How to transfer Instapaper to Kindle 3

November 6, 2010 9:47 AM

I cannot figure out how to transfer articles I've saved at Instapaper to my new Kindle 3. From what I read it ought to be possible, but after two days I can't set it up. If I understand correctly, Instapaper will email to my kindle email address the articles I select to be sent, and the Kindle is somehow supposed to receive them via my Wi-Fi. Need I admit I'm a bit clueless? I need very specific step-by-step directions and or suggestions for finding / hiring somebody to set this up for me. I bought the Kindle mainly to be able to do this. I work on Mac Book Pro.
posted by NorthCoastCafe to computers & internet (10 answers total)

1. Click on 'Extras' at the top of the Instapaper page, then scroll down to the Kindle section and click 'set up wireless delivery.' (Or just go here.)

2. Follow the instructions on that page — you'll first need to go to the Kindle management page linked there. The instructions say you should authorize a specific address, something like [e-mail] — this didn't work for me. I had to authorize @instapaper.com.

3. Enter your Kindle's @kindle.com email address in the appropriate field.

4. You can test that it's working by clicking the Send Now button.

Do you have the wifi-only Kindle, or the 3G Kindle? If it's the latter, and you'd prefer that Instapaper docs only be delivered over wifi to avoid the charges that Amazon assesses for 3G email delivery, I can give you instructions to do that; but if you have the wifi-only Kindle it's not an issue.
posted by enn at 10:02 AM on November 6, 2010 [2 favorites]

1. What format does Instapaper export to? Amazon will only convert certain formats for you.

2. Have you set up a payment method with Amazon for 1-click? Sending documents directly to your Kindle email address (not the @free.kindle.com address, which is, um free) costs 15¢ per GB (rounded up) to convert. I tried sending a book for conversion this morning, but apparently my payment method had deleted itself from one click and I had to reselect it.
3. Did you choose "Sync and check for new items" from the menu?
posted by cmgonzalez at 10:02 AM on November 6, 2010

I guess I should add for anyone else who might read this: If you have a Kindle 3G but want to receive documents only through wifi to avoid charges, normally you would e-mail them to @free.kindle.com as cmgonzalez mentioned, but Instapaper won't deliver to those addresses. However, you can still make it happen by going to the Kindle management page and setting the personal document charge limit to $0.00. When you do this, your @kindle.com and @free.kindle.com addresses will work the same way; documents sent to either will be delivered only when you next connect to a wifi network, and you will not be charged.
posted by enn at 10:08 AM on November 6, 2010 [5 favorites]

FWIW, I've never been able to get Instapaper to send articles to my Kindle automatically. Clicking the 'Send Now' button usually works, but not every time. It is a free, beta service, so if you simply can't get it to work, it might be worth trying again later.

You can also transfer articles 'manually' by downloading the .mobi file (click the 'Kindle' icon in the right sidebar on the Unread page) and sending it to the Kindle by email/USB.
posted by mattn at 10:34 AM on November 6, 2010

Like mattn, I've had much better luck with the 'Send Now' button than with the automated delivery.
posted by enn at 10:39 AM on November 6, 2010

Another vote for what mattn said, and for cmgonzalez tip to avoid charging. I have successfully sent quite a few docs this way now.
posted by crocomancer at 1:32 PM on November 6, 2010

@enn's tip is bang on - I'm having trouble however dealing with my large (600+) unread instapaper queue backlog.

Ideally I'd love to get it loaded onto my Kindle and synced so that when I delete a (read) article on the Kindle it archives on Instapaper.

It appears that Ephemera (for OS X) and Wordcycler (for Windows) support this type of two way sync - but I am having trouble with it seemingly timing out due to such a large backlog of articles
posted by 3rdparty at 2:21 PM on November 6, 2010

Chiming in to say that for some reason, it usually takes a few days for articles I save to instapaper to show up on my kindle. I can't for the life of me figure out why, though. So you may have set it up correctly but they haven't shown up on your kindle yet.
posted by Shebear at 4:54 AM on November 7, 2010

It's never worked for me either, and there is basically nothing to debug. It does work if I download the file they provide and transfer it over manually.
posted by smackfu at 6:04 AM on November 8, 2010

FWIW, Instapaper now supports @free.kindle.com email addresses, which won't incur a delivery charge over WiFi.
posted by 3rdparty at 9:40 AM on December 9, 2010