disappearing Annotations and Bookmarks: Multiple users reported losing annotations and bookmarks, a critical issue that severely impacts the reading experience.
  • Inability to Delete Uploaded Books: Users are frustrated by the inability to permanently delete uploaded books, raising concerns about data privacy and control.
  • Glitches with Read Aloud Feature: Some users experienced stuttering, app crashes, and phone shutdowns when using the read-aloud feature.
  • Problems with EPUB Uploads: A user reported not being able to upload EPUB files, limiting the app's versatility.
  • Bookmarking Issues: Some users have experienced the app not remembering their place in the book.
  • Finished Books Not Moving: A user reported books marked as finished not moving from the homepage to the library.

Frequently Requested Features

  • Subscription Service (like Kindle Unlimited): Several users expressed interest in a subscription model offering unlimited access to a curated selection of books.
  • Improved Offline Translation: Users requested better offline translation capabilities.
  • Ability to Write Notes: Some users requested the ability to write notes within the app, seemingly separate from the current "smart notes" function.
  • Enhanced Control over Highlights: A user suggested that the app should automatically extend highlighting to the next page when a sentence wraps.
  • Option to Export Books to Other Apps: A user requested the ability to export books to other apps with read-aloud functionality.
  • Jump Forward/Backward in Audiobooks: A user complained about the inability to skip ahead to specific chapters in audiobooks.

Strengths and Positive Aspects

  • Wide Selection of Books: Users appreciate the extensive library and variety of available titles.
  • Ease of Use: The app is generally considered user-friendly and easy to navigate.
  • Cross-Device Compatibility: Users value the ability to read books on multiple devices and sync their progress.
  • Offline Reading: The ability to download books for offline reading is a popular feature.
  • Good for Reading EPUBs: Some users specifically praised the app's functionality for reading EPUB files.
  • Cost-Effective: Some users appreciate being able to buy books individually without a subscription.
  • Bubble Zoom (Comics): Users enjoy the immersive comic reading experience with Bubble Zoom.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

  • High Priority:
    • Fix Disappearing Annotations and Bookmarks: This is the most critical issue and should be addressed immediately to prevent further user frustration.
    • Implement Delete Functionality for Uploaded Books: Provide users with the option to permanently delete their uploaded books to address privacy concerns.
    • Resolve Glitches with Read Aloud Feature: Investigate and fix the stuttering, crashing, and shutdown issues reported by users.
  • Medium Priority:
    • Improve Offline Translation: Enhance the offline translation capabilities to better serve users who need this feature.
    • Address EPUB Upload Issues: Fix any bugs preventing users from uploading EPUB files.
    • Address Bookmarking Issues: Ensure the app accurately remembers the user's place in the book.
    • Address "Finished Books" issue: Ensure books marked as finished are moved from the home page to the library.
  • Low Priority:
    • Consider a Subscription Service: Explore the feasibility of offering a subscription model similar to Kindle Unlimited.
    • Add Note-Taking Feature: Implement a separate note-taking function alongside the existing "smart notes".
    • Enhance Highlighting Functionality: Improve the highlighting tool to automatically extend selections across pages.

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

  • Annotation Recovery Tool: A tool or service that helps users recover lost annotations and bookmarks from ebook files.
  • Ebook Privacy Service: A service that allows users to securely store and manage their ebook libraries, with guaranteed deletion options.
  • AI-Powered Translation Assistant: An AI-powered tool that provides real-time translation and explanations for foreign language ebooks.
  • Customizable Ebook Reader App: A highly customizable ebook reader app that allows users to tailor the reading experience to their specific needs and preferences.

Trends and Observations

  • Language Preferences: The majority of reviews are in English, but there are also reviews in other languages, indicating a global user base.
  • Positive Sentiment: The overall sentiment is positive, with users praising the app's features and ease of use.
  • Recurring Issues: The issues with annotations and bookmarks are recurring themes, suggesting a persistent problem.
  • Feature Requests: The requests for a subscription service and improved offline translation indicate unmet user needs.
  • Update Problems: Some users reported that updates introduced new issues, suggesting a need for more thorough testing before release.

Conclusion

Google Play Books & Audiobooks is a popular app with a strong user base. However, addressing the key pain points, particularly the disappearing annotations and the lack of delete functionality for uploaded books, is crucial for improving user satisfaction and maintaining a positive reputation. Implementing the requested features, such as a subscription service and improved offline translation, could further enhance the app's appeal and attract new users. Overall, focusing on stability, data control, and enhanced functionality will contribute to a better user experience.

Original App Link

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.books