Google Play Books update bring back ability to upload PDF and EPUB files

Version 3.1.31 of Google Play Books lets you upload PDF and EPUB files to your library to make them available from any device.

The feature was first introduced in update 3.1.17 at the end of last year, but apparently its debut was unintentional. Google quickly removed the feature in the following update, calling it experimental, but promised it would return to the app in the close future.

Google is keeping its word with the latest Play Books update, which brings back support for the two popular file formats, as well as improved performance, a fix to a bug that caused the screen to turn off when the app was reading a book aloud, and the relocation of Settings and Help to the main menu.

In order to be able to upload PDF documents to your Books library, you will first need to check a special option in the Settings menu. There’s no special setting for EPUB however. After that, you will be able to upload files from Gmail attachments or from your Downloads folder.

The update is welcome, especially for those who prefer to obtain their books from outside the established e-stores. Students and other productive types should also benefit from having one app to read PDFs and other types of ebooks.

The update is rolling out now to all users, but as usual, give it some time for it to reach your device. In related news, Moon+ Reader, a popular e-reading app that supports PDFs, recently received an update to its interface – check it out here.