How to manage storage space on a Kindle Paperwhite

If you’re concerned about running out of space on your Kindle Paperwhite, you can take actions to reduce the amount of space you’re using. From removing samples and documents to books you’ve finished and won’t read again, we’ll show you how to manage storage space on your Kindle Paperwhite.

Kindle Paperwhite on Blanket

How many books can a Kindle Paperwhite hold?

Of course, the number of books that your particular Kindle can hold depends on the storage space that came with it. And keep in mind that some books are larger than others and are bigger than samples you download.

In most cases, you can figure about 1,000 to 1,100 books per 2GB of storage. But you also have to keep in mind that the software and system files on Kindle Paperwhite also take up space.

To simply view how much space you’ve used, check out our how-to for seeing your device information, like available storage space on Kindle.

How to manage your storage space

When you want to manage your Kindle Paperwhite’s storage space, you’ll want to know how much space everything is using, right? So that’s where we’ll start. Wake up your Kindle, access the toolbar, and open your Settings.

  1. Tap Settings > All Settings in the toolbar or Menu (three dots) > Settings.
  2. Select Device Options > Advanced Options.
  3. Pick Storage Management.
Device Options Advanced Storage Management Kindle Paperwhite

Once you’re in the Storage Management area, you have a couple of options for removing items. This includes Manual Removal and Quick Archive. So, let’s take a look at each of these options.

Manual Removal of items on Kindle

You can manually remove books, periodicals, documents, and samples from your Kindle Paperwhite. Choose Manual Removal on the Storage Management screen.

Here you’ll see how much space each category of items uses. Select one and then check the boxes for the specific items you want to remove and tap Remove.

Manual Removal of Books on Kindle Paperwhite

The Others category contains things like Child Profile content, unsupported files, system files, and active content. Below each of these categories, you’ll see details on how to remove items if possible.

Manual Removal Others Category on Kindle Paperwhite

Quick Archive of items on Kindle

Maybe instead of removing items from your Kindle Paperwhite, you’d like to simply archive them. Select Quick Archive on the Storage Management screen.

Choose the timeframe for items you haven’t opened, like a month, a year, or more. Tap Remove.

Quick Archive on Kindle Paperwhite

Removing or archiving

While you can free up storage, you can still access these items from Your Library > All. The exception is for items you manually transfer to your Kindle; these will be deleted. Remember, to see books that you download, tap Your Library > Downloaded.

If you have thousands of books downloaded to your Kindle Paperwhite and are worried about running out of space, this how-to should help you manage your storage.

Are you planning to free up some space on your Kindle Paperwhite? Which option will you pick, manual removal or quick archive? Or maybe you’ll do a combination of both? Let us know!

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