How to download and read iBooks and Kindle eBooks on your new iPad

By Allyson Kazmucha
last updated

Now that you've got your new iPad and you've set it up perfectly, you'll definitely want to check out how awesome it is to read books on the gorgeous new retina display. Text looks better than ever and reading on an iPad has never been more enjoyable. Whether you want to use Apple's own iBooks service, Amazon's Kindle powerhouse, or something different, we've got you covered.

iBooks

How to use the iBooks bookstore on your new iPad

Apple's own iBooks and iBookstore are a great way to purchase and read books as well as save PDF documents from the web. Many free and paid books are available directly on your iPad through the iBookstore.

From the latest novels to the best non-fiction to high school textbooks to cartoons like Bloom County and comics from Marvel, you'll think you're looking at digital paper.

iBooks is a free download from the App Store.

Free - Download Now

Once you've got iBooks installed, it's simple to download books.

iBooks bookshelf on your new iPad

  1. Open iBooks and tap Store in the upper left hand corner. The bookshelf will turn around to show you the iBooks bookstore. You can browse for books from here just as you'd browse for apps or any other type of media in iTunes or the App Store.

How to preview a book in iBooks on your new iPad

  1. If you find a book you think you may be interested in, you can download a preview before buying if you'd like via the Get Sample button.
  2. Once you've decided to buy, just tap on the price and it'll ask you to tap it again to confirm the purchase.
  3. Enter in your iTunes password and your book will begin downloading.
  4. When you go into the iBooks app, you'll now see your new book on the book shelf. Just tap into it to start reading.

Kindle for iPad

iBooks isn't the only way you can read eBooks from your iPad. The Kindle app for iPad is a free download from the App Store and if you've already got a Kindle collection built, you'll probably want access to those books. Simply download the app and sign into your Amazon account to access all your purchased books. Best of all, it's just been updated for Retina on iPad.

Free - Download now

Additional resources:

Allyson Kazmucha
Allyson Kazmucha

iMore senior editor from 2011 to 2015.

9 Comments
  • If one is an avid reader, one should also check their public library system and see if the have an online ebook system available, like Atlanta-Fulton Public Library uses Overdrive for their system. My wife checks out a book and can read it on each her iPad and iPhone.
    And the books are free.
    Joe
  • The "How to read eBooks as white on black" is no longer relevant since that's built into iBooks now. It's under font > Themes > Night.
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  • iPad ibooks supports epub well, so if we want to read kindle books on ipad, we can just convert mobi to epub (try Epubor mobi to epub converter), then transfer them to ipad via ibooks.http://www.epubor.com/mobi-to-epub.html
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  • iPad and iPhone support epub format only, and if you want to read kindle ebooks(like azw, prc, mobi formats) on iBooks,
    you need to convert kindle ebook format to epub format.
    So I recommend you try this tool to resolve this problem. http://www.epubsoft.com/epubsoft-ebook-converter.html ..
  • download the book from the site http://booksminority.com
    there is nothing complicated :)
    They will be opened immediately in iBooks