ENES
By Santiago Valle··Updated on September 22, 2026·6 min read

How to Transfer eBooks to Any eReader

How to copy EPUB, PDF and AZW3 books to a Kindle, Kobo, PocketBook or Nook over USB: which folder, which format, and what to do if they don't show up.

How to Transfer eBooks to Any eReader

Getting a book onto an eReader doesn’t need an internet connection, a cloud account or special software. A USB cable and your computer’s file manager are enough, and it works the same way with Kindle, Kobo, PocketBook and Nook. (If your device is a Kindle, the wireless route is usually less work.)

This guide covers the manual process step by step, which format each brand reads, and what to do when the book doesn’t show up.

What you need

  1. A computer running Windows, macOS or Linux.
  2. A USB cable that carries data, usually USB-C or Micro-USB. Some cables only charge: if the computer doesn’t react when you plug the eReader in, that’s the first suspect.
  3. Your books, in a format your eReader reads (see the table below).

Which format for which eReader

Most transfer problems are really format problems: the file arrives, but the eReader can’t open it.

eReader Best format Also reads Doesn’t read
Kindle AZW3 PDF, MOBI (older books) EPUB over USB
Kobo EPUB (or KEPUB) PDF, CBZ/CBR comics AZW3
PocketBook EPUB PDF, CBZ/CBR and many more —
Nook EPUB PDF AZW3

Two notes that save time:

  • Kindle and EPUB. A Kindle doesn’t open an EPUB copied over USB. It does accept EPUB through Amazon’s Send to Kindle service, which converts it for you. For a cable transfer, convert to AZW3 first: here’s how to do it for free.
  • Kobo and KEPUB. Kobo reads normal EPUB, but its own variant, KEPUB (files ending in .kepub.epub), turns on its reading statistics and usually pages faster. It’s optional: a regular EPUB works fine.

Step 1: Connect the eReader

  1. Plug the eReader into your computer with the USB cable.
  2. Most eReaders ask for confirmation on screen. Tap Connect or Transfer files.
  3. The eReader appears on your computer as a drive:
    • Windows: in File Explorer, under “This PC”.
    • macOS: on the desktop or in the Finder sidebar.
    • Linux: your file manager mounts it automatically.

Recent Kindles are different. Some newer Kindle models connect as a media device (MTP) instead of a drive. Windows still shows them in File Explorer, but on macOS they don’t appear in Finder at all, and you need a separate tool, such as Amazon’s Send to Kindle app for Mac or an MTP file manager.

Step 2: Find the right folder

Each brand looks for books in a different place:

  • Kindle: the documents folder.
  • Kobo: anywhere on the device. A folder of your own, such as Books, keeps things tidy.
  • PocketBook: it scans the whole device, so any folder works.
  • Nook: My Files → Books.

Step 3: Copy the files

  1. Open a second window with the books on your computer.
  2. Drag the files onto the eReader’s folder, or copy and paste them.
  3. Wait until the copy finishes. Don’t unplug the cable in the middle.

About titles and covers: the eReader reads them from inside the file, not from its name. If a book shows up as “Unknown” or without a cover, the fix is to edit its metadata before copying it, not to rename it.

Step 4: Eject before unplugging

Unplugging without ejecting can corrupt the file you just copied, or even the eReader’s library.

  • Windows: right-click the eReader in File Explorer and choose Eject.
  • macOS: click the eject icon next to it in Finder, or drag it to the Trash.
  • Linux: click the eject icon in your file manager.

When the computer says it’s safe, unplug the cable. The eReader will index the new books and add them to its library, which can take a minute with a lot of files.

Comics and manga

Comics usually come as CBZ or CBR: a compressed folder of images.

  • Kobo and PocketBook open them directly.
  • Kindle doesn’t. Convert them first, to PDF or to a fixed-layout ebook, and copy the result to documents.

When something goes wrong

The computer doesn’t see the eReader.

  1. Try another cable: it may be a charge-only one.
  2. Plug it straight into the computer, without hubs or adapters.
  3. Restart the eReader and try again.
  4. If it’s a recent Kindle on a Mac, see the MTP note in step 1.

The book was copied but doesn’t appear.

  1. Check it’s in the right folder for your brand.
  2. Check the format is one your eReader reads (see the table).
  3. Give the eReader a moment to index it, or restart it.

The book appears with the wrong title or no cover. The metadata inside the file is incomplete. Fix it with a library manager and copy it again.

Doing it without the file manager

If you transfer books often, a library manager saves the steps above. Calibre does it, and so does Liber, which is built around this exact job: it recognises the connected eReader, converts the book to the format that eReader needs, and copies it into the right folder, one book or a whole selection at once. The exception is the recent Kindles that connect as a media device: there, Liber converts the book and you copy it across yourself. The format table and the folder list stop being your problem.

For the occasional book, though, drag and drop is still the simplest way there is.