If you’re an Amazon Kindle owner, there are a few features you should be using more of. Here are 10 of the most popular Kindle features:
- Kindle Reading: This is the feature that allows you to read books on your Kindle. You can either read them offline or on your computer.
- Kindle Keyboard and Mouse: These devices allow you to control your Kindle with a keyboard and mouse.
- Amazon Prime Reading: This feature allows you to read books from Amazon’s library without having to wait for them to be released in paperback or e-book form.
- Audible: Audible is a service that allows you to listen to books while driving or working on the computer.
- E-reader Compatibility Checker: This tool helps you determine if your e-reader is compatible with the new Amazon Kindle models (2nd and 3rd Generation).6. New York Times Bestselling Books: If you’re looking for new books to read, check out the New York Times Bestselling Books feature on the Amazon website.7. Add To Cart Button: This button allows you to add items from your shopping cart directly into your reading list on the Kindle device itself8. “To Read” Button: If you want to start reading a book but don’t have any other devices connected, this button will take you straight into the book’s page without having to connect anything else first9. “Previous Page” Button: If there are multiple pages in a book that have already been read, this button will take you back one page at a time10." Forward Page" Button: If there are multiple pages in a book that have not yet been read, this button will take you forward one page at a time
Customize Text
Let’s start with something everyone really needs to know about. One of the advantages of using an eReader over a physical book is you can customize the size and look of the text. It’s a simple feature, but can make a world of difference. Open a book and tap anywhere near the top of the screen to bring up the menu, then tap the “Aa” icon to see the text options.
Switch to Dark Mode
Dark Mode everything. If that’s your mantra, you’ll be happy to know Kindle eReaders have dark mode, too. It’s super easy to toggle on and off. Just swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the “Dark Mode” icon.
Hide Audiobooks from Your Library
Modern Kindle eReaders can download and play audiobooks as well as ebooks. However, if you don’t want your Kindle to be your audiobook listening device, they can be annoying on the home screen.
Thankfully, it’s possible to hide audiobooks from your library. That way you’ll only see ebooks on the home screen. The option can be found in the “Home & Library” section of the “Device Options” settings.
RELATED: How to Hide Audible Audiobooks on Your Kindle
Organize Books Into Collections
If you have a ton of books, it can be a challenge to keep them all organized on the Kindle home screen. You can organize them into “Collections,” which is sort of like having folders for your books.
First, tap the three-dot menu in the top right of the home screen and select “Create Collections.” You’ll be asked to enter a name for the collection, then select all the books you want to add to it. The collection will be in the “Library” tab.
Read in Landscape Mode
The default orientation for Kindle eReaders is vertical “Portrait Mode.” This matches the orientation of most physical books, so it makes sense. However, you can switch to horizontal “Landscape Mode” as well. You can swap the orientation by going to the “Layout” tab in the text options while reading a book.
RELATED: How to Read Books in Landscape Mode on Your Kindle
Turn Off Popular Highlights
Kindle’s “Popular Highlights” feature underlines text in ebooks when more than ten people have highlighted the passage. It sounds like a cool idea, but it can get annoying. The good news is you can turn it off.
RELATED: How to Turn Off Popular Highlights on Your Kindle
Add a Passcode
You might not think of your Kindle as a device containing a lot of personal information—like a smartphone—but you might still want a little privacy. The passcode feature is an easy way to add a layer of security between the outside world and your library.
RELATED: How to Add a Password to Your Kindle
Transfer EPUB Books
RELATED: How to Transfer EPUB to Kindle
Borrow Books from Your Library for Free
This might be the best feature of Kindle devices. You can get free eBooks from your local library right on your Kindle, and all you need is a library card. This works with a service called “OverDrive.”
Since it’s a library, there are typical library limitations. There isn’t an infinite number of ebooks to rent, so you may have to wait your turn. Also, you will have to “return” the book after a certain amount of time.
RELATED: How to Borrow eBooks from a Library on a Kindle for Free
Free Up Storage Space
Kindles have enough storage space for hundreds or thousands of ebooks, but you may still run into storage issues—especially if you download a lot of audiobooks, which take up more space.
Kindle devices have a couple handy ways to easily clear out some extra room. There’s a manual option and a “Quick Archive” feature, which will automatically remove items that have been downloaded from the cloud and not opened yet.
RELATED: How to Free Up Space on Your Kindle
That’s the beauty of Kindle eReaders. They offer a simple experience that doesn’t require much tweaking, but if you’re a power user, there are some extra niceties to make the device go even further.
