Amazon will soon stop allowing Kindle book downloads on your PC.
It's problematic if you prefer to keep backup copies of eBooks.
Starting February 26, 2025, Amazon will remove the option from its website that allows users to download purchased books directly to a computer and manually transfer them to a Kindle using a USB cable. Although many Kindle users may be unaware of this functionality due to the convenience of sending books via Wi-Fi, it is particularly valuable for backing up purchases or converting titles to other formats compatible with readers from other brands.
The absence of this option may be noticeable for some Kindle users, especially those without access to a Wi-Fi network. Although the process is somewhat tedious, as only one book can be downloaded at a time, the peace of mind that comes from having offline copies of purchased titles is a considerable benefit.
While it doesn't happen often, over the years, Amazon has removed some books from its online store and has occasionally deleted titles from Kindle devices remotely or edited works and uploaded new versions to e-readers. A significant example occurred in 2009, when copies of George Orwell's works, such as Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm, were withdrawn, claiming they had been published by mistake. More recently, several books by Roald Dahl, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, have been replaced with modified versions across different ebook platforms. This highlights that possessing digital content does not guarantee its permanence, and without the ability to back up ebooks, there is a risk of losing them entirely if they are banned or removed.
The download option is also the simplest way to convert purchased books from Amazon to other formats, such as EPUB, which are compatible with alternative devices like Kobo. Books downloaded from the Amazon site are delivered in the old AZW3 format, which allows for the removal of digital rights management (DRM) using various tools. Older Kindle models also store books in this format, which can be extracted by connecting the device to a computer via USB. However, modern Kindles use the KFX format, introduced in 2015, which features improved font rendering, advanced layout capabilities, and a DRM that is very difficult to bypass.
This functionality dates back to the time when Kindles were not equipped with Wi-Fi, allowing users without access to Amazon's Whispernet cellular network to implement their purchased books on their e-readers. This option can still be accessed on the Amazon site by entering the "Content Library" while logged into the account. For purchased books, select the “More Actions” menu, choose “Download and Transfer via USB,” select a registered Kindle device, and download a copy of the book to your computer.
Recently, upon selecting the download option, an additional notice appears stating: “Starting February 26, 2025, the ‘Download and Transfer via USB’ option will no longer be available. You will still be able to send Kindle books to your devices with Wi-Fi by selecting the 'Deliver or Remove from Device' option.” Once this feature is removed, users will still be able to manually copy ebook files and other documents to their Kindles via USB using Amazon’s applications or third-party solutions like Calibre, although they will no longer be able to download copies of their purchased books to a computer.
Attempts have been made to contact Amazon for comments on the reason behind the removal of this feature, but no immediate response has been received.
