Amazon are changing the way you own your Kindle books starting Feb. 26

[IcyPeas]

Posted in GD too.

Amazon’s killing a feature that let you download and backup Kindle books.
After February 26th, you can only download books from the Kindle store to your e-reader over Wi-Fi.

Starting on February 26th, 2025, Amazon is removing a feature from its website allowing you to download purchased books to a computer and then copy them manually to a Kindle over USB. It’s a feature that a lot of Kindle users are probably not aware of, given books can be more easily sent to devices over Wi-Fi, but it’s especially useful for backing up purchases or converting them to other formats compatible with non-Kindle e-readers.

It doesn’t happen frequently, but as Good e-Reader points out, Amazon has occasionally removed books from its online store and remotely deleted them from Kindles or edited titles and re-uploaded new copies to its e-readers. In 2009, the company removed copies of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm, explaining the books had been mistakenly published. More recently, many of Roald Dahl’s books, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, were replaced with updated copies featuring modified language on various ebook platforms. It’s a reminder that you don’t actually own much of the digital content you consume, and without the ability to back up copies of ebooks, you could lose them entirely if they’re banned and removed.

More:
https://www.theverge.com/news/612898/amazon-removing-kindle-book-download-transfer-usb

Good video explanation here:

[EverHopeful]

1. Thank you!

Looked into transferring my kindle books to other e-readers after the No-endorsement news but it seemed way beyond my capabilities, downloading to my computer was easy (albeit time-consuming). Will now explore alternate e-reader access to my books.

Have used Aldiko in the past. Will check for recent updates.

[Silver Gaia]

2. Thanks for the heads up on this.

I always buy a print copy of anything I dont want to lose and/or really want to keep. But this is good to know. I use my Kindle primarily for reading light, fluffy stuff to make me sleepy, so it's not like I have great literature stored on there, but I will check to be sure.

[thinkingagain]

3. Don't know if it will work

But you can try Bluefire reader.
In the past I have used it to download a book from the library ( Libby) although it was tricky and required a few different steps ( that this old brain can’t recall at the moment)

I have used it to download other times also for other things but as with Libby
The ususally try to go to either
iBooks , or my downloads,
So again it takes me time to figure it out. I think mostly it’s because I’m trying to do something different that what the auto on my phone ( or iPad when I had it) is geared for.

There is also the Gutenberg project for books and Open Library.
But again it’s been awhile since I tried those and they may try to auto download to the normal place and would require changes

Anyhow back to Bluefire it’s been a long time since I downloaded it
For different reasons I am not a huge
App person I have a few but often just book mark thw place I want to go to.

So when I downloaded Bluefire several years ago it probably had a feature or two I liked better than others.

Sorry about the ramble
It’s easy and I’m tired and blurry eyed and kind.


I

[Trueblue Texan]

4. Does this mean if you don't download your books before Feb 26th...

...you can't read them without a Kindle? I don't use my Kindle anymore. They stopped supporting it so I stopped using it years ago. Much rather read on iPad or Mac

[mentalsolstice]

5. From what I understand you can still read Kindle books on any device that supports their app.

I read mine on my IPad Mini with the app.