Technology has come a long way in recent years, and instead of carrying heavy hardcover books that take up space and weigh us down, more and more of us are reading books digitally.
Amazon’s e-book superstore, Kindle, has over 10 million titles to choose from; That’s more than any of us could read in her lifetime! There’s just about every popular book you can think of, from new releases to historic classics, and they’re all available in eBook format.
You are reading: How to read kindle books on mac
And now, thanks to recent technological advances, you no longer need to shell out extra money for a new kindle or other electronic reading devices to enjoy digital reading. Sure, many ebook fans still use an ereader, but did you know you can read kindle books on all kinds of different devices, even a mac computer?
There are a few ways to read kindle books on your mac. The easiest and most popular method is to download the Kindle app for Mac. It’s fast, free, and easy and lets you browse and download thousands of titles from Kindle’s huge selection and read them right from your MacBook or other Mac computer.
and for those who can’t or don’t want to download the kindle app, there is also another way to enjoy kindle ebooks on your mac computer using the kindle cloud reader.
In this article, I’ll break these two methods down into a series of easy step-by-step instructions, so you can open a whole new world of Kindle eBooks on your Mac without the need for an e-reader.
Method #1: Read Kindle Books with the Kindle App for Mac
- download the kindle app
load up your mac, open the app store and type “kindle” in the search bar. select the app compatible with your mac device from the list at the top of the page (beware of scam apps that mimic the real app. the official kindle app will always be listed first) and then press download.
You can also download the kindle app for mac directly from the amazon.com home page. On the left side of the screen, select “Kindle Menu” and scroll to select “Kindle Reading Free Apps”. Find the app that is compatible with your device and click to download it.
- open the app and sign in
When the app has fully downloaded, open it on your mac (it may even load automatically depending on your settings).
A popup will appear asking you to enter your amazon account information. sign in and you will be directed to the home page of the kindle app.
Note: If you don’t already have an Amazon account, click to be automatically transferred to a new window where you can sign up for one for free.
- auto sync
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If you already have the Kindle app on other devices (for example, your iPad or iPhone), or if you’ve already purchased Kindle books through your Amazon account, the app will automatically begin syncing your library and other saved information.
once the sync is complete, you should have your entire kindle library at your fingertips on your library home screen. the default setting “all” will display your entire library. To find a particular book or organize your library into categories, you can browse through the options in the window in the upper left corner.
click the “downloaded” icon to see the books you have already downloaded to your computer or other device. and select the “pdfs” menu to view any content in your library that is not in normal ebook format.
Pro Tip: If you’ll be using the Kindle app regularly, it’s a good idea to create a shortcut so you can access your eBooks quickly and easily. just drag and drop the kindle app icon to the app shortcut folder using the finder.
- open and read kindle ebooks from your library.
Your previously purchased eBooks will now appear in your Kindle Library. To read an eBook directly from your Mac computer, double-click the book’s cover icon to open it and start reading right away.
To access the table of contents, or jump forward or backward between chapters, click the icon with three short horizontal lines in the upper left corner. to close this menu, click the icon again.
- download new kindle ebooks
If you’re new to Kindle and don’t yet have an established library of eBooks, or just want a few new titles, you can browse through Amazon’s collection of thousands of eBooks using the main menu on the Amazon home screen. the application.
there is an endless selection of ebooks in the kindle library. many of them are paid, but some of them are even available for free. most titles also offer a preview chapter for free, so you can see if it’s the right fit for you.
At this time, although you can search and browse titles through the search function, Kindle does not provide a way to purchase books directly through the app. instead, when you’re ready to buy an ebook, you’ll need to go to the amazon kindle website using your regular web browser.
To select a book to purchase, click the “1-Click Buy Now” icon. the book will be automatically transferred to your library and you can start reading it right away.
Pro Tip: If the newly downloaded book doesn’t appear in the Kindle app menu, hit the sync icon to refresh the page and it should appear immediately.
search for free kindle ebooks.
To search exclusively for free eBooks, include the search term “free” next to the book title or author name. You can also browse the “free kindle ebooks” section on amazon’s website, where you’ll find all kinds of public domain classics.
See Also: Readers’ top 10 best books of 2015 | Best books of 2015 | The Guardian
To learn more about free kindle ebooks, check out my recent post for an overview of the best free kindle books available right now.
You may also enjoy my detailed guide on the best ways to download and read books online for free, including tips and tricks for kindle and a host of other services.
method #2: read kindle books with kindle cloud reader
if you’d rather not clutter your mac with additional apps or if your device doesn’t support the kindle app, don’t worry. you can still enjoy kindle ebooks using kindle cloud reader. this is how…
- sign in to the kindle cloud reader website
Use your web browser to go to the Kindle Cloud Reader website and, from the home page, enter your regular Amazon account details to log in. If you entered your details correctly, you will be prompted to click the “Get Started Now” button.
Just like method #1, if you don’t have an Amazon account, you can sign up for one for free. click the “create your amazon account” button at the bottom of the popup box and you will be redirected to the first time registration page.
- search the kindle library
Assuming you already have eBooks in your Kindle library, you’ll now be able to browse your entire collection of titles. recent titles will be displayed automatically, but you can change the selection of books that appear using the dropdown menu in the upper left corner of the screen.
You can now open any book in your library to read directly from the Kindle Cloud Reader website by double-clicking the book’s cover thumbnail.
- download your kindle ebooks to read offline
kindle cloud reader also lets you download any ebook from your library for offline reading.
simply right-click on the book cover icon and click on the “download and pin” option in the drop-down menu. Now you can read this book anytime directly from your Kindle Cloud Reader, even if you don’t have an internet connection. You can also read it in offline mode using any kindle e-reader or any device with the kindle reading app.
conclusion
Until just a few years ago, if you wanted to enjoy the millions of Kindle e-books offered on Amazon, you had to purchase a Kindle device or other e-reader. And while many people still love these dedicated e-readers, it’s no longer an essential component of digital reading.
now you can read ebooks virtually anywhere using a phone, tablet, or even a macbook or other mac computer. By following the simple steps outlined in this article, Mac users can enjoy a world of eBooks right away.
On a final note, if you decide to take the plunge and buy a dedicated eBook reader, you can check out my full buyers guide to the best eBook readers of 2022 to help you find the best device. for your needs.
See Also: 50 classic books every child should read! | LoveReading4Kids