Download & Transfer via USB is a function provided by Amazon which allows you to use the USB cable to transfer Kindle content from a computer to your Kindle Fire and Kindle e-ink device. Additionally, it offers a workaround solution to removing Kindle DRM. Recently, some issues occurred when trying to download Kindle books for USB transfer in Amazon website. Many users reported the download & transfer via USB feature is not working. So here I write this post with the purpose of helping such people to fix the problem.

Part 1. How to Download & Transfer via USB on Amazon

1 Go to the Amazon website page - Manage Your Content and Devices and log in with your Amazon account.

Whether you use an Amazon Kindle or run the Kindle app on a computer or mobile device, it can be hard to manage all the ebooks you’ve collected and the devices you’ve connected to your account. AZW3 is an eBook format developed by Amazon. It also called Kindle Format 8, or KF8. Amazon uses this format to replace the older AZW version of their Kindle eBook files. Contrary to AZW, AZW3 supports advanced features like HTML5 and CSS3. Additionally, it has more formatting options than the old AZW. It is proprietary and can only be used in.

2 Click the “Action” button in front of each book title, and then click “Download & transfer via USB”.

3 From the dropdown list, choose your Kindle device, and click the button “Download”.

A note will show up when you are downloading the content.

At most times, the downloaded content would be azw3 file, or azw file occasionally.

4 Transfer books to Kindle device via USB.

After downloading, use your USB cable to connect your Kindle device to your computer. Your Kindle will appear as a drive on your computer. Copy your downloaded file from your computer to into the appropriate folder. Depending on your device type, the folder names may vary. For example, on Kindle Paperwhite, move books to the 'Documents' folder. On Kindle Fire tablets, move books to the 'Books' folder.

Bonus Tips: Remove Kindle DRM via 'Download & Transfer via USB'

If you own a Kindle e-ink device, you can try this method to remove Kindle DRM. No matter you are using Windows or Mac (Catalina and Big Sur included), the method of 'Download & Transfer via USB' is working well together with Epubor Ultimate to decrypt and convert Kindle books. Just connect your Kindle e-ink device to your computer, and drag your AZW3 or AZW files to Epubor Ultimate, they will be decrypted automatically.

Or you can follow the detailed guide on Remove Kindle DRM via 'Download &Transfer Kindle Books via USB'.

Amazon Kindle Macos Downloads

Part 2. Trouble Shotting - Download & Transfer via USB Not Working

Problem 1. Unable Download & Transfer via USB - The download never starts

Trying download and transfer via USB, I'm getting a message that says 'Downloaded your Kindle content to your computer via Your Media Library'. I have no idea what this means. There is no 'Your Media Library' on my computer. The download never starts.

In a recent update, Google Chrome (and Firefox, it looks like) stopped allowing HTTP downloads, which is so called 'insecure downloads'. However, The Amazon Content and Devices webpage uses JavaScript to initiate downloads, so Chrome considers that type of download to be insecure. So if you are using Google Chrome or Firefox when you click 'Download', a notice will show 'Download your Kindle content to your computer via Your Media Library', but then you will get nothing. The download never starts no matter how many times you click the 'Download'.

We believe that Amazon will probably get the problem fixed soon, but in the meantime there are a couple of workarounds to get your Kindle ebooks downloaded for USB transfer.

Solution 1 Use a different web browser.

The issue is now affecting Google Chrome and Firefox browser, and might affect some other browsers too. But you can try Microsoft Edge, which has been reported still working normally for downloading Kindle books.

Solution 2 Change a site setting with your web browser to allow insecure content on Amazon’s website.

For Google Chrome users, click the lock icon next to Amazon's Contents and Devices page, and then tap 'Site Settings'.

On the next page, find 'Insecure content'. Reset permission and change 'Block (default)' to 'Allow'.

Solution 3 Download by opening 'Developer Tools'.

You can download the file by opening 'Developer Tools' (tap 'F12' on your keyboard in Chrome) and hover to the 'Network' tab. And then proceed the steps described in 'Part 1' and in the Developer Tools, look for the 'FSDownloadContent' on the list, right click it and select 'Open in a new tab' and the download will start.

Problem 2. No option for Download & Transfer via USB

Amazon Kindle Macos Download

I click the Download & transfer via USB action on amazon site. The options in the drop down menu are the Kindle apps and Kindle Cloud Reader, but neither of them are selectable. So I cannot finish the download. Must I possess Kindle or Fire hardware to enable the download option?

'Download & Transfer via USB' is only available for Kindle e-ink device or Kindle Fire tablet owners. Kindle apps (on phones, tablets, computers) are not compatible with that function. That's part of the Amazon security as they don't want you to make copies.

Solution If you don't have a Kindle device, you cannot download books from Amazon site. Please use Kindle app for PC/Mac/Android/iOS to download your Kindle ebooks.

If you have a Kindle e-ink device or Fire tablet but still receive such an error when downloading the content, it seems that you haven't registered your Kindle device yet. Please first register your Kindle device with your Amazon account and try once again.

Problem 3. Download an FSDownloadContent file, not AZW3 eBook File

On downloading a book through Amazon website to my computer and then USB transfer to my Kindle, Amazon downloads an illegible file called 'FSDownloadContent', rather than the usual .azw3 or .azw file. Is this a problem with the download?

This problem is related to Amazon downloads using Safari browser. The Amazon download is not compatible with some certain combination of Mac OS and Safari versions.

Solution Try downloading the book using a different browser (i.e. Chrome). Another possible solution is to try simply adding the '.azw3' file extension after the file name. Sometimes that solves the problem.

OK. These are all things about Download & Transfer via USB. If you have any more questions concerning this issue, just leave a comment below. Don't forget to download Epubor Ultimate if you want to remove Kindle DRM through this method.

Michelle loves reading very much. She seeks the methods to enjoy eBooks and audiobooks more freely and wants to share everything new she has got with you.

How to Add a MOBI File to Your Kindle Library

Recently, I have included a Kindle-friendly formatted file of the RCV on the Download page. This page will be a guide to assist you in putting a MOBI file in your Kindle Library to read on your Kindle or using your Kindle software. I will break this guide up into six sections: Email, The Kindle, Kindle for the Desktop, Kindle for the iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch, Kindle for Android, and Other. (Directory names are in italics.)

Email

The simplest way to add a book to your Kindle library is to email the book to your Kindle device. This works with the Kindle and the Kindle Apps. Go to the settings of your Kindle device or app and look for the Kindle email address. You can also find this email address on the Kindle setup page on the Amazon.com website. The page is called, 'Manage Your Kindle.' There you will find a list of email addresses for each of your Kindle devices. Once you identify the email address you wish to use, log in to your email account, compose an email to the Kindle email address, attach the MOBI or PDF file to the email, and then send the email. It may take a little time, but before long, you will see the book appear in your Kindle library.

The Kindle

To add a MOBI file to your Kindle device, follow these steps:

1. Connect your Kindle to your computer.
2. Copy the MOBI file from your computer to the Documents directory on your Kindle (the Kindle connects to your computer as if it were a USB flash drive).
3. Properly disconnect the Kindle from your computer (i.e., eject the device).

Kindle for the Desktop

To add a MOBI file to your Kindle desktop software library, follow these steps:

1. Copy or move the MOBI file to the appropriate Kindle directory on your hard drive.
   
   • Windows XP/Vista/7/8: The Kindle directory is called My Kindle Content and is located in the My Documents folder.
     
     • If I'm not mistaken, the Kindle app downloaded in the Windows 8 App Store stores the files in a completely different directory. If you can't find the My Kindle Content folder, try looking for this folder: C:Users<userid>AppDataLocalAmazonKindleapplicationcontent.
   • Mac OS X: The Kindle Content directory is located in your Documents directory.
     
     • It looks like the more recent versions of the Kindle App for Mac OS X puts the book files in a different location. If that is the case with your version, try looking for this directory: ~/Library/Containers/com.amazon.Kindle/Data/Library/Application Support/Kindle/My Kindle Content.
2. Launch the Kindle desktop application.

Kindle for the iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch

To add a MOBI file to your Kindle app for the iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch (iOS Device), follow these steps:

1. Connect your iOS Device to your computer.
2. Launch iTunes, if it doesn't automatically launch.
3. Click on your iOS Device on the left sidebar.
4. Click the Apps tab at the top of the iTunes window.
5. Scroll down to the File Sharing section on the Apps tab.
6. Click on Kindle in the Apps list.
7. Click the 'Add...' button just below the Documents list to the right.
8. Navigate to the MOBI file you wish to add to the Kindle app and click the Choose button.
9. Sync your iOS Device.
10. Disconnect your iOS Device from your computer.
11. Launch the Kindle app on your iOS Device.

Kindle for Android

To add a MOBI file to your Kindle app for Android, follow these steps:

1. Connect your Android device to your computer via USB cable (there are many different ways to connect your Android device (e.g., FTP, file-sharing app), which accomplish the same thing as connecting your device via USB cable).
2. If prompted, choose the option to 'Mount as disk drive' on your Android device.
3. Navigate to the sdcard directory or the internal storage on your Android device—which should now show up as a disk drive on your computer—if it doesn't mount to that directory automatically.
4. Copy your MOBI file to the kindle directory located on the SD card of your Android device. If you have trouble finding the Kindle directory, try looking for this folder: [Internal storage]/Android/data/com.amazon.kindle/files
5. Disconnect your Android device from your computer.
6. Launch the Kindle app on your Android device.

Other Devices

• BlackBerry: At the time of this writing, only books available in the Kindle Store can be read on the Kindle for Blackberry app.
• Windows Phone 7: At the time of this writing, only books available in the Kindle Store can be read on the Kindle for Windows Phone app.