Google DriveAndroidFile Management

How to Import Ebooks from Google Drive on Android

6 min read Aurora Reader

To import an ebook from Google Drive, open the Drive app, tap the three-dot menu beside the file, choose Open with or Send a copy, and select your ebook reader. If that option is unavailable, download the file first and import it from Android’s Downloads folder.

This works for actual ebook files such as EPUB, PDF, FB2, MOBI, AZW3 and TXT. A Google Docs document, shared webpage or .acsm ticket is not the same thing.

Method 1: Open directly from Drive

  1. Open Google Drive and locate the book.
  2. Check the filename and extension.
  3. Tap the three-dot menu.
  4. Choose Open with or Send a copy.
  5. Select Aurora Reader or another compatible reader.
  6. Confirm that the book appears in the reader’s library.

Menu wording varies between Drive versions and phone makers. If Drive only shows preview options, use the download method below.

Method 2: Download, then import

Tap Download in Drive. Open Android Files, go to Downloads, and select the book. You can use Open with, or open the reader and choose Import.

This method is easier to diagnose because the local file is visible. It also lets you keep a backup outside the reader’s private storage.

Make the book available offline

Opening a Drive preview does not guarantee offline access. After import, switch on airplane mode and open the book from the reader. If it opens and remembers your position, the reader has a local copy.

Drive’s Available offline option and a reader’s imported library solve different problems. The first lets Drive cache the source file. The second creates or registers a reading copy with progress, bookmarks and notes.

Import is not the same as sync

Sending one ebook from Drive to a reader does not automatically synchronize reading progress between devices. File transfer moves the book; library sync moves progress and related data.

Aurora Reader can import local files for free. Its optional Premium Google Drive sync stores reading data in your own Drive. See the features page for the current boundary between local import and sync.

Common failures

The reader does not appear under Open with. Confirm that the file has a supported extension. Download it and use the reader’s Import button.

Drive says you need permission. The owner has not granted download access, or you are signed into the wrong Google account. A reader cannot override Drive permissions.

The downloaded file is HTML or very small. You may have saved a share page instead of the book. Return to Drive and use its own Download command.

The book is protected by DRM. Use the store or library application authorized for that book. Moving an encrypted file through Drive does not remove its protection.

For a library that currently lives on a laptop, transfer ebooks from a computer to Android. To understand where Drive and imported copies reside, see where ebook files are stored on Android.

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