Kindle is really popular for reading ebooks, but the ability to transfer Kindle books between accounts has always been a less-explored aspect of this device.
I, like many others before me, wondered whether sharing books between Kindle accounts was even possible.
And this very notion propelled me to explore the possibility of transferring books between Kindle accounts. Here’s what I found.
Here’s a detailed look at the many ways by which you can transfer books between Kindle accounts:
Why can’t I Transfer Kindle Books Between Accounts?
You can transfer books from one Kindle to another as long as both Kindles use the same Amazon account. You cannot transfer your Kindle books between your Amazon accounts.
This is because when you buy an e-book with a particular Amazon account, the license to read the specific book falls to that account.
Therefore when you try to access books that are not licensed to your account, it won’t open.
Most books on Amazon are protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM). DRM protects the books from non-licensed use, modification, and distribution of copyrighted works.
That being said, there are many ways using which you can transfer books from one Kindle to another like using Send to Kindle email or via USB from a computer.
when you use such methods to send licensed books, the Kindle checks if the license to read the specific book falls to the registered account on your Kindle, and if it doesn’t then the book fails to open.
Even though licensed books cannot be transferred from one account to another, they can be downloaded to a Kindle using the registered account and can still be accessed and read even after switching accounts. However, you will have to carry the same Kindle everywhere to read the book, even when offline.
Transfer Kindle Books through Amazon Household
Even though you cannot transfer books between two different Amazon accounts, there is a way using which you can share the books. This feature is called Amazon Household.
This Amazon Household feature increases the flexibility and convenience of sharing various digital content between various family members who have separate Amazon accounts.
This feature enables people in the same family to maintain their individual libraries while at the same time share various content with each other.
You can share various licensed content such as books, and audiobooks between family members using the Amazon Household feature and enabling the Kindle shared library.
Remember, Not all Kindle books might support this sharing feature. It is up to the publisher to decide whether the book should be open for sharing or not. The same can be said in the case of books that support narration (Whispersync).
How to Create an Amazon Household
You can use the Amazon Household feature to share various digital content with one other adult or up to four children through the Kindle Shared Library.
To create an Amazon Household:
- Go to the Amazon official website.
- Log in to your Amazon Account from which you want to create the Amazon Household.
- Navigate to the Your Account section under the Account & Lists section in the top right corner.
- Scroll down and click on the Amazon Household option under the Shopping Programs section.
- Click on the Add Adult option to add an adult or click on the Add a Child option to add a child to your account.
- After clicking the Add Adult option, enter the Name and Email of the person whose Amazon account you want to add to your household.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to send an invitation to the other person
- Once the other person accepts the invitation and links their own Amazon account, they will gain access to the shared content and also start sharing other eligible content
Once the household is set up, both members can share the various benefits and access various content from the shared library.
You can also set up parental controls for managing and monitoring the access of children to the shared library. Separate profiles can also be set up with age-appropriate restrictions for children.
How to Share Books via Family Library
To share books using the family library:
1. Go to Amazon’s official website or open the Kindle app on your device and log in to your Amazon account.
2. Navigate to the Account & Lists section in the top right corner.
3. Click on Manage your Content and Devices. If you are on the Kindle app, click on the Menu Icon (three horizontal lines) and select Library or My Library.
4. In the Manage Your Content and Devices section, click on the Books tab to view your books
5. Locate and select the books that you want to share.
6. Click on the Actions menu (three dots) and click on Add to Family Library or Manage your Family Library.
Follow the on-screen instructions and prompts to complete the sharing process.
Once the books are shared, the other members of the household can view the shared books by logging into their accounts and opening their Kindle library.
The shared books will be visible there and can be downloaded.
The shared content is accessible by all members of the household (unless parental features are enabled for children). That being said, personal information and purchases made by individual accounts remain private.
How to Loan Books on Kindle
Kindle offers a feature called “Kindle Book Lending” which enables you to loan certain eligible books to friends and family for a specific period of time.
This will eliminate the need to purchase multiple copies of the same book for your friends and family.
That being said the loaned books will be accessible to the recipient for a limited duration, usually 14 days. During this period, you will not have access to the book.
Once the loan period expires, the book will be automatically returned to your Kindle library.
To loan books on Kindle:
- Go to Amazon’s official website or open the Kindle app on your device and log in to your Amazon account.
- Navigate to the Account & Lists section in the top right corner.
- Click on Manage your Content and Devices. If you are on the Kindle app, click on the Menu Icon (three horizontal lines) and select Library or My Library.
- In the Manage Your Content and Devices section, click on the Books tab to view your books
- Locate and select the books that you want to share.
- Click on the Actions menu (three dots) and click on Loan this title or Loan Eligible. If the book/books are not eligible for lending then this option might not even appear.
- Once the option is available, click on it and enter the recipient details. You will have to enter the Email of the person to whom you are lending the book.
- You will get an option to send an optional message to the person along with the loaned book.
- Once you have entered the details, tap on Send Now or Loan to complete the loan process.
The recipient will receive a mail containing the optional message and instructions to view and access the loaned book.
Did you know that you can track your reading time on Kindle? Access Kindle Insights either from your Kindle device or Amazon.com to do so.
How to Transfer Non-DRM Books and Documents on Kindle
The books that you purchase from the Kindle store are protected by Digital Management Rights (DRM) technology.
This technology prevents licensed books from unauthorized use, modification, and distribution.
DRM-protected books are not transferable from one Kindle to another (if they don’t have the same account).
The books are linked with the account from which they are purchased and are only accessible from that specific account.
This is not the case with Non-DRM books and documents. They can easily be transferred and viewed from one Kindle to another.
To transfer Non-DRM books and Documents to your Kindle:
- Download the Books or Documents that you wish to transfer to your Kindle on your computer.
- Connect the Kindle to the computer using a USB cable.
- The Kindle will pop up as a removable drive on your computer.
- Copy the Books and Documents from your computer.
- Open the Kindle Directory and open the Documents folder.
- Paste the Books and Documents into the Documents folder.
- Safely eject your Kindle from the computer.
Once disconnected, the Books and Documents will appear in the Library or My Library section of your Kindle device or app.
You can also send Books and Documents from your Mobile to the computer and follow the same procedure to send it to your Kindle.
The Non-DRM Books and Documents should be in a format supported by the Kindle. The Kindle supports formats such as: .MOBI, .AZW, .AZW3, .KFX, .DOC, .DOCX, .HTML, .HTM, .RTF, .TXT, .JPEG, .JPG, .GIF, .PNG, .BMP, .PDF.
Using unsupported formats may lead to the books not showing up on Kindle at all.
Transfer Books via the ‘Send to Kindle’ Feature
You can also use the Send to Kindle email to send books or documents via mail to your Kindle. Each Kindle has a unique mail assigned to it that can be used to send books or documents to it.
To find the email corresponding to your Kindle device or app:
- Go to Amazon’s official website or open the Kindle app on your device and log in to your Amazon account.
- Navigate to the Account & Lists section in the top right corner.
- Click on Content and Devices from the drop-down menu.
- Click on the Devices tab. Here you will be able to see your Kindle devices listed under the Kindle heading and Kindle apps under Amazon apps installed on devices.
- Click on the device or app listed and you will be able to find the email listed.
You can also find the Send to Kindle email from your app or Kindle:
- Open Settings on the Kindle device or click on More (three dots) in the Kindle app.
- From the settings, click on Your Account.
- Find the Email listed under the Send to Kindle section.
Once you have obtained the Send to Kindle mail, you can mail the books and documents to your Kindle from your mail linked to your Amazon account.
To send mail from any other Mail ID, you will have to approve it. For this:
- Go to Amazon’s official website or open the Kindle app on your device and log in to your Amazon account.
- Navigate to the Account & Lists section in the top right corner.
- Click on Content and Devices from the drop-down menu.
- Click on the Preferences tab.
- Scroll down until you see the Personal Document Settings section.
- Here under the Email address section, click on Add a new approved email address option and follow the instructions to add a new email address.
Once the email is approved, you can send data using the mail ID to your Kindle via Email.
Final Thoughts
You can also use various free or paid DRM remover tools to send licensed content from one Kindle to another but we don’t recommend it.
In case you are still not able to transfer books or have any issues using your Kindle account, we suggest you contact Amazon customer care.
We are sure they will be able to provide more technical insight and help solve your problem.
Happy Reading!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: How many books can you send to your Kindle via mail?
You can send up to 25 books (50MB) but email generally restricts its attachments to 25MB
Q: What file formats are supported for non-DRM books and documents on Kindle?
Kindle devices and apps support various file formats, including MOBI, AZW, AZW3, TXT, PDF, and more.
Ensure that your non-DRM books or documents are in a compatible format for Kindle.
Q: Can I transfer EPUB files to my Kindle?
By default, Kindle devices and apps do not natively support EPUB files.
However, you can convert EPUB files to a compatible Kindle format using conversion tools or services like Calibre before transferring them to your Kindle.
Q: Can Non-DRM books and documents be synced to the cloud?
Yes, Non-DRM books and documents can be synced to the cloud but make sure that the whisper sync feature is turned on for this.