EPUB eBooks from Google Play not opening in Adobe Digital Editions currently

If you’re an eBook enthusiast who recently purchased an EPUB from Google Play Books, you may have run into a maddening issue — your brand-new book won’t open in Adobe Digital Editions (ADE). Instead of the sweet embrace of literary escapism, you’re getting a cryptic error: “License Server Communication Problem: E_ADEPT_CORE_KEY_SCRAMBLE.” Yes, that’s a mouthful of digital gibberish that leaves you both confused and frustrated.

Over the past couple of weeks, reports have flooded various online forums, with readers lamenting their inability to access EPUB eBooks purchased from Google Play Books. The problem first popped up around mid-September 2024 and has continued to baffle users and tech support alike.

According to reports, users who bought eBooks recently are running into this “E_ADEPT_CORE_KEY_SCRAMBLE” error when trying to open EPUBs via ADE. To make things weirder, books bought before this glitch still work fine, as do EPUBs from other platforms like Kobo. On top of that, readers have no issues downloading PDF versions of the same eBooks — if available.

Now, this isn’t just an isolated glitch happening on one rogue device. Dozens of complaints have emerged, all pointing fingers at Google Play Books as the root cause. Adobe Digital Editions has been ruled out for the most part, as books from other sources work just fine, leading to a widespread consensus: it’s Google’s DRM (Digital Rights Management) system that’s acting up.

Is there a fix? Well, not yet. Some users have attempted basic troubleshooting steps like reinstalling ADE, redownloading books, and even deauthorizing and reauthorizing their devices. Unfortunately, none of these seem to do the trick.

A few have managed to sidestep the issue by opting for the PDF version of their books instead of EPUBs, but let’s be real — PDFs are a clunky solution for those of who prefer the sleek functionality of EPUBs on e-readers. Not to mention, many eBooks don’t even offer a PDF download option. So, if you’re determined to read that hot new release on your e-reader, you may be stuck in DRM purgatory for a while.

One user who contacted Google support claims that the issue has been escalated to their engineering team. Google, allegedly, is aware of the problem but has not provided a timeline for a fix. Until then, it seems that refund requests are the only reliable solution for many — though, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that for all affected readers.

Adobe, for its part, isn’t exactly rushing to the rescue. Multiple users report reaching out to Adobe’s support, only to be told that “E_ADEPT” errors are Google’s responsibility. That’s right — two corporate giants playing the blame game while readers are left out in the cold. And if you think Adobe will offer more help, think again. Apparently, they won’t be offering any further assistance unless it’s for a paid product.

For those heavily invested in Google’s ecosystem, this is a pretty big deal. Google Play Books is a convenient platform, especially with its rewarding system for regular purchases. Many readers, especially those buying eBooks in more niche languages (such as Ukrainian), rely solely on Google Play Books, as other eBook sellers may not carry the titles they need. If this problem isn’t resolved soon, Google may see a dip in eBook sales, and loyal users may jump ship to competitors like Kobo.

As things stand, if you’re experiencing the “E_ADEPT_CORE_KEY_SCRAMBLE” error with EPUB books from Google Play, your best bet may be to request a refund or, if you’re lucky, download the PDF version. However, if you’re not a fan of PDFs, you might have to wait until Google’s engineers work some behind-the-scenes magic to sort this mess out.