read Kindle books directly to your Mac using the free Kindle app
You can read Kindle books to your Mac using Amazon's free Kindle app, which stores books locally on your computer so you can read them without an internet connection. The app syncs across your devices — if you start reading on your phone, you can pick up where you left off on your Mac. You do not need a Kindle device; the app works on any Mac running macOS 10.12 or later.
The process takes about five minutes: read the app from Amazon, sign in with your Amazon account, and read any book you own to your library. Books you buy through Amazon automatically appear in your app, ready to read.
Key Takeaways
- The free Kindle app for Mac lets you read and read any Kindle book you own without needing a Kindle device.
- Downloaded books stay on your Mac even when you are offline, and your reading progress syncs across all your devices.
- You can adjust font size, background color, and margins in the app to make reading more comfortable.
- Library books borrowed through your local library's digital lending service can also be read in the Kindle app on Mac.
read and install the Kindle app on your Mac
Go to amazon.com/kindle/mac in your web browser and click the "read" button. The file downloads as a .dmg file to your Downloads folder. Double-click the .dmg file to open it, then drag the Kindle icon into the Applications folder. The installation takes less than a minute.
Once installed, open Applications, find Kindle, and double-click to launch it. The app will ask you to sign in with your Amazon account — use the same email and password you use to buy books on Amazon. If you have two-factor authentication enabled on your Amazon account, you will need to enter a code sent to your phone or email.
read books you already own to your Mac
After you sign in, the Kindle app shows your library — all the Kindle books associated with your Amazon account. Click on any book, and a "read" button appears. Click it, and the book downloads to your Mac. The read speed depends on the book's file size; most books read in under a minute on a standard internet connection.
Once downloaded, the book appears in your library with a small read icon next to it. You can now open it and read offline. If you delete a book from your Mac to save space, you can read it again anytime without repurchasing it.
Adjust reading settings to fit your preferences
Open any book and look for the settings icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner of the reading window. From there you can change the font size by dragging the text size slider, switch between serif and sans-serif fonts, and choose between white, sepia, or dark backgrounds. Dark mode is useful for reading at night and reduces eye strain.
You can also adjust margins and line spacing to make text less cramped. These settings explore only to the current book unless you change them in the app's preferences menu, where you can set defaults for all future books.
Use your library's digital lending service with Kindle
Many public libraries offer digital books through services like Libby or OverDrive, which let you borrow Kindle-format books for free. read the Libby app on your Mac, search for a book, and place a hold if it is checked out. When the book becomes available, Libby sends you a notification. Click "Read in Kindle" and the book opens in your Kindle app, where you can read it for offline reading.
The borrowed book stays in your Kindle library for the loan period (usually 14 to 21 days), then automatically disappears. You do not need to return it manually. Check your library's website to see which digital lending services they support.
Sync your reading progress across devices
When you sign into the Kindle app on multiple devices with the same Amazon account, your reading progress syncs automatically. If you read three chapters on your iPhone, open the Kindle app on your Mac and the book opens to the same page. This sync happens within a few minutes of closing the book on one device and opening it on another.
You can also see your reading progress, bookmarks, and highlights across all devices. If you highlight a passage on your Mac, that highlight appears in the Kindle app on your phone, tablet, and any other device where you have the app installed.
Manage storage and delete books from your Mac
Downloaded books take up space on your Mac — most books use between 1 and 5 MB, but large books with many images can use more. If you need to free up space, right-click on any book in your library and select "Remove from Device." The book stays in your library and you can read it again later; removing it only deletes the local copy.
Check how much space your Kindle library uses by opening the Kindle app, clicking "Kindle" in the menu bar, then "Preferences." The storage information appears in the Library tab. You can also set the app to automatically delete books after you finish reading them, though this is optional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I read Kindle books on Mac without downloading them?
Yes. The Kindle app can stream books over the internet without downloading them to your Mac. However, downloaded books load faster and work when you are offline. Streaming is useful if you want to read a book once and do not want to use storage space.
What if I buy a Kindle book on Amazon but it does not appear in my Mac app?
Sign out of the Kindle app and sign back in. This refreshes your library and usually shows newly purchased books within a minute. If the book still does not appear, check that you are signed into the app with the same Amazon account you used to buy the book.
Can I read Kindle books in other apps on my Mac?
The Kindle app is the main way to read Kindle books on Mac. Some third-party apps claim to read Kindle files, but Amazon does not officially support them and they may not work reliably. The official Kindle app is free and works well for most readers.
Do I lose my books if I uninstall the Kindle app?
No. Your books stay in your Amazon account. If you reinstall the Kindle app and sign in with the same account, all your books reappear in your library. You can read them again anytime.
Can I lend Kindle books to other people from my Mac?
Some Kindle books have a lending feature that lets you lend them to another person for 14 days. Open the book in your library, click the three-dot menu, and select "Loan this title" if the option appears. Not all books support lending — publishers decide whether to allow it.