Kindle: Amazon stops direct downloads for USB transfer of e-books

Amazon is switching off the option of downloading e-books from the Kindle library management directly to the PC. The feature called "Download/transfer via USB" will be switched off on February 26, Amazon currently writes in an email to customers. No reason for the move is given in the email.

Reddit users had previously become aware of the upcoming change. The soon-to-be-deleted function can currently still be accessed via the library management in the browser by clicking on "More actions". If you select "Download/transfer via USB", the browser downloads the e-book directly – in AZW3 format in a sample from heise online.

This download function is intended for transferring the downloaded e-books to a connected Kindle device via USB. In principle, the downloaded e-book is not suitable for opening with independent readers or programs due to Amazon's built-in DRM.

There is also a second option for downloading e-books from Kindle to the PC: E-books can still be saved locally via the official Kindle app for the computer. By default, they are stored in the Documents folder under "My Kindle Content". However, these e-books are stored on the data carrier in a different format to the one available via the "Download/transfer via USB" function. It is conceivable that they differ in terms of their exact DRM implementation. In principle, however, both formats are secured with copy protection.

Nothing will change for most users

The imminent shutdown of direct download should not affect most Kindle users. It will still be possible to download e-books from the library to the reader, mobile device or PC at any time. Only Kindle readers without Wi-Fi may experience problems if the e-books can no longer be downloaded to the PC and transferred from there via USB cable. However, this only affects very old or defective devices – From the third generation onwards, all Amazon e-readers are equipped with Wi-Fi.

Users who regularly create local backups of their e-books could also be annoyed. However, the use of these local backups has always been severely limited in the Kindle ecosystem due to Amazon's DRM. The downloaded files can only be read in the Kindle app with a registered account – and in this case you can also simply download the e-books directly in the app.

(dahe)