Delete a book from your Kindle app in three steps

Open the Kindle app on your phone, tablet, or computer. Find the book you want to remove in your library, then press and hold it (or right-click on a computer). A menu will appear with a "Remove from device" or "Delete" option — tap or click that. The book disappears from your library immediately.

The exact wording and location of this option changes slightly depending on whether you're using the Kindle app on iOS, Android, a Kindle e-reader, or a web browser. The steps below walk you through each one. The important thing to know upfront: removing a book from your device does not delete it from your Amazon account. You can download it again later at no cost if you own it, or re-borrow it if it came from your library.

Key Takeaways

  • Removing a book from the Kindle app on your phone or tablet takes three taps: find the book, press and hold it, then select remove.
  • On a computer, right-click the book cover instead of pressing and holding.
  • Deleting a book from your device does not erase it from your Amazon account — you can download it again whenever you want.
  • If you want to permanently delete a book you own from your Amazon account entirely, you must do that through Amazon's website, not the app.
  • Books borrowed from a library app disappear automatically when the loan period ends.

Remove a book on iPhone or iPad

Open the Kindle app and go to your Library tab at the bottom of the screen. Scroll through your books until you find the one you want to remove. Press and hold the book cover for about two seconds until a menu pops up with several options.

Tap "Remove from Device" in that menu. The book vanishes from your library view immediately. If you have the book downloaded to your device, this frees up storage space. If you were only viewing it in the cloud (meaning it was stored on Amazon's servers but not taking up space on your phone), nothing visible changes, but the book no longer appears in your library list.

Remove a book on Android phone or tablet

Launch the Kindle app and tap the Library icon at the bottom. Find the book you want to delete and press and hold the cover image until a menu appears. You will see options including "Remove from Device" — tap that option.

The book is now gone from your library. Like the iPhone version, this works whether the book was downloaded to your device or stored only in the cloud. Your Amazon account still owns or has access to the book; you are only removing it from this particular app on this particular device.

Remove a book on a computer or web browser

Go to Amazon.com and sign in with your account. Navigate to "Your Content and Devices" or "Manage Your Content and Devices" — the exact name varies depending on which Amazon page you are on. You will see a list of all your books.

Find the book you want to remove and right-click on its cover. A context menu will appear. Select "Remove from Library" or a similar option. Alternatively, some versions of this page let you click a three-dot menu icon next to the book title instead. The book is now removed from your library on the web, and it will no longer appear in the Kindle app on any of your devices.

The difference between removing and permanently deleting

When you remove a book from the Kindle app, you are hiding it from your library, but Amazon still has a record that you own it (if you purchased it) or borrowed it (if it came from your library). You can download it again to any device at any time without paying again.

If you want to permanently erase a book from your Amazon account so that it no longer appears anywhere, you must go to Amazon's website. Sign in, go to "Manage Your Content and Devices," find the book, and look for a "Delete" option rather than "Remove." This is a permanent action — you cannot undo it, and you will have to repurchase the book if you want it back. Most people never need to do this; removing from the app is sufficient for freeing up space and cleaning up your library.

What happens to borrowed library books

If you borrowed a book through your public library's app or through Kindle's library lending feature, the book automatically disappears from your device when the loan period ends. You do not need to manually delete it. The app will show you how many days are left on the loan, usually near the book title or in a details section.

If you want to return a borrowed book early, you can remove it from your device using the same steps as above. The loan ends immediately, and the book becomes available for another reader to borrow. Your library account will show the book as returned.

Freeing up storage space on your device

If your phone or tablet is running low on storage, removing downloaded books is one of the fastest ways to reclaim space. The Kindle app lets you download books for offline reading, which takes up storage, or keep them in the cloud, which does not. When you remove a book from your device, you are deleting the downloaded copy.

To see which books are actually taking up space on your device versus stored in the cloud, look for a small cloud icon next to the book title in your library. A cloud icon means the book is in the cloud only and is not using your device's storage. No icon usually means the book is downloaded. You can also go into your device's storage settings to see how much space the Kindle app is using overall.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I remove a book, can I get it back?

Yes. As long as you own the book or still have access to it through your library, you can download it again to any device at no cost. Go to your Amazon library, find the book, and select "Download" or "Send to Device." Borrowed books return to your library automatically when the loan ends.

Will removing a book from my phone also remove it from my Kindle e-reader?

No. Each device has its own library. Removing a book from the Kindle app on your phone does not affect your Kindle e-reader or any other device. You must remove it separately from each device if you want it gone from all of them.

What if I accidentally deleted a book I wanted to keep?

If you removed it from your device but did not permanently delete it from your Amazon account, simply download it again. Go to your Amazon library, find the book, and download it. If you permanently deleted it from your account, you will need to repurchase it.

Can I delete multiple books at once?

On the Kindle app itself, you must remove books one at a time. On Amazon's website under "Manage Your Content and Devices," you can select multiple books using checkboxes and remove them together, which is faster if you have many books to delete.

Does removing a book from Kindle delete it from my other Amazon apps?

No. The Kindle app is separate from other Amazon services. Removing a book from Kindle does not affect your Audible audiobooks, your Amazon Photos, or any other Amazon app. Each service manages its own content independently.