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How to Remove Kindle DRM on Mac(Using Kindle eInk)

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IMPORTANT:
Both Windows and Mac users can follow the guide below to decrypt Kindle books, including those published after April 22, 2025.
Windows users can also refer to this guide to decrypt books published before April 22, 2025.

Or you can try Epubor Kindle DeDRM Assistance: We can assist with Kindle DRM removal on our Windows computer if you can share your Amazon email, password, and required OTPs.

How to proceed:
1. Purchase a license for Epubor Ultimate here.
2. Send your Amazon credentials to epubor.alice@gmail.com.

Kindle ebook owners should have the right to unlimited access to their purchased ebooks and the ability to share them with friends. It is unfair for Amazon to remove purchased Kindle books from your account, as that constitutes theft. Therefore, it is crucial to remove Kindle DRM to back them up for your own benefit.

How to Remove Kindle DRM with Kindle e-ink Devices?

For Mac users, the only effective solution to remove Kindle DRM is by downloading books using a Kindle e-ink device. Please note: Kindle Fire tablets are not supported for this method.

For Windows users, you can download Kindle books using Kindle for PC 2.4.0 to remove Kindle DRM(works only for Kindle books ublished before April 22, 2025). Follow this guide to back up Kindle books on Windows computers.

Step 1Download Kindle Books via Kindle eInk Device.

Log in to your Kindle account, then tap on a book cover to begin downloading. If you have a large library, it may take some time to download all your Kindle books completely.

download kindle books

Step 2Download and install Epubor Ultimate

Epubor Ultimate is a powerful DeDRM tool to help you remove Kindle DRM with ease.

Download Epubor Ultimate for Free
   

Step 3Connect your Kindle eInk Device to Computer via USB

Epubor Ultimate will automatically detect your device’s serial number and locate the downloaded Kindle books. You’ll find your books listed under the device tab on the left panel.

auto detect kindle books

Why Fail to Detect Kindle eInk Device?

There are two situations to address: one where Epubor Ultimate can't detect the Kindle eInk device on a Windows computer, and another where MacOS fails to detect the Kindle eInk device after plugging it in. Here’s how to resolve both issues.

1. Solution: Epubor Ultimate Can't Detect Kindle eInk Device on Windows:

After plugging in your Kindle eInk device, navigate to your downloaded KFX files at this path: E:\documents\Downloads\Items01\

kindle kfx path on win

Note: If your Kindle eInk device appears as "Kindle Paperwhite" (or another specific model name) and your Kindle books are stored under the Internal Storage/documents/ directory, you’ll need to copy the KFX files along with their corresponding .sdr folders to the same directory on your desktop. Once done, follow the steps below to remove Kindle DRM.

kindle device not show up

Then, go to Epubor Ultimate settings > Kindle, enter the serial number of your device, and click OK.

enter ksn

Next, drag and drop the KFX files into the Epubor Ultimate interface, and the Kindle DRM should be removed.

decrypt kfx manual

Note: If Epubor Ultimate cannot detect your Kindle eInk device on Mac, you can still follow the steps above to remove Kindle DRM.

2. Solution: Mac Can’t Detect Kindle eInk Device:

Due to MTP issue, MacOS might not detect your Kindle eInk device when plugged in. However, you can use Send to Kindle to transfer books from your Kindle device to Mac:

1. Download and install Send to Kindle.

2. Open Send to Kindle, then click "Open USB File Manager".

send to kindle mac

3. Plug in your Kindle eInk device and connect device.

connect kindle mac

4. Allow send to Kindle app to access file.

allow send to kindle access file

5. With your kindle connected, browse into "documents", however the trick here is that what you see here will be books you transferred over USB yourself when it was mounted. To see the encrypted books, you need to go into the Downloads/Items01 subdirectory in documents. There you'll find the kfx files and sdr folders and can drag them onto your desktop.

kindle file manager downloads

6. Open Epubor Ultimate, go to Settings > Kindle, enter your Kindle serial number, and click OK.

7. Finally, drag and drop the KFX files into Epubor Ultimate to remove DRM.

Note: Ensure that you've downloaded Kindle books to your Kindle eInk device beforehand.

Step 4Remove Kindle DRM.

Drag and drop the Kindle files into the right panel of Epubor Ultimate. The DRM will be removed instantly, and a “Decrypted” label will appear to confirm success. Once decrypted, you can convert your Kindle books to EPUB, PDF, or other formats as needed.

decrypt kindle books downloaded from kindle

Step 5Explore Kindle Converted Files.

Click the "Decrypted" label or the folder icon in the lower-right corner of Epubor Ultimate to quickly access all your converted Kindle files.

kindle output files mac

For a more intuitive walkthrough, you can check out the video tutorial below.

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17 Comments
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reply
03/7/2019 19:15:52
I've followed the deDRM instructions (and I've used deDRM successfully in the past) but I'm still getting the 'this book is locked by DRM' message when I try to drag and drop a book into Calibre from Kindle (or if I try to convert a book which is already there).  Is there anything else I might be missing?  Thanks.
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04/24/2019 13:57:51

I guess your Kindle version is Kindle for PC/Mac 1.25, or your Kindle device firmware is higher than 5.10.2. Amazon changes its DRM scheme which causes the drm removing failed.

Use older version to download your kindle files again to remove DRM please.

https://youtu.be/wQIEI0-SbIA

reply
08/27/2019 10:12:20
If your macos is 10.15 catalina, please follow this guide to remove Kindle drm on macOS10.15: https://www.epubor.com/remove-kindle-drm-on-macos-1015-catalina.html
reply
08/2/2020 18:37:09

the download doesn't work anymore since august 2...
So its impossible to use KCR Converter.
What can we do ?

Thanks. Gilda

reply
08/3/2020 17:15:33

Dear Sir/Madam,
We're sorry to tell you that Amazon has upgraded Kindle Cloud Reader in August 2020 for security reasons, which has finally made it impossible to download books from Kindle Cloud Reader. As a result, Epubor KCR Converter can’t help you convert the Kindle books from now on.

As per your purchase for Epubor KCR Converter, here we provide you with several solutions. Please have a try and tell us how it works. If you meet any questions during the process, just feel free to contact us and we will try our best to help you.

For Windows users:
You can follow this guide to decrypt and convert Kindle books with Epubor Ultimate:
https://www.epubor.com/how-to-remove-drm-from-kindle-kfx-ebooks.html#meth2

For Mac users:

If you have a Kindle e-ink device,
you can follow this guide to decrypt and convert Kindle books with Epubor Ultimate:
https://www.epubor.com/how-to-remove-drm-from-kindle-kfx-ebooks.html#meth4

If you don't have a Kindle e-ink device,
and your macOS is below than 10.15 Catalina,
you can follow this guide to decrypt and convert Kindle books with Epubor Ultimate:
https://www.epubor.com/how-to-remove-drm-from-kindle-kfx-ebooks.html#meth2

and your macOS is 10.15 Catalina or higher,
we're sorry to tell you that there is no any other effective way to decrypt Kindle books, including using Epubor Ultimate, Epubor KCR Converter or any other tool in the market.
At last and once again, we're sincerely sorry and apologize for the inconvenience caused.

reply
01/6/2025 03:28:16
this is not working on my mac current OS
reply
01/6/2025 09:09:11
Thank you for your comments. DO you have a kindle deive or windows computer? If so, please follow the intruction in this post to remove drm.
reply
01/13/2025 01:44:54

What do you do if you have a 12th generation kindle or an older kindle with software version 5.17.1.0.3?

I had a really old kindle (2012) which just died on me and now I am having issues trying to convert books.

Thank you!

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01/13/2025 09:52:21
Thank you for asking. If your older kindle is registered  with amazon account, you can use "Download and transfer via usb” to download kindle books and remove drm. This is the only valid method to remove drm on Mac.
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01/20/2025 13:19:45
I followed all the directions for the Kindle Downgrade version, and now I am blocked from downloading books in the classic 1.4 version of kindle - a screen pops up requiring me to get the newest version to download the books. This obviously means I cannot remove the DRM in epubor. Please advise..
reply
01/21/2025 09:34:06
Thank you for your comments. To remove kindle drm on mac, you cannot do this on mac with Kindle for MAC app at this moment. The methods mentioned in this article show you how to remove kindle drm.If you have a kindle device or have a windows computer, you can remove drm from kindle books. Otherwise, there is no way to remove drm from kindle books.
reply
01/26/2025 05:02:04
are there any plans to resolve this issue?  I don't want to have to buy an ereader?  I have access to a windows pc - would I have to buy another epubor license to use windwos?
reply
01/26/2025 21:39:35
Thank you for contacting us. Yes, this is no way to remove drm on mac if you don't have a kindle eink device at this moment. Anyway, if you are willing to purchase the Windows version, we can offer you the best discount.You can reach us via epubor.iris@gmail.com to get further assistance.
reply
02/1/2025 07:02:22

If you have a kindle device or have a windows computer, you can remove drm from kindle books. Otherwise, there is no way to remove drm from kindle books.

But it needs to be an older kindle not a new one? ie before 12th gen??

I have a new 2024 kindle and the download and transfer via USB does not work?

reply
02/7/2025 09:56:19
Yes, this is the truth, and we are working on a solution. Once there is any progress, we will let you know. If you need further assistance, please feel free to contact us via epubor.iris@gmail.com.
reply
03/8/2025 21:38:04

Requesting a response.

I emailed epubor.alice@gmail.com several days ago. No reply.

I emailed mailto:support@epubor.com yesterday. No reply.

I purchased this product on March 1st, and it is not operating correctly - it does not do what it says it should do. And to not receive a response from anyone at the company, not even acknowledging receipt of my communications, feels suspicious.

Is there a different email address to which I should be communicating my requests?

Thank you.

reply
03/10/2025 09:23:57
Thank you contacting us. My colleague will contact you soon about this issue. Please check your mailbox.
reply
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