Ebook How to Use: Everything You Need to Know
You bought an ebook—or you’re thinking about it—and now you’re staring at a file wondering what to do next. Maybe you’re used to physical books and the whole thing feels foreign. Maybe you downloaded something years ago and never opened it.
Here’s the good news: learning how to use ebooks takes about ten minutes. The payoff is that you can carry an entire library in your pocket, read in bed without a lamp, and—if you pair it with audiobooks—finish more books than you thought possible.
Let’s walk through everything you need to know, step by step.
Start With the Right App or Device
Before you can read an ebook, you need something to read it on. You have three main options.
Your phone. If you own a smartphone, you already own an ebook reader. Apps like Apple Books (iPhone), Google Play Books (Android), and Kindle (both) are free and work perfectly well. The screen is smaller than a dedicated reader, but it’s always with you—which means you’ll actually read.
A tablet. An iPad or Android tablet gives you a larger screen, which is nicer for longer reading sessions. The trade-off is weight and battery life. A tablet might last 8–10 hours of reading; a dedicated e-reader lasts weeks.
A dedicated e-reader. The Kindle Paperwhite and Kobo devices are designed for one thing: reading. They use e-ink technology, which looks like paper and doesn’t strain your eyes the way a phone screen can. They’re also lightweight and have battery life measured in weeks, not hours.
The honest trade-off: If you read mostly in short bursts—waiting in line, during a commute—your phone is enough. If you read for an hour or more at a stretch, especially in bed, a dedicated e-reader is worth the investment.
How to Get Ebooks Onto Your Device
Once you have an app or device, you need to get books onto it. Here’s the simple version.
From a store. If you buy from Amazon, the book appears in your Kindle app automatically. Same with Apple Books or Google Play. You don’t need to do anything—just open the app and download.
From your library. This is where things get interesting. Most public libraries offer free ebooks through apps like Libby or Hoopla. You borrow the book, and it appears in your reading app. No late fees, no physical returns. The book just expires when your loan period ends.
From a file you already own. If you have an ebook file (like an EPUB or PDF), you can usually email it to your Kindle address or upload it to Google Play Books. Each app has slightly different instructions, but the process takes under a minute once you know where to look.
One thing to watch for: DRM. Some ebooks are locked with Digital Rights Management, which means they only work on specific platforms. A book you buy from Amazon won’t open in Apple Books. This is annoying, but it’s the reality of the ecosystem. If you want maximum flexibility, look for DRM-free books from independent sellers.
Adjust the Reading Experience to Your Eyes
Here’s where ebooks beat physical books: you can customize everything.
Font size. If you’re squinting, make it bigger. If you’re flipping pages constantly, make it smaller. This takes five seconds and changes everything.
Brightness. On a phone or tablet, you can adjust brightness for your environment. On an e-reader, you often get a built-in front light that mimics reading in natural light.
Dark mode. Many apps offer a dark background with light text. This is excellent for reading in bed without disturbing your partner.
Line spacing and margins. If text feels cramped, loosen it up. This is a personal preference, but most people find that slightly generous spacing reduces eye strain during longer sessions.
The practical example: Say you’re reading a dense nonfiction book like Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari. On a phone screen, the text might feel overwhelming. Bump up the font size and increase line spacing, and suddenly the same book feels more approachable.
Use Bookmarks, Highlights, and Notes
Physical books let you dog-ear pages and scribble in margins. Ebooks do this better—you just need to know the gestures.
Bookmarks. Tap the top-right corner of your screen (or use the bookmark icon) to save your place. Most apps also remember where you stopped automatically, so you never lose your spot.
Highlights. Press and drag across text to highlight it. This is useful for nonfiction, where you might want to revisit key concepts. You can usually export your highlights as a text file or email them to yourself.
Notes. In most apps, you can tap a highlighted passage and add a note. This turns your ebook into a research tool. If you’re reading for professional development—say, Atomic Habits by James Clear—you can build a searchable collection of your takeaways.
The key difference from physical books: Your highlights and notes sync across devices. Highlight something on your phone, and it appears on your tablet. This is the feature that makes ebooks genuinely superior for serious readers.
Sync Across Devices With Whispersync
If you’re a busy person, you probably have dead time in multiple places: a commute, a lunch break, a few minutes before bed. The trick is to use different devices for different situations—and never lose your place.
Amazon’s Whispersync technology does this automatically. Read 20 pages on your phone during your commute, then open your Kindle at lunch, and it asks if you want to jump to your last position. You tap yes, and you’re exactly where you left off.
This works with audiobooks too. You can read a chapter, then switch to the audiobook and listen to the next chapter while driving. When you switch back, your place is synced.
The practical example: Let’s say you’re working through Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. You read a chapter on your phone at lunch, then listen to the next chapter in the car on the way home, then read the final chapter in bed on your e-reader. Whispersync keeps everything aligned.
Pair Ebooks With Audiobooks to Read More
Here’s the strategy that changes everything for busy readers: use both formats for the same book.
Start with the ebook for focused reading sessions. When you’re doing something that doesn’t require full attention—driving, folding laundry, walking the dog—switch to the audiobook. You’re still making progress on the same title, so you never lose the thread of the narrative.
This works especially well for fiction. A compelling narrator can make a good book great. For example, the audiobook version of The Sandman by Neil Gaiman features a full cast and sound effects that elevate the story beyond the printed page.
For nonfiction, audiobooks are trickier. Complex arguments benefit from the ability to slow down, re-read, and take notes. But for narrative nonfiction—memoirs, history, science writing—audiobooks work beautifully.
The key insight: You don’t have to choose between reading and listening. You can do both, and the combination means you’ll finish more books than you ever thought possible.
Try Audible Free for 30 Days — Start your free trial on Amazon and get two free audiobooks.
Troubleshoot Common Ebook Problems
“I bought a book but can’t find it.” Check your library or downloads section in the app. If it’s not there, check your purchase history. Sometimes books need to be manually downloaded.
“The text is too small.” Go to settings and increase font size. This is the most common issue new ebook readers face, and it’s the easiest to fix.
“My battery dies too fast.” If you’re reading on a phone, close background apps and lower brightness. If you’re on a tablet, consider switching to an e-reader for longer sessions.
“I want to read on a different device.” Check if the book supports cross-device sync. Kindle books work on any device with the Kindle app. Apple Books works on Apple devices. Some platforms are more restrictive than others.
“The book won’t open.” Make sure your app is updated. If you’re using an older device, the file format might not be supported. Try converting the file with a tool like Calibre—but be aware that DRM-protected files can’t be converted.
FAQ
Do I need a special device to read ebooks?
No. Your phone or tablet works fine with a free reading app. A dedicated e-reader is a nice upgrade, but it’s not required.
Can I return an ebook I don’t like?
It depends on where you bought it. Amazon allows returns within seven days for most Kindle books. Your library’s Libby app lets you return early, but you can’t get a refund on a purchase.
Are ebooks cheaper than physical books?
Often, but not always. New releases are frequently priced similarly. However, classics and older titles are often free or deeply discounted. Your library is the best source for free ebooks.
Can I share ebooks with family members?
Amazon lets you share Kindle books through a feature called Family Library. Apple Books has similar options. But sharing is more restricted than physical books because of DRM.
What’s the difference between EPUB and MOBI files?
EPUB is the industry standard format used by most apps and devices. MOBI is Amazon’s older format, now being phased out in favor of KFX. If you’re buying from a store, you don’t need to worry about this—the store handles the format for you.
The Bottom Line
Ebooks aren’t complicated. The learning curve is about ten minutes, and the payoff is a library that fits in your pocket, synced across every device you own. Start with your phone and a free app. Borrow a book from your library. Adjust the font size. Highlight something you want to remember.
And when you’re ready to take it further, pair your reading with audiobooks to turn dead time into reading time. The combination of formats means you’re never more than a few taps away from making progress on your current book.
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