Amazon reinforced its boundaries and policies with Kindle, following the recent prohibition on downloading purchased books to a computer and manually transferring them to the e-reader via USB, which took effect on February 26.
Previously, this feature allowed users to read and access their Kindle books by converting the titles into formats compatible with non-Kindle e-readers. With the new policy in place, Kindle has fully transitioned to a cloud-based accessibility model; users can now only read and access their Kindle purchases through Amazon, and the books are no longer transferable.
Upon selecting the “Download & Transfer via USB” option on Kindle, users were notified: “Starting February 26, 2025, the ‘Download & Transfer via USB’ option will no longer be available. You can still send Kindle books to your Wi-Fi-enabled devices by selecting the ‘Deliver or Remove from Device’ option.”
Although cloud-based accessibility may seem more convenient, it has unfortunately stripped users of certain controls. The previous feature was a carryover from older Kindle models, which initially lacked Wi-Fi access. This was especially useful for readers without a Wi-Fi connection, as it allowed them to keep offline copies of their books.
Additionally, the transfer feature was the easiest way to convert books purchased from Amazon into other formats, such as Electronic Publication (ePUB), which can be used on alternative devices like mobile phones or other brands of e-reader tablets.
With the removal of the download and transfer feature, Amazon spokesperson Jackie Burke explained, “Customers can continue reading books previously downloaded on their Kindle devices and access new content through the Kindle app, Kindle for Web, and directly on Kindle devices with Wi-Fi capability.”
This recent move by Amazon highlights its effort to enforce stricter licensing agreements and further limit user control.
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