I sometimes see people asking about what happens when you download a Kindle Unlimited ebook that is only available through KU for a limited time.
The answer is nothing; it will stay in your library until you return it. Once you download a Kindle Unlimited book, it will remain accessible from your Kindle devices and Kindle apps until you return it, or until your subscription ends, even after it’s no longer available through Kindle Unlimited.
Sometimes certain books will only be available through Kindle Unlimited for a very short time, especially a popular book by a bestselling author. But as long as you borrow it while it’s available, you can hold onto it indefinitely for as long as you have a Kindle Unlimited membership.
Kindle Unlimited members are allowed to have up to 20 books downloaded at one time before you have to start returning them to download more. The limit used to be 10, but they increased it to 20 a few years back.
The same rule applies to ebooks downloaded through Prime Reading (not to be confused with First Reads; Prime members get to keep those books). Once you borrow a Prime ebook, it will remain in your library until you return it or cancel your Prime membership.
I’m not sure what the download limit is for Prime ebooks, though. I think it might only be 10 instead of 20, but I’m not positive. If anyone knows the answer please leave a comment.
The books available through Prime are the same ones that are available through Kindle Unlimited; there are just far fewer offered through Prime. It used to be about 10% of the titles available through KU, but I don’t know how the numbers compare these days.
While we’re on the topic, Prime members can currently get 3 months of Kindle Unlimited for free through October 9th if you don’t already have an active membership.
Before I had KU my prime reading books were marked as prime reading. Now that I have KU they are marked as KU and count towards the 20 limit which I find to be incorrect. The programs are different and distinct one I pay extra for and the other I pay thru my membership.
Still can’t get the free KU – and I renewed my prime this month just for that.
That’s weird because that’s something they specifically advertise for Prime members on their list of deals in the US, but technically it says for “eligible” Prime members so I guess they aren’t including past KU members, even though some past members still get the deal.
No free KU for me, either. I’ve had Prime for several years. I recently had a free trial (ended in August), so am guessing it will be a while before they give me another one. Maybe for Black Friday.
“While we’re on the topic, Prime members can currently get 3 months of Kindle Unlimited for free through October 9th if you don’t already have an active membership.”
Yeah, it didn’t work for me either. I had a free trial end about a month ago. And I also discovered that you cannot buy a KU gift membership with a gift card. I received the gift card for my birthday and that was the first thing I tried.