Dealing with Kindle ebooks in calibre

[odamizu]

With the retirement of jhowell’s invaluable Dealing with Kindle for PC/Mac 1.19 (and later) and KFX in calibre, this thread is intended to serve as a new central place for discussion and investigation going forward for people who want to use Kindle ebooks with calibre.

First, you will need DeDRM v10.0.9 beta/RC or the alpha release. This will work on most (but not all) Kindle ebooks. (Some Kindle books come with extra-strength encryption that these tools cannot handle, etc.) If you have questions about installing, setting up, or using DeDRM, ask on GitHub. Detailed help on the aforementioned topics is not permitted on MobileRead.

Once you have DeDRM v10.0.9 or later installed, the following methods can be used to obtain Kindle ebook files to import into calibre:


Method 1: Download & transfer via USB

To use this method, you must have a pre-2024 eink Kindle (not a Fire) registered to your Amazon account.

IMPORTANT: Download & transfer via USB is NOT available with Kindles released in 2024, including the 12th gen Paperwhite and Paperwhite SE, 11th gen basic Kindle, and Kindle Colorsoft.

Log in to your Amazon account, then: Account & Lists > Content Library > Books > [find the book you want] > More actions > Download & transfer via USB > [select an eink Kindle] > Download. You should receive an .azw3 (KF8) or .mobi file that you can import into calibre.

Tip: If you want to convert to epub, consider using the KindleUnpack plugin, which unpacks the azw3 contents and repackages them into an epub. This often produces better results than converting to epub using calibre. Once you have the epub, you can manipulate it in calibre as you like.

Note: There are some ebooks for which Download & transfer is not available, such as those in Kindle Unlimited, etc.


Method 2a: Kindle for PC

Current versions of Kindle for PC (starting with v 2.4.1 [70946] aka 2.4.70946 and later) do NOT work with calibre. However, Kindle for PC 2.4.0 (70904) aka 2.4.70904 is known to work with calibre for most (but not all) books, provided you have the KFX Input plugin installed.

• Kindle for PC 2.4.0 (70904) aka 2.4.70904 can be downloaded from third-party sites. Google is your friend.
  
• To block automatic updates, run DNSB's disable_k4pc_download.bat file. Also remove the checkmark from Tools > Options > General > Automatically install updates when they are available without asking me, though there are reports of forced updates even when this box is unchecked, thus DNSB's .bat file.
  
• Ebooks are located in your Documents > My Kindle Content folder. Import the .azw file into calibre (you can ignore the other files). Most .azw files will import as KFX; if it imports as KFX-ZIP, it failed.

Method 2b: Kindle for Mac

Sadly, Amazon has killed Kindle for Mac 1.40.x, which previously worked with calibre for most books. Current versions of Kindle for Mac 7.x only work in an extremely limited fashion provided you have the KFX Input plugin installed.

• Kindle for Mac 7.x is available from the Mac App Store.
  
• Look for ebooks in User > Library > Containers > Kindle > Data > Library > eBooks. Import the .azw8 file into calibre (you can ignore the other files). If you get KFX, it worked; however, most will import as KFX-ZIP, in which case you will need to try Method 1, 2a (using virtual machine software), 3 or 4.

Method 3: eink Kindle

If you have an eink Kindle, the best way to retrieve Kindle ebooks is Method 1: Download & transfer via USB. This results in KF8/azw3 for most books.

That said, it’s also possible to retrieve Kindle ebooks directly from an eink Kindle by connecting it to a computer via USB cable. (For newer Kindles that use MTP, ebook files must first be copied to a local drive before being imported into calibre.) While text comes through fine, images are often lower resolution and without color. More info from jhowell in posts #419 and #425.

If you have a pre-2013 eink Kindle running firmware older than v5.6.5, you will get KF8. More info on older Kindle models and their usefulness in obtaining KF8 from jhowell: here

If your Kindle was released in 2013 or later running firmware v5.6.5 or newer, you will get KFX.


Method 4: Kindle for Android on PC & Mac

There has been some success running Android emulator software (available for both PC and Mac) to run older versions of Kindle for Android (4.17 and older) to obtain Kindle ebooks that work with calibre. See: DRM workaround: Kindle for Android

[Rosales]

It's still possible to download Kindle 1.35.0 for Mac from amazon.co.uk by following this link and 'purchasing' it for £0:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07MWT3C...=docs-os-doi_0

It worked fine for me on a M1 Mac running Sonoma, with the usual Calibre/DeDRM/KFX input plugin setup.

[carpler]

I just followed the link in the initial post to download the latest version of Kindle for PC, but I ended up with 2.3.70840, not 2.3.5.
If 2.3.5 is required could you point it out in the post and bring back a link on where to retrieve it?
Thank you very much!

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by Rosales

It's still possible to download Kindle 1.35.0 for Mac from amazon.co.uk by following this link and 'purchasing' it for £0:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07MWT3C...=docs-os-doi_0

It worked fine for me on a M1 Mac running Sonoma, with the usual Calibre/DeDRM/KFX input plugin setup.

Are you able to download new books (published in 2023 and later) with 1.35.0? It is my understanding that Amazon changed things so that anything published in 2023 or later requires at least 1.39.

Originally Posted by carpler

I just followed the link in the initial post to download the latest version of Kindle for PC, but I ended up with 2.3.70840, not 2.3.5.
If 2.3.5 is required could you point it out in the post and bring back a link on where to retrieve it?

Can anyone confirm whether Kindle for PC 2.3.70840 works or if 2.3.5 is required? I am a Mac user and rely on Windows users to provide the latest Windows info.

[DNSB]

On my Windows PC, 2.3.5 (70840) works. I can download books, import them to calibre and convert them to other formats.

[Rosales]

My apologies for not checking more thoroughly! Kindle 1.35.0 for Mac doesn't work with post 2023 books.

[carpler]

Originally Posted by DNSB

On my Windows PC, 2.3.5 (70840) works. I can download books, import them to calibre and convert them to other formats.

I confess that I did not install the downloaded version. Does this mean that the file that shows in the name 2.3.70840 is actually the correct version (2.3.5)?

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by carpler

I confess that I did not install the downloaded version. Does this mean that the file that shows in the name 2.3.70840 is actually the correct version (2.3.5)?

Yes. The current latest version works.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by carpler

I confess that I did not install the downloaded version. Does this mean that the file that shows in the name 2.3.70840 is actually the correct version (2.3.5)?

Yes, the version number is 2.3.5, the build is 70840. So another bug fix to 2.3.5 might show up as 2.3.5 with the build number changing to 71012. <= I invented that number and would be very shocked if it showed up as a real public release build number!

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by odamizu

I’m starting this thread to hopefully serve as a new central place for discussion and investigation going forward for people who want to use Kindle ebooks with calibre.

Thank you so much for taking on this responsibility!

[odamizu]

Originally Posted by jhowell

Thank you so much for taking on this responsibility!

Thank YOU, jhowell, for maintaining the original thread for over 7 years and for all of your work over the years unraveling Kindle formats and Kindle apps. You know so much more about all this than I do. I hope you will continue to share your knowledge in this and other threads.

Originally Posted by DNSB

On my Windows PC, 2.3.5 (70840) works. I can download books, import them to calibre and convert them to other formats.

Originally Posted by mbovenka

Yes. The current latest version works.

@DNSB and @mbovenka: Great! I will update the first post to clarify.

[lkmiller]

@paola from previous thread:

sure, I should have said it in the first place, this is it:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...&ie=UTF8&psc=1

the pages do look all like each is a pdf.

Since that is a 2024 publication, I'm surprised it downloaded with an older version at all. Suggest trying method 2 above.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

@paola from previous thread:



Since that is a 2024 publication, I'm surprised it downloaded with an older version at all. Suggest trying method 2 above.

If it really is a book of images, then it cannot be converted to KFX. The eBook shows Enhanced Typesetting as Not Enabled.

[odamizu]

Windows users: Is "the newer Kindle for PC app available in the app store for Windows 11" still a thing? Is it still helpful to reference this in the original post or is it sufficient to say the latest Kindle for PC app available directly from Amazon is the one you need?

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If it really is a book of images, then it cannot be converted to KFX. The eBook shows Enhanced Typesetting as Not Enabled.

Enhanced Typesetting refers to books in reflowable KFX format. However KFX is also used for fixed-layout books, such as print replica and comics.

Originally Posted by lkmiller

Since that is a 2024 publication, I'm surprised it downloaded with an older version at all.

paola stated that the book was dated November 2021 so perhaps there is a mixup in the book involved.