Delete a book from your Kindle device in three steps
To remove a book from your Kindle device itself, open your library, find the title you want to delete, press and hold on it until a menu appears, then tap Remove from Device. The book disappears from your device when ready but stays in your Amazon account — you can read it again later without paying again.
This is different from deleting a book from your Amazon library entirely, which is a separate action. Most people want to free up storage space on their device, which is what removing from the device does. If your Kindle is running low on storage and you have dozens of books downloaded, removing ones you have finished reading is the fastest way to make room for new titles.
The exact steps depend on which Kindle model you own, but the process is nearly identical across all current devices. Older Kindles and the Kindle app on phones and tablets use slightly different menus, but the core action — find the book, hold or tap the menu, select remove — stays the same.
Key Takeaways
- Removing a book from your device frees up storage space but keeps the book in your Amazon account so you can redownload it anytime.
- You can delete a book from your entire Amazon library, but this action is permanent and you will have to buy it again if you want it back.
- On a Kindle e-reader, press and hold the book title in your library, then tap Remove from Device.
- On the Kindle app for phones and tablets, swipe left on the book title (iPhone) or press and hold (Android), then choose remove.
- Deleting books does not affect your reading progress or bookmarks if you redownload the same title later.
Remove a book from a Kindle e-reader
On Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Oasis, and standard Kindle devices, go to your library by pressing the home button or swiping down from the top of the screen. Scroll through your downloaded books until you find the one you want to remove. Press and hold the book cover for two to three seconds until a menu pops up with several options.
Tap Remove from Device. The book vanishes from your device within seconds. Your library still shows the title under "All Items" or "Cloud" (depending on your device model), but it no longer takes up storage space on the Kindle itself. You can see which books are actually on your device by filtering your library to show only downloaded titles — usually a menu option near the top of the library screen.
If you accidentally remove a book you wanted to keep, go back to your library, find it in the cloud section, and tap read to put it back on your device. There is no penalty for removing and redownloading the same book multiple times.
Remove a book from the Kindle app on your phone or tablet
On iPhone, open the Kindle app and go to your library. Find the book you want to remove and swipe left across the book cover. A red Remove button appears. Tap it to delete the book from your device. On Android, press and hold the book cover until a menu appears, then tap Remove from Device.
The Kindle app on phones and tablets works the same way as the e-reader — the book leaves your device but stays in your Amazon account. You can redownload it anytime by finding it in your library and tapping the read button. This is useful if you are reading on multiple devices and want to free up phone storage without losing access to the book.
Permanently delete a book from your Amazon account
If you want to remove a book from your Amazon library entirely — not just from one device — you have to do this through Amazon's website, not on the Kindle itself. Go to amazon.com, sign in, and navigate to Manage Your Content and Devices under your account menu. This page shows every book, magazine, and other content tied to your Amazon account.
Find the book you want to delete permanently, click the three-dot menu next to the title, and select Delete. Amazon will ask you to confirm. Once you confirm, the book is removed from your account completely. You will no longer see it in any of your libraries on any device, and you will have to purchase it again if you want it back later.
Permanent deletion is useful if you bought a book by mistake, received a gift you do not want, or straightforward want to clean up your library. It does not affect books you own in physical form or books you borrowed through a library service — those are separate from your Amazon purchases.
What happens to your reading progress when you delete a book
If you remove a book from your device but keep it in your Amazon account, your reading progress, bookmarks, and highlights are saved. When you redownload the book, you can pick up exactly where you left off. Amazon stores this information in the cloud, tied to your account, not to the device itself.
If you permanently delete a book from your Amazon account, your reading progress goes away with it. If you buy the same book again later, you start from the beginning — Amazon treats it as a new purchase and does not restore your old bookmarks or position. This is one reason to remove books from devices rather than deleting them permanently if you think you might read them again.
Free up Kindle storage without deleting books
If you want to keep all your books in your Amazon account but need more space on your device, remove the ones you have already finished reading. You can always redownload them. Most Kindle devices have enough storage for hundreds of books, but if you have a large library and limited device storage, removing books you do not plan to read soon is the fastest solution.
You can also check how much storage your Kindle is using. On most devices, go to Settings, then Device Info or Storage, to see how much space is available. If you are running very low, removing a few large books (usually graphic novels or illustrated books) will free up the most space quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete a book and get my money back?
No. Removing a book from your device does not refund the purchase. If you bought a book by mistake and want a refund, contact Amazon customer service directly — they may refund purchases within a certain window, but this is separate from deleting the book. Permanent deletion from your account also does not trigger a refund.
What if I delete a book I borrowed from my library?
Borrowed books work differently from purchased books. When you remove a borrowed book from your device, it stays checked out to you in your library account until the loan period ends. You can redownload it anytime during the loan period. Once the loan expires, it disappears from your account automatically.
Does deleting a book from my Kindle delete it from my other devices?
No. Removing a book from one device does not remove it from others. If you have the Kindle app on your phone and a Kindle e-reader, deleting from the phone does not affect the e-reader. You have to remove it from each device separately if you want it off all of them.
Can I delete multiple books at once?
On the Kindle device itself, you have to remove books one at a time. On the Amazon website under Manage Your Content and Devices, you can select multiple books using checkboxes and delete them all at once, which is faster if you want to clean up your entire library.
What if I want to delete a book but keep my highlights and notes?
Your highlights and notes are saved to your Amazon account separately from the book itself. Even if you delete the book from your device or account, you can view your notes and highlights by going to amazon.com and navigating to Your Highlights under your account. The notes stay there permanently.