How to Read eBooks on Your iPhone

This guide will explain how to read ebooks on your iPhone so you can stop carrying around paperbacks and hardcovers and enjoy thousands of books in your pocket. Reading eBooks on the iPhone lets you use large or small font, take notes and see definitions without leaving an eBook app for iPhone.

Users can find free eBooks for the iPhone, borrow eBooks from the library or buy eBooks to read on the iPhone. There are many apps and ways to read eBooks on the iPhone, so we will focus on the most popular options and things that users need to know.

You don’t need a Kindle or a Nook to read eBooks on your iPhone, but if you do own one of those devices you can also read those same books on your iPhone when you don’t have a dedicated eBook reader with you.

You’ll need an eBook app and some eBooks and then you’re ready to start reading eBooks on your iPhone. Here’s how to get started.

iPhone eBook Apps

The first thing you will need is an eBook app for your iPhone. Odds are good that you will end up with at least two eBook apps if you plan to borrow eBooks from your library and to buy and download eBooks.

iBooks

Apple includes iBooks on the iPhone right out of the box. This free app lets you read eBooks and PDFs that you download from the Internet and it includes access to a store where you can buy eBooks. Download iBooks if it is not already on your iPhone.

iBooks is a very useful application, but one thing to remember about any eBooks that you buy from the iBooks store is that you can only read them on Apple devices. This does mean you can read them on your iPad, iPhone and Mac, but you cannot take them with you to a Kindle or if you later switch to Android.

Amazon Kindle

The Amazon Kindle app for iPhone allows users to read eBooks that they download or buy from the Amazon Kindle Store on the iPhone. Like the iBooks app this allows users to change font and text size so that it is easy to read even on a small iPhone screen. Download the Amazon Kindle iPhone App.

One benefit to using the Kindle iPhone app is that any purchases you make are easy to read on a variety of devices. This includes a Kindle, Android smartphones and tablets, computers and of course your iPhone and iPad.

OverDrive eBook App

If you plan to borrow library eBooks and Audiobooks you will likely need to download the OverDrive iPhone app. This app connects with systems at over 30.000 libraries so you can use your free library card to check out an eBook to your iPhone. Download OverDrive to your iPhone.

From the app you can browse your library’s eBook collection and use your library card to borrow an eBook. You don’t need to go to your library in person to use this option. If you have any trouble with this process a librarian can likely walk you through it in person the first time, so at least one trip may help.

Where To Download eBooks

You can use the three apps above to read eBooks on the iPhone as well as to download eBooks. If you want to buy eBooks or look for free eBooks here is some more information below.

• iBooks – Buy and download free eBooks to your iPhone using the iBooks app.
• Kindle – You must buy the eBooks in your browser on the iPhone or computer and then they will automatically download to your Kindle iPhone eBook app.
• Overdrive – Borrow free eBooks on your iPhone from a library.
• Project Gutenberg – Over 49,000 free eBooks that you can download to your iPhone.

There are many sources to find free eBooks and to buy eBooks, but these are the easiest and most plentiful options. You can look for deals on these platforms and you can also check out your favorite author’s website where you might find free samples of upcoming books and special short stories.

Read eBooks on Your iPhone

After you download an iPhone eBook reader app and find some eBooks you are ready to read eBooks on your iPhone.

Tap on the app and you should see some eBooks in the app. If you did not buy them in the app you will need to send them to the iPhone by email, or put them in Dropbox so that you can download the eBook and open it in the app you want to use to read it.

If you buy eBooks they will show up in the app when you open it and are connected to the Internet. All these apps sync your progress so if you switch from one device to another you will always be on the right page.

You can change the font size, font style and in most cases the color of the background. This varies from one app to the next, but it is normally indicated with a Aa or in the settings. If you read at night, use a black background and white font that is easier on your eyes.

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