Last week I posted about the new spacing settings that were added to Kindles after the latest software update, and it looks like there were some other changes hidden in the software update as well.
I’ve been seeing a bunch of posts online about a new layout change that appears while reading when you open the on-screen menu. Instead of the menu bars overlapping the page like before, it now shrinks the page view to show the full page, with small sections of the previous and next page also visible in the window. And the bottom navigation bar has been redesigned and now shows less information.
This is very similar to what page view looks like on the Kindle apps for iOS and Android. Apparently Amazon is trying to make Kindles look more like Kindle apps now.
However, on Kindle apps the bottom bar shows what page you’re on and the overall number of pages, with a chapter indicator and percentage read. On Kindles it’s like they were in a rush to get it done so they only included the chapter number and title; it doesn’t show page numbers or percentage read like Kindle apps do on the same window.
I updated my 12th gen Kindle Paperwhite to the latest 5.18.3 software on June 12th after it first came out, and it still doesn’t show this new page view. I noticed the new spacing setting after a couple days, but it’s weird how this other change still hasn’t appeared yet. Some people still haven’t gotten the new spacing options either so it looks like Amazon is doing a slow rollout of these new features.
I did notice one other minor change on my Paperwhite after the update. They changed the sorting icon on the library view, and they got rid of the family sharing icon that used to be next to it, but all the sorting options remain the same. Some of the changes with these updates are so frivolous you have to wonder why they even bother messing with this stuff at all.
On a side note, the image above came from this post on the Amazon Digital and Device Forum. It’s amazing how inept Amazon Staff members are over there. Every time someone posts a problem they just copy and paste a generic response. This time the Amazon Staff member said to reboot the Kindle and ensure the software is updated. If they would’ve taken 20 seconds to read the post and look at the picture it would’ve been obvious this was an intended change from the latest software update, but Amazon Staff members are completely clueless, just like Amazon’s customer support.
As someone who has left their Scribe on airplane since day one, I have noticed that page layout and font look better since I updated to the latest version…although I couldn’t tell why.
I HATE this change – I liked to be able to see the book length (location) by swiping up, and to be able to move easily through my highlights. Why do they persist in ‘fixing’ things that aren’t broke?
It also added text to speech like in the Kindle apps. Called Assistive reading. Which is different than voice commands.
Really? I still don’t have the new page view or that.
I still don’t have the new spacing but having the text to speech is great for me.
Started showing up today. I can still get the loc/pages at the bottom but now not the important total #s, thank you so much Amazon. At least that info I can sometimes get on my app. I mentioned this change to someone at Amazon and they recommended I factory reset- I hadn’t read your article yet, so I did. Didn’t help of course.
Uhg. Amazon keeps making changes that I do not like. I’m now thinking of not connecting to WiFi to download a book on my Oasis’s and Paperwhites that have the new UI because I don’t want the latest updates. I already have Oasis’s and Paperwhites with the old UI that I don’t connect to the internet so they won’t update. I really hate Amazon’s changes.
Both of my arms are broken and turning the page on my kindle is challenging. Imagine my frustration when I turn the page an 3 pages appear in front of me. I try to center on the correct one and sometimes more pages appear and I try to get it under control to read again. I need this feature to turn off! Suggestions?
And yes, I tried 3 different page turners but none work with my late version of Kindle
The page tuners have to be the clip-on type to work with Kindles since Amazon hasn’t added the option to connect Bluetooth controllers. As for the new layout, I don’t see how turning pages would be different, but then again none of my Kindles have gotten the new layout yet. Have you tried swiping instead of tapping? Or vice versa? Kindles support both options for turning pages, but swiping is less likely to activate the menu.