How to Delete Books from iBooks—Now Apple Books

Plus how to hide books in Apple Books

A man reads an ebook using Apple Books.

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by Patrick Shawn Hearn
Patrick Hearn has been a freelance technology writer for 6+ years. He has written for CBSi, GameSpot, Xfinity, and many others.
Updated August 27, 2019

iBooks (often called Apple Books) is a longtime fan favorite among Apple users. The interface is easy to navigate and it offers a great alternative for people who prefer not to use Kindle. Whether you're trying to refresh yourself on how to use the app or you're migrating to iBooks after Microsoft's closure of their ebook service, this article will walk you through how to delete books from Apple Books, and how to hide and unhide books you want to keep.

How to Delete Books From iBooks

Sometimes books have to go to clear up space, or because you just didn't like them. Whatever the reason, this is how you delete books from your iBooks library.

  1. Open the iBooks app on your Mac.

    Open iBooks.

  2. Click the book you want to delete and press the Delete key on your keyboard.

    Select the book you want to delete.

  3. You'll be asked to confirm the action. Click Delete Everywhere and the book will be deleted from your Mac, iCloud, and iCloud connected devices.

    Confirm the action by pressing delete everywhere.

How to Delete Books From iBooks on iOS

Deleting books on iPhone is a little different than on Mac. 

  1. Open the Books app on you iOS device.

  2. Under the book you want to delete, tap the three dots at the bottom right side.

    Tap the three dots underneath the book.

  3. In the menu that appears, tap Delete Everywhere.

    Tap

How to Hide Books on iBooks

If you shudder at the thought of actually deleting books, but you still need to clear up space in your library. You can hide books you've purchased from the Apple Books store.

To hide books, start in iBooks on your Mac, then click View > Hide iCloud Books.

Click

Alternatively, you can add the book to a collection and view only books in a given collection for additional organization. 

How to Hide Books on iOS

The process for hiding books differs on an iOS device, but not by much.

  1. Open the Books app on your iOS device.

  2. Tap Edit in the upper right corner.

    Select Edit in the top right corner.

  3. Tap the book (or books) you want to hide.

    Select the books you want to hide.

  4. Tap the trash can icon in the bottom left corner.

    Select the trash can in the bottom left corner.

  5. Tap Hide underneath "Delete Everywhere."

    Tap hide or delete everywhere to hide the book.

How to Unhide Books in iBooks

If you want to find all the books you've hidden on your Mac, the process on a Mac is nearly the same as hiding them. Start in iBooks, then click View > Show iCloud Books. Your books are restored to your library.

Select view and choose show iCloud books.

How to Unhide Books on iOS

The process for seeing your hidden purchases on iOS is a bit more in-depth than on Mac.

  1. Open the Books app.

  2. Tap Reading Now in the bottom left corner, scroll to the top, then tap the account icon.

    Go to Reading Now and tap the account icon.

  3. Tap Manage Hidden Purchases. Any purchase you've hidden can be found here.

  4. Tap Unhide to bring the book back to your library.

    Tap unhide to return a book to your library.