I want to load some personal ePub/PDF files onto Kindle Paperwhite (12th generation, 2024 model) from my MacBook. I don’t have much experience managing devices like this on macOS. From what I’ve read online, there seem to be a few different options:
The official Amazon Send-to-Kindle app for Mac, which apparently has a built-in USB File Manager
Third-party tools like Calibre, OpenMTP, or MacDroid
I’m not sure which of these is actually the most convenient for a beginner, or whether some of them are unnecessary.
Amazon does have an official option for this: the Send-to-Kindle app for Mac. After installing it, you can send supported files by right-clicking them in Finder and choosing Send to Kindle. You can also drag files into the app window or onto its Dock icon.
For a wired transfer, connect the Kindle over USB, open the app, and select Tools > USB File Manager. That gives you more direct control over which files get copied.
The complication with your 2024 Paperwhite is that 12th-generation and newer Kindles use MTP, or Media Transfer Protocol, for USB connections. macOS doesn't support MTP by itself, so newer Kindles may not appear as ordinary USB drives.
If Amazon's USB File Manager doesn't work well enough, MacDroid and OpenMTP are third-party options that can handle MTP connections on a Mac. I haven't tested either one personally, so I can't say how reliable they are with a Kindle, but they should address the underlying MTP issue.
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Try a known data-capable USB-C cable plugged directly into the MacBook, since many charging cables and hubs won’t pass the MTP connection properly. If it still doesn’t appear, Finder isn’t the right test for this model; use Amazon’s USB manager or MacDroid instead.
A Kindle that appears in System Information under USB but not Finder has an MTP problem; one that appears nowhere usually has a cable or port problem. Search macOS for “System Information,” check USB, and reconnect the Kindle while it’s awake and unlocked using a direct USB-C data cable. If macOS detects it there, stop swapping cables and use Amazon’s USB File Manager or MacDroid. If it doesn’t, software won’t fix the connection.
Don’t copy EPUB files directly over USB and expect them to appear in the library. Kindle’s EPUB support goes through Send to Kindle, which converts the file first. For a wired transfer, use Kindle-ready formats such as AZW3 or PDF and place them in the Documents folder.
The cable does not need to be expensive, but it must support data, not charging only. Connect it straight to the MacBook, wake the Kindle, and leave it on the library screen. As @byteguru noted, checking System Information under USB is more useful than waiting for a Finder icon. This model uses MTP, so Finder may never show it as a normal drive.
If the Mac detects the Kindle under USB, use Amazon’s USB File Manager or MacDroid to browse it. Quit other MTP apps before connecting because two of them trying to access the Kindle can interfere with each other. If it does not appear in System Information at all, try another data cable and MacBook port before changing any software settings.
Don’t open Disk Utility or try to format the Kindle because it is missing from Finder. A 12th-generation Paperwhite is not supposed to mount like an external SSD on macOS, and formatting or “repairing” anything would create a much bigger problem.
Use a USB-C cable that explicitly supports data. USB 2.0 data is sufficient, so there is no reason to buy an expensive Thunderbolt cable. The trouble is that many cables bundled with chargers are power-only, and they look identical to data cables. Plug the cable directly into the MacBook for the first test, wake the Kindle, and make sure the connector is fully seated. A thick case can sometimes prevent the USB-C plug from going in all the way even though the charging symbol appears.
I agree that System Information is the useful dividing line here, with a caveat: check whether the Kindle entry disappears and reappears when you unplug and reconnect it. If nothing changes under USB, try a different cable and port. If the Kindle appears there, the physical connection is probably fine, and changing Finder sidebar settings will accomplish nothing. There is no macOS switch that turns on native MTP browsing.
At that point, use Amazon’s USB File Manager rather than expecting a Finder volume. Keep only one MTP program open. Quit MacDroid, OpenMTP, Android File Transfer, or similar software before starting Amazon’s manager, since the first program to grab the connection can block the others. After copying, let the transfer finish and disconnect through the program if it provides an eject or disconnect control. MTP transfers do not always make an incomplete copy obvious.
For EPUB files, wireless Send to Kindle is still the cleaner route because Amazon converts them and adds them to your Kindle library. USB makes more sense for PDFs, Kindle-ready files such as AZW3, or a large offline transfer. Put readable documents in the Kindle’s Documents area through the USB manager. If the files copy successfully but do not appear, that is then a format or folder issue, not a cable problem.
Expect a wired copy to behave more like local sideloading than adding a book to your Amazon library. Files transferred through MTP may stay only on that Kindle, while Send to Kindle can sync the document, reading position, and notes across supported Kindle apps and devices.
For USB, use any USB-C cable labeled for data, connect directly, and check System Information rather than Finder. If the Kindle appears under USB, the cable is doing its job and Amazon’s USB File Manager should handle the transfer. There is no Finder setting that makes MTP act like a normal external drive.
So the practical split is simple: use Send to Kindle for EPUBs and anything you want in your cloud library; use USB for offline copies of PDFs or Kindle-ready files such as AZW3. Keep a backup on the Mac, because a USB-sideloaded file is not necessarily backed up to your Amazon account.
MacDroid isn’t quite the free fix it sounds like here. Its read-only mode is fine for browsing, but actually copying books onto the Kindle needs the Pro version, so if you just want to drop a couple of files over, Amazon’s USB File Manager will do it without paying for anything.
A cable that charges the Kindle and a cable that carries files can look identical, so the charging symbol proves almost nothing. Before buying anything, test that cable with a phone or another device that you know can exchange data with the Mac. If the Mac only supplies power, replace it with a USB-C cable explicitly marked for data or syncing. USB 2.0 is plenty.
Then make the test as simple as possible: no dock, monitor, keyboard pass-through, or multiport adapter. Connect the Kindle directly, unlock it, and check System Information under USB. @tom1999 has the right diagnostic here. Watch the USB list while unplugging and reconnecting. If an entry appears and disappears, the cable and port are working.
At that point, quit looking for a Finder setting. The 12th Gen Paperwhite uses MTP, and Finder does not browse MTP devices as normal drives. Open Amazon’s USB File Manager and keep every other MTP program closed. Running Amazon’s manager, MacDroid, and OpenMTP at the same time is a good way to make a working connection look broken.
Use Send to Kindle for EPUB files. For USB copies, stick to PDFs or Kindle-ready formats such as AZW3 and copy them into the Documents area. If the transfer completes but the book is missing, you no longer have a connection problem. You have a file-format, DRM, or folder-placement problem.