How to Use the Kindle App for Mac

This article explains how to create and manage a Kindle library on a Mac using Amazon's Kindle app for Mac.

How to Download and Use the Kindle App for Mac

The Kindle app is available for free from the Mac App Store, and it's quick to set up. Follow these steps to get started with your digital library.

1. Open the App Store under the Apple menu.

2. Search the App Store for "Kindle."

3. The official Kindle app is the first result. Click Get and then Install to download and install it.

4. Click Open on the Kindle app in the App Store or go to the Applications folder and click on the Kindle app.

5. When you open Kindle, it prompts you to enter your Amazon credentials. You only have to do this step once.

6. Kindle opens with a screen that shows all the e-books you've bought from Amazon (if you have any). In the upper-left corner is a window containing options for finding and organizing your library. By default, it opens on the All button.

   • All shows your entire library.
   • The sync button, which looks like a circle with arrows, checks your account and updates the library with any books you've bought.
   • Downloaded shows titles you've transferred to your computer.
   • The PDFs menu contains documents you've added that aren't in the traditional e-book format.

7. You can organize your books using Collections, which are like folders in which you store items in any way that makes sense.

   To create a new Collection, click the plus sign.

8. The menu that opens has two options. New Collection creates a new folder. Import Collection moves any existing ones you've made (for example, from the Kindle app for iPad) to the Mac app.

9. To make a new collection, select that option and type a name for it. Press Enter to save.

10. You can add a book to your new Collection in two ways:

    • Drag its cover to the name of the Collection on the left side of the screen.
    • Right-click the cover, highlight Add/Remove from Collection, and then click the name of the one you want to add it to.

11. To start reading, double-click the cover of the book you want.

Purchasing New Books

Amazon doesn't provide a way to purchase books from the Kindle app, but you can explore titles with the Kindle search function. You can even read the first chapter for free. Once you’ve found a book you want to purchase, log in to the Amazon Kindle store web page in your web browser to make your purchase.

After you check out, Amazon asks you if you want to download the book to your Kindle device. If you don't see the book in your Kindle app, press the Sync icon to refresh and collect your book.

How to Use the Kindle Cloud Reader

If you don't want to (or can't) install the Kindle app on your Mac, you can go to a web browser tab and visit the Kindle Cloud Reader.

1. Go to the Kindle Cloud Reader site and enter your Amazon login credentials.

2. Click Get Started Now.

3. Your library appears, where you click the book you want to read.

4. To download a book for offline reading, right-click it and select Download & Pin Book from the menu.

   While you no longer need an internet connection to read the book, you can only read the book through a Kindle device, app, or the Kindle Cloud Reader.