- Remove download or permanently delete?
- Delete a book from a Kindle e-reader
- Delete books in the Kindle app on a phone
- Permanently delete a Kindle book
- The files you can't get back
- Borrowed books and library loans
- Remove a book from a different device
- Delete books from Kindle on a computer app
- Hide a book instead of deleting it
- Freeing space without deleting
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
To delete a book from your Kindle, press and hold its cover in the library and choose Remove Download. The book leaves the device but stays in your Amazon library to download again. To remove it from your account everywhere, use Permanently Delete in Manage Your Content and Devices.
There are two very different ways to delete a Kindle book, and Amazon's wording doesn't make the difference obvious. One just clears space on the device and the book stays yours in the cloud. The other removes it from your account for good. Here's how to do each on a Kindle, in the app and on Amazon's website, plus the one kind of file that's gone forever as soon as you remove it.
Remove download or permanently delete?
| Option | What happens | Can you get it back? |
|---|---|---|
| Remove Download | Book leaves this device only | Yes, download it again any time |
| Permanently Delete | Book removed from your account and every device | No, you'd have to get it again |
| Return (Kindle Unlimited or Prime Reading) | Borrowed title leaves your library | Borrow it again if still available |
For freeing up space, you almost always want Remove Download.
Delete a book from a Kindle e-reader
- Go to your Library.
- Press and hold the book's cover, or tap the three dots beside it in list view.
- Tap Remove Download or Remove from Device.
- Repeat for any others. To clear several, select multiple books first if your Kindle offers it.
The cover may still show in your library with a cloud symbol, because the book is still yours. Switch the library filter to Downloaded to see only what's on the device.
Delete books in the Kindle app on a phone
- Open the Kindle app and go to Library.
- Press and hold the book cover.
- Tap the three-dot menu.
- Choose Remove Download.
On a phone, removing downloads is the quickest way to free storage if you've built up a long list of finished books.
Permanently delete a Kindle book
- On a computer, go to Amazon and open Manage Your Content and Devices.
- Choose the Content tab, then Books.
- Tick the books you want to delete.
- Select Delete and confirm the permanent deletion.
Amazon is clear that this removes the books from your cloud account and all your devices, and you'd have to get them again to read them. Only do this for books you're certain you'll never want, or ones you'd rather not have in your library at all.
The files you can't get back
Documents and books you copied to the Kindle over a USB cable aren't in Amazon's cloud. Amazon says that removing them from the device deletes them permanently. Keep a copy on your computer before you delete them. Files you emailed to your Kindle with Send to Kindle are different: those are usually saved to your library and can be downloaded again.
Borrowed books and library loans
Kindle Unlimited and Prime Reading books aren't deleted, they're returned. Returning removes them from your library. Library books borrowed through a library service expire on their own at the end of the loan, or you can return them early from the library's site.
Remove a book from a different device
In Manage Your Content and Devices, choose a book, then Deliver or remove from device. Amazon shows every device registered to your account, so you can tick or untick a Kindle, phone or tablet and click Make Changes. It's handy for tidying a child's Kindle remotely.
Delete books from Kindle on a computer app
The Kindle app for Windows and Mac works the same way. Right-click a downloaded book in your library and choose to remove it from the device, and it goes back to being a cloud book you can open again whenever you like. Amazon's help for the Windows app also lets you manage this from Manage Your Content and Devices, where the app appears in the list of devices alongside your Kindle and phone.
Hide a book instead of deleting it
If the problem is that a book shows up in a shared or family library, you may not need to delete it at all. In Manage Your Content and Devices you can stop sharing a title with family members, and on a Kindle you can tidy your library into collections so finished books stop crowding the home screen.
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Freeing space without deleting
- Remove downloads of books you've finished; they stay in your library.
- Archive books into the cloud rather than keeping everything downloaded.
- Check the Downloaded filter for large items like comics and audiobooks.
- Restart the Kindle afterwards if the free space doesn't update straight away.
If you're clearing out finished books to make room for new ones, my list of book club questions helps you get more out of the next one, and my book writing prompts are for anyone who'd rather write their own.
My verdict
Use Remove Download to clear space, because the book stays yours and comes back with one tap. Use Permanently Delete only when you want a book gone from your account for good. And before removing anything you copied over USB, save a copy on your computer, because that's the one kind of Kindle file that disappears for ever once it's off the device.
Frequently asked questions
How do I delete books from my Kindle?
Press and hold the cover and choose Remove Download. The book stays in your library.
How do I permanently delete a Kindle book?
Use Manage Your Content and Devices on Amazon, select the book and choose Delete.
Will removing a book from my Kindle delete it from my account?
No. Remove Download only clears it from that device.
Can I get a deleted Kindle book back?
After Remove Download, yes. After Permanently Delete, no.
Why can't I get back a document I removed from my Kindle?
Files copied by USB aren't stored in Amazon's cloud, so removing them deletes them for good.
How do I remove Kindle Unlimited books?
Return them, which removes them from your library.
