Your Kindle reading experience will go far beyond what's available in the Kindle Store. If, like me, you only buy reading material from Amazon (or borrow e-books from your local library), it's time to explore what your e-reader can really do.
Amazon has a dedicated program called Send to Kindle that allows you to wirelessly send articles, Word documents, PDFs, and copyright-free ebooks directly to your Kindle, no cables required. But now there are many other options. Here are some of my favorites.
How Amazon's Send to Kindle program works
You may not know it, but your Kindle has its own email address that you can use to send documents directly to your device.
This technology has been around for over a decade. But now, there are more options for sending articles, documents, and e-books to Kindle. These include a Chrome extension, a desktop app, and built-in support for the feature in the Kindle app for iOS and Android. Here, you don't even need to worry about remembering and finding your device's email address (although I do like the simplicity of the email method).
Before we start sending files, a quick introduction to format support. Amazon won't let you send .MOBI files (which is one of the Kindle's native file formats), but it will happily accept your EPUB file and run it on your Kindle and Kindle apps. In fact, it will even sync your reading position between your Kindle and iPhone apps, just like when you buy a book from the Kindle store.
Kindle devices support .DOC, .DOCX, .HTML, .TXT, .PDF, and .EPUB file formats.
Send eBooks using your Kindle email address
Sometimes, the old-fashioned way is best. Not everyone wants additional services or browser extensions.
To do this, all you need to do is find your Kindle's email address. You can do this through the Kindle itself. Open Kindle settings and go to your account . At the bottom here you'll find the Send to Kindle email address. Write it down.
Now, after downloading the e-book or document you want to your non-Kindle device (whether it's your computer or your phone), open your email application and create a new email. Add this Kindle address to the "To" field. Make sure you use the same email address you used to create your Kindle account.
Then, attach the document or e-book to the email, leave the subject blank, and send the email. Amazon will process the files on its servers, add them to your cloud account, and send the files to your Kindle, all in just a few minutes. The book will appear on your Kindle as shown in the screenshot below.
If this doesn't work for you, it may be because you are using a different email address. That's okay, but you'll need to approve this additional email in your Kindle settings before you can use it to send files to your Kindle. Frustratingly, this can only be done on Amazon.com.
Navigate to the Content and Devices section on Amazon. Here, select the Preferences tab at the top of the page and go to Personal Document Settings .
Scroll down to the Approved Personal Documents Email List section and click the Add New Approved Email Address button.
Here, add the email address you want to use to send the document to your Kindle.
Send any document or e-book using the Send to Kindle website
This is a good option if you only need to send documents occasionally. Visit Amazon's Send to Kindle website and log in with your Amazon account. The site automatically recognizes your connected Kindle device, so there's nothing to do other than drag and drop files. Click the Send button and wait a few minutes for the document to appear on your Kindle.
Send documents on the go with the Kindle app
Sending documents to your Kindle using your iPhone or Android is easier if you've already set up the Kindle app. The Kindle app doesn't support web articles, but it handles .EPUB and .PDF files just fine.
First, find the file in the Files app of your choice, open the Share menu, and select the Kindle app. This will open the "Send to Kindle" menu. Click the "Send" button and wait for the e-book or document to appear on your Kindle.
Send articles using Chrome extension
Let's say you're browsing and see a long article that you want to read later on your Kindle. The best way to do this is to use the Send to Kindle Chrome extension.
In the extension, log in with your Amazon account and navigate to the page you want to send to your Kindle. Click on the extension and select the Quick Send option to send a distraction-free version of the website to your Kindle. It will be free of ads and formatting.
Use a third-party send to Kindle service
Amazon's Send to Kindle extension only works on Chrome and has few customization options. Thankfully, there are tons of third-party extensions that can help you send articles to Kindle. Push to Kindle is a customizable option, but the free plan limits you to 10 articles per month (the unlimited plan costs $2.99/month). I prefer using Push to Kindle because it does an impressive job of formatting text and it has an option to delete all images.
If you’re looking for a completely free option, Reabble is a great option. You can also use a read-later app like Pocket or Instapaper to send articles to your Kindle.
They all work in the same basic way. You can use their browser extension or their bookmarks, which also work on mobile browsers. You first need to add the service's email address to your Amazon account's approved personal document email list. I explain how to do this in the email section above. Next, provide the service with your Kindle's email address (again, as above) and send it. This service will convert your articles into e-books for you.
The best Kindle devices for reading non-Kindle documents
To take advantage of these tips, you'll need a Kindle. Here are some great options for reading any type of document on your Kindle, especially those from non-Amazon stores.
Amazon Kindle Scribe
Kindle Scribe is Amazon's first electronic note-taking product, which means it comes with a stylus you can use to mark up documents. This is a great option if you want to send assignments to your Kindle.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2021)
Otherwise, the Kindle Paperwhite is a great backup device. It's cheaper than the Scribe, and its ability to control color temperature is great for late-night reading, making it a more comfortable way to read long articles from the web.
