All about MOBI files
MOBI is an e-book format developed specifically for mobile devices and e-readers. The name is derived from Mobipocket, a French company that introduced the format in 2000. MOBI is technically based on the older Palm PRC format and uses HTML and JavaScript to display content.
Mobipocket was acquired by Amazon in 2005 and used the MOBI format as the standard for its Kindle e-book readers. With the launch of the first Amazon Kindle in 2007, MOBI finally became the standard in Amazon's e-book ecosystem. Amazon later developed its own variants, such as AZW (MOBI with DRM) and later AZW3 as a modern and more powerful successor.
Features of MOBI files
MOBI files are optimised for continuous text, which means that the text can be adapted to the screen (unlike PDF, for example). The format also supports bookmarks, notes, highlights and a table of contents. The files are deliberately kept compact, as they date back to a time when storage space was scarce and expensive. Images are limited to a maximum of 64 kB.
But it is precisely these technical limitations that are heralding the end of MOBI. Amazon shut down the Mobipocket servers back in 2016, and since August 2022, MOBI files can no longer be sent to Kindle devices via "Send to Kindle". Publishers will no longer be able to upload MOBI files from 2025 onwards. In this case, it makes sense to convert MOBI to EPUB (or PDF).
| Format | Developers | Continuous text | DRM | Distribution | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOBI | Mobipocket/Amazon | Yes | Yes | Kindle (old) | Discontinued in 2022 |
| EPUB | IDPF/W3C | Yes | Optional | Universal | Current standard |
| AZW3 | Amazon | Yes | Yes | Kindle only | Active |
| FB2 | Russian developers | Yes | No | Eastern Europe | Niche format |
| CBR/CBZ | Community | No | No | Comics | Active (niche) |
Convert, open and edit MOBI files
Details about MOBI files
- Software for opening MOBI files
- Software for editing MOBI files
- MIME-type for MOBI
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