Are Kindle Android Apps Compatible With All Novel Formats?

I've been using the Kindle app on my Android for years, and it's pretty versatile when it comes to formats. It natively supports formats like MOBI, AZW, and PDF, which cover most ebooks you’ll find online. EPUB isn’t directly supported, but you can convert EPUB files to MOBI using tools like Calibre before sideloading them into the app. The app also handles TXT files and even some DOCX files, though the formatting might get messy. One thing to note is that DRM-protected books from other stores won’t work unless you remove the DRM, which is a gray area. For casual readers, the Kindle app’s format support is decent, but power users might need to fiddle with conversions.

As someone who juggles between multiple devices and ebook stores, I’ve tested the Kindle Android app’s compatibility extensively. It’s great for Amazon’s proprietary formats like MOBI and AZW, but it has limitations. For instance, EPUB, the most common format outside Amazon, isn’t supported directly. You’ll need to convert it using software like Calibre, which adds an extra step. PDFs are supported, but the reading experience isn’t as smooth as with MOBI files—zooming and scrolling can be clunky.

The app also lets you email documents to your Kindle address, which automatically converts them to a compatible format. This works well for DOCX or HTML files. However, comics or manga in CBZ or CBR formats won’t open, which is a bummer for graphic novel fans. If you’re heavily into non-Amazon ebooks, you might want to pair the Kindle app with a more versatile reader like Moon+ Reader for broader format support.

Another quirk is that the app doesn’t handle DRM from other platforms like Kobo or Google Books. You’d need to strip the DRM first, which isn’t always legal or straightforward. Overall, the Kindle app is reliable for Amazon purchases and basic sideloading, but it’s not a one-stop solution for every ebook format out there.

I love collecting ebooks from various sources, and the Kindle Android app has been my go-to for years. While it’s optimized for Amazon’s own formats like MOBI and AZW, it’s not perfect for everything. EPUBs, for example, need conversion before they’re readable, which can be a hassle if you’re dealing with a large library. PDFs work, but the app struggles with complex layouts, making them harder to read.

On the upside, the app integrates seamlessly with Amazon’s ecosystem, so books bought from the Kindle store sync perfectly across devices. You can also sideload non-DRM MOBI files easily by dropping them into the Kindle folder on your Android. For niche formats like DJVU or CBZ, though, you’re out of luck. If you’re a voracious reader who sources books from multiple platforms, investing in a dedicated EPUB reader app might be worth it alongside the Kindle app.