How to add external epub to Kobo Desktop?

Question

My Kobo Aura HD H2O is "in the mail" so I'm trying to prepare for it by adding existing non-DRM ePub books that I already own.  Ideally I'd like to be able to add books to the Kobo Desktop App and have the device sync via WiFi when it arrives.

In the interim, and ongoing, I'd also like to have the Android App installed on my phone & tablet so that I can read the same books there and also have them sync location, bookmarks etc.

I've looked through the Kobo support / KB section and google a bit, as well as explored the Kobo Desktop app, but I'm not seeing a way to do this.

What am I missing?  Thanks in advance!

(And please please don't say that only books purchased via the Kobo store can be added and that I have to copy them onto the device directly and not have any sync capability...  The reason I'm switching to Kobo from Kindle is to rid myself of the hassle of having islands of content!)

Sekhemty · Accepted Answer

Please note that if you simply need to transfer .epub files to the reader, you can simply connect it to your computer with an USB cable, it will be treated like an external USB storage drive; you can simply copy your books on the reader (maybe on a new sub-directory to keep things clean and neat) and when you disconnect it, it will update the database and recognize your new books. There isn't anything easier than this ;-)

Anyway for a more complete management, I suggest you to try Calibre, it is a superb ebook manager itself with a ton of features; also, it is free and opensource and it is available for Linux systems too, if these are things that are relevant for you.

One of its strengths is the opportunity to add plugins to extend its functionalities. It works perfectly with any ereader device, without the need to add anything, but I suggest to you a couple of plugins that are specifically aimed at Kobo users, that can be useful to have:

Kobo Touch Extended Driver: It replaces the standard Kobo device driver shipped with Calibre, its main feature is to optimize the .epub books you are sending to the device with the particular format used by Kobo, called .kepub.epub. Kobo e-readers have two different readers inside (I mean "reader" as a software here), one is used for standard ePub files while the other has some different features and is used for Kepubs. I prefer the last one, but in the end it is a matter of personal preferences, so I suggest you to try both of them and see which format you like the most.
Kobo Utilities: this is a must-have tool, IMHO. It allow you to perform many operations directly on the device, by manipulating its internal database; it is nothing too complicate, but it could be considered as a tool for advanced users that know what they are doing; I must say that I've never had any kind of problem, but I suggest you to read the warnings from the author.

Please note that you don't have to download these plugins from the MobileRead forum, the easiest way is to install them directly from inside Calibre, where this task can be performed from a nice and handy graphical interface.

GGx · Answer

I've managed to upload external ePubs to Kobo's Desktop App on a Mac. Whether a similar process would work on a Windows machine, I can't comment, but in case this helps any Mac users out there:
You need to create a new folder in your user's Documents folder called Digital Editions.
Copy the ePub file into this folder.
Don't hit the sync button, that won't work. You need to hit ⌘-Shift-S and the app will ask for permission to synch with your Documents folder.
Hit yes and the e-book should then appear under My Books.

Gabriel · Answer

I just purchased the Kobo H2O and use the following way to get books from other sources onto the reader via wifi:

Get dropbox account
Add folder in dropbox named for example "epub"
Add the books you want to this folder, either by computer or when purchasing books with your smartphone (this is how i usually shop for new books)
Log in to dropbox mobile page on you Kobo reader and navigate to your book folder.
Set this as startpage for browser or add bookmark (you still have to login every time you open the browser, but you get redirected to the right folder straight after login)
Click on file and wait... Then accept download!

Auspex · Answer

You can't expect answers if you refuse to accept answers that state the truth. afaik, you can't make a Kobo sync state with sideloaded books (and I've delved a long way into the software and database structure). Kobo is only slightly better than Amazon about "islands of content".

If you only need to get content onto the Kobo, then your best bet is to load the books into Calibre, and then sideload from there either by USB or Wifi via the Calibre server.

How to add external epub to Kobo Desktop?

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