Replace your Kindle now for a free studying improve

Amazon has launched a number of notable Kindle updates this 12 months. In June, it added new spacing options for characters, phrases, and paragraphs, and in August, it launched the Assistive Reader characteristic, which turns books into audiobooks, together with a bigger font choice to enhance readability. Though the 12 months is coming to an finish, Amazon is not executed making adjustments to its Kindle software program for 2025.

In November, Amazon launched its 5.18.6 software update for eleventh and Twelfth-generation Kindles, the Kindle Colorsoft, and Kindle Scribe. Whereas the replace did not embrace a lot past Amazon’s typical “Efficiency enhancements, bug fixes, and different common enhancements,” and patching the most recent Kindle jailbreak, Amazon has reportedly began remotely activating options included within the replace for the primary time that weren’t initially out there (by way of Good e-Reader).

The primary main change is an replace to how highlighting capabilities on Kindle units. Beforehand, highlighting textual content displayed a menu with choices to focus on, create a word, search, share, and entry different options by way of a three-dot menu. With the 5.18.6 replace, Amazon has redesigned the highlighting menu. Now, highlighting textual content presents a brand new set of choices, together with an “A” button for highlighting and a brand new “Look Up” button that opens the dictionary and reveals the phrase’s definition. The word choice has additionally been changed with a sticky word icon; tapping it opens the keyboard so you’ll be able to add a word, which then seems within the word part. General, Amazon has simplified the highlighting pop-up menu and, for my part, given it a a lot cleaner look.

If you happen to do not see these adjustments to the highlighting menu in your Kindle but, even with the 5.18.6 replace, it is as a result of Amazon continues to be remotely rolling them out to all Kindles, based on Good e-Reader. They need to seem in your gadget quickly. For instance, my Twelfth-generation Kindle has the brand new highlighting menu, however my Kindle Colorsoft doesn’t, although they’re each on the 5.18.6 replace. To replace your Kindle to the most recent software program model, go to Settings > System choices > Software program updates. Alternatively, you’ll be able to manually install the most recent Kindle updates onto your gadget.

Amazon has made just a few different adjustments with this replace

Modifications have been made to the dictionary system and bookmarking

The replace additionally improves the Kindle dictionary system. Beforehand, wanting up a phrase would show the definition, Wikipedia article, and translation choices on the prime or backside of the display, blocking the content material you had been studying. With the 5.18.6 replace, now you can swipe the panel away to view the web page, and navigating the choices is simpler — reasonably than swiping by means of Dictionary, Wikipedia, Translate, and Search, you’ll be able to merely faucet the headers within the new dictionary menu (as you’ll be able to see within the comparability picture above).

Moreover, Amazon has barely modified how bookmarks work. Beforehand, to bookmark a web page, you’d faucet the highest proper of your Kindle display. Now, you’ll want to maintain it down as an alternative of simply tapping, prone to forestall unintentional bookmarks.

Lastly, Amazon has additionally made it simpler to view figures in books, resembling in textbooks or journey guides. Now, while you faucet a reference like “fig-20” within the textual content, a field pops up in the course of the display displaying the corresponding determine — whether or not it is a chart, diagram, or picture. This makes it far more handy to reference pictures whereas studying, particularly if they are not on the identical web page.

General, these adjustments within the newest 5.18.6 Kindle replace aren’t something groundbreaking, however they undoubtedly streamline the person interface, making it extra user-friendly. I am all the time in favor of something that makes my display really feel much less cluttered, and this replace definitely helps. The 5.18.6 replace is now out there for eleventh and Twelfth-generation Kindle e-readers, the Kindle Colorsoft, and Kindle Scribe, and these options must be remotely activated in your gadget quickly, in the event that they have not been already.