• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Blog
  • Kindle
  • Onyx Boox
  • Kobo
  • Comparisons
  • Contact
  • About
  • Disclosure
The eBook Reader

The eBook Reader

The eBook Reader Blog

  • News
  • eBook Readers
  • Sales & Deals
  • Reviews
  • How To Guides
  • eBooks
  • Free eBooks

Kindle Software Update 5.18.4 Adds New Accessibility Features

July 30, 2025 by Nathan Groezinger 5 Comments

Kindle Colorsoft Update 5.18.4

Amazon has released another software update for all 11th and 12th gen Kindles, along with the Kindle Colorsoft and Kindle Scribe. It’s a fairly significant update that adds some new accessibility features, including text-to-speech.

Amazon hasn’t updated the release notes yet, but I installed the new 5.18.4 update on my 12th gen Paperwhite and noticed a few differences right away. Some people got these new features with the last 5.18.3 update, but they didn’t show up on my Kindle until installing the 5.18.4 update.

The biggest change, Amazon added a new Assistive Reader feature to read ebooks aloud without having to use gestures to navigate the Kindle like when using VoiceView. It also underlines the text while reading.

You can find the new Assistive Reader function by opening the Aa menu while reading, then select the “More” tab, and it’s right there at the top. After you turn it on, you have to hit the play button at the bottom right corner of the on-screen menu. According to Amazon, the Assistive Reader supports books in English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian.

Amazon also added the ability to increase the text size across the user interface outside of ebooks. Unfortunately they only added one size setting, and it’s comically large, but if you have really bad eyesight it’ll be helpful.

You can find the new large text size setting by opening the main settings menu on your Kindle, then go to Accessibility > Display & text size. The option is also located under the Screen and brightness settings.

Another change that I noticed right away, and this doesn’t have anything to do with accessibility, but Amazon changed the page view when opening the menu while reading. It now shrinks the page to fit in the window instead of overlapping the menus over the page. Basically it’s how Kindle apps work.

Some people got the new page view with the last update, and most seem to hate it. It really doesn’t change much, but it is slower. It takes the menu about a half-second longer to appear now (I compared it to my 12th gen SE with 5.18.3).

So far the 5.18.4 update isn’t available for 10th gen Kindles, even though they’re still in the window of receiving software updates from Amazon. They didn’t get the last update either. The Oasis is still stuck on 5.18.2 and other 10th gen Kindles are still on 5.18.1.

You can download the new 5.18.4 software update from the Kindle Software Updates page at Amazon, or you can just wait for the update to automatically download and install on its own (usually while your Kindle is charging). You can’t trigger the update from the settings menu on Kindles like most people seem to think; that software update link only works when the update is already downloaded but hasn’t installed yet.

Filed Under: Amazon Kindle, News Tagged With: firmware update

Disclosure: This website earns commissions using affiliate links through Skimlinks and Amazon's Associates program.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rod says

    July 30, 2025 at 9:28 am

    They really need to focus on fixed the voice reader in the 10th gen devices. On my basic it crashes every time I try to use it, Along with sounding terrible and repeating and jumping pages. I really like my basic 10th gen and take it with me when I leave the house. I used to use it a lot when going for walks or going to the gym, but now it is limited on how I can use it.

    Reply
    • Rod says

      July 30, 2025 at 4:59 pm

      I just tried the reading assistant and voiceview. I like the new interface of the interactive reading, but the voice still sounds horrible. Truly unusable. So, sadly I won’t be able to take advantage of this feature nor be able to recommend it to others until they fix the voice.

      Reply
  2. Charles says

    July 30, 2025 at 10:11 am

    I had the reading assistant in the previous update for my PWSE 2024 and I still don’t have the custom spacing even with the new update. What is going on?

    Reply
  3. David0226 says

    July 30, 2025 at 11:25 am

    It seems the new features only work on KFX books. They don’t work on any of the public domain books I have on my 11th gen. Paperwhite in AZW3 format ( converted by Calibre ).

    Reply
  4. Emmanuel McDonald says

    July 30, 2025 at 11:43 am

    I just installed the new 5.18.4 update on my Kindle Colorsoft, and the update removed my book covers for all of my downloaded eBooks. I have to remove download and redownload each eBook to show book covers again. Is this a known issue?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Kindle Colorsoft Update 5.18.4

Kindle Software Update 5.18.4 Adds New Accessibility Features

Kobo eReaders Screen Reader

Kobo eReaders Getting New Optional Screen Reader Feature

Color E Ink vs BW E Ink Kindle

Will All eReaders Have Color E Ink Screens in 5 Years?

Kobo Library Borrowing

Kobo eReaders No Longer Support Multiple Library Cards

New 16GB Kindle Colorsoft

New Kindle Colorsoft Variant Released, Plus Colorsoft Kids Bundle

Navigation Menu

  • Homepage
  • The eBook Reader Blog
  • Comparison Tables
  • Kindle Comparisons
  • Best eBook Readers
  • Reviews
  • How To Guides

Follow

Site Search

Copyright © 2025 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress