How to sync Google Play Books reading position on Kindle?

[itm]

I have most of my books in Google Play Books, and mostly use the Play Books app to read them on my Kindle Fire HD6. Occasionally I don't have the Kindle with me, but want to continue reading my current book on my phone (using the Play Books app). The problem is that the phone doesn't usually know the last reading position, and I can't find a way to force the Play Books app to synchronise my current reading position on the Kindle so that I can resume reading on my phone.
Does anyone know how to force a Play Books sync on the Kindle?

[barryem]

I don't use Play Books so I don't know if it can sync but I do read on various devices and I've found syncing myself using search is pretty simple. It's also faster than my Kindle can sync automatically, although it isn't as easy.

When I end a reading session I pick a short phrase from near the top of the page and remember it. Then I use text search on the next device to find my place. The phrase for my last session is "He's never been here". Probably if I have to use text search I'll just search for "never been here". A simple short phrase like that will usually be found up to 3 times in the book but text search gives enough context that I can almost always recognize the right one at a glance. And it's not hard to remember a phrase like that.

I often go between my Kindle and Moon+ reader. Syncing between Moon+ reader on 2 devices is faster than I can type the phrase. Typing is, though, is faster than 2 of my Kindles can synch themselves.

Barry

[HarryT]

Please ask questions about the Fire in the Fire forum, to where I'm moving this.

[itm]

Originally Posted by barryem

I don't use Play Books so I don't know if it can sync but I do read on various devices and I've found syncing myself using search is pretty simple. It's also faster than my Kindle can sync automatically, although it isn't as easy.

When I end a reading session I pick a short phrase from near the top of the page and remember it. Then I use text search on the next device to find my place. The phrase for my last session is "He's never been here". Probably if I have to use text search I'll just search for "never been here". A simple short phrase like that will usually be found up to 3 times in the book but text search gives enough context that I can almost always recognize the right one at a glance. And it's not hard to remember a phrase like that.

I often go between my Kindle and Moon+ reader. Syncing between Moon+ reader on 2 devices is faster than I can type the phrase. Typing is, though, is faster than 2 of my Kindles can synch themselves.

Barry

Yes I have used that method in the past, but I can often go for several weeks without reading, by which time I've completely forgotten the phrase (and I'm not organised enough to write it down!).
Would Moonreader+ sync between 2 devices? (i.e. the Fire HD and my Android phone)? Does that have an option to manually request a sync, so that I can do it whenever I stop reading on each device?

[kyrilson]

Originally Posted by itm

I have most of my books in Google Play Books, and mostly use the Play Books app to read them on my Kindle Fire HD6. Occasionally I don't have the Kindle with me, but want to continue reading my current book on my phone (using the Play Books app). The problem is that the phone doesn't usually know the last reading position, and I can't find a way to force the Play Books app to synchronise my current reading position on the Kindle so that I can resume reading on my phone.
Does anyone know how to force a Play Books sync on the Kindle?

Hmm. My Kindle Fire HD 8 and my android phone sync books just fine between them in Google Play Books. I just tested it to confirm. Maybe check to make sure you have the most recent version in both. Also try to force stop and restart both.

If that doesn't work, you may need to clear the cache and data one or both and restart. That will likely require to log in again. This might get things working, though.

[itm]

Originally Posted by kyrilson

Hmm. My Kindle Fire HD 8 and my android phone sync books just fine between them in Google Play Books. I just tested it to confirm. Maybe check to make sure you have the most recent version in both. Also try to force stop and restart both.

If that doesn't work, you may need to clear the cache and data one or both and restart. That will likely require to log in again. This might get things working, though.

Thanks for the reply. I Think if I left the Kindle idle for long enough, while connected to wifi, it does eventually sync. The problem is that I usually shut it down after using it to preserve battery life, and even if I wait a few minutes before shutting down it doesn't seem to sync. I could really use a method of "forcing" the sync so that I know I can shut down the Kindle in the knowledge that I can pick up reading later on my phone.
Is there a chance that clearing cache/data would actually cause the Kindle to forget the current reading position?

[kyrilson]

Originally Posted by itm

Thanks for the reply. I Think if I left the Kindle idle for long enough, while connected to wifi, it does eventually sync. The problem is that I usually shut it down after using it to preserve battery life, and even if I wait a few minutes before shutting down it doesn't seem to sync. I could really use a method of "forcing" the sync so that I know I can shut down the Kindle in the knowledge that I can pick up reading later on my phone.

Is there a chance that clearing cache/data would actually cause the Kindle to forget the current reading position?

Hmm, I am not sure how it works with Play Books, but I think most syncing operations use the cloud for storing the reading positions. Clearing the cache/data is a local event to your tablet or phone. So I don’t think that would make it forget the reading position.

[leebase]

I'd have been SHOCKED if Google hadn't built their app with the ability to sync.

A quick google: https://www.cnet.com/how-to/sync-not...-google-drive/

[DiapDealer]

It may not be the Fire Device delaying the sync. It could be the android phone. I've found that if I exit the book I'm reading in Play Books on the Kindle Fire and then force a Google accounts sync on my Pixel 2 phone (Settings->Accounts->Google), then the last page I read on the Fire will be the one I see when I open the Book in Play Books on the phone.

Seems to be consistently immediate for me in my experimentation so far.

The reverse seems to work as well: exit the book on my phone, force sync the Google apps in the phone's settings, and then immediately open the book on the Fire Tablet (though this doesn't seem to be necessary as exiting the book on the Phone always seems to trigger the Google Account sync).