You got an email with an EPUB attached and you’re not quite sure what to do with it. That’s the whole problem, and this post is my attempt at a quick answer.
An EPUB is the most common ebook format around, and there’s a good chance you’re going to keep running into them. Authors send them to early readers. Publishers send them to reviewers. If you bought or downloaded a digital book recently, it probably came as an EPUB. The format works well because the text adjusts to fit whatever screen you’re reading on, whether that’s a phone, a tablet, an e-reader, or a laptop.
The catch is that most devices don’t just open an EPUB the way they’d open a photo or a PDF. You usually need an app, and depending on what device you’re on, the process looks a little different. It’s not complicated once you know what you’re doing. Here’s how to get there, whichever device you’re on.
iPhone or iPad
Apple Books is already on your phone, so that’s the easiest place to start. Tap the attachment in your email → tap the share icon (the square with the arrow pointing up) → Scroll until you see Books → tap “Copy to Books,” and you’re in.
If it doesn’t import cleanly, try long-pressing the file in your Files app. That usually triggers a quick preview and gets you there.
If you’d rather use something else, Documents by Readdle handles EPUBs well and gives you more control over how things look. Yomu is a great ebook reading app worth a look, if you read a lot.
Android
Open the email and tap the attachment. A prompt should appear asking if you want to upload it to Google Play Books. Say yes. Done.
If that prompt doesn’t show up, download the file first, find it in your Files or Downloads app, tap More → Open With → Play Books. If your phone keeps defaulting to an app you don’t want, go to Settings, then Apps, find the culprit, look for “Launch by Default,” and clear it.
ReadEra (paid) and Pocketbook all work well on Android if you want to go a different direction.
Kindle
Kindles don’t read EPUBs natively, but Amazon converts them for you automatically and for free, so it’s not a big deal.
Find your Kindle’s personal email address in your Amazon account under Account & Lists → Content & Devices → Devices tab. Add your own email to the approved sender list under Preferences and Personal Document Settings. Then just forward the email, with the EPUB still attached, to that Kindle address. Amazon sends a quick verification email, you click confirm, and the book shows up on your device.
If the file is over 50MB, use the Send to Kindle webpage instead. Drag the file in. Same result.
Mac or Windows
On a Mac, download the file and double-click it. Apple Books takes it from there (sigh of relief)
On Windows there’s no built-in option, but Calibre, Thorium Reader, and Adobe Digital Editions are all free and take about two minutes to set up. Download one → use the “Add Books” function to bring your file in → and you’re reading.
Kobo
Download the EPUB to your computer → connect your Kobo with a USB cable → tap Connect on the screen → drag the file into the Kobo drive that appears. Kobo is a little more hands-on when it comes to managing offline epubs, but there are some die-hard kobo fans out there.
Working on Your Own Book?
WestSky Studio works with nonfiction authors from draft to on-sale with a service called concierge publishing; it’s where a professional team hands the editorial, design, ISBN setup, distribution, and everything that goes into putting a world-class book into readers’ hands. The EPUB is part of that. So is the print edition, the distribution, and the strategy behind all of it.
We don’t take on every project. We take on the right ones. If you think yours might be one of them, we’d love to hear about it. Reach out here.