Ask Dave Taylor
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • YouTube Videos
  • Top Categories
  • Subscribe via Email
  • Ask A Question
  • Meet Dave
  • Home
  • Kindle & Nook Help
  • How Can I Rename a Kindle PDF Document on my Kindle Paperwhite?

How Can I Rename a Kindle PDF Document on my Kindle Paperwhite?

July 4, 2022 / Dave Taylor / Kindle & Nook Help / No Comments

I like to copy PDF documents from work onto my Kindle Paperwhite to read, rather than staring at a computer screen, and it works great. Except the document names are awful! Is there a way to rename PDF docs on the Kindle?

I know just what you mean, and this is one time when an additional Kindle feature would be great: Rename. Unfortunately, it’s not included in the Kindle system and, to be fair, is a pretty atypical request from readers, I expect. Then again, a PDF document name that works well on a big screen computer isn’t necessarily the same name that’s going to work when you can only see the first 25 characters or so on your Kindle screen, particularly on the Home screen.

You can’t rename PDF documents on your Kindle, but the key is the phrase on the Kindle. There’s a workaround, particularly if you are using the email gateway that lets you email PDF documents to your Kindle so that they magically show up on your device. If you rename the document before you send it that’s the name it will have once it appears on the Kindle. Seems obvious, but as a book reviewer, I often get oddly named book galleys or pre-publication review copies that use internal document names or even include my name in the title as a tracking mechanism. Let’s have a closer look!

PDF DOCUMENTS WITH CRYPTIC NAMES ON KINDLE

I’ve just received two new books for review from Brandeis University Press and initially, I just sent them on to my Kindle Paperwhite. How? By sending the PDF docs as attachments in email with a destination address I obtained from the Kindle “device” page at Amazon.com. [I explain in detail how to identify your device’s email address here: Read EPUB books on Kindle] They showed up like this:

amazon kindle pdf document - weird names

You can see the two docs: “Davis_BUP_Academy” and “Carr_BUP_Operation (review copy)”, neither of which make it immediately obvious what they are. If your PDF docs from work start with document numbers, that would be even worse! Can you rename them on the Kindle? A tap on the “•••” icon on the lower right of the ebook shows that rename is not an option:

amazon kindle pdf document - doc ebook menu options

So what’s the solution? Logging in to Amazon.com on a computer and going to the Kindle “content” area? Nope, no rename feature:

amazon kindle pdf document - amazon.com kindle content

You can check “More actions” if you want, but rename is missing (though it seems like it would be easy to add as a feature)

So how to fix it?

HOW TO RENAME KINDLE PDF EBOOKS

The fix is easy, actually: Rename the PDF and send it to your Kindle again! Given this PDF name, it’s certainly no surprise that the final ebook name on the Kindle is what it is:

amazon kindle pdf document - pdf file icon on mac

When I rename this to “The Academy and the Award.pdf” I can then email the newly renamed PDF up to my Kindle, just as I did with the original copy:

amazon kindle pdf document - email pdf to kindle

You can see that the attachment has the desired document name. A click on Send and a few minutes for the system to process it and send it down to the Kindle Paperwhite and…

amazon kindle pdf document - renamed pdf

Old name, meet new name. Much better! I can do that with the second PDF ebook too, then delete the poorly named PDF docs from the Kindle entirely. That’s one of the options from the “•••” menu on the individual ebook cover (as shown earlier). Choose “Permanently delete” and it’ll prompt to confirm:

amazon kindle pdf document - permanently delete are you sure?

With a PDF or other ebook that you just emailed to your Kindle, it’s no big deal to send it again if you change your mind, but be aware that if you “permanently delete” an ebook you bought from the Kindle store, you’ll need to repurchase it. Be careful!

Once I’ve cleaned everything up, my Kindle home screen looks much better:

amazon kindle pdf document - pdf docs renamed

Mission accomplished. Now, if you’re curious about these two books, they’re both from Brandeis University Press, Operation Whisper by Barnes Carr, and The Academy and the Award by Bruce Davis. Reviews to come!

Pro Tip: I’ve had Kindle devices for many years and have written lots of Amazon Kindle Help tutorials here on my site. Please take a few minutes to check them out!

About the Author: Dave Taylor has been involved with the online world since the early days of the Internet. Author of over 20 technical books, he runs the popular AskDaveTaylor.com tech help site. You can also find his gadget reviews on YouTube and chat with him on Twitter as @DaveTaylor.

Let’s Stay In Touch!

Never miss a single article, review or tutorial here on AskDaveTaylor, sign up for my fun weekly newsletter!
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please enter all required fields
Correct invalid entries
No spam, ever. Promise. Powered by FeedBlitz
Please choose a color:
Starbucks coffee cup I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!
kindle ebook, kindle pdf, rename kindle pdf

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Recent Posts

  • Everything You Need to Know about Apple’s Clean Energy Charging
  • How Can I Watch Free Classic Movies on my Windows PC?
  • How Can I Maximize Online Privacy with a VPN Connection?
  • SCAM: Did I Just Buy A Computer From Amazon? I Demand a Refund!
  • How Can I Stop My AirPods Pro Making Beeps and Noises?

On Our YouTube Channel

iClever Bluetooth 34-Key Number Pad Keyboard -- REVIEW

Google Pixel 7 Pro Android Smartphone - UNBOXING

Categories

  • AdSense, AdWords, and PPC Help (106)
  • Amazon, eBay, and Online Shopping Help (164)
  • Android Help (228)
  • Apple iPad Help (147)
  • Apple Watch Help (53)
  • Articles, Tutorials, and Reviews (346)
  • Auto Tech Help (17)
  • Business Advice (200)
  • ChromeOS Help (33)
  • Computer & Internet Basics (782)
  • d) None of the Above (166)
  • Facebook Help (384)
  • Google, Chrome & Gmail Help (188)
  • HTML & Web Page Design (247)
  • Instagram Help (49)
  • iPhone & iOS Help (625)
  • iPod & MP3 Player Help (173)
  • Kindle & Nook Help (99)
  • LinkedIn Help (88)
  • Linux Help (174)
  • Linux Shell Script Programming (90)
  • Mac & MacOS Help (914)
  • Most Popular (16)
  • Outlook & Office 365 Help (33)
  • PayPal Help (68)
  • Pinterest Help (54)
  • Reddit Help (19)
  • SEO & Marketing (82)
  • Spam, Scams & Security (96)
  • Trade Show News & Updates (23)
  • Twitter Help (222)
  • Video Game Tips (66)
  • Web Site Traffic Tips (62)
  • Windows PC Help (951)
  • Wordpress Help (206)
  • Writing and Publishing (72)
  • YouTube Help (47)
  • YouTube Video Reviews (159)
  • Zoom, Skype & Video Chat Help (62)

Archives

Social Connections:

Ask Dave Taylor


Follow Me on Pinterest
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on LinkedIn
Follow me on Instagram


AskDaveTaylor on Facebook



microsoft insider mvp


This web site is for the purpose of disseminating information for educational purposes, free of charge, for the benefit of all visitors. We take great care to provide quality information. However, we do not guarantee, and accept no legal liability whatsoever arising from or connected to, the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of any material contained on this site or on any linked site. Further, please note that by submitting a question or comment you're agreeing to our terms of service, which are: you relinquish any subsequent rights of ownership to your material by submitting it on this site. Our lawyer says "Thanks for your cooperation."
© 2023 by Dave Taylor. "Ask Dave Taylor®" is a registered trademark of Intuitive Systems, LLC.
Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions - Accessibility Policy