Skip to main content

Free comics from Google to celebrate new comic mode in Play Books app

Google has gone comic crazy, updating the Play Books app with a new comic mode, adding a comics section to the Play Books store, and giving a wide selection of titles away for free. If you’re not reading comics on your phone or tablet yet, now is your chance to give it a try, and the experience will cost you absolutely nothing.

Announced on its official blog, Google says the updated app is specially designed for comic fans, primarily because it makes it easier to flick between panels. Instead of scrolling around and lining them up on the screen, the idea is to change your device into landscape mode, and vertically swipe a new panel into view. This’ll make the reading experience more fluid, and with fewer interruptions to the story.

Recommended Videos

To go with the newly updated app, which is compatible with the majority of Android phones and is usually pre-installed, Google has opened a new wing of its Play Books Store dedicated to finding new comics to read. Listing comics individually and by series, Google will recommend new comics for you, based on other store activity. The thoughtfully laid out series sections make it easy to find specific issues.

If you’re new to comics on a smartphone or tablet, then Google doesn’t want you missing out, and is celebrating the new update and store by making a selection of comics free to download. The entire collection is available here, and consists mainly of issue ones, with titles including Spawn, The Walking Dead, The X-Files, Star Wars Previews, Orphan Black, and Transformers. Google says it’ll be refreshing the deals each Thursday, so it’ll be worth revisiting if nothing catches your eye this time around.

Google’s Play Books comic mode sees it take on established names in the digital comics world, primarily ComiXology, which also produces apps for the large comic publishers such as Marvel and DC. Amazon and Apple also have a selection of comics available in the Kindle and iBooks stores.

The Play Store and Play Books updates will be available on Android devices first and iOS soon, in the U.S., the UK, Australia, India, Singapore, South Africa, Ireland, and New Zealand.

Andy Boxall
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
Google removed a useful but little-known Play Store feature
Person holding Samsung Galaxy smartphone showing Google Play Store.

The most recent update to the Google Play Store app has quietly removed a useful app-sharing feature that you probably didn't know existed. The feature first came onto the scene in 2021 and allowed Android users to use the "Quick Share" option to send apps to others.

With the latest Play Store update (version 45.2.19-31), the feature is officially kaput. If you never used it or knew about it, don't feel bad. App-sharing wasn't widely advertised, and even users who did know rarely used it.

Read more
Google Maps’ new feature sees Android play catchup to iOS
Samsung Galaxy S24 in Marble Gray showing Google Maps.

Android users are getting their first glimpse of a new operating system feature while using Google Maps, as the app is the first to make use of the Live Updates ability that was added for Android 16. The feature will give users updated information in their status bar so they can keep track of ongoing activity such as following directions using maps.

Similar to Apple's Live Activities system, the Android function can potentially be used by a range of apps but has first been seen in Google Maps. "Live Updates are a new class of notifications that help users monitor and quickly access important ongoing activities," Android developers explained in a post highlighting the feature when it was first announced.

Read more
Google is testing shortcut for the upcoming ‘AI Mode’ for search on mobile
Google search on Android app.

Google is ramping up efforts to make AI overviews more comprehensive and visible in search results. As it looks to evolve the overviews into more elaborate responses, the search giant might also include them in search results on mobile apps on Android and iOS.

Google is reportedly experimenting with a shortcut within its Android app for the expected "AI Mode," which is currently being tested internally. Android Authority reverse-engineered the WIP feature and discovered an AI mode shortcut that sits right under the search bar.

Read more