In an earlier post, we introduced several easy ways to send books and documents to a Kindle device via USB, email, the Send to Kindle app and the web app. If you use Calibre to manage, create and convert e-books, you may have noticed that Calibre includes a built-in feature that allows you to share books by email.
Is it possible to integrate Calibre with your email account, such as Gmail, Outlook or AOL Mail, and send books to your Amazon Kindle directly from Calibre? Yes, it is possible. However, the email setup in Calibre is slightly more complicated than usual because some additional settings need to be enabled.
For example, you can add your Gmail account to Calibre to send books. Since Calibre does not support “Sign in with Google”, you need to generate an App Password from your Gmail account and use it in Calibre instead of your normal Gmail password. An App Password is a 16-digit passcode that allows a less secure app or device to access your Google account. App Passwords can only be used if 2-Step Verification is enabled on your Google account. In other words, you must enable 2-Step Verification in your Google account settings before you can create or use an App Password. Once the email configuration in Calibre is complete, you will be able to send books to Kindle more efficiently.
You can follow the steps below to set up Calibre with Gmail on a Windows computer.
Step 1 – Enable 2-Step Verification in Google Account
Log in to your Google account from a desktop browser such as Edge, Chrome or Firefox on your PC.
- Go to the Security section in your Google Account.
- Under Signing in to Google, select 2-Step Verification.
- Click Get started and follow the on-screen instructions to enable it.
Step 2 – Create an App Password in Google Account
After enabling 2-Step Verification:
- Go to your Google Account.
- Search for App Passwords in the account settings.
- Select the app you want to generate a password for (for example, Calibre).
- Choose the device you are using.
- Click Generate.
Google will generate a 16-character App Password. Copy this password and save it for the next step. You will only need to enter this App Password once in Calibre, so there is no need to memorise it.
Step 3 – Set Up Gmail in Calibre
Open Calibre and go to:
Preferences > Sharing > Sharing books by email
Click Add email to add your Kindle email address. Then add your Gmail account in the Send email from field and enter the email server details below.
SMTP settings:
- Host Name: smtp.gmail.com
- Port: 587
- Username: Your Gmail address
- Password: Your App Password
- Encryption: TLS
Alternative settings:
- Host Name: imap.gmail.com
- Port: 465
- Username: Your Gmail address
- Password: Your App Password
- Encryption: SSL
Click Apply at the bottom right to save the changes.
Step 4 – Authorise Your Email Address on Amazon
You also need to allow your email address to send documents to your Kindle on the Amazon website.
- Log in to your Amazon account.
- Go to Manage Your Content and Devices.
- Click the Preferences tab.
- Scroll down to Personal Document Settings.
- Add and approve your Gmail address in the approved email list.
This step is required, otherwise Amazon will block the email.
Step 5 – Send Books from Calibre to Kindle via Email
After completing the setup, you can send books to your Kindle directly from Calibre.
- Select a book in the Calibre library.
- Right-click the book.
- Choose Connect/share > Email to.
- Select your Kindle email address and send.
Alternatively, you can use the Email option from the Connect/share menu, and Calibre will automatically send the book using the email settings you configured.
Summary
By integrating Calibre with Gmail, you can send e-books directly to your Amazon Kindle without using USB cables or manually attaching files to emails. Although the setup requires generating an App Password and authorising your email on Amazon, once configured, sending books to Kindle becomes quick and easy.