To sync Kindle books with your iPhone, install the free Kindle app, sign in with the same Amazon account your Kindle uses, and make sure Sync is on. In the app, tap More, then Settings (the gear), and check that the Sync switch is green. Your library, last page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights then match on the iPhone and the Kindle.
There is no cable or Bluetooth pairing involved. Each device sends its reading data to Amazon’s servers over the internet, and every other Kindle app or device on your account picks it up from there. Older guides call this feature Whispersync. Amazon’s current help pages simply call it Sync.
What you need before you start
- An iPhone running iOS 17.0 or later. Amazon’s install page says the Kindle for iOS app runs on iOS version 17.0 or higher.
- The Kindle app. It is a free download from the App Store.
- One Amazon account. The iPhone app and the Kindle e-reader must be signed in to the same account. Two accounts mean two separate libraries that never meet.
- An internet connection on both devices. Amazon says a device needs to be connected to the internet for Sync to work. The Kindle uses Wi-Fi. The iPhone can use Wi-Fi or cellular data.
How to turn on sync in the Kindle app for iPhone
Amazon says Sync is already on by default in every Kindle app and on every Kindle device, so on a new install you are usually just confirming the setting.
- Open the App Store, search for Kindle, and tap Get. If the app is already installed and the button says Update, tap that instead.
- Open the Kindle app and sign in with the Amazon account that your Kindle is registered to.
- Tap More in the navigation bar.
- Tap Settings, the gear icon at the top right.
- Switch Sync on. The switch background turns green when it is on.
These steps come from Amazon’s Turn On Sync for Your iOS Kindle App page. If your version of the app labels the switch differently, look for a sync option on the same Settings screen.
How to sync the iPhone app right now
Sync normally runs on its own. If you just finished a chapter on the Kindle and the iPhone still shows the old page, you can ask the app to check in with Amazon immediately.
- Make sure the iPhone is connected to the internet.
- Open the Kindle app.
- Tap More in the navigation bar.
- Tap Sync now.
Amazon’s Sync Your Mobile Kindle App page says the last date synced updates to today’s date and time when the sync is complete. That timestamp is your confirmation that the app reached Amazon.
How to sync your Kindle e-reader
The iPhone can only show what the Kindle has already uploaded. If the Kindle has been in Airplane Mode or away from Wi-Fi, sync it first.
- Connect the Kindle to Wi-Fi.
- From the home screen, swipe down to open Quick Actions, or select Menu.
- Select the Sync icon or Sync and Check for Items.
According to Amazon’s Sync Your Kindle E-Reader page, this downloads pending books, notes and highlights, and backs up your furthest page read. Menu names differ a little between Kindle models, which is why Amazon lists two labels for the same action.
To check the sync setting on the e-reader itself, Amazon’s steps are More, then Settings, then Device Options, where you can turn Sync off or on and confirm your choice.
How to get a Kindle book onto your iPhone
Syncing fills the app’s library with every book on your account, but it does not download them all. Books stay in the cloud until you open them, which saves storage on the phone.
- Open the Kindle app and go to your Library.
- Tap the cover of the book you want.
- Wait while the progress bar fills. The book opens when the download is complete. If it does not open, tap the cover once more.
Once a book is downloaded you can read it without a connection. Your page and any notes you make offline are sent to Amazon the next time the phone is online and the app syncs.
A book you just bought should show up in the library on its own. Amazon’s help for the Kindle app describes buying Kindle books in a web browser from the Kindle Store, and suggests syncing the app if a new purchase does not appear.
What syncs and what doesn’t
| Item | Syncs between Kindle and iPhone? |
|---|---|
| Books in your Kindle library | Yes. They appear in the app’s Library, ready to download. |
| Reading position | Yes. Amazon saves it so you can pick up where you left off. |
| Highlights and typed notes | Yes, after both devices sync. |
| Documents added with Send to Kindle | Yes. Amazon says they get reading progress, notes, highlights, and bookmarks. |
| Handwritten annotations | No. Amazon says these are currently available only across Kindle Scribe devices. |
| Downloaded copies of books | No. Each device downloads its own copy when you open the book. |
For your own files, such as an EPUB or a PDF, use Send to Kindle rather than copying the file to one device. Amazon’s Send to Kindle for iOS page says to open or select the file, tap the Share icon, and choose Kindle in the sharing options. Supported types listed there include PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, RTF, HTML, EPUB, and common image formats. Our guide on how to add your own books to the Kindle app covers this in more detail.
How to confirm it worked
- Read a few pages of a book on the Kindle, then sync the Kindle.
- On the iPhone, open the Kindle app, tap More, and tap Sync now.
- Open the same book in the app. It should open at, or offer to move to, the place you reached on the Kindle.
- Add a highlight on the iPhone, sync both devices again, and look for that highlight on the Kindle.
If the page and the highlight both travel, sync is working in both directions and you don’t need to change anything else.
How to turn sync off, and what you lose
Before you turn Sync off, read this. Amazon warns that when the setting is off, usage data is not saved automatically to its servers, sharing your reading position across devices stops working, and Export/Share for notes is unavailable. It also says that notes, highlights, or bookmarks made while Sync is off may be lost when you turn the setting back on.
If you still want it off, for example because two people read the same book on one account and keep jumping to each other’s page, you have two places to do it:
- On one device: in the iPhone app, tap More, then Settings, then Sync, and switch it off. Other devices are not changed.
- For the whole account: on Amazon’s website, go to Manage Your Content and Devices, select the Preferences tab, then Sync Settings. Amazon notes that this account-wide switch does not affect a Kindle Scribe, which has to be changed on the device.
To undo either change, return to the same screen and switch Sync back on. Both methods are described on Amazon’s Update Your Sync Settings for Kindle page.
If your Kindle and iPhone won’t sync
Work through these in order. The early checks fix most cases and change nothing on your account.
- Check the internet connection on both devices. Amazon’s troubleshooting page says to verify that Wi-Fi is on and Airplane Mode is off. A Kindle that has been offline cannot upload your page.
- Check cellular data for the Kindle app. If the app only falls behind when you are away from Wi-Fi, open the iPhone’s Settings app, tap Cellular, and scroll to the list of apps. Apple’s cellular data guide explains that an app with its switch off uses only Wi-Fi for data.
- Confirm both devices use the same Amazon account. This matters most in households with more than one Amazon login. Our guide on adding a device to your Amazon account explains how registration works on a Kindle and in the app.
- Confirm Sync is on. Check the app (More, Settings, Sync), the Kindle (More, Settings, Device Options), and the account-wide Sync Settings under Preferences on Amazon’s website.
- Sync both manually. Sync the Kindle first, then tap More and Sync now in the iPhone app.
- Look for a hidden book. If a title is missing rather than out of date, open Library, choose All, and use the Filter button to remove any active filters.
- Update the Kindle app. Find Kindle in the App Store and tap Update if it is offered.
- Restart the Kindle. Amazon’s steps are to press and hold the power button, then select Restart. Keep the device charged while it restarts.
- Sign out of the app and back in. Tap More, then Settings, then Sign Out, and confirm. This removes the Amazon account from the app, so expect to sign in again and download your books again afterward. If Sync was off, turn it on and sync first so recent notes are not lost. See how to sign out of your Amazon account for other devices.
Amazon’s Troubleshoot Kindle Content Not Appearing in Your Library page adds one more option for a missing book: in Manage Your Content and Devices, open Content, select Books, choose Deliver or remove from device for the title, pick your device, and select Make Changes. Then sync again.
Frequently asked questions
Does the iPhone connect to the Kindle directly?
No. Everything syncs through your Amazon account over the internet, not through Bluetooth or a cable. That is why both devices need to be online and on the same account, and why it works even when the Kindle and the iPhone are in different places.
Do I need a Kindle e-reader to use the Kindle app on iPhone?
No. The Kindle app works on its own with any Amazon account. If you also read on a Kindle e-reader, an iPad, a computer, or Kindle for Web, Sync keeps your place the same across all of them.
Why does my iPhone open the book on the wrong page?
Usually the Kindle has not uploaded its latest position yet. Connect the Kindle to Wi-Fi and sync it, then tap More and Sync now in the iPhone app and reopen the book. If two people read the same book on one account, each device will keep trying to move to the other person’s page.
Does syncing use cellular data?
It can. When cellular data is allowed for the Kindle app, the iPhone uses it whenever Wi-Fi is not available. Syncing a page position is a small amount of data, but downloading books uses more, so download on Wi-Fi if your plan is limited.
Can I read my own ebooks in the Kindle app?
Yes, with Send to Kindle. Share a supported file to the Kindle app from your iPhone and Amazon adds it to your library, where it can be read in the app or on the Kindle. See how to add your own books to the Kindle app for the steps.
Will my highlights show up on both devices?
Yes. Amazon says highlights and text-based annotations are available across all Kindle devices and apps after you sync. Handwritten annotations are the exception, since they are currently limited to Kindle Scribe devices.
Can I share a Kindle book with someone on a different account?
Sync only works inside one Amazon account, so it will not move a book to a friend’s Kindle. Some titles can be loaned instead. Our guide on how to lend an Amazon Kindle book covers that.
Next step
Open a book you are partway through on the Kindle, sync it, and then open it on the iPhone to see the two line up. If you also want to sync an iPad with your computer without a cable, see how to set up Wi-Fi sync for your iPad.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.