Amazon Kindle removes download feature of purchased books: Difference between revisions
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|Description=Amazon had added a notice to users | |Description=Amazon had added a notice to users in February 2025 that they were going to remove the "Download & Transfer" feature and released an update to the Amazon Kindle corresponding to the notice on 12 February 2025, which had prompted users to use the feature while it was still around and even had some people jailbreak the software or create tools to do so. | ||
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[[File: | [[File:Amazon removal notice of download-transfer.webp|alt=Amazon notice about removing download capability|thumb|Amazon notice about removing download capability.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=12 Feb 2025 |title=FYI Amazon is removing Download & Transfer option on Feb 26th |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/kindle/comments/1inr9uy/fyi_amazon_is_removing_download_transfer_option/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250804001513/https://old.reddit.com/r/kindle/comments/1inr9uy/fyi_amazon_is_removing_download_transfer_option/ |archive-date=4 Aug 2025|publisher=Reddit |language=en |format=forum thread}}</ref>]] | ||
On 26 February 2025, [[Amazon]] removed the "download and transfer via USB" feature from their website. This means [[Amazon Kindle]] users are no longer able to download their purchased e-books from Amazon's website to their computers using the "download and transfer via USB" feature. A message describing this change appeared on the page for the download feature a few weeks before the feature was removed.<ref name="theverge">{{Cite web |author=Andrew Liszewski |date=14 Feb 2025 |title=Amazon’s killing a feature that let you download and backup Kindle books |url=https://www.theverge.com/news/612898/amazon-removing-kindle-book-download-transfer-usb |archive-url=https:// | On 26 February 2025, [[Amazon]] removed the "download and transfer via USB" feature from their website. This means [[Amazon Kindle]] users are no longer able to download their purchased e-books from Amazon's website to their computers using the "download and transfer via USB" feature. A message describing this change appeared on the page for the download feature a few weeks before the feature was removed.<ref name="theverge">{{Cite web |author=Andrew Liszewski |date=14 Feb 2025 |title=Amazon’s killing a feature that let you download and backup Kindle books |url=https://www.theverge.com/news/612898/amazon-removing-kindle-book-download-transfer-usb |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260222205435/https://www.theverge.com/news/612898/amazon-removing-kindle-book-download-transfer-usb |archive-date=22 Feb 2026|publisher=The Verge |language=en |format=article}}</ref> | ||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
Amazon allows purchasing e-books on their platform. These e-books are designed to be used with Amazon Kindle devices and the Kindle app. The "download and transfer via USB" feature allowed users to download purchased e-books on their computers. The intended use for this was to allow people to transfer e-books from their computer to their Kindle, without requiring the Kindle to have an internet connection. The "download and transfer via USB" feature was available since the early days of Kindle, when many devices didn't have {{Wplink|Wi-Fi}} capabilities, such as the Kindle 1, Kindle 2, and Kindle DX.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=21 Nov 2011 |title=Amazon Kindle 1 |url=https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Amazon_Kindle_1 |archive-url=https:// | Amazon allows purchasing e-books on their platform. These e-books are designed to be used with Amazon Kindle devices and the Kindle app. The "download and transfer via USB" feature allowed users to download purchased e-books on their computers. The intended use for this was to allow people to transfer e-books from their computer to their Kindle, without requiring the Kindle to have an internet connection. The "download and transfer via USB" feature was available since the early days of Kindle, when many devices didn't have {{Wplink|Wi-Fi}} capabilities, such as the Kindle 1, Kindle 2, and Kindle DX.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=21 Nov 2011 |title=Amazon Kindle 1 |url=https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Amazon_Kindle_1 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250708172721/https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Amazon_Kindle_1 |archive-date=8 Jul 2025|publisher=MobileRead Wiki |language=en |format=wiki page}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=21 Nov 2011 |title=Amazon Kindle 2 |url=https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Amazon_Kindle_2 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260221190120/https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Amazon_Kindle_2 |archive-date=21 Feb 2026|publisher=MobileRead Wiki |language=en |format=wiki page}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=15 Apr 2014 |title=Kindle DX |url=https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Kindle_DX |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260217174504/https://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Kindle_DX |archive-date=17 Feb 2026|publisher=MobileRead Wiki |language=en |format=wiki page}}</ref> | ||
===Reasons for feature=== | ===Reasons for feature=== | ||
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Customers will still be able to download e-books to their Kindles, but will either have to use the Kindle store on the device or the "Deliver or Remove from Device" option on the Amazon website.<ref name="theverge" /> Both of these options require the e-reader to have an internet connection. | Customers will still be able to download e-books to their Kindles, but will either have to use the Kindle store on the device or the "Deliver or Remove from Device" option on the Amazon website.<ref name="theverge" /> Both of these options require the e-reader to have an internet connection. | ||
This isn't the first time Amazon has made changes affecting customers' access to their purchased e-books. For instance, Amazon previously removed books customers had purchased since the company that uploaded them didn't have the rights to the content.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Michael Kozlowski |date=14 Feb 2025 |title=Amazon is not to be trusted anymore with their Kindle e-reader |url=https://goodereader.com/blog/kindle/amazon-is-not-to-be-trusted-anymore-with-their-kindle-e-reader |url-status=live |archive-url=https:// | This isn't the first time Amazon has made changes affecting customers' access to their purchased e-books. For instance, Amazon previously removed books customers had purchased since the company that uploaded them didn't have the rights to the content.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Michael Kozlowski |date=14 Feb 2025 |title=Amazon is not to be trusted anymore with their Kindle e-reader |url=https://goodereader.com/blog/kindle/amazon-is-not-to-be-trusted-anymore-with-their-kindle-e-reader |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251224193712/https://goodereader.com/blog/kindle/amazon-is-not-to-be-trusted-anymore-with-their-kindle-e-reader |archive-date=24 Dec 2025|publisher=Good e-Reader |language=en |format=article}}</ref> | ||
==Customer response== | ==Customer response== | ||
This change has caused significant backlash from customers.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |author=CriminOlly |date=16 Feb 2025 |title=Amazon are changing the way you own your Kindle books - you have 10 days to react |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMoCzeGnIss |url-status=live |archive-url=https:// | This change has caused significant backlash from customers.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |author=CriminOlly |date=16 Feb 2025 |title=Amazon are changing the way you own your Kindle books - you have 10 days to react |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMoCzeGnIss |url-status=live |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=KMoCzeGnIss |archive-date=22 Feb 2026|publisher=YouTube |language=en |format=video}}</ref> This is due to the following reasons: | ||
*The change makes it much harder for customers to read e-books they have purchased on non-Kindle devices. | *The change makes it much harder for customers to read e-books they have purchased on non-Kindle devices. | ||
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==Technical USB restrictions== | ==Technical USB restrictions== | ||
In 2023, Amazon changed how their Kindle devices interact with computers from a raw view of a file system using UMS ([[wikipedia:USB_mass_storage_device_class|USB Mass Storage]]) to a filtered view using the MTP ({{Wplink|Media Transfer Protocol}}).<ref>{{Cite web |date=31 Aug 2023 |title=Kindle Scribe no longer connects as USB drive |url=https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4352640 |archive-url=https:// | In 2023, Amazon changed how their Kindle devices interact with computers from a raw view of a file system using UMS ([[wikipedia:USB_mass_storage_device_class|USB Mass Storage]]) to a filtered view using the MTP ({{Wplink|Media Transfer Protocol}}).<ref>{{Cite web |date=31 Aug 2023 |title=Kindle Scribe no longer connects as USB drive |url=https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4352640 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250708172726/https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?p=4352640 |archive-date=8 Jul 2025|publisher=MobileRead Forums |language=en |format=forum thread}}</ref> | ||
MTP requires support on the operating system. Amazon had to provide macOS software to communicate with Kindles,<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 Nov 2024 |title=Amazon releases MTP USB File Manager for macOS |url=https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=364580 |archive-url=https:// | MTP requires support on the operating system. Amazon had to provide macOS software to communicate with Kindles,<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 Nov 2024 |title=Amazon releases MTP USB File Manager for macOS |url=https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=364580 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250708172719/https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=364580 |archive-date=8 Jul 2025|publisher=MobileRead Forums |language=en |format=forum thread}}</ref> and even Windows users had some issues. This change made download and transfer more complex for newer devices. | ||
This change means that all files transferred to the device will have to pass through a software filter running on the device before being accepted. Currently, this filtering is ineffective as demonstrated by WinterBreak which uses the exposed HTML cache. Future software revisions can and will add restrictions, especially to "improve security." | This change means that all files transferred to the device will have to pass through a software filter running on the device before being accepted. Currently, this filtering is ineffective as demonstrated by WinterBreak which uses the exposed HTML cache. Future software revisions can and will add restrictions, especially to "improve security." | ||
Amazon has been pushing for content to go through Send-To-Kindle<ref>{{Cite web |title=Send to Kindle page |url=https://www.amazon.com/sendtokindle |url-status=live |archive-url=https:// | Amazon has been pushing for content to go through Send-To-Kindle<ref>{{Cite web |title=Send to Kindle page |url=https://www.amazon.com/sendtokindle |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260222132622/https://www.amazon.com/sendtokindle |archive-date=22 Feb 2026|publisher=Amazon}}</ref> instead of USB. This allows Amazon to restrict the usage of Kindle devices to display illicit content. | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||