Starting on February 26th, 2025, Amazon is removing a feature from its website allowing you to download purchased books to a computer and then copy them manually to a Kindle over USB. It’s a feature that a lot of Kindle users are probably not aware of, given books can be more easily sent to devices over Wi-Fi, but it’s especially useful for backing up purchases or converting them to other formats compatible with non-Kindle e-readers.
There are a few reasons why some Kindle users might miss this feature. It’s useful if you don’t have access to a Wi-Fi network, and although it’s a tedious process since purchased books can only be downloaded one at a time, there’s some peace of mind in knowing you have offline copies of all your books.
The feature is also the easiest way to convert books purchased from Amazon to other formats like EPUB that can be used on alternative devices such as a Kobo. Books downloaded through Amazon’s website are delivered in the older AZW3 format which allows DRM to be easily removed using various software tools.
The download feature is a carryover from the days when Kindles didn’t come with Wi-Fi, allowing users who also weren’t able to take advantage of Amazon’s cellular Whispernet service to get purchased books onto their e-readers. It’s still accessible through Amazon’s website by accessing your “Content Library” while logged into your account. For purchased books you select the “More actions” menu, choose “Download & transfer via USB,” select a Kindle device you have registered, and a copy of the book will be downloaded to your computer.