Delete books from your Kindle device or app in three steps
You can remove any book, magazine, or document from your Kindle device or app by finding it in your library and selecting delete. The book stays in your Amazon account — you can download it again later without paying again. If you want to remove it permanently so it never appears in your library, you can do that too, but that step is separate.
The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're using a Kindle e-reader, a Kindle Fire tablet, or the Kindle reading app on your phone or computer. This guide covers all three.
Key Takeaways
- Deleting a book from your device does not remove it from your Amazon account — you can download it again anytime without repurchasing.
- On a Kindle e-reader, press and hold the book title, then select "Remove from Device" from the menu that appears.
- On a Kindle Fire tablet or phone app, swipe left on the book title or tap the three-dot menu, then choose "Remove from Device."
- To permanently remove a book from your library so it no longer appears anywhere, you must delete it from your Amazon account on a web browser, not from the device itself.
- Removing a book from your device frees up storage space but does not affect your reading progress or bookmarks if you download it again later.
Delete a book from a Kindle e-reader
On a standard Kindle e-reader (Paperwhite, Basic, or Oasis), go to your library by pressing the home button. Scroll through your books until you find the one you want to remove.
Press and hold the book cover or title for two to three seconds. A menu will pop up with several options. Select "Remove from Device." The book disappears from your device immediately and the storage space is freed up. Your reading progress and any highlights or notes you made are saved in your Amazon account.
If you do not see a menu after pressing and holding, try again — the timing needs to be a full two to three seconds, not a quick tap. Some older Kindle models may require you to navigate to the book and press the menu button (three horizontal lines) instead.
Delete a book from a Kindle Fire tablet
Open the Kindle app on your Fire tablet and go to your library. Find the book you want to remove and swipe left across the book cover. A "Remove from Device" button appears on the right side of the screen. Tap it.
If swiping does not work, tap the three-dot menu icon (⋯) in the top right corner of the book tile, then select "Remove from Device" from the dropdown menu. Either method removes the book from your tablet but keeps it in your Amazon account.
Delete a book from the Kindle app on your phone or computer
Open the Kindle app on your phone (iPhone, Android) or computer (Windows, Mac). Go to your library and find the book you want to remove.
On a phone, swipe left on the book title (iPhone) or press and hold it (Android), then tap "Remove from Device." On a computer, right-click the book cover and select "Remove from Device" from the context menu. The book is removed from that device but remains in your account.
Permanently delete a book from your Amazon account
If you want to remove a book so completely that it no longer appears in your library on any device, you must delete it from your Amazon account through a web browser. You cannot do this from the Kindle device or app itself.
Go to Amazon.com and sign in. Click the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left and select "Your Content and Devices" or "Manage Your Content and Devices." Find the book in the list and click the three-dot menu next to it. Select "Delete" (not "Remove from Device"). A confirmation message appears asking if you are sure. Click "Delete" again. The book is now removed from your account entirely and will not appear in your library anywhere.
Be careful with this step — deleted books cannot be recovered. If you purchased the book, you can download it again by repurchasing it, but if it was borrowed or part of a subscription service like Kindle Unlimited, it is gone.
What happens to your reading progress and notes
When you remove a book from a device, your reading progress, bookmarks, highlights, and notes are saved in your Amazon account. If you download the book again later, you can pick up exactly where you left off. This is true whether you remove the book from just one device or from all your devices.
The only time you lose this information is if you permanently delete the book from your Amazon account using the "Manage Your Content and Devices" page. Even then, if you repurchase the book later, Amazon may restore your notes and highlights, though this is not may provide.
Free up storage space on your Kindle device
If your Kindle device is running low on storage, removing books you have already read is the fastest way to make room. Check how much space you have left by going to Settings on your device and looking at the storage information. Most Kindle e-readers have between 4 and 32 gigabytes of storage depending on the model, and magazines and PDFs take up more space than books.
You do not need to permanently delete books to free up space — simply removing them from the device is enough. You can always download them again later when you have more room or when you want to read them again.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I delete a book from my Kindle, can I get it back?
Yes, as long as you did not permanently delete it from your Amazon account. Go to your library, search for the book, and download it again. Your reading progress and notes will be restored. If you permanently deleted it through "Manage Your Content and Devices," you can repurchase it, but your notes may or may not be restored.
Will deleting a book from my device affect other devices?
No. Removing a book from one Kindle device or app does not remove it from your other devices. If you want to remove a book from all your devices, you must remove it from each one separately, or permanently delete it from your Amazon account.
What is the difference between "Remove from Device" and "Delete"?
"Remove from Device" takes the book off that specific device but keeps it in your Amazon account so you can download it again. "Delete" (available only through the Amazon website) removes it from your account entirely. Most of the time you want "Remove from Device."
Can I delete a borrowed book or a Kindle Unlimited book?
Yes, you can remove borrowed books and Kindle Unlimited titles from your device the same way you remove purchased books. If you remove a borrowed book before the loan period ends, you cannot download it again until you borrow it again. Kindle Unlimited books can be removed and re-added to your library as long as your subscription is active.
Why is my Kindle still full after deleting books?
Magazines and newspapers take up significantly more storage than books. If you have many magazines on your device, removing those will free up much more space than removing books. Also, check your device settings to see if there are large files or documents taking up space that you can remove.