How to add EPUB, MOBI, and PDF files to your Kindle - follow my easy step-by-step

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How to sideload EPUBs and different ebooks to your Kindle step-by-step

This nonfiction was primitively published successful aboriginal 2025 successful effect to quality that Amazon was restricting the quality to download Kindle files to your computer. Now, we're learning astir an adjacent much challenging restriction:

As of May 20, 2026, users of all Kindle devices released earlier 2013 volition beryllium wholly chopped off from the Kindle ecosystem. You volition not beryllium capable to purchase, borrow, oregon download caller contented via the Kindle Store.

Also: Amazon is ending enactment for 8 Kindle models adjacent month: Is yours connected the list?

While you whitethorn not beryllium capable to entree the Kindle ecosystem, you tin usage your pre-2013 Kindle devices with ebooks going into the future. This nonfiction volition amusement you how.

Other articles successful this series

For immoderate users of older Kindles, the quality to download files was the lone mode to determination Kindle files onto their Kindles. The archetypal and second-generation Kindles and the Kindle DX could lone wirelessly transportation information via the now-obsolete 3G telephony networks. The lone different mode to determination Kindle books was via a USB transportation to a computer.

Users of somewhat newer Kindles mightiness besides person had trouble wirelessly transferring files to their Kindles. My woman deregistered her aged Kindle Fire 7, bought backmost successful 2011, truthful that I could enactment it connected my account. But effort arsenic I might, I could not get that Fire to register. I adjacent tried moving with Amazon tech support, but they gave up arsenic well. So, if I privation to enactment files connected that device, transferring via USB is the lone option.

Now that Kindle devices released anterior to 2013 are blocked from the Kindle Store arsenic of May 20, 2026, you whitethorn request this method to determination files to those devices arsenic well. Since Amazon antecedently removed the quality to download Kindle files to your computer, you volition not beryllium capable to sideload Kindle files to them. However, you volition beryllium capable to load different ebook files onto your aged Kindles. At slightest there's that.

Also: Want escaped ebooks? These 10 sites connection thousands of options

In this article, we'll research the process of transferring files (Kindle files, if you already person them connected your computer, and fashionable ebook formats) to Kindle devices, some aged and new. But earlier we bash so, I privation to stock a precise important warning.

Do not unregister your aged Kindle

If you were 1 of the folks fortunate oregon persistent capable to download your Kindle books, support successful caput that galore Kindle books person DRM protection. They are locked successful specified a mode that they volition lone enactment erstwhile some the instrumentality and publication are registered to the aforesaid Amazon account.

In the supra case, we tried loading a .azw Kindle record downloaded by my woman arsenic portion of her bulk download spree anterior to Amazon's shutdown of the download service. Because the effort was connected an unregistered Kindle third-generation instrumentality (vintage 2010), we got the mistake shown above.

Here are a fewer important notes:

You can't transportation books wirelessly to the Kindle 1, Kindle 2, and DX anymore.
You can't download Kindle books to your machine anymore.
But if you've already downloaded Kindle books anterior to the February 2025 cutoff date, you tin upload them to discontinued devices (and adjacent existent devices) via USB.
If you unregister a Kindle 1, 2, oregon DX, you can't re-register it due to the fact that there's nary mode to found connectivity to Amazon. This is simply a large "what not to do" due to the fact that you request a registered instrumentality to work immoderate of the downloaded Kindle books.
If you unregister immoderate of the different older Kindles, adjacent those that bash person Wi-Fi, you whitethorn not beryllium capable to re-register them. Amazon tech enactment didn't help, and immoderate posts astir the web bespeak that those older devices don't enactment much modern information protocols required by Amazon.
If you inactive person the obsolete Kindle registered to your account, immoderate of your Kindle books you've downloaded should beryllium compatible.
Even if you person a registered publication and a registered device, immoderate newer format Kindle books won't tally connected older Kindle devices due to the fact that those older devices can't work the newer formats.

So, if you ever privation to usage an older Kindle, never, ever unregister it. Likewise, you won't beryllium capable to acquisition that older Kindle to idiosyncratic else, due to the fact that they won't beryllium capable to registry it.

Also: The champion Kindles you tin buy

Next, I'll amusement you however to transportation files to your Kindle via USB. Later successful the article, I'll besides amusement you however to usage EPUB and different formats connected your Kindle devices. But for now, let's conscionable get a transportation going.

Gather your cables

All Kindles, from procreation 1 on, tin beryllium turned into mountable USB drives via their USB connection. Here are the cablegram connections for Kindle generations:

Mini USB: Kindle 1
Micro USB: All Kindle generations from Kindle 2 to Kindle Oasis 3. These are 2009 to 2017 models, considered 2nd procreation done 9th generation.
USB-C: All Kindle models from 2018 on, starting with the 10th generation

We recovered retired that not each cables volition work. We tried 2 cables that were known to enactment with different devices, but the Kindle didn't respond. It wasn't until we tried a 3rd cablegram that it decently responded. Here are cables that should work, one made by Monoprice and 1 from Amazon Basics.

Beyond that, I don't person immoderate guidance present for however to prime a cable, but if astatine archetypal it doesn't work, try, effort again with antithetic cables. My different large extremity is to cheque for the "Free Returns" notation close nether the price.

How to equine your Kindle arsenic a thrust connected Windows

The process is reasonably pain-free connected Windows 11. I didn't find immoderate denotation of issues connected Windows versions anterior to Windows 11, but I lone tested connected my Windows 11 machines.

Also: I replaced my Kindle and iPad wrong hours of utilizing this tablet

Simply plug successful your USB cablegram to some your Windows instrumentality and your Kindle. This should equine the Kindle arsenic a drive.

Then resistance immoderate ebook files you privation to the Kindle>Internal Storage>documents directory. Older Kindles whitethorn conscionable person the documents directory astatine the apical level of the Kindle.

I went brainsick trying to find the Eject enactment erstwhile I was done. But then, connected the Connect My Kindle leafage discussed below, I recovered this statement:

There's nary request to prime an eject fastener connected the Mac oregon Windows computer. To eject the Kindle, prime the Disconnect fastener connected the Kindle surface oregon unplug the USB cablegram from the computer.

So, erstwhile you're done, conscionable unplug the Kindle.

How to equine your Kindle arsenic a thrust connected Mac

The aforesaid benignant of process works unless you person a Kindle Scribe oregon immoderate Kindle released successful 2024 oregon later. For pre-2024 Kindles (except the Scribe), conscionable plug your USB cablegram into your Mac and your Kindle. This volition besides equine your Kindle arsenic a drive.

Now, for the Scribe and 2024-and-newer Kindles, here's wherever it gets "special." Amazon has apparently decided to bounds the Mac's ability to nonstop files via USB connected newer Kindles. Instead, you'll request to usage a peculiar Send-to-Kindle for Mac application.

To get started, constituent your browser to Amazon's Send-to-Kindle for Mac Instructions page. Here, you'll find a download for the SendToKindleForMac-installer.pkg installer. Download it and past tally it.

Oddly enough, the installer opened each minimized model I had unfastened connected my Mac, truthful I had to play whack-a-mole, minimizing them again earlier I could spell on.

Also: I tested an E Ink tablet that runs connected Android - and can't spell backmost to a Kindle

Then came a precise worrisome sign. I had to motion into my Amazon account. There should beryllium nary crushed I person to motion into my Amazon relationship to transportation files from my machine to my Kindle implicit my USB cable, but really, it's truthful you tin usage the web nonstop saltation if you don't privation to usage the USB connection.

Running the installer puts a Send to Kindle folder successful your Applications. If you conscionable plug successful your Kindle now, you'll motorboat the Send to Kindle application.

This interface should presumably let you to nonstop files to your Kindle via Wi-Fi and Amazon. But erstwhile I tried to nonstop 2 books successful Kindle format, I got this error.

If you click the Open USB File Manager fastener connected the Send to Kindle app, you get a Finder-like window. Make definite your Kindle is connected earlier you bash this, oregon you'll get an mistake message.

Finally, you tin resistance and driblet your publication files to the documents folder.

As with Windows, erstwhile you're done, Amazon says you tin conscionable unplug your Kindle.

What formats enactment connected what Kindles?

I wanted to spot however these formats performed natively. To bash my testing, I utilized an unregistered Kindle Keyboard (third generation) from 2010 and the current-generation basal Kindle (registered to my account).

Also: My favourite Kindle accessory earnestly upgraded my speechmaking acquisition (and it lone costs $20)

In this section, I'll sermon utilizing some USB to transportation files arsenic good arsenic Amazon's Send to Kindle web page, which is disposable if you're utilizing a registered Kindle device.

Here's a array that explains my results:

AZW and AZW3

I already knew that the AZW record from Denise was DRM-locked, truthful it didn't enactment connected either device. Simply transferring the AZW3 record implicit USB resulted successful a perfectly readable publication connected some machines. It's important to cognize that DRM is utilized with some formats, but not each books person DRM. So don't deliberation that simply having an AZW3 record volition get you past DRM.

EPUB

As a test, I went to Smashwords and bought the publication "Potus" by ZDNET's ain Jack Wallen. I downloaded that arsenic an EPUB.

Using USB record transfer, I was incapable to enactment the EPUB connected my current-model Kindle. I was capable to usage the Send to Kindle page connected Amazon to nonstop the record to my Amazon account. I past went to my contented library, searched for Jack's name, and his publication was enactment successful Documents.

I past clicked Deliver to Device and chose my existent exemplary Kindle.

That process successfully moved my EPUB to my modern Kindle.

But due to the fact that our third-generation Kindle is unregistered, that attack won't work. It besides won't enactment for the Kindle 1, 2, and DX, which don't person a wireless connection. I tried transferring Jack's EPUB via USB to the Kindle 3, but it didn't amusement up successful the device's library.

Also: This versatile e-ink scholar astir replaced my Android phone

There is simply a workaround, which involves converting the record to MOBI format. I sermon that process step-by-step successful my nonfiction on how to easy person EPUB files to Kindle format successful minutes.

MOBI

As a MOBI test, I went to ManyWords and downloaded "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." Send to Kindle would not judge a MOBI-formatted file.

Also: I'm struggling to regenerate my Kindle Paperwhite with different E Ink tablets due to the fact that of this feature

On some the current-model Kindle and the aged Kindle 3, I was capable to transportation the MOBI via USB, and it proved to beryllium readable.

PDF

As a PDF test, I downloaded the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report. On some the current-model Kindle and the aged Kindle 3, I was capable to transportation the record via USB, and it formatted astir perfectly.

For the current-model Kindle, I was besides capable to usage Send to Kindle and Deliver to Device. That succeeded arsenic well.

DOC and DOCX

To trial .DOC and .DOCX, I pulled a fewer random documents from my idiosyncratic Documents folder. On the current-model Kindle, neither the DOC nor the DOCX appeared erstwhile transferred via USB.

Also: I tested the Kindle astir radical should buy. Here's wherefore it's the champion e-reader retired of the lineup

However, I was capable to transportation the DOC record utilizing Send to Kindle and Deliver to Device. It worked conscionable fine. The DOCX record initially failed, but I opened it successful Word and resaved it utilizing Word's "Maintain compatibility with erstwhile versions of Word" option, and past it transferred.

The aged Kindle 3 couldn't work either the DOC oregon DOCX files erstwhile transferred via USB. Check retired the format conversion nonfiction I mentioned supra for details connected however to marque these files enactment connected the aged Kindle.

What's your favourite approach?

Have you ever transferred books to your Kindle via USB? What challenges person you faced erstwhile loading EPUB, MOBI, oregon PDF files onto your device?

Do you similar utilizing USB transfers implicit Amazon's Send-to-Kindle service? If you person an older Kindle, person you recovered immoderate workarounds to support it functional? Let america cognize successful the comments below.

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