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Q: How can I transfer downloaded iBooks (not purchased from iTunes) from MacBook to iPad?

I want to transfer iBooks downloaded from sites other than iTunes store back and forth between my MacBook Air (10.9.5) and iPad mini (8.1). I connected them via USB cable and opened iTunes to do a manual sync, but I could not find an option to do this. I'm able to download the books individually from the publisher sites to the iPad and MacBook; as a result, each library has some books in common but a number of books that are different, depending on which device I was using when I discovered/downloaded the book.

 

I tried selecting books in the MacBook iBooks library and dragging them to the iPad, but this didn't work either. The books are PDFs and ePub formats, downloaded via mediafire.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

iPad mini 2 Wi-Fi, iOS 8.1, Also MacBook Air OS 10.9.5

Posted on Jun 9, 2015 2:52 PM

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Q: How can I transfer downloaded iBooks (not purchased from iTunes) from MacBook to iPad?

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  • by Demo,

    Demo Demo Jun 9, 2015 3:31 PM in response to applephx
    Level 10 (95,884 points)
    iPad
    Jun 9, 2015 3:31 PM in response to applephx

    Read the response from StumbleSally

    how to upload pdf to ipad

     

    Some of the parts may not apply like using auto sync. The bottom line is that with the iBooks app on the Mac now, you have to import the ebooks and PDF files into iBooks on the Mac and then sync them to the iPad using iTunes. Using the latest version of iTunes you have to select your iPad from the devices icon at the top of iTunes,

  • by applephx,

    applephx applephx Jun 9, 2015 4:14 PM in response to Demo
    Level 1 (1 points)
    Jun 9, 2015 4:14 PM in response to Demo

    Thanks for your response. Were you cut off from finishing your suggestions? You ended with a comma, and it seems as if you had more to add.

     

    Just in case, here's some clarification. I wasn't using auto-sync; I was trying to manually sync the books already in the iBooks libraries on both the Mac and the iPad (which have some books in common and some that are not in common; i.e., downloaded on one but not the other) so that both libraries have all the books. I'm pretty sure I'm running the latest version of iTunes (12.1.2.27--I think--the 'about iTunes is so light and scrolls too fast to be sure).

     

    Thanks again for any help you (or anyone else) can provide.

  • by Demo,

    Demo Demo Jun 10, 2015 3:20 AM in response to applephx
    Level 10 (95,884 points)
    iPad
    Jun 10, 2015 3:20 AM in response to applephx

    I had finished my suggestions. I have a bad habit of hitting the comma key on the iPad keyboard rather than the period when I end a sentence. Sorry about the confusion.

     

    Did you see my remark about the iBooks app on the Mac? Do you have that on your Mac? You should if you are running Mavericks. All books that you want to sync to the iPad have to be imported into the iBooks app on the Mac and then synced to the iPad. If you want to transfer the books on the iPad to the Mac, use the Transfer purchases feature in iTunes. That is how you can keep the books' libraries in sync.

     

    Maybe these will provide a little more insight.

    About iBooks for Mac - Apple Support

    Redownload or transfer your iTunes Store purchases from an iPhone, iPad or iPod to a computer - Apple Support

  • by applephx,

    applephx applephx Jun 10, 2015 3:25 PM in response to Demo
    Level 1 (1 points)
    Jun 10, 2015 3:25 PM in response to Demo

    Thanks for your continued follow-up, but as I stated earlier, these books

    • Were not purchased through iTunes, but were downloaded from other sites.
    • Are already in iBooks in my MacBook and iPad libraries, but are not duplicated (synced) in both the libraries. (For example, let's say I have Books A, B, C, D, and F.  A, B, and C are in both libraries, but D is only in the Mac library, and E is only in the iPad library.)

     

    I tried syncing the libraries through iTunes, but since they weren't purchased through iTunes, no books showed up in the list/window/folder/etc.

     

    Do you have any further suggestions, ideas, thoughts re how to get them all in both iBooks libraries?

     

    Thanks again!

  • by alohallaround,

    alohallaround alohallaround Oct 8, 2016 1:51 PM in response to applephx
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iPad
    Oct 8, 2016 1:51 PM in response to applephx

    Did you find a way to do this?