From June 2023 we have launched our new ePUB reader to improve the reading experience and make it more accessible, based on customer feedback.
This article explains what an ePUB file is and how to open it on various devices.
What is an ePUB file?
An electronic publication (ePUB) is an Open eBook file format which can be used on various devices including many eBook readers, smartphones, tablets, and computers. You can recognise an ePUB file by its extension – .epub.
What titles are in ePUB?
More than 90% of our titles will be ePUB enabled. We are also working towards having an ePUB file for most of our titles.
What is the difference between the ePub reader and ePUB?
ePub reader is the software which is used to view an ePUB file just like how a PDF file will use a PDF player (i.e. Adobe Acrobat Reader) to view the PDF file.
Benefits of ePUB files
There are several benefits of using ePUB files over PDF documents. These include:
- ePUB files are ‘reflowable’ documents, meaning their presentation will adapt according to the device they are being displayed on, thereby making for a better reading experience.
- Font size can be altered.
- The background colour of texts can be changed.
- ePUB files are more accessible.
- ePUB files have better media integration including hyperlinks, video, audio and interactive elements easily accessible within the text.
How to open ePUB documents on your phone or tablet
For Apple users -
- Make sure you have Apple’s ‘Books’ app downloaded onto your iPhone or iPad. If you don’t already have this installed, you can download it from the App Store.
- To open on your iPhone or iPad, download the ePUB file onto your phone and then click ‘Open in’. Select the ‘Books’ app and your book will open in the app.
For Android users –
- On your Android device, make sure you have the Google Play Books app installed. If you don’t have it installed, you can download it from the Google Play Store.
- Open your downloads or files app to find the ePUB file, then click More – Open With and select Play Books. The file will then open in the Play Books app.
How to open ePUB documents on your computer
For Apple users –
- Make sure you have Apple’s ‘Books’ app downloaded onto your computer. If you don’t already have this installed, you can download it from the App Store.
- In most cases, double-clicking on an ePUB file on your Mac will automatically open the file in the Books app. Otherwise, you can also navigate to your downloaded ePUB file, right-click and select Open With – Books.
For Windows and Linux users –
There are a number of options to open ePUB files on your Windows or Linux computer. Calibre and Adobe Digital Editions are two freely available eReaders, both available for PC and Mac, that will allow you to view ePUB files on your desktop computer or laptop.
For Calibre –
- Download Calibre for PC, Mac or Linux at https://calibre-ebook.com/
- Open Calibre and select ‘Add Books’.
- Find the ePUB file on your computer and click ‘OK’.
- The eBook will now display within Calibre.
For Adobe Digital Editions -
- Download Adobe Digital Editions for PC or Mac at https://www.adobe.com/solutions/ebook/digital-editions.html
- Open Adobe Digital Editions and click ‘File’ then click ‘Add to Library’.
- Find the ePUB file on your computer and click ‘OK’.
- The eBook will now display within Adobe Digital Editions. Double-click it to read it.
How to open ePUB documents on your eBook reader
ePUB files are generally supported on most eBook readers.
To download on a Kindle –
- Go to Send to Kindle and log into your Amazon account if you haven’t already.
- Click ‘Add your Files’ and upload your ePUB file from your computer.
- Click ‘Add to your Library’ and then hit ‘Send’. This will transport the file to your Kindle. Note: It might take a little time for this to process.
- Open your Kindle and visit the Library tab. You should see your uploaded file in there. Click on this and it will download onto the device.
To download on a Kobo eReader –
- Turn on your Kobo eReader.
- Connect your eReader to your computer.
- When you see the ‘Computer detected’ window, click ‘Connect.’
- Drag your ePUB file/s into the KOBO eReader drive.
- Once you have ejected your Kobo eReader, tap ‘My Books’ on the device. You should see your ePUB file/s in there.
Downloading ePUB files
You can download an ePUB file chapter by selecting the download icon.
This will launch a window confirming the chapter you want to download and the email address that the file will be sent to. Once you click on 'Send', you'll see a pop-up confirmation outlining how quickly your email will arrive; we state up to 24 hours but in practice it is usually much faster.
Please note: If you don't click the link in your email to download the chapter within 24 hours, you will get the following error message. If this happens, just re-download the chapter again.