Delete a book from your Kindle device or app in three steps
To remove a book from your Kindle, find it in your library, press and hold on the title (or right-click on a computer), then select "Delete" or "Remove from Device." The book stays in your Amazon account unless you also remove it from the cloud — you can read it again later without repurchasing. If you want the book gone entirely so it no longer appears in your library at all, you need to delete it from your Amazon account separately.
The exact steps depend on whether you're using a Kindle e-reader, a phone or tablet app, or a web browser. Each method takes less than a minute once you know where to look.
Key Takeaways
- Deleting a book from your device does not remove it from your Amazon account — you can re-read it anytime without paying again.
- To permanently remove a book so it no longer shows in your library, you must delete it from your Amazon account through a web browser.
- On a Kindle e-reader, press and hold the book title, then choose "Delete" from the menu that appears.
- On a phone or tablet app, swipe left on the book (iPhone) or press and hold (Android), then tap delete.
- Deleting a book does not affect other books in your library or your Kindle subscription services.
Delete from a Kindle e-reader device
On any Kindle e-reader — Paperwhite, Oasis, or basic model — go to your library by pressing the home button. Find the book you want to remove and press and hold on the title for two to three seconds until a menu appears. Tap "Delete" and confirm when prompted. The book is now off your device.
This removes the book from your e-reader's storage but keeps it in your Amazon account. If you later want to read it again, go to your library, find the title, and select "read" to put it back on the device without repaying.
Delete from the Kindle app on a phone or tablet
On an iPhone or iPad, open the Kindle app and go to your library. Swipe left on the book cover you want to remove. A red "Delete" button appears on the right side. Tap it and confirm. On an Android phone or tablet, press and hold the book cover until a menu pops up, then tap "Delete from Device."
Like the e-reader, this removes the book from your app but leaves it in your Amazon account. You can re-read it to your phone or tablet anytime by finding it in your library and tapping the read icon.
Permanently remove a book from your Amazon account
If you want a book to stop appearing in your library entirely — so you don't see it when you browse your books — you must delete it from your Amazon account through a web browser. Go to amazon.com, sign in, and navigate to "Manage Your Content and Devices" under your account menu. Find the book in the list, click the three-dot menu next to it, and select "Delete." Confirm the action.
Once you delete a book from your account this way, it no longer appears in any of your libraries across devices. You cannot re-read it without purchasing it again. This is different from removing it from a single device — that action only clears it from one e-reader or app while keeping it in your account.
What happens to your library and subscriptions when you delete
Deleting a book affects only that title. Your other books remain in your library, your Kindle Unlimited subscription (if you have one) continues to work, and your reading progress on other titles is unaffected. If you delete a book you borrowed through Kindle Unlimited, the loan ends and the book becomes available for you to borrow again later.
If you delete a book by mistake, you can restore it by going back to "Manage Your Content and Devices" and looking for a "Restore" option, though this is only available for a limited time after deletion. The safest approach is to delete only books you are certain you no longer want.
Delete multiple books at once
On a Kindle e-reader, you can only delete one book at a time using the menu. On the Kindle app for phones and tablets, you can also delete one at a time through the swipe or press-and-hold method. To remove many books from your account at once, use "Manage Your Content and Devices" on amazon.com — check the boxes next to multiple titles, then click "Delete" to remove them all in one action.
Bulk deletion through the web is faster if you're clearing out your library after finishing a series or removing books you no longer plan to read. The device and app methods work fine for removing one or two titles.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I delete a book from my Kindle, can I get it back?
Yes, if you only deleted it from your device or app. The book stays in your Amazon account, and you can re-read it anytime. If you deleted it from your account through "Manage Your Content and Devices," you may be able to restore it for a limited time — check that page for a restore option. After that window closes, you would need to purchase the book again.
Does deleting a book free up storage space on my Kindle?
Yes. Removing a book from your e-reader or app clears the storage it was using. This matters more on older or basic Kindle models with limited storage, though modern devices have enough space for thousands of books. Deleting from your account does not free up device storage — only deleting from the device itself does that.
What's the difference between deleting a book and archiving it?
Deleting removes a book from your device or account. Archiving (available on some Kindle apps) hides a book from your library view but keeps it in your account — you can unhide it later. Archiving is useful if you want to clean up your library without losing access to the book. Not all Kindle devices support archiving, so deletion is the standard method.
Can I delete a book I borrowed through Kindle Unlimited?
Yes. Deleting a Kindle Unlimited book ends your loan early. The book becomes available for you to borrow again whenever you want. You are not charged for ending the loan early — Kindle Unlimited lets you return books anytime without penalty.
Will deleting a book affect my reading progress or bookmarks?
If you delete a book from your device but keep it in your account, your reading progress and bookmarks stay saved in your Amazon account. If you re-read the book later, you can pick up where you left off. If you delete the book from your account entirely, that reading data is lost.