The quickest way to close a book

To close a book on your Kindle Paperwhite, press the back button (the left-pointing arrow at the top left of the screen) or swipe from the left edge of the screen toward the right. Either action takes you back to your library, where you can see all your books. The book stays in your library — closing it does not delete it.

You do not need to save your progress. The Kindle Paperwhite automatically remembers exactly where you stopped reading, down to the page and the position on that page. The next time you open the book, it opens to that exact spot.

Key Takeaways

  • Press the back arrow button at the top left of the screen or swipe right from the left edge to close any open book.
  • Closing a book returns you to your library and does not delete the book or erase your reading progress.
  • Your Kindle Paperwhite saves your place automatically, so you never have to manually mark where you stopped.
  • If you want to remove a book from your device entirely, you delete it from the library, which is different from simply closing it.

Using the back button

The back button is the easiest method for most readers. Look at the top left corner of your Kindle Paperwhite screen — you will see a left-pointing arrow. Tap it once, and the book closes immediately. You return to your library view, where you see all your books displayed as a list or in grid format, depending on how you have your library set up.

This button works the same way whether you are reading a chapter in the middle of a book, looking at the table of contents, or viewing a page with notes or highlights. One tap always takes you back one level toward the library.

Swiping from the left edge

If you prefer not to tap buttons, you can swipe instead. Place your finger on the left edge of the screen (about half an inch from the left border) and drag it toward the right side of the screen. This gesture closes the book and returns you to your library, just as the back button does.

Some readers find swiping more natural, especially if they hold the device in one hand. The swipe works from anywhere on the left edge, so you do not have to reach for a specific button location.

What happens to your reading progress

When you close a book, your Kindle Paperwhite records the exact page and position where you stopped. This happens automatically — you do not need to do anything. The device stores this information in the cloud (Amazon's servers) and on the device itself.

If you own multiple Kindle devices or read on the Kindle app on your phone or tablet, your reading progress syncs across all of them. Open the same book on a different device, and it opens to the same page where you left off on your Paperwhite. You can turn off this syncing in your device settings if you prefer to keep reading progress separate on each device.

The difference between closing and deleting

Closing a book and deleting a book are two different actions. Closing simply returns you to your library and stops the reading session. The book remains in your library, ready to open again whenever you want.

Deleting removes the book from your device. To delete a book, go to your library, find the book you want to remove, and press and hold on it until a menu appears. Select "Remove from Device" or "Delete" (the exact wording depends on your software version). Deleting does not erase the book from your Amazon account — you can download it again later if you change your mind.

If the back button is not working

Occasionally the back button becomes unresponsive. First, try swiping from the left edge instead — this often works when the button does not. If swiping also does not work, restart your Kindle Paperwhite by holding down the power button for 20 seconds until the screen goes black, then press the power button again to turn it back on.

After the restart, try closing the book again using either method. If the problem continues, check that your device software is up to date. Go to Settings, then Device Options, then About, and look for a software version number. You can also restart the device in the same way and check for updates — your Kindle Paperwhite downloads updates automatically when connected to Wi-Fi.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does closing a book delete my bookmarks and highlights?

No. All your bookmarks, highlights, and notes stay saved in the book. When you reopen it, they are still there. Closing the book only stops your current reading session.

Can I close a book without losing my page?

Yes. Your Kindle Paperwhite always saves your exact reading position automatically. You can close the book and reopen it weeks or months later, and it will open to the same page.

What if I close a book by accident?

Simply open the book again from your library. It opens to the page where you left off, so you have not lost any progress. There is no "undo" needed.

Does closing a book free up storage space on my device?

No. Closing a book does not remove it from your device's storage. To free up space, you must delete the book using the library menu. Closing only ends your reading session.