Amazon’s Controversial Kindle Change: How to Download Your Ebooks Before Time Runs Out

Amazon is making a significant change that affects Kindle users. Starting February 26, 2025, you will no longer be able to download Kindle books to your computer using the “download and transfer via USB” option. This change impacts people who prefer to keep their Kindle on airplane mode or want to convert their ebooks to other formats.

Here’s a simple guide to download your Kindle books while you still can:

How to Download Kindle Books Before Deadline

Step 1: Log Into Your Amazon Account

1. Go to the Amazon website
2. Sign in with your account credentials
3. Look for the “Account & Lists” tab in the top navigation menu
4. Click on “Content Library” from the dropdown menu

Step 2: Access Your Kindle Library

1. In the Content Library page, select “Books”

2. This will display all your purchased Kindle books and any active loans from services like Kindle Unlimited or Libby

3. Note that you can only download books you’ve purchased or that are currently active loans

Step 3: Download Books Individually

Amazon doesn’t offer a bulk download option, so you’ll need to download each book separately:

1. Find the book you want to download

2. Click the “More Actions” button next to the book

3. Select “Download & transfer via USB” from the dropdown menu

4. A popup window will appear asking you to select a device

5. Choose your Kindle device from the list

6. Click the “Download” button

7. The book file (in .AZW3 format) will download to your computer

Step 4: Transfer to Your Kindle (Optional)

1. Connect your Kindle to your computer using a USB cable
2. Your computer will recognize the Kindle as an external drive
3. Copy the downloaded .AZW3 files to your Kindle
4. Safely eject your Kindle before disconnecting

Converting Kindle Books (Advanced)

If you want to convert your Kindle books to other formats like PDF, you’ll need to deal with Amazon’s DRM (Digital Rights Management) encryption:

1. The most popular tool for conversion is Calibre
2. Calibre alone cannot remove DRM, so you’ll need to install a plugin
3. Be cautious when downloading plugins as they aren’t native to conversion software
4. For detailed instructions on removing DRM and converting files, search for guides on Reddit

Remember, this “download and transfer via USB” option will disappear after February 26, 2025, so it’s a good idea to download your important Kindle books now if you want to have local copies on your computer.