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Install Kindle books on the iPad and iPhone
Download Kindle app for iOS
On your iPad or iPhone, go to the App Store. Use the search feature to find the Kindle app.
Tap “Get” button, and wait until the download is complete.
Register the Kindle app with your Amazon account
Import only the books you want
When you open the Kindle app, you’ll see two tabs at the bottom: “Cloud” and “Device.”
Cloud tab
When you tap the Cloud button, you’ll see all the books that are stored in your Kindle cloud library.
Device tab
Your Kindle app comes with just one document that is pre-downloaded. It’s a simple guide with a few tips to get you started.
Once you download any book from the Cloud tab, it will appear in the Device section. Every book available in the Device tab can be accessed offline, which means you open and read it even when your iPad is not connected to the internet.
Download free Kindle eBooks
You can find free eBooks in the Kindle Store, but there is no way to add them directly from within the Kindle for iOS app. Instead, you can explore Amazon website in a dedicated Amazon shopping app or a web browser like Safari or Chrome.
Find the book file in a browser
When you open the mobile version of Project Gutenberg on your iPhone or iPad, you can easily find the most popular titles. Pick up the one that you want to download and tap it.
Select the right format
When you are on a page with book details and download options, it’s important to pick up the file format which is supported by Kindle e-readers and apps.
On Project Gutenberg, it’s simply named “Kindle.” On other sites, make sure to find formats called “mobi” or “prc.” You can also download the pdf file, but it’s not as flexible as mobi. For instance, you won’t be able to increase the font size, adjust margins, or turn on the night mode.
Project Gutenberg gives the option to select the Kindle file with or without pictures
Open the file with the Kindle app for iOS
When you tap the download link or button, the dialog window will appear asking you to decide what to do with the file. Tap “Open in Kindle” link
The eBook will open in the Kindle app, and you can start reading it instantly.
Customize the look in Kindle for iOS
When you tap the screen, the view will change to reveal the full interface.
To adjust the settings, on the top bar tap the Aa icon.
In the settings panel, you can change:
- the level of brightness
- the background color
- the size of the font
- the typeface
- the line height
- the justification
Adjust the font
The size and type of the font can be changed instantly in the Kindle app for iOS. Therefore you can adjust the look of the text to what your needs are here and now.
Adjust the background
Many book-reading apps offer a selection of backgrounds so that users can pick up the one that suits them most.
In the Kindle app for iPad and iPhone, you can select one of the three background+font color schemes:
- White
- Sephia: a color scheme designed to ease the eye strain and resemble the look of the page from an old print book. This option is not good if you want to read eBooks outside.
- Black: the color of the background is combined with white font. It’s the night mode, perfect when there's no external source of light. The screen doesn’t emit as much light as in White or Sephia mode, and you can read longer without causing eye strain.
Find new books to read
Although you can’t buy eBooks directly in the Kindle for iOS, the app is helpful when it comes to discovering new books to read.
How to discover new books with Kindle for iOS
There are a few ways Kindle app will suggest you free samples to download from the Kindle Store.
If you are in the Library view and use the Search feature to find the book in your Kindle library, the app will also suggest the books from the Kindle Store that answer the search term you entered.
For instance, when you type “Harry Potter,” on the list of results you'll see all the Harry Potter books you’ve bought. Underneath, in Kindle Free Samples section, you can find the books from the Kindle Store that match your search.
Listen to Audible audiobooks
Unlike the Android version, Kindle for iPad or iPhone doesn’t provide a text-to-speech feature.
You can listen to the Kindle books you've bought with an advanced feature called Whispersync for Voice.
What Whispersync for Voice is
Whispersync for Voice is a service that lets you switch between reading a Kindle book and listening to its audiobook version.
To enable the Whispersync for Voice, you’ll need to buy an audiobook companion to the Kindle edition you have.
Find Kindle books with Audible narration
Amazon provides a feature that lets you find which of the Kindle books you own have the Audible narration.
There are over 60,000 Kindle books that come with Audible narration.
You can find your match beginning at the Audible narration home page.
Enable Whispersync for Voice
Once you add the Audible narration to the Kindle book, follow the steps below to enable Whispersync for Voice.
Open the Kindle book that has the audiobook companion
When you open this book in the Kindle app on the iPhone and iPad, the message about the availability of the audiobook will appear at the bottom of the screen.
Tap “Tap to Download” and wait until the download is complete.
Make sure you're connected to Wi-Fi, as the audiobook file can be larger than 100 MB.
Switch between reading and listening
When you open a Kindle book with Audible narration, the icon of the headphones will appear in the bottom right corner of the screen.
Tap the headphones icon to reveal the audiobook bar and play the audiobook. While you hear the voice, the matching parts of the text are being highlighted.
With Whispersync for Voice, you can easily change between reading and listening, and enjoy the story in different ways.