Incoming Kindle Updates Make Navigation Easier On Some Models

Amazon today announced a new pair of updates for a collection of recent Kindle devices. While these updates don't come with any massive new features, they will come with some smaller ones that should hopefully make reading on a Kindle more intuitive. Unfortunately, it seems that only a subset of users will be getting these updates, as they're limited to more recent Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite devices along with the Kindle Oasis.

These new features will roll out in a couple of different phases. The first will be arriving in a few weeks, and it will give the Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, and Kindle Oasis a new swipe-down menu not entirely like what we would see on a smartphone. Users will have a few options with this drop-down menu, as they can use it to turn Bluetooth and Airplane Mode on and off. There will also be a sync button, a shortcut to the full settings menu, and a brightness slider in that menu too.

In the same update, we'll also see the addition of a new bottom navigation bar. This one is more limited than the swipe-down menu from the top, but it will still let you switch between the Home menu, your Library, and the book you're currently reading, which are handy shortcuts to have quickly accessible.

Then, later this year, we'll see another update that will change the way the Library and Home menus work. In Library, you'll have a new filter option, a "collections" view, and a revamped "interactive" scroll bar. You'll also be able to access up to 20 books by swiping left from the Home screen.

We don't have a precise release date for either of these updates yet, but we know they'll only be available on 8th-gen Kindles or later, 7th-gen Kindle Paperwhites or later, and Kindle Oasis. So if you have a device that's older than any of those models, you'll unfortunately have to sit this round of updates out. We'll let you know when these updates start rolling out, so stay tuned for more.