A Practical Guide to Opening EPUB Files on Any Device
The world has space for all kinds of readers! A lot of authors I know stick with physical books and have a love affair with the library, and that’s great! Many book lovers prefer the practicality of an ereader, and don’t want to fill their homes with piles upon piles of paperbacks. Plenty of readers need to multitask, can’t decipher printed text, or prefer not to stare at a page, and instead listen to the words or the book spoken to them.
One of my goals as an author is to make purchasing and reading my books as simple as possible for people. I know how easy it is to skip watching a popular show because it’s not on a subscription platform you currently pay for, pirate a movie when it’s not available to stream anywhere, or pass over a book because you’re not sure how to open an EPUB file on your phone, tablet, or computer. Instead of skipping over great indie books and missing out on the fantastic stories smaller creators tell, I’ve put together this step-by-step guide to reading EPUB ebooks on any device you already own.
Support the Authors You Love
Many indie authors and small publishers offer their ebooks for direct purchase from their websites. This is the best way to purchase an ebook if you’re interested in supporting your favorite creators, since it gives the highest royalty to the authors. Even mega-book platforms like Amazon and Barnes & Noble take a 35% cut or higher off of every ebook sale.
When you direct purchase an ebook, you’ll download the ebook file as an EPUB. Great! But what do you do with that file? How do you read it?
I’m here to help you out! Reading ebooks is super easy on most devices, including your phone! Got an EPUB and want to read it, or eying one of the sci-fi thrillers or short stories in my store? Awesome! Let me give you the details on the best way to open EPUBs on iPhone, Android, Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Mac, or PC so you can start reading right away.
I’ve broken down the guide into three sections, each one going into detail for each device. Even though this guide looks long, simply skip to the part you need, read it, follow the steps, and start reading your new ebook right away!
PC (Windows) | Android Phones & Tablets
Apple Devices
Apple devices just get it: people like reading books! Both Mac computers and iOS devices come with the Books app, which handles ebook files beautifully. Once you open an ebook on one Apple device, it’s automatically saved to your cloud so you can view the book on any Apple device logged into the same account. The Books app also links to the bookstore, which makes it even easier to buy new ebooks.
iPhone & iPad
This is super simple! Download the file or click the link to the ebook to open
the preview, click the share icon (
), and then select Books. Your book has now been added to your
Books library and will open on your device!
Mac Computers
Start by downloading the EPUB file. You can save it in a specific folder if you want, but this isn’t necessary; the Books app will add the book to your library. Simply double-click the file, and it will automatically open in Books. Read and enjoy!
Windows & Android Devices
PC (Windows)
Unlike Mac Computers, Windows doesn’t include software for opening ebook files, but there are a number of free programs that will handle this for you.
I recommend using Calibre. Download it here:
Once you have Calibre set up on your computer, simply open the program and click the Add Books button, and select the ebook files you downloaded. Once you’ve added books, highlight the book you want to read and then click the View button to start reading!
Android Phones & Tablets
If the Google Play Books & Audiobooks app isn’t already on your device, start by downloading and installing it. The first time you download an epub or try to open it, you’re device may ask which app to use. Select Google Play Books as the default, and your ebook will be automatically added to your Google Books library.
Dedicated Ereaders
Ereader devices are typically paired with a store: Kindle works with Amazon, Kobo has its own store, and Nook pairs with Barnes & Noble ebooks. Since these devices are so closely linked with a retailer, the easiest way to add books to them is to purchase the ebook through their linked retailer. However, they all have a way of adding your own personal documents and ebooks in case you want to read books not purchased through their store.
The process is a little more involved than that for a computer or phone, but definitely worthwhile to open up a new world of reading possibilities on your dedicated ereader. And once you’ve transferred the first ebook to your device, future ebooks will be much easier and faster.
Kindle
In the past, sending documents to your Kindle device was quite challenging, but Amazon has put tools into place to make it much easier to add content to your devices.
On the device where you downloaded the ebook file, go to the Amazon Send to Kindle tool. Sign in to your Amazon account if you aren’t already signed in, and then use the tool to add your files.
Your files will show on your device's library (make sure your Kindle is connected to wi-fi), and you can download them on your device and start reading!
Nook
For Nook devices, the best way to get personal files and ebooks onto the device is through a process called sideloading. Basically, you’ll want to connect the Nook to a computer using the cable that came with the device, and send the files from your computer to the Nook.
Since the process looks a little different depending on the device you have, I’m going to direct you to the Barnes & Noble support site for detailed instructions:
Transfer Personal Files to Your Nook Device
Kobo
Similar to the Nook, Kobo also uses a sideloading process to transfer ebooks from a computer to the device. However, there is also a way to add ebooks to a Kobo device using Google Drive or Dropbox if connecting your Kobo to a computer isn’t an option.
Kobo has an amazing article detailing the steps for all of these options, so instead of attempting to reproduce the instructions here, I’ll direct you to the Kobo website to get everything set up.
Kobo: Add documents to your eReader
Additional Tips
Most of the time, your ebook will open without any hiccups, but here are a few quick pointers just in case:
The file won’t open – Double-check that it’s an EPUB file. Some ebooks might be in PDF format, or you could have received a compressed ZIP folder with the ebook and extras that you’ll need to unzip first.
Stay organized – Keep a dedicated “Ebooks” folder on your computer or in your cloud storage so you can always find your downloads later—future you will thank present you.
An ebook and your ereader just don’t jive – Some devices just don’t like certain ebooks.
- Technical manuals with colorful graphics will display in black and white on e-ink readers.
- Large images will be scaled down too small to decipher on your phone
- The sword graphic used for scene breaks on the paperback will look like a glowing rectangle when you read in dark mode.
Ebooks tend to be a little quirky, and that’s an unfortunate trade-off for the convenience and lower price tag. You may find it more enjoyable to read certain ebooks on a different device. However, if you can’t make an ebook work, feel free to reach out to the creator and ask for help!
Most ebook issues can be fixed with a quick check or change of settings. If you ultimately feel like ebooks aren’t for you, there’s nothing wrong with sticking with print books. Plus, most indie authors would be more than happy to autograph the physical book for you!
Conclusion
First of all, thank you for showing interest in supporting indie authors! Even if you read through this article and decided you’ll continue purchasing all your ebooks through the Amazon Kindle store, you didn’t come across this post by accident.
Purchasing art and content directly from the creator is a great way to show
your support and ensure that most of your money spent actually goes to the
creator without some sales platform taking a huge cut. I think I speak for all
creators when I say we appreciate the support and hope you thoroughly enjoy
all the amazing things we create.
If you’re ready to try it out, you can browse my ebooks, including sci-fi thrillers and short stories, directly in my online store.
Oh, and don’t forget to leave a review and let friends know about the great new book you read!
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