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How to send a PDF file to your Kindle device

Use your Kindle as a PDF storage locker.
By
May 4, 2023

Kindle devices are not just for books downloaded from Amazon. One of their other great features is that they can also be used as document repositories, in particular, storing PDF and Microsoft DOCX files. Sending them to your Kindle is an effortless affair and they usually arrive within a few minutes of sending them, although mileage on that sometimes varies. Here are the two ways to send a PDF file to your Kindle device.

QUICK ANSWER

To send a PDF file to your Kindle device, the most common method is to use the secret email address given to you by Amazon in your account settings. Email the PDF file to this secret address with the title of the PDF as the email subject line. Alternatively, you can also use an Amazon-built desktop tool to drag and drop your PDF files to your account.


JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS

How to send a PDF file to your Kindle device by email

The most common method to send a PDF file to your Kindle is by email, especially if you received the PDF by email in the first place. Just be sure that all non-essential text in your email is deleted before you send it to Amazon (a blank email is best).

After logging into your Amazon account, drop down the menu at Account & Lists and select Manage Your Content and Devices.

amazon account menu options

On the next page, click Devices at the top.

amazon devices section settings

You will now be presented with a list of all devices with registered Amazon apps on them. Sending PDF files to Kindle also works if you use the Kindle app on your smartphone or tablet, so let’s go with that. But if you had an actual Kindle tablet, it would appear under Amazon devices.

amazon devices list

After selecting Kindle under Amazon apps installed on devices, you will get a list of all your registered devices. Look for the device you want to send the PDF file to, and there should be an email address underneath the name of the device. That’s where you email the file to.

amazon kindle devices email

If for some reason you want to change the secret email address (say to make it more memorable), click the blue Edit link. Change it to whatever you want, but obviously, you can’t have the same one as someone else.

amazon kindle devices change email send pdf

To send the email to your Kindle

  • Put your PDF file into a new email as an attachment.
  • Enter the title of the PDF into the email subject line.
  • Make sure the actual body of the email is blank.
  • This is very important — make sure you are sending the email from the same email address registered to your Amazon account. Otherwise, the PDF file will not be delivered.
  • Go to your Kindle app and wait. The PDF should appear within a few minutes, but sometimes, delays can happen.
email pdf to kindle

If you find yourself emailing PDF files to your Kindle device often, consider putting the secret email address into your email contact book. Just ensure nobody else will discover it. If they do though, you can easily change the email address to something else.

How to send a PDF file to your Kindle device by desktop app

Another method to send a PDF file to your Kindle is by using a free Amazon-built desktop app called Send to Kindle. This is a small box that sits on your desktop and you can drag and drop your PDF files into it. The app will then upload them to your Kindle.

Although the app is on the American Amazon site, it works for all Amazon sites worldwide. Just log in with your account details and you’re off to the races. There are versions for Windows, Mac, and Google Chrome.

send pdf file to kindle mac

Once you have dragged and dropped your PDF into the box, it will ask you which device you want to send it to. It will also ask you if you want to archive it in your Kindle library afterward. It also notes that the PDF “will be sent in Kindle format.”

send pdf file to kindle

Again, it only takes a few minutes for the PDF document to appear in your Kindle account.


FAQs

You must send the PDF file to the special Amazon email address in your Amazon account settings. The email must also come from the same email address registered to the Amazon account.