Amazon released a new software update for Kindle ereaders earlier this month, but they didn’t include any release notes with the update so most people just assumed it was a minor update to fix some bugs or provide a security patch.
But it turns out they did add at least one new signifigant feature in the update that’s worth mentioning: collections view now supports list mode.
Thankfully someone left a comment pointing that out. I’m not organized enough to use collections so it’s something I probably would’ve never noticed.
Previously, before the update, collections only supported cover view, or grid view as Amazon calls it. The library could be layed out in either cover view or list view, but for some reason collections only supported cover view. Until now.
I don’t know why Amazon’s Kindle software developers can’t just mention these kind of changes in the release notes. That’s what release notes are for. Most other companies don’t keep their customers in the dark about software changes. They didn’t even bother with the usual “performance improvements, bug fixes, and other general enhancements” note with this update; they just left the chanelog blank this time.
This is the first noteworthy new feature that Amazon has added to Kindles other than the Kindle Scribe since last September when they added support for cover images for EPUBs sent to Kindles. They didn’t bother mentioning that in the release notes either.
I know some people really disliked being forced to use cover view with collections so this should make some folks happy. I don’t think Amazon is ever going to bring back the old list view without cover images, but at least they’re slowly making some improvements to the collections system on Kindles.
However, one thing that’s weird is the Kindle Scribe still doesn’t have the option to show collections in list view, even with the latest update that was released at the same time as the update for other Kindles. Hopefully it’ll get that option soon as well.
If you happen to stumble across any other new features since the last update let us know in the comments.
Wouldn’t have noticed this change without being told.
I have too many books to not use collections. Used the workaround for list view w collections and forgot all about it.
Nice to have the official option that does not require any workarounds.
What took them so long, I wonder?
Amazon often does not switch on new features right away, and only a small batch will see them at first. Sometimes a Restart will trigger it, but I’ve done that and am not seeing any changes on any of my several Kindles, all on the latest software.
I just got the update, but I’m not getting the option to get list in Collections view. I have a 2nd-gen Oasis.
My Kindle Paperwhite 10 has the latest update (5.16.2.1.1) but does not allow me to view Collections as a list. I’m going to guess it’s for 11th gen and up. I have synced, restarted, and synced again, no joy.
Alas.
Like Tom said, it seems to be one of those features that trickles out slowly. It’ll probably show up eventually.
I have it in my basic 10th gen.
I see the List View on my 10th generation Paperwhite with the update. I wish we could have a list view without any covers showing. Just text. (Didn’t we have that option before? Just a list, no covers at all?)
Yeah, that was an option on the older interface. Now it’s only available on the early models (Voyage and older).
Does this fix the issue of books being removed from Collections? Some titles keep removing themselves from a personal collection to the Uncollected group. It doesn’t matter what collection I move them to, although I would like to keep them in a specific collection, they always move back to Uncollected, whether I’ve read them recently or not. It’s only certain titles, and I don’t know why they keep moving but others stay still.
I have a Kindle Paper-white Generation 11, the 6.8″ from 2021 that is still on the 5.15.1 update.
I don’t know if that issue has been fixed or not since I don’t normally use collections.
You might try using the Manage Content & Devices page on amazon to manage collections.
And of course when changing membership for a book you need to tap Save and not the close button.
I have not seen reports like yours, nor have I had any issue myself, but I don’t use them much.
Last time I checked Kindles had a cap on number of books you can show in a collection. It was something like 1000. And long before that performance when making changes degrades. So again do it using one of the Kindle apps or the Manage Content & Devices web page for your account.