According to some user reports that received a new update for Kindle for PC (version 2.9.1), Amazon is going to be discontinuing the current Kindle for PC app on June 30th, but they’re releasing a “new and improved” Kindle app for Windows 11 later this month that’ll be available from the Microsoft Store so you’ll still be able to access your Kindle library from Windows computers.
For the majority of users this will be a minor inconvenience of having to install a different app and setting it up, but if you use Kindle for PC for DRM removal purposes to create backups of your purchased Kindle books, then you’re probably going to be disappointed by this news.
At this point it’s unclear if the “legacy” Kindle for PC app will continue to work in some capacity after June 30th, or if downloads will be disabled. Amazon just says it will “no longer be available after June 30, 2026”. I would expect it to stop downloading ebooks after that date. Amazon did a similar thing back in 2023 when they dropped the old Kindle for Mac app in favor of a new version that’s only available through Apple’s App Store.
If you still have any Kindle ebooks that aren’t backed up, now is the time to do so before they shutdown the Kindle for PC app. The new version will most likely come with some security enhancements to close off current DRM removal methods.
This is yet another sign that Amazon is doing everything they can to lockdown the Kindle platform as much as possible; soon it will be nearly impossible to get Kindle ebooks away from Amazon’s apps and devices, especially now that they’re dropping support for older Kindles in May. But those that fight against DRM are a smart and resilient lot. It’ll be interesting to see where things go from here.
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