How to Read Kindle Books on a PC (App or Browser)

You don't need a Kindle to read Kindle books. Every book you've got from Amazon can be read on a Windows computer, either in Amazon's own app or straight in your browser. It's handy for reference books at your desk, for reading on a bigger screen, or for copying a highlight into your notes. Here's how to set up both, and which one to choose.

Two ways to read on a PC

Option	Good for	Needs
Kindle app for Windows	Reading offline, bigger libraries, notes	Windows 11 and an install
Kindle for Web (read.amazon.com)	Quick reading, shared or work PCs, no install	A browser and internet

Install the Kindle app for Windows

1. Go to Amazon's Download Kindle Apps page.
2. Choose the download for Windows.
3. Run the installer and follow the steps on screen.
4. Open Kindle and sign in with the Amazon account your books are on.
5. Your library appears. Double-click a book to download and open it.

Amazon lists Windows 11 as the supported version for its desktop app. If your PC runs something older, Amazon's own advice is to use Kindle for Web instead.

Using an old Kindle for PC app?

This catches people out. The older app, once called Kindle for PC and now labelled the Legacy Kindle app, is no longer supported by Amazon. If yours has stopped syncing or won't open books, that's probably why. Uninstall it and install the current Kindle app for Windows from the download page. Your books are tied to your Amazon account, so nothing is lost.

Read in your browser with Kindle for Web

1. Go to read.amazon.com.
2. Sign in with your Amazon account.
3. Click a book in your library to open it.

Kindle for Web used to be called Kindle Cloud Reader. It's the right choice on a computer you don't own, because nothing is installed and you just sign out when you're done. It works in up-to-date browsers on Windows, Mac and Chromebook.

Keep your place across devices

Whichever you use, your furthest page read, bookmarks, highlights and notes sync with your Kindle and phone app, as long as each is online. In the Windows app, if a book opens on the wrong page, open the Library and select the sync icon, or press F5 from anywhere in the app to sync straight away.

Useful things the PC app does better

• Notes and highlights side by side: open the notebook panel to see everything you've highlighted in a book.
• Search: find any word or phrase in a book instantly.
• Bigger layouts: pick columns, fonts and page widths that suit a wide screen.
• Offline reading: downloaded books open without internet, which Kindle for Web can't always do.

What you can't do on a PC

• Get books from the Kindle Store inside the app; you choose books on Amazon's website instead, and they appear in your library.
• Copy unlimited text, because publishers set a limit on how much can be copied from a book.
• Open books from other stores that use their own protection.

Reading your own documents on a PC

PDFs and documents you've sent to your Kindle with Send to Kindle show up in the app's library too, under documents, so you can read the same file on your PC and your Kindle. If you're reading a PDF anyway, the PC is often the better screen for it, because the page layout stays at full size.

Make the screen easier on your eyes

Reading on a monitor is tiring if you leave everything at the default. In the Windows app, open the display settings in a book to pick a larger font, wider margins and a narrower column, which is easier to follow than text stretched across a wide screen. Switch to the sepia or dark colour theme in the evening. Full-screen mode hides the rest of Windows, which helps you settle into a long chapter without notifications pulling you away.

Reading on a Mac or Chromebook

The same choices apply. On a Mac, Amazon's Download Kindle Apps page has a Mac version, and on a Chromebook the simplest route is Kindle for Web in Chrome. Your library and reading position follow your Amazon account, so you can start a chapter on one computer and finish it on another.

When books won't download

• Check you're signed in with the same Amazon account as your Kindle.
• Sync with F5 or the sync icon.
• Make sure the book is from the store for your country.
• Sign out and back in to the app if the library is empty.
• Use read.amazon.com as a quick check that the book is in your account at all.

For book groups that read on different devices, my book club questions work whatever screen each person reads on.

My verdict

Install the current Kindle app for Windows if it's your own computer and you want offline reading, search and a tidy notes panel. Use read.amazon.com on a work or shared PC, or if your Windows version isn't supported. And if you're still on the old Kindle for PC app, replace it now, because it's no longer supported and won't keep syncing. If you write as well as read, a big screen is also the best place to work through my book writing prompts.

Frequently asked questions

Can I read Kindle books on my PC?

Yes, with the Kindle app for Windows or in your browser at read.amazon.com.

Is Kindle for PC still supported?

No. The older Kindle for PC app is no longer supported; install the current Kindle app for Windows.

What is Kindle Cloud Reader called now?

Kindle for Web, at read.amazon.com.

How do I sync Kindle books on my PC?

Select the sync icon in the Library, or press F5 in the app.

Can I read Kindle books on a PC offline?

Yes, in the Windows app once a book is downloaded.

Which Windows version does the Kindle app need?

Amazon lists Windows 11. On older systems, use Kindle for Web.