Amazon is Ending Feature That Lets Kindle Users Transfer Books From Computers—What Readers Need to Know
Beginning February 26, you will only be able to transfer books to your Kindle while connected to Wi-Fi
If you regularly download Amazon Kindle books to your computer and transfer them via USB, you’ll need to act fast. This feature will be discontinued on February 26. After this date, Amazon will remove the ability to transfer books using a USB connection. Here’s what this change means for your Kindle experience and how to prepare.
Why is Amazon removing USB transfers for Kindle books?
Amazon currently allows customers to download a book they bought, connect a computer to a Kindle with a USB cable and then copy the book file over to the Kindle as a document.
The internet retailer has confirmed that starting February 26, the “Download & Transfer via USB” feature for Amazon Kindle books will no longer be available. As reported by The Verge, users now receive a notification during the download process informing them of this upcoming change.
“Customers can continue reading books previously downloaded on their Kindle device, and access new content through the Kindle app, Kindle for web, as well as directly through Kindle devices with WiFi capability,” said Amazon spokesperson Jackie Burke.
What does this change mean for Kindle users?
The removal of USB transfers affects users who back up their Amazon Kindle books or convert files for use on non-Kindle e-readers. Without this feature, transferring books when offline—especially for those without consistent Wi-Fi access—will become more challenging. Users will need to rely on Wi-Fi or other methods to download their purchased content.
Why Kindle users are concerned about the change
One major concern, as Good e-Reader points out, is Amazon’s history of remotely deleting or modifying Kindle books. In 2009, Amazon infamously removed George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm from users’ devices. More recently, updated versions of Roald Dahl’s books, like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, replaced older editions on various ebook platforms. Without USB transfers, readers lose an easy way to back up their purchases independently.
The feature is also the simplest way to move books bought from Amazon to other formats like EPUB that can be used on different devices such as a Kobo, explains The Verge.
How to transfer Amazon Kindle books without USB
Even without USB transfers, you can still send Amazon Kindle books to Wi-Fi-enabled devices by using the “Deliver or Remove from Device” feature. You can also manually copy ebook files and other documents to Kindle over USB using Amazon’s apps or third-party solutions like Calibre.
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