Kindle previewer: amazon's official ebook preview tool guide

Kindle Previewer is Amazon’s official tool for previewing how ebooks will look on Kindle devices. Essential for authors and publishers.

What is Kindle Previewer?

Kindle Previewer simulates all Kindle models — from the basic Kindle to Kindle Scribe, Paperwhite, and Oasis. It lets you:

• Preview ebooks in all Kindle formats (KFX, AZW, MOBI, EPUB)
• Check formatting on multiple device simulations
• Identify rendering issues before publishing
• Convert EPUB files to Kindle format
• Test fixed-layout ebooks and comics

Download

Platform	Version	Download
Windows	3.52	Amazon official link
macOS	3.52	Amazon official link

Note: Kindle Previewer 3.48+ no longer supports AZW/AZW3 preview. If you need this, keep version 3.43.

Installing

Windows

1. Download the .exe installer
2. Run the installer
3. Launch from Start menu

macOS

1. Download the .pkg file
2. Open and follow installation prompts
3. Launch from Applications folder

How to Use

Basic Preview

1. Open Kindle Previewer
2. File → Open Book → select your EPUB or MOBI file
3. The book opens in the default device simulation
4. Click through pages to check formatting

Switch Devices

From the Device menu, choose:

• Kindle Paperwhite (6.8”)
• Kindle Scribe (10.2”)
• Kindle Oasis (7”)
• Kindle Basic (6”)
• Kindle Colorsoft
• Kindle for iPhone/iPad/Android

Check for Errors

1. Tools → Check Book
2. Kindle Previewer highlights any formatting issues
3. Fix issues in your source file and re-preview

Using Kindle Previewer as a Converter

Kindle Previewer can also convert EPUB files to Kindle format:

1. File → Open Book → select your EPUB
2. File → Export as → Kindle Format (KFX)
3. Choose output destination
4. The converted file is ready for sideloading

This is the best free method to convert EPUB to KFX (Amazon’s newest format).

Pro Tips

• Preview on multiple devices — what looks good on Paperwhite may break on Scribe
• Check images — ensure they render correctly on grayscale and color models
• Test Table of Contents — verify all links work
• Use landscape mode — some readers use this for PDFs
• Check endnotes — pop-up footnotes behave differently on different models

Kindle Previewer vs KindleGen

Feature	Kindle Previewer	KindleGen
GUI interface	✅ Yes	❌ Command line only
Preview	✅ Yes	❌ No
Convert EPUB	✅ Yes (to KFX)	✅ Yes (to MOBI)
Check errors	✅ Yes	❌ No
Supported formats	EPUB, MOBI, AZW, KFX	HTML, EPUB → MOBI
Actively maintained	✅ Yes	❌ Discontinued

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
Can’t open EPUB	EPUB may be corrupted — check in Sigil first
Preview looks wrong	Try a different device simulation
Conversion fails	Check for unsupported formatting
Crashes on launch	Reinstall, or clear cache in Preferences
AZW not loading	Downgrade to Kindle Previewer 3.43