The Amazon Kindle is widely acclaimed as one of the best ebook readers around, but its tight integration with Amazon’s own store can make it feel like you’re locked in. You’re not. Sending your own ebooks — free downloads, indie author ARCs, public domain classics, whatever you’ve picked up outside the Kindle store — is straightforward once you know the options.

Amazon now offers four main ways to do it: the web uploader, the desktop app, the Kindle mobile app, and the old email method. For most people, the web uploader is the place to start.

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Method 1: Send to Kindle Web (Easiest — Start Here)

Amazon’s web uploader at amazon.com/sendtokindle is the simplest option. No app to install, no email address to configure — just drag, drop, and send.

  1. Go to amazon.com/sendtokindle and sign in with your Amazon account.
  2. Drag your ebook file into the upload area, or click to browse for it.
  3. Make sure Add to Library is toggled on — this makes the file available on all your Kindle devices, not just one.
  4. Press Send. The file will appear on your Kindle the next time it syncs.

The web uploader supports files up to 200 MB and handles EPUB, PDF, DOCX, TXT, RTF, HTML, and most common image formats. It’s also the most reliable option for larger files.

Method 2: Send to Kindle Desktop App

If you regularly add ebooks from your computer, the desktop app (available for both Mac and PC) saves you the browser step and adds a convenient drag-and-drop workflow.

On Mac:

  1. Download the Send to Kindle app from amazon.com/sendtokindle/mac.
  2. Once installed, you can right-click any supported file in Finder and select Send to Kindle directly.
  3. Alternatively, drag and drop files onto the app window or the dock icon.
  4. Add the title and author if needed, toggle Archive to Kindle Library, select your device, and press Send.

On Windows:

  1. Download the app from amazon.com/sendtokindle/pc.
  2. Open the app and drag and drop your files into the window.
  3. Fill in any metadata, select your destination Kindle, and press Send.

Method 3: Send to Kindle from Your Phone

If you’ve downloaded an ebook file on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device, the Kindle app’s share sheet makes it quick to transfer.

  1. Download the free Kindle app for iOS or Android if you don’t already have it.
  2. Navigate to the ebook file — whether it’s in Files, Downloads, or a cloud storage app like Google Drive or Dropbox.
  3. Tap the Share icon and select Kindle from the share sheet.
  4. Add the title and author details if necessary, make sure Add to Library is on, and tap Send.
  5. The file will appear on your Kindle the next time it syncs.

Method 4: Send to Kindle by Email

The email method still works, but it’s more fiddly than the other options and is no longer Amazon’s recommended approach. That said, it’s useful if you want to send files from a third-party service, or if you prefer keeping things in your inbox.

Step 1: Find your Kindle email address

  1. Go to amazon.com/myk and sign in.
  2. Click the Preferences tab and scroll down to Personal Document Settings.
  3. You’ll see your Kindle’s unique @kindle.com email address listed there.

Step 2: Authorise your sending address

Amazon will only accept files from approved email addresses. In the same Personal Document Settings section, scroll down to Approved Personal Document Email List and add the email address you’ll be sending from.

Step 3: Send the file

Attach your ebook to an email and send it to your Kindle’s @kindle.com address. No subject line or body text needed. Make sure your Kindle is connected to Wi-Fi and the file will arrive within a few minutes.

Email limits to be aware of:

  • Maximum 50 MB per email (or zip up multiple files for larger batches)
  • Up to 25 attachments per email
  • Up to 15 approved sending addresses per account

What File Formats Does Kindle Support?

For ebooks, EPUB is the format to use — Amazon added native EPUB support a few years ago and it’s now the standard. PDF, DOCX, TXT, RTF, and HTML are also supported across all methods.

One important note: Mobi and AZW files are no longer supported by the Send to Kindle service. If you have older Mobi files, you’ll need to convert them to EPUB first — Calibre is the free tool most people use for this.

Where Do My Ebooks Show Up?

Files sent via any of the above methods land in your Kindle Library as personal documents. On a physical Kindle device, go to Home > Library and look in the Docs filter if you can’t find the file immediately. On the Kindle app, they appear alongside your other books.

If you toggled Add to Library when sending, the file will be available across every Kindle device and app linked to your Amazon account. If you didn’t, it will only have been sent to the specific device you selected.

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Ben Luxon

About the author

Ben Luxon

Ben Luxon is a sci-fi and fantasy author with two novels on the way and has had several short stories published. He initially founded Litloop as a place to talk about his favourite books and soon realised he needed a better way to track and talk about them — so he started building the app. His collection of sci-fi short stories, Sunset in the East, is available on Amazon today.

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