hidden gemsbooks

How do I read the book files?

Books may be sent in a variety of popular formats, each with their own benefits and uses, and readers can choose the one that works best for them and their device. Note that to use any of these files, just click the corresponding link in the email we sent you and the file will download to your computer or device.

PDF

A PDF file can be read by most devices and you can usually open it just by clicking on the link we sent. This normally opens the book up and the user can begin reading immediately. 

Samsung users please note: Samsung devices can sometimes cause issues when attempting to view PDF files due to application defaults. You can reset these defaults using this method:

  1. Go to Settings > Apps > All
  2. Scroll to Google PDF Viewer app and tap it.
  3. Scroll down to the “Launch by Default” section and tap the “Clear Defaults” button.
  4. You can also try Settings > Apps > Drive and then repeating steps 2 and 3.  

EPUB

Most eReading devices, including Amazon’s kindle, support the EPUB format. For kindle devices and apps, the EPUB can be sent to your @kindle.com email address (more details below).  Other devices may have different ways to load your EPUB, so you may need to consult with the instructions of your particular device if you aren’t sure how. 

MOBI – Soon to be discontinued

NOTE – Amazon is dropping support for this format as of August 2022, and so we will stop sending that format out completely by then as well, and start phasing it out immediately.  EPUB files will now be required instead of MOBI and can now be sent to your kindle directly instead of MOBIs.

While some devices may open a MOBI file directly so that you can begin reading, many readers prefer the book on their kindle or kindle reading app. For instructions on sending MOBI files to your kindle, see below.

Reading EPUB or MOBI files on your Kindle Devices or Kindle Apps

In order to send the book to your kindle device so that you can read it on there, please see this quick video or follow these directions:

  1. Navigate to https://www.amazon.com/manageyourkindle and click on “Devices” (you may need to log in to Amazon first)
  2. Select your kindle device and note down the @kindle.com address
  3. Click Preferences and then Personal Document Settings and verify that your own regular email address is added in the Approved Personal Document Email List (if it’s not, add it)
  4. Go to your email program and send an email to the @kindle address you noted down above, and add the .epub or .mobi file as an attachment
  5. Within a few minutes, the book should be available on your kindle!

For future books, you will only have to repeat steps 4 and 5 to get them onto your kindle.

Reading files in a Kindle App (any device)

In order to view your ebooks within your Kindle reader app, the steps depend on what sort of device you’re using, but these simple instructions should help.

Having Issues Reading Files on Your Kindle Fire?

Here are some specific steps to try if you’re using a Kindle Fire device:

  1. Open the Books app and click the “hamburger” icon in the upper left (the three stacked horizontal lines).
  2. Click “Collections”, then the little plus sign on the top right to create a new Collection. Call it something like “ARCs”.
  3. Add any old Amazon-bought book into your new Collection (only needs to be one) and then click “Add” at the top right. Note: never remove this “anchor” book from the Collection, or the Collection will disappear.
  4. Go back to the Home screen and open the Docs folder. All of the books that you’ve emailed via Send-to-Kindle that have been processed by Amazon should be listed. For each that you’d like to add to the ARC Collection, just click the three vertical dots on the right, then “Add to Collection”. Check the box next to your new ARCs Collection and click “OK”.
  5. Now if you go back to the Books app and click either the hamburger icon again and the Collections OR you can click “Sort” and then “Collections”. Either way, you should see your new Collection contains all of the books you added from the Docs app. They should function just like any other book in your Library.

Note: Once you’ve set up your Collection via steps 1-3, you will not need to repeat those steps to add more books. Simply add new books to the Collection you’ve already created.

Most important – these book files are for your personal use only.  Please do not share them with anyone.  Instead, why not just encourage your friends to join Hidden Gems themselves?