Delete a book from your Kindle library in three steps
You can remove a book from your Kindle library without deleting it from your device. Open your Kindle app or visit Amazon.com, find the book title, and select the option to remove it from your library. The book disappears from your Kindle home screen and all your devices, but you can read it again later if you change your mind — Amazon keeps a record that you own it.
This is different from deleting a book permanently from Amazon's records, which you cannot do. Once you purchase or receive a book, Amazon retains your ownership history. Removing it from your library is the closest action available, and it frees up mental clutter and shelf space in your reading list.
Key Takeaways
- Removing a book from your library hides it from your devices but does not erase your purchase history with Amazon.
- You can remove books through the Kindle app on your phone or tablet, the Kindle e-reader itself, or Amazon.com on a computer.
- A removed book can be re-downloaded to any of your devices at no cost whenever you want.
- Removing a book takes seconds and does not affect other books or your account settings.
Remove a book using the Kindle app on your phone or tablet
Open the Kindle app on your phone or tablet and go to your library. Tap and hold the book cover you want to remove — do not just tap it once, as that will open the book. A menu will appear with options. Select "Remove from Library" or "Delete" depending on your device type (Android and Apple sometimes use slightly different wording).
The book vanishes from your library when ready. If you are using an older version of the Kindle app, you may need to swipe left or right across the book cover instead of tapping and holding. Test with a book you do not mind accidentally opening if the menu does not appear on the first try.
Remove a book from your Kindle e-reader device
On a Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Oasis, or standard Kindle device, navigate to the book in your library using the menu. Highlight the book title and press the menu button (three horizontal lines on most models). Select "Remove from Device" or "Delete" from the options that appear.
On some older Kindle models, you may see "Delete" instead of "Remove from Device." Both actions remove the book from that specific device. If you own multiple Kindle devices, removing a book from one does not automatically remove it from the others — you will need to repeat the process on each device if you want it gone from all of them.
Remove a book through Amazon.com on a computer
Go to Amazon.com and sign in with your account. Click on "Account" in the top right corner, then select "Manage Your Content and Devices." You will see a list of all your books. Find the title you want to remove, click the three-dot menu next to it, and select "Delete from Library."
This method removes the book from your entire account across all devices at once, which is faster if you own multiple Kindles or tablets. The book will no longer appear in your library on any device within a few minutes.
What happens after you remove a book
Once removed, the book no longer shows up when you browse your library on any device. It will not appear in your reading list, your recommendations, or your search results within the Kindle app. Your reading progress and any highlights or notes you made in that book are saved by Amazon and will reappear if you re-read it.
Removing a book does not refund your money if you purchased it, nor does it affect your account in any other way. You can still see the book in your purchase history on Amazon.com if you want to check what you have bought in the past.
Re-read a book you removed
To get a removed book back, go to your Kindle library or the book's page on Amazon.com and select "read" or "Send to [Device Name]." The book reappears in your library with all your previous highlights and notes intact. There is no charge to re-read — you have already paid for it.
If you cannot find the book on Amazon.com, search for the title directly. Once you land on the book's page, you will see a button that says "Read for Free" (if it is part of Kindle Unlimited), "Buy," or "read" depending on whether you own it. If you own it, the read option will be available.
Reasons to remove books from your library
You might remove a book because you finished it and do not plan to re-read it, or because your library has grown so large that finding books you actually want to read becomes difficult. Some people remove books they borrowed through Kindle Unlimited or a library service once they are done, to keep their active library focused on books they own outright.
Removing books also helps if you share a Kindle device with family members and want to hide certain titles from the shared library view. Each person with their own Amazon account can manage their own library separately, so removing a book from your account does not affect anyone else's access to their own copies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will removing a book delete my highlights and notes?
No. Amazon stores your highlights, notes, and reading progress separately from your library. If you re-read the book later, all your annotations will be there exactly as you left them. You can also view your notes and highlights through your Amazon account even after removing the book from your library.
Can I remove a book from one device but keep it on another?
Yes. When you remove a book through your Kindle device itself, it only removes from that device. To remove it from all devices at once, use the "Manage Your Content and Devices" page on Amazon.com. If you want to keep it on one device but remove it from others, remove it individually from each device where you do not want it.
What is the difference between removing and deleting a book?
On Kindle devices, "remove" and "delete" mean the same thing — both hide the book from your library. Neither action erases your purchase history or prevents you from re-downloading the book. Amazon does not offer a way to permanently erase a book from your account history.
Does removing a book free up storage space on my device?
Yes, removing a book deletes the file from your device's storage. If your Kindle or tablet is running low on space, removing books you have finished is an straightforward way to make room. You can always re-read them later since they are stored on Amazon's servers, not just on your device.
Can I remove multiple books at once?
On Amazon.com's "Manage Your Content and Devices" page, you can select multiple books by clicking the checkbox next to each title, then use the delete option to remove them all at once. On the Kindle app or device, you must remove books one at a time.