Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

How to read EPUB books on a Kindle

amazon kindle scribe review 25
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

You can get books on your Kindle reader by buying directly from Amazon's store, but if you have EPUB files (such as from Project Gutenberg) you have the ability to read them directly on your Kindle. This was once a somewhat tricky procedure, relatively speaking, but has gotten increasingly easier over time. Here, we discuss your primary options in getting your files delivered to your Kindle.

Difficulty

Hard

Duration

20 minutes

What You Need

  • Amazon Kindle

  • MacOS, Windows, or portable device

So, grab your free e-book and let's go. These steps will get EPUB (and other types of files) over onto your Kindle from your computer, laptop, or other internet-connected device.

See more

Of course, there are some caveats. Mainly, those EPUB files need to be free of digital rights management (DRM), so files bought from other stores that have been protected aren't readable on Kindle. However, plenty of DRM-free EPUB books are available.

A view of Kindle's 'Send to Kindle' feature taken in 2024.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How to use 'Send to Kindle' to send files to your Kindle

Kindle has an easy method for adding third-party texts to your Kindle via its Send to Kindle service.

Step 1: Head to the Amazon's page. Make sure you are logged into the account associated with your Kindle.

Step 2: Select your files (max 200 MB) and either drag them to the File Upload area or select them using the 'Select files from device' button. In addition to EPUB, you can use PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, RTF, HTM, HTML, PNG, GIF, JPG, JPEG, and BMP.

Step 3: Once the file is uploaded, add it to your library (for all connected devices) by leaving the 'Add to your library' tab on. Turn off to select which devices to send the file to.

Here's how to select which devices you send a file to on 'Send to Kindle' via Amazon.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 4: Once you have finished your selections, tap 'Send'. After a few minutes, you can locate the new file in your Kindle's library.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite next to the Kindle Scribe.
Kindle Paperwhite next to Kindle Scribe Joe Maring / Digital Trends

How to read EPUB books using email

Another way to send an EPUB to your Kindle is to just directly email the file to your Kindle. Here's how to get your Kindle's email address and send the file.

Step 1: First, you'll need to get your Kindle's email address. Each Kindle has a specific email address just for it. Head to the Content and Devices page on your Amazon account.

Finding Devices in your Amazon content.
Mark Jansen / Digital Trends

Step 2: Select the Devices subhead and select the device you want to send your file to. Be aware that you might have to click the device twice to view its information.

Select your Kindle.
Mark Jansen / Digital Trends

Step 3: After you can see the data, you'll see that your Kindle has an email address attached to it. You can also change it to something more memorable, if you like.

Your Kindle's email address.
Mark Jansen / Digital Trends

Step 4: Open your email client of choice, start a new email, paste in your Kindle's email address, and include your EPUB file as an attachment.

Step 5: You should receive the file in a few minutes or so if the Kindle is successfully connected to Wi-Fi or mobile internet. You'll also receive a receipt to your email address if the process has been successful.

Can you send EPUB files to a Kindle with a USB cable?

Unfortunately, you can't send EPUB files through a USB cable. It seems this method is still subject to the same restrictions, so you'll need to convert your EPUB file into another format before you can send it over.

Mark Jansen
Mobile Evergreen Editor
Mark Jansen is an avid follower of everything that beeps, bloops, or makes pretty lights. He has a degree in Ancient &…
How to play YouTube in the background on iPhone and Android
YouTube Premium on iPhone.

You can play YouTube videos in the background on Android and iPhone devices very easily if you're a YouTube Premium subscriber. Just start playing a video, turn off the screen or navigate away and it'll continue playing, no trouble. But playing videos in the background is also doable even without a premium subscription. You can use picture in picture, or a specific browser.

This makes YouTube a great rival for some of the best podcast apps on iOS and on Android. Here's how to get YouTube playing in the background on your phone, whatever device you have.

Read more
How to find your phone number on iPhone or Android
Someone holding up an iPhone 14 to their ear.

Let's face it: Most of us don't call our own phones very often. If you're like most people, this means you probably don't know your own phone number off-hand, especially if you rarely give it out to people or haven't had it for long, such as after setting up a new account or changing your number after moving to a new town.

To make things even more complicated, many modern smartphones let you set up more than one line using an eSIM, which gives you more than one number to remember.

Read more
How to reset Apple AirPods and AirPods Pro
Apple AirPods 3.

There's plenty to love about Apple's AirPods. The glossy white ear speakers are among some of the best Wireless earbuds money can buy, which is why so many people have them. BHow to reset Apple AirPods and AirPods Prout like all consumer tech items, you may run into a few bugs or glitches with your AirPods from time to time, or perhaps you're selling off your original AirPods Pro to buy the latest model, the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C.

Read more