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PSA: Amazon is discontinuing Kindle book downloads (for side-loading) starting Feb 26th

457 121 February 16, 2025 at 06:53 PM in Books & Magazines (4)
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Last Edited by soulmist February 17, 2025 at 08:30 PM
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Any books you have purchased will be unable to be downloaded for backup or archive purposes.

If you haven't yet: Go to your Amazon digital content and Select: More actions > 'Download & Transfer via USB' for all digital purchases you've made.

This will allow you to have access to your files in the situation where Amazon decides to arbitrarily revoke your 'privileges' to access the purchases you've legitimately made.
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c2nah777
02-17-2025 at 06:15 AM.

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank c2nah777

02-17-2025 at 06:15 AM.
Quote from soulmist :
Any books you have purchased will be unable to be downloaded for backup or archive purposes.

If you haven't yet: Go to your Amazon digital downloads and Select: More actions > 'Download & Transfer via USB' for all digital purchases you've made.

This will allow you to have access to your files in the situation where Amazon decides to arbitrarily revoke your 'privileges' to access the purchases you've legitimately made.
There is no such link/category as "Amazon digital downloads". Here is the way I got there...
Digital Library>Digital Content>Books>All Then select all>More Actions>Download & Transfer via USB.

Here is the link:https://www.amazon.com/hz/mycd/di...l/dateDsc/
Maybe add it to the OP. Hope it helps.
Repped for the PSA!

Edit: Looks like they only allow downloading to an Amazon device. All these books won't fit on mine. Any way to download to a PC? Such as installing kindle for PC?

Update: Putting the Kindle for PC on my computer did not add the device to my list of where I could download the kindle books to. Argh.
I do have the option now to "Deliver" it to that device though. Is that the same result as transfer via USB? Will it put the actual file on the PC for saving in case they remove access via the Kindle? I am experimenting with that and it asked "Do you want to make changes?". So maybe this would remove access from our e-reader and only allow access on the PC? I hope someone can chime in to help.

Update: Solved...
What I did not realize is when you select a device from the list to click download, it then comes to your PC, not to that device. Amazon needs to learn better phrasing as I was not thinking it would in essence be pulling it from that device's digital library to my PC.
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Last edited by c2nah777 February 18, 2025 at 05:53 AM.
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mrmochi
02-17-2025 at 03:46 PM.
02-17-2025 at 03:46 PM.
Quote from c2nah777 :
There is no such link/category as "Amazon digital downloads". Here is the way I got there...
Digital Library>Digital Content>Books>All Then select all>More Actions>Download & Transfer via USB.

Here is the link:https://www.amazon.com/hz/mycd/di...l/dateDsc/ [amazon.com]
Maybe add it to the OP. Hope it helps.
Repped for the PSA!

Edit: Looks like they only allow downloading to an Amazon device. All these books won't fit on mine. Any way to download to a PC? Such as installing kindle for PC?

Update: Putting the Kindle for PC on my computer did not add the device to my list of where I could download the kindle books to. Argh.
I do have the option now to "Deliver" it to that device though. Is that the same result as transfer via USB? Will it put the actual file on the PC for saving in case they remove access via the Kindle? I am experimenting with that and it asked "Do you want to make changes?". So maybe this would remove access from our e-reader and only allow access on the PC? I hope someone can chime in to help.
The best thing to do is download all the books you legally own from non-Amazon sources in MOBI format and just transfer them via USB cable.

This is why all my kindles are on airplane mode + transferred via USB cable. A dick (but smart!) move on Amazon's part.
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391412
02-17-2025 at 04:11 PM.
02-17-2025 at 04:11 PM.
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. Learn more about managing downloads

https://www.amazon.com/hz/mycd/di...l/dateDsc/

To some this may not be a big deal. I have 280 books in the library and digital assets can disappear - In one thread they discussed some revisions are bad.. I have had problems in the late 20teens with VUDU in the early formation of Movie library where titles you paid for would disappear.. There response had been prove it and then when you did they might replace the lost content... very frustrating but thats history.

Here with Amazon it could be very much the same thing. This market has/had been their market honeypot but they have made bad bets with Amazon Fresh, Blue Origin.... With 3rd party players for both kindle and Audible, competition may be growing - Good news for consumers!! ...So, backing up your Amazon content is just precautionary but a smart move if something happens unfavorably
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Last edited by 391412 February 17, 2025 at 04:16 PM.
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aagstn
02-17-2025 at 07:05 PM.
02-17-2025 at 07:05 PM.
I figured this would happen eventually. All of my Kindle purchases over the years already have the DRM removed but this will keep me from making any future purchases from Amazon. If I can't own the book I will just check them out from the library.
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jjmai
02-17-2025 at 07:10 PM.
02-17-2025 at 07:10 PM.
Are they going to stop MP3 downloads of purchased music some day too?
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soulmist
02-17-2025 at 07:34 PM.
02-17-2025 at 07:34 PM.
Quote from jjmai :
Are they going to stop MP3 downloads of purchased music some day too?
Yes they are moving in that direction. I found that several MP3 albums I owned disappeared and asked me to repurchase them. I contacted Amazon and they literally just paid me the cost of the album because they couldn't be bothered to explain why that would be happening.
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soulmist
02-17-2025 at 07:36 PM.
02-17-2025 at 07:36 PM.
Quote from c2nah777 :
There is no such link/category as "Amazon digital downloads". Here is the way I got there...
Digital Library>Digital Content>Books>All Then select all>More Actions>Download & Transfer via USB.

Here is the link:https://www.amazon.com/hz/mycd/di...l/dateDsc/ [amazon.com]
Maybe add it to the OP. Hope it helps.
Repped for the PSA!

Edit: Looks like they only allow downloading to an Amazon device. All these books won't fit on mine. Any way to download to a PC? Such as installing kindle for PC?

Update: Putting the Kindle for PC on my computer did not add the device to my list of where I could download the kindle books to. Argh.
I do have the option now to "Deliver" it to that device though. Is that the same result as transfer via USB? Will it put the actual file on the PC for saving in case they remove access via the Kindle? I am experimenting with that and it asked "Do you want to make changes?". So maybe this would remove access from our e-reader and only allow access on the PC? I hope someone can chime in to help.
See this video for more information:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMoCzeGnIss

You do have to have a device that can get books via usb (like an older kindle) in order to download the books. That might explain why you are not seeing the option via the digital purchases section of your account.
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AlwaysWrite
02-17-2025 at 07:42 PM.
02-17-2025 at 07:42 PM.
I'm an author... and this crap is still infuriating, and I fully understand why people turn to piracy to not have to worry about losing access to stuff they already paid for.
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ponagathos
02-17-2025 at 08:25 PM.
02-17-2025 at 08:25 PM.
Quote from soulmist :
Yes they are moving in that direction. I found that several MP3 albums I owned disappeared and asked me to repurchase them. I contacted Amazon and they literally just paid me the cost of the album because they couldn't be bothered to explain why that would be happening.
Yes, I think I'm about done with them. I got a 2 TB iPad, partly so I can put all my media on it, and I can't even get the Kindle app to load.
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CyanPenguin266
02-17-2025 at 08:58 PM.
02-17-2025 at 08:58 PM.
What is side-loading? Can someone explain for the less tech-literate? Does this mean I won't be able to port my kindle purchases to another platform unless I download them now? TIA!
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totalx90
02-17-2025 at 10:15 PM.
02-17-2025 at 10:15 PM.
Trash
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b-t-1
02-17-2025 at 11:42 PM.
02-17-2025 at 11:42 PM.
Z.
Library.
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gonepostl
02-18-2025 at 12:29 AM.

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank gonepostl

02-18-2025 at 12:29 AM.
Remember, if purchasing isn't owning. Then piracy isn't theft!!
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atroson
02-18-2025 at 02:24 AM.
02-18-2025 at 02:24 AM.
And the enshittification continues...
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