How to Download Kindle Books to Your Computer Before Amazon Kills the Feature

The Kindle books you own are not necessarily your own. Books you download, even ones you have purchased, can be recalled or edited by Amazon or the publisher at any time.

Amazon has long allowed you to download its ebooks to your computer, where they can serve as a backup or be transferred to other devices. However, that feature will end on Feb. 26, 2025, along with the ability to transfer books from your computer to your Kindle via USB.

(Credit: PCMag/Amazon)

If you attempt to download your ebooks right now, a message says: “Starting February 26, 2025, the ‘Download & Transfer via USB’ option will no longer be available. You can still send Kindle books to your Wi-Fi-enabled devices by selecting the ‘Deliver or Remove from Device’ option.”

After Feb. 26, you will still be able to download Kindle books from the Kindle Store via Wi-Fi, and you can also use the Send to Kindle page on Amazon to send a variety of files to your Kindle.

How To Save Your Books While You Can

Should you want to transfer your titles from your Kindle to your computer while you still can, go to Amazon.com, sign in, and click Accounts & Lists > Content Library > Books. Navigate to the book you want to download and click More actions > Download & transfer via USB.

(Credit: PCMag/Amazon)

You’ll get a pop-up asking you to select your Kindle. This does not mean that you have to attach your Kindle or that the book will download to the Kindle itself. It’s just a necessary step to trigger the Download button, which you should press after you have selected a Kindle. Once you click Download, your book is saved to your computer in Amazon’s AZW3 format. 

One annoying thing to note: you can’t select a Kindle that was purchased in 2024, as the video below outlines. You also can’t do this in bulk, so if you have a huge Amazon library, the download process could be time-consuming.

Move Your Ebooks to Other Devices

If you wish to transfer your books to another device, software like Calibre turns Amazon’s proprietary AWZ3 files into ones that can be read on other ereaders. It lets you remove the DRM (digital rights management), freeing the files so that you can convert them to EPUB or PD files.

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About Chandra Steele

Senior Features Writer

My title is Senior Features Writer, which is a license to write about absolutely anything if I can connect it to technology (I can). I’ve been at PCMag since 2011 and have covered the surveillance state, vaccination cards, ghost guns, voting, ISIS, art, fashion, film, design, gender bias, and more. You might have seen me on TV talking about these topics or heard me on your commute home on the radio or a podcast. Or maybe you’ve just seen my Bernie meme. 

I strive to explain topics that you might come across in the news but not fully understand, such as NFTs and meme stocks. I’ve had the pleasure of talking tech with Jeff Goldblum, Ang Lee, and other celebrities who have brought a different perspective to it. I put great care into writing gift guides and am always touched by the notes I get from people who’ve used them to choose presents that have been well-received. Though I love that I get to write about the tech industry every day, it’s touched by gender, racial, and socioeconomic inequality and I try to bring these topics to light. 

Outside of PCMag, I write fiction, poetry, humor, and essays on culture.

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