Can I open a DRM-protected EPUB in Chrome?

Not with Readkave or with Toolkave's converters. A book locked with Adobe DRM or Readium LCP opens only in an app licensed to unlock it, such as Adobe Digital Editions for Adobe DRM. Readkave tells you the book is locked rather than showing a blank page.

Does Readkave work on a Chromebook?

Yes. It is a Chrome extension, so it installs on a Chromebook like any other, and the library works the same way. Google Play Books works in the browser there too. Calibre needs Linux set up on the Chromebook first.

Can I read without an internet connection?

Yes. A book in Readkave's library is stored in Chrome on your computer and opens offline. Looking up a word needs the internet, and translation needs a language pack that Chrome downloads once.

Does Readkave upload my books or track what I read?

No. There is no account, no ads and no tracking. Books, highlights and reading positions stay in your browser, and the internet is used only when you ask for something that needs it, such as looking up a word or opening a link.

Can I use it on my phone?

Not Readkave: Chrome on Android and iPhone does not install extensions, so it is for Chrome on a computer. On a phone, upload the book to Google Play Books and read it in the app, or turn it into a PDF with EPUB to PDF and open it in any PDF viewer.

Which formats does Readkave open?

EPUB, MOBI, AZW3, FB2 and CBZ, the last being comics packed as a zip of pictures. MOBI and AZW3 books open if they are DRM-free; most books bought in the Kindle store are not.

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How to open EPUB files in Chrome

Checked 2 October 2026

Click a link to an EPUB in Chrome and you get a download, not a book. Chrome reads PDFs by itself but has no reader for e-books, so EPUB, FB2 and MOBI files end up in your Downloads folder and stay there. Here are three ways to read them, starting with the one that keeps you in the browser, and what to do with a book that will not open at all.

Why Chrome downloads the book instead of opening it

Chrome shows PDFs, pictures, video and plain text on its own, but it does not know e-book formats. An EPUB is a small website packed into a zip file: chapters as web pages, with styles, pictures and a table of contents alongside. Chrome could show you the pieces but not the book, so it saves the file. FB2 is XML underneath, and opening one from your computer gets you a screen of markup instead of a story. MOBI and AZW3, the Kindle formats, are simply downloaded. Nothing is wrong with the file, and no Chrome setting changes this. You need a reader.

Way 1: read it in Chrome with Readkave

Readkave is a free Chrome extension that opens EPUB, MOBI, AZW3, FB2 and CBZ books in a browser tab. To be upfront: it is made by the same developer as this site. 1. Install it from the Chrome Web Store (link below). 2. Pin it: click the puzzle-piece icon in Chrome's toolbar, then the pin next to Readkave. 3. Click the Readkave icon. Your library opens in a new tab. 4. Drop a book onto it, or click Add books and choose the file. On a website, right-click a link to an e-book and choose Open in Readkave. If you would rather open books by double-clicking them on your computer, there is an optional setting for that, and Readkave's help page explains it. Inside a book you get real page turns or a scroll mode, search across the whole text, bookmarks, highlights and notes, and light, sepia and dark themes. It reads aloud with your browser's voices. Select a word to look it up in Wiktionary, or translate any selection with Chrome's built-in translator. Right-to-left and vertical text work too. There is no account, no ads and no tracking, and your books stay in your browser.

Way 2: Calibre, if you keep a library

Calibre is a free, open-source program for Windows, macOS and Linux. It is a library manager first: it sorts your books, edits their details, sends them to e-readers and converts between dozens of formats, EPUB, MOBI, AZW3 and FB2 among them. Its built-in viewer opens all the major e-book formats. It is the right choice if you collect books or need a book in a format another device wants. For reading one book it is a lot: a separate program to install, outside the browser, and on a Chromebook it only runs once Linux is set up.

Calibre's website, calibre-ebook.com

Way 3: Google Play Books, if you also read on your phone

Google Play Books lets you upload your own EPUB and PDF files and read them in the browser or in the Play Books app, on any device signed in to the same Google account. On a computer, open your Play Books library, choose Your books and click Upload files. Two things to know. It takes EPUB and PDF only, so FB2, MOBI and AZW3 books need converting first. And the book is kept on Google's servers rather than on your device. That is what puts it on your phone, and it is fine for a public-domain classic, but think twice before uploading anything private.

Google's help on uploading books to Play Books

Books that will not open: DRM

Some books are locked to the shop or library that supplied them. Adobe DRM and Readium LCP are two common locks on EPUB files, and books bought in the Kindle store are usually locked to Kindle apps. Readkave cannot open Adobe DRM or LCP books, and it says so instead of showing a blank page. Converting does not help either: Toolkave's converter cannot read a locked book, because without the key the text is scrambled bytes. A locked book opens in the app its shop or library names, often Adobe Digital Editions for Adobe DRM. Not sure whether an EPUB is locked? Try it: Readkave and Toolkave's EPUB to PDF both tell you plainly.

When a PDF is more useful than an e-book

Sometimes the trouble is where you want to read: a work computer that will not take extensions, a device that only opens PDFs, or a book you want on paper. Then turn the book into a PDF. Toolkave's EPUB to PDF does it in your browser without uploading the book, starts each chapter on a new page and keeps the cover and pictures. It takes EPUB only, so convert an FB2 or MOBI file to EPUB in Calibre first. PDF to EPUB goes the other way, turning a PDF into an e-book that reflows on a small screen.

Work it out for yourself

Frequently asked questions

Can I open a DRM-protected EPUB in Chrome?: Not with Readkave or with Toolkave's converters. A book locked with Adobe DRM or Readium LCP opens only in an app licensed to unlock it, such as Adobe Digital Editions for Adobe DRM. Readkave tells you the book is locked rather than showing a blank page.
Does Readkave work on a Chromebook?: Yes. It is a Chrome extension, so it installs on a Chromebook like any other, and the library works the same way. Google Play Books works in the browser there too. Calibre needs Linux set up on the Chromebook first.
Can I read without an internet connection?: Yes. A book in Readkave's library is stored in Chrome on your computer and opens offline. Looking up a word needs the internet, and translation needs a language pack that Chrome downloads once.
Does Readkave upload my books or track what I read?: No. There is no account, no ads and no tracking. Books, highlights and reading positions stay in your browser, and the internet is used only when you ask for something that needs it, such as looking up a word or opening a link.
Can I use it on my phone?: Not Readkave: Chrome on Android and iPhone does not install extensions, so it is for Chrome on a computer. On a phone, upload the book to Google Play Books and read it in the app, or turn it into a PDF with EPUB to PDF and open it in any PDF viewer.
Which formats does Readkave open?: EPUB, MOBI, AZW3, FB2 and CBZ, the last being comics packed as a zip of pictures. MOBI and AZW3 books open if they are DRM-free; most books bought in the Kindle store are not.