Google eBooks Help 
Google eBooks™ is a new way to discover, buy, and enjoy your favourite books, online and offline. You can read Google eBooks on your computer, your smartphone, or your electronic reading device. Google eBooks are now available on Hive. It's very easy to discover, buy and read Google eBooks, but you might have a few questions, which hopefully we'll answer below.
How do I buy a Google eBook?
Buying a Google eBook is very simple. You can search for a particular title or author across our entire catalogue or limit your search to just Google eBooks, you do this by selecting All Products or Google eBooks in the dropdown search box. You can also browse through Google eBooks from the Homepage by clicking on the Google eBooks tab and then selecting a specific category from the left hand navigation. Clicking on a specific product will take you the product page, which will give you a little more information about that title. You'll know if it's a Google eBook as the Google logo will be visible on the product page as well as the format being shown as Google eBook.
Once you have decided what title to buy, press the Buy button and that will add the item to your shopping basket. You can select as many titles as you like, and have other items in your shopping basket, they don't all have to be Google eBooks. When you're ready to pay for your order, click on the Checkout button and the following screen will be presented:
If you've already shopped with us before, enter your account log in details, or, if you're new to the site, you will be able to create an account, or, if you prefer you can purchase without having to create an account. However, creating an account will enable you to store some of your details to make your next purchase quicker and also give you access to your order history and other useful information.
The next step is to read and agree to Google's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, you will need to tick the box at the end of each statement. Press Continue.
The next step is to authorise access to your Google Account - we need to do this so you will be able to access your Google eBook from within Hive but also for your Hive purchases to be stored in Google's Cloud and your Google Library so that all your Google eBooks are available to you via your Google account. Don't worry we're not sharing or accessing any personal or financial information.
Once you have granted access, you will then be able to complete your purchase and go through our normal checkout. Once the order has been placed you will receive an email confirmation and be able to access your Google eBook by logging into My Account or logging into your Google Account.
Enjoy!
If you have any questions relating to purchasing a Google eBook, or experience any problem, don't worry we're here to help! The following FAQ's might answer your question, if not, then please contact us and we'll be able to guide you through the process.
What is Google eBooks?
Google eBooks is a new way to discover, buy, and enjoy your favourite books, online and offline, powered by Google. You can read Google eBooks on your computer, your smartphone, or your electronic reading device.
Google eBooks are kept on the cloud (Google's computer servers), which means you can do more than just read your book. You can switch from one reading device to another without losing your place, manage your digital book collection on your digital bookshelf and read online and offline. Find out more by watching this video
What is the benefit of buying a Google eBook and the cloud?
Your Google eBook purchases are kept on Google's vast network of computer servers, or cloud. This system benefits your reading experience.
Keeping your place. Since you're accessing the same digital book every time, Google's system knows when you stop reading on a given page. For example, if you are reading a Google eBook on your home computer and stop at page 100, you could access the same book on your phone or e-reader and continue from page 100 without losing your place.
Accessibility. As Google eBooks are kept on the cloud, you don't have to worry about moving a downloaded version of your book from one device to another. As long as you have a Google account, you should be able to access any Google eBooks you have purchased, from any computer, as well as most phones and e-readers. As long as you use the same Google account to purchase from Hive or Google you will be able to access all your book purchases.
Are there any restrictions?
Due to licence agreements, you may only purchase and download Google eBooks content within the UK, we are required to check your location during the checkout process and will let you know at that point if any restrictions apply.
Why do I need to have a Google account in order to buy a Google eBook?
You need to have a Google Account in order to buy a Google eBook because the digital book will 'live' in the cloud, or Google servers. All your eBook purchases will be stored in the same place and associated with that specific Google Account. Creating a Google Account is free, and you don't have to have a Gmail address. For more information of how to create an account, please click here
Why do I need to link my Hive.co.uk account with my Google Account?
Google eBooks can be read on Android devices, iPhone, eReaders and more. The Google eBook lives on Google's servers so you can access it anywhere, anytime. By linking your Hive.co.uk and Google accounts you will be able to read on all these devices and enable additional features. Only Google eBooks are held on Google's servers.
Is my credit card information shared with Google upon linking accounts?
No, don't worry. The only reason why you are asked to link your hive.co.uk account to a Google account is so that you can finish your purchase and access your Google eBooks via our website. There is no information (personal or financial) being shared between Google and us. This means Google won't have access to your credit card information, and we won't have access to your Google account or Gmail. If you're concerned with the security and privacy of your Google Account, please click here to learn more about Privacy and Security for Google Account Users
Which devices are supported?
Web browsers: You can read Google eBooks on any browser with JavaScript enabled. Learn more here
Smartphones. You can download and install the Google Books reading app for free on any compatible Android phone that is running version 2.1 (Eclair) or later and has access to the Android Market, or on the iphone, iPod touch or iPad (iOS 3.0 or later).
eReader devices. Google eBooks can be read with any dedicated eBook reader that supports the Adobe eBook platform, including, iRiver, Sony, Elonex, more than 85 devices support the Adobe eBook platform today. Some of these devices are also sold on hive.co.uk Click here for a full list of Adobe-compatible devices.
Amazon Kindle. Google eBooks are not compatible with Amazon Kindle devices.
Can I read my Google eBook on multiple devices?
Yes! You can access your Google eBooks on different devices, including on the web on your computer and via Android and iPad/iPhone apps. No matter where you read your Google eBook, Google will keep track of your reading place, so you can pick up right where you were last reading the next time you open your Google eBook.
Note: In rare occasions if you try to access Google eBooks on a number of devices at the same time, Google's system may temporarily block you from opening new reading sessions.This can happen when too many readers are open on different machines or browsers. If your other reading sessions are closed or inactive, you will be able to read in this browser after a short delay. If you believe this is an error please contact us
Tips for reading on multiple devices
Google syncs to your most recently accessed location in the book, even if you flipped ahead or flipped back to another location for a moment.
- Due to the free-flowing of text and slight differences between devices, you may not sync to the exact location on the page where you stopped reading. If you're not able to find your place, flip back or forward one page at a time until you find the location on the page where you stopped reading. In the web reader, you may also try to refresh the page.
- You can easily jump to a specific location in a book if you know the page number. Page numbers are denoted as follows:
"54 / 290" represents page 54 out of 290 pages of the book.
"54 - 55 / 290" represents the end of the page 54 and the start of page 55 out of 290 pages
- For any device requiring you to transfer books using Adobe Digital Editions, the page will not sync with the Google eBooks web reader, the iOS or the Android apps.
If you are having trouble syncing across devices, please contact us for further assistance.
Who do I contact if I have a problem?
We're here to help. Our Customer Service and Technical team are happy to help answer any questions you may have and to help resolve any problems. You can contact them by email, customerservice@hive.co.uk or by phone Monday to Friday 9.00 - 18.00 on 0845 67 20020. We promise to respond to all emails within 1 working day.
