If you read digital books in addition to physical ones, there’s more than one way to enjoy them. From using your mobile device toan e-reader, you can read books on the go. But you can also delve into a novel, manual, or short story on your Mac.
When you’re working on your computer and need a little break, you can pop open a books app and read a chapter or two. We’ll show you how you can read Kindle books onMacOSand read with Apple Books.
Difficulty
What You Need
Mac computer
Kindle app
Apple Books app
Read books with the Kindle app on Mac
A popular option for reading books on Mac is the Kindle app (free on the App Store). If you have aKindle e-reader, use the web-based reader, or have the Kindle app on your mobile device, you’ll like this option.
Step 1:View the navigation on the left side toselect a Kindle book. Click to seeAllorDownloadedbooks in addition toPDFsandCollections. To open a book, double-click it. If necessary, the book will download automatically.
Step 2:you’re able to customize your reading experience in the Kindle app by selecting theAaicon in the toolbar.
To the right of the appearance icon, you can select from a single-column, multiple-column, or auto-fit option for the layout.
Step 3:To turn the pages, click theArrowson the right and left or swipe with your trackpad or Magic Mouse.
Step 4:You’ll notice other icons in the toolbar and on the left-hand side that you may use as you read.
On the left side of the toolbar, return to yourLibrary, goBack, refresh, orGo Toa particular spot in the book. On the right,Bookmarkthe current page or clickShow Notebookto see highlights or notes.
On the left-hand side of the window, you have three icons for Table of Contents, Search, and Flashcard.
Step 5:To close a book, clickLibraryon the left of the toolbar. Your reading progress is saved automatically.
Read books with Apple Books on Mac
If you’re an Apple user, then the built-in Books app is the ideal choice for reading on your Mac. This is especially handy if you use Books on your iPhone and iPad as well because you can pick up where you left off on your computer, just like with Kindle.
The Books app is easy to use on MacOS, but let’s take a look at how to open a book and customize your reading experience.
Step 1:View the left-hand navigation to select a book. If you sync with iPhone and iPad, you’re able to visitReading Nowto open a book you’ve already started. You can also view theLibrarysection for all of your books, samples, and PDFs. And at the bottom, you can open one of the groups inMy Collections.
Step 2:If you see a book with a cloud icon beneath it, that means you’ll need to download it to Mac to read it. Click theCloudicon or theThree Dotsnext to it and selectDownload.
Step 3:To open the book, just double-click it. The book will open in its own window that you can customize to enhance your reading experience. Move your cursor to the top of the window to display the toolbar.
On the right side, click theTheme and Appearanceicon (aA, as on the Kindle app) to open a small pop-up window.
Step 4:To turn the pages, you’re able to click theArrowon the right or left, or swipe with your trackpad or Magic Mouse.
Step 5:The Books app offers additional features in the toolbar as you read. On the left, you have three icons to show the table of contents, bookmarks, and highlights or notes.
On the right, surrounding the theme and appearance icon, you have buttons to share the book, search within it, or bookmark the current page.
Step 6:To close a book you’re reading, simply click theXin red on the top left of the window. You’ll then return to the main Books window.
Reading a book on your Mac is convenient for a coffee break, using reference material, or opening a manual for a project. If you can’t decide between Apple Books and Kindle, you can always use both! Alternatively, why notlisten to audiobooks on your Macinstead?
