Amazon is removing the option to download and transfer Kindle books via USB starting this Wednesday, February 26. As ArsTechnica reported, this change will close a feature that allows customers to download Kindle book files onto their computers and then transfer them to their Kindle devices using a USB connection.
Initially, this feature was meant to support older Kindle models that lacked Wi-Fi capability. Over time, it became useful for Kindle book owners who wanted to store copies of their purchased e-books. This not only led to the creation of a local library backup but also served to protect them in case of changes introduced to the content or the removal of books from Amazon’s store.
Another reason people do this is to convert Kindle files into a format compatible with other e-readers or devices, giving them more flexibility in how and where they read. However, this practice also involves bypassing digital rights management (DRM), which is a form of e-book piracy. This is part of the reason why Amazon has chosen to discontinue the download and transfer feature.
While this update won’t impact Kindle users who download books directly to their devices over Wi-Fi, it will affect those who rely on the “Download & transfer via USB” option to manage their e-book library. Anyone who needs to download their books to their PC should do so before the feature is disabled.
It’s important to note that books already downloaded to a computer can still be transferred to Kindle devices using USB. Additionally, third-party software such as Calibre and Amazon’s “Send to Kindle” service will still allow users to transfer EPUB files and other content to their Kindles.
The biggest impact will be felt by users who manage their e-books through third-party tools like Calibre or those who prefer to remove DRM to read their Kindle purchases on other devices. The “Download & transfer via USB” feature was particularly valuable for these users, as it provided files in the older AZW3 format, which is easier to strip of digital rights management (DRM) compared to the newer KFX format.