Delete a book from Kindle in three steps
To remove a book from your Kindle app on a phone, tablet, or computer, open the app, find the book in your library, press and hold it (or right-click on a computer), and tap Delete. The book disappears from your device immediately. This does not delete it from your Amazon account — you can download it again later without paying again.
The steps are slightly different depending on whether you use an iPhone, Android phone, tablet, or computer, but the result is the same. The book leaves your device but stays in your Amazon library under "Archived Items" so you can restore it anytime.
Key Takeaways
- Deleting a book from the Kindle app removes it from your device but keeps it in your Amazon account, so you can download it again later.
- On phones and tablets, press and hold the book cover until a menu appears, then tap Delete.
- On a computer, right-click the book cover and select Delete from Device.
- Deleted books move to "Archived Items" in your library, not to trash — they stay there until you restore them.
- Deleting a book does not affect your reading progress or bookmarks if you download it again.
Delete a book on iPhone or iPad
Open the Kindle app and go to your library. Find the book you want to remove. Press and hold the book cover for about two seconds until a menu pops up with options. Tap Delete from the menu. The book vanishes from your library view on that device.
If you do not see the Delete option, make sure you are pressing and holding long enough. A quick tap will not bring up the menu. If you accidentally delete a book, you can restore it by going to the menu (three horizontal lines in the top left), selecting Settings & Account, then Archived Items, finding the book, and tapping Download.
Delete a book on Android phone or tablet
Open the Kindle app and tap Library at the bottom of the screen. Find the book you want to remove and press and hold the cover until a menu appears. Tap Delete. The book is removed from your device immediately.
On some Android versions, you may see a confirmation message asking if you want to delete the book. Tap Yes or Delete to confirm. Like on iPhone, the book moves to Archived Items in your account, so you can download it again without repurchasing.
Delete a book on Windows or Mac computer
Open the Kindle app on your computer and look at your library. Right-click on the book cover you want to remove. A menu will appear with several options. Click Delete from Device. The book is removed from your computer.
Do not confuse "Delete from Device" with other options you might see. "Delete from Device" removes it from your computer but keeps it in your Amazon account. If you see an option to delete from your library entirely, that is different — it would remove the book from your account completely, and you would have to buy it again to get it back.
The difference between deleting and archiving
When you delete a book from the Kindle app, Amazon automatically archives it. Archiving means the book stays in your account but does not show up in your regular library view. You can restore an archived book anytime by finding it in Archived Items and downloading it again. This is Amazon's way of keeping your library organized without actually removing your purchase.
You cannot permanently delete a book you own from your Amazon account through the Kindle app itself. If you want to remove a book from your account entirely so it no longer appears in Archived Items, you have to do that on Amazon's website, not in the app. Most people never need to do this — archiving is usually enough.
What happens to your reading progress when you delete a book
When you delete a book from your device, Amazon saves your reading progress, bookmarks, and highlights in your account. If you download the book again later, you will pick up right where you left off. The app remembers which page you were on, which passages you highlighted, and which notes you added.
This is true even if you delete the book and download it on a different device. If you delete a book on your phone and later download it on your tablet, your progress syncs across devices. Amazon keeps this information for as long as the book stays in your account, even if it is archived.
Freeing up space on your device
Deleting books from the Kindle app frees up storage space on your phone or tablet. Each book takes up a small amount of space — usually between 1 and 10 megabytes depending on the book's length and format. If your device is running low on storage, deleting books you have already read is a quick way to make room.
You can also manage storage by going into the Kindle app settings and turning off automatic downloads. This prevents the app from downloading new books to your device automatically. You can still read books through the cloud — the app will stream them instead of storing them locally — but this uses more data if you are not on Wi-Fi.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I delete a book, do I have to buy it again?
No. Deleting a book from your device removes it only from that device. The book stays in your Amazon account, and you can download it again for free anytime. You only pay once, no matter how many times you delete and restore it.
Can I delete a book from my Amazon account completely?
Yes, but you have to do it on Amazon's website, not in the Kindle app. Go to Amazon.com, sign in, go to your account, find "Manage Your Content and Devices," locate the book, and select the option to delete it permanently. Once deleted from your account, you cannot restore it without buying it again.
What is the difference between deleting and archiving?
Deleting a book from the Kindle app automatically archives it — it stays in your account but hides from your main library view. Archiving is not a separate action you take; it happens automatically when you delete. You can restore an archived book anytime by going to Archived Items and downloading it.
Will deleting a book erase my bookmarks and highlights?
No. Amazon saves your bookmarks, highlights, and reading progress in your account even after you delete the book from your device. When you download the book again, all your marks and notes come back with it.
How do I delete multiple books at once?
The Kindle app does not have a bulk delete feature. You have to delete books one at a time by pressing and holding each cover and tapping Delete. If you want to delete many books, doing it on Amazon's website is faster — you can select multiple books at once and delete them together.