A Kobo opens an EPUB directly: there is no special format to convert it into. If the file is DRM-free, copy it over USB and it appears in your library when you disconnect the reader.
The simplest route: USB
- Connect the Kobo to your computer with its USB cable.
- Tap Connect on the Kobo when it asks.
- Drag the EPUB onto the
KOBOeReaderdrive. - Eject the drive, then disconnect the cable.
The Kobo displays “Importing content”. When it finishes, find the title in My Books. Kobo also supports PDF and other formats, but EPUB usually reads better for a novel or essay because the type fits the screen. Kobo explains computer transfer.
Google Drive and Dropbox on compatible models
Some Kobo models include Google Drive or Dropbox integration. Link your account on the reader, choose the cloud file and Kobo downloads it. It is useful when your cable is not nearby, but it is not available on every model.
The file remains a copy added to that reader; it does not automatically become a Kobo-account purchase or sync to every Kobo app. Check your model's menu or Kobo's official comparison for its features.
Without a cable: from your phone
If the Kobo has its beta browser (More, Beta features, Web browser), you can send the book from your phone: type the key the Kobo shows, pick the EPUB or PDF and it lands in your library. It's free and needs no account. The same idea for a Kindle: how to get books onto a Kindle without a cable.
Which files work
This guide is for DRM-free EPUB and PDF files. An Adobe DRM book often arrives as .acsm and needs Adobe Digital Editions; dragging it onto the Kobo is not enough. We explain the terms in what DRM and DRM-free mean.
If a file will not open, check it with Pecia's EPUB validator first. If you start with a simple text PDF, use the PDF to EPUB converter before copying it.
Coming soon: Pecia Sync
Copying a book puts it on the Kobo; Pecia Sync will do something different: read titles and reading progress from your Kobo over cable, then add them to your Pecia library. It will not copy ebooks or ask for your Kobo account. Until then, meet Pecia Sync.