How to Send Books to Your Kindle: The Complete Guide

Everything you need to know about getting EPUB files and other e-books onto your Kindle device or Kindle app — updated for 2026.

What is Send to Kindle?

Send to Kindle is Amazon's official service for delivering personal documents and e-books to your Kindle devices and apps. It supports multiple file formats including EPUB, PDF, DOCX, TXT, RTF, and HTML. Since 2022, EPUB has been the recommended format — Amazon deprecated MOBI support for email delivery.

Every Kindle device and Kindle app has a unique email address (ending in @kindle.com) that you can use to send files. You can also use Amazon's dedicated Send to Kindle app for desktop, or transfer files via USB cable.

Method 1: Send via Email

The simplest method for most people. Here's how:

1. Find your Kindle email address. Go to Amazon's Manage Your Content and Devices page, click "Preferences," then scroll to "Personal Document Settings." You'll see your Kindle email addresses listed (e.g., yourname_abc@kindle.com).
2. Authorize your sending email. On the same page, under "Approved Personal Document E-mail List," add the email address you'll be sending from.
3. Compose an email. Create a new email from your authorized address. Attach your EPUB file(s). The subject line doesn't matter.
4. Send to your Kindle email. Send the email to your Kindle address. Within a few minutes, the book will appear on your device or in your Kindle app.

Limits: Each email can contain attachments up to 50 MB total. If your file is larger, use the Send to Kindle app or USB transfer instead.

Method 2: Send to Kindle App

Amazon's Send to Kindle app is available for Windows, macOS, and as a web app. It's the most convenient method for sending multiple files.

1. Download the app from amazon.com/sendtokindle, or use the web version.
2. Sign in with your Amazon account.
3. Drag and drop your EPUB files into the app window.
4. Choose your devices. Select which Kindle devices or apps should receive the book.
5. Send. The files will be delivered to your selected devices within minutes.

Pro tip: The desktop app integrates with your operating system's "Send to" or print menus, making it easy to send documents from any application.

Method 3: USB Transfer

If you prefer not to use Amazon's cloud services, or if you have a large collection to transfer, USB is the way to go.

1. Connect your Kindle to your computer using a USB cable. Your Kindle will appear as a removable drive.
2. Open the Kindle drive and navigate to the documents folder (or Books on some models).
3. Copy your EPUB files into this folder.
4. Safely eject your Kindle and disconnect the cable.
5. Check your library. The books should appear on your Kindle's home screen within a minute.

Note: USB transfer works best with newer Kindle models that support EPUB natively. Older Kindles (pre-2022 firmware) may require the EPUB to be converted to AZW3 using a tool like Calibre.

Tips for the Best Kindle Reading Experience

• Clean your metadata first. Use our converter tool to review and fix titles and author names. This keeps your Kindle library organized.
• Include a cover image. Books with cover images look much better in your Kindle library. Most well-made EPUBs already include one.
• Use EPUB, not MOBI. EPUB supports better typography, smaller file sizes, and is actively supported by Amazon. MOBI is deprecated.
• Check your email limits. If you're sending via email and your file is over 50 MB, compress it or use the Send to Kindle app instead.
• Enable Whispersync. When sending via email or the app, your books are stored in Amazon's cloud, so they sync across all your Kindle devices and apps automatically.

Supported File Formats

Send to Kindle currently accepts the following formats:

• EPUB (.epub) — Recommended for e-books
• PDF (.pdf) — Best for fixed-layout documents
• DOCX (.docx) — Microsoft Word documents
• TXT (.txt) — Plain text files
• RTF (.rtf) — Rich Text Format
• HTML (.html) — Web pages
• PNG, JPEG, GIF, BMP — Image files

Notably absent: MOBI (.mobi) is no longer accepted via email since late 2022.

Troubleshooting

• Book doesn't appear? Check that your sending email is in the approved list. Also ensure your Kindle has a WiFi connection to download the book.
• Book looks wrong on Kindle? The EPUB may have formatting issues. Try re-processing it with our tool to re-package it with clean structure.
• File rejected? The file may be DRM-protected. Send to Kindle does not accept DRM-protected e-books from other stores.
• Too large? Email attachments are limited to 50 MB. Use the Send to Kindle app or USB for larger files.

Ready to prepare your EPUB? Use our free EPUB to Kindle converter to validate your file, edit metadata, and download a Kindle-optimized version — all in your browser.