The Kindle has change into the default e-reader for a lot of bookworms, and I get it. I’ve used Kindles for properly over a decade, and I’ve loved utilizing my newest Paperwhite fairly a bit. It helped me learn greater than 30 books final 12 months, so I am not complaining.
The essential Kindle setup is okay, however for those who be taught your means across the system’s gestures, hidden options, and extra companies, you possibly can actually get quite a bit out of this unassuming studying system.
Kindle Gestures that you just actually ought to know
There’s just one button on the Kindle. Every thing else occurs utilizing contact. And like each touchscreen system, there are numerous gestures it’s essential to know to make use of the system. The obvious ones are for the web page turns. You possibly can swipe or faucet proper to go to the following web page and swipe or faucet left for the earlier one. If in case you have a Paperwhite Signature Edition, you may also double faucet on the again or sides of the system to maneuver to the following web page.
Faucet on the highest of the Kindle to carry up the toolbar, the place you possibly can return to the Residence display, change the settings, view the desk of contents, and extra.
If you happen to faucet the underside left nook, you possibly can cycle between completely different stats like studying progress, web page quantity, time left in chapter, and extra. Oh, and if you wish to rapidly change the font dimension, simply pinch in or out to zoom in on the textual content (such as you would zoom into photographs in your telephone).
Need to take a screenshot of what’s in your Kindle display? Faucet any two reverse corners of the display collectively (top-right and bottom-left or top-left and bottom-right). The display will flash for a second, and the picture might be saved as a PNG within the root listing. Join your Kindle to your Mac or PC to retrieve the picture file.
Simply navigate between chapters
Credit score: Khamosh Pathak
The Kindle isn’t the best system to navigate, particularly if you’re studying a ebook the place it’s essential to soar between completely different chapters. Right here, once more, a hidden gesture might help. Swipe up from the underside of the display to carry up a brand new Web page Flip mode. You’ll see a slider on the backside, which you should utilize to maneuver ahead and again. There are buttons to leap to the following chapter as properly (I take advantage of this on a regular basis).
Swap to darkish mode and schedule heat mild
Credit score: Khamosh Pathak
If you happen to love studying in mattress, you’ll need to allow darkish mode. Pull down from the highest edge to carry up the fast settings panel. Right here, faucet the Darkish Mode button to rapidly invert the colours. You’ll now learn white textual content on a black background. When you’re right here, additionally try the Heat Gentle settings (when you’ve got a Kindle Paperwhite, Oasis, or Scribe). Use the slider to extend the heat of the display, making it extra amber-toned.
Credit score: Khamosh Pathak
That is particularly helpful for studying within the evenings or at evening, however I prefer it a lot I preserve it enabled always. It’s also possible to set your coloration temperature to vary on a schedule, in order that the show slowly warms up within the night hours. Do that underneath Settings > Gadget Choices > Show Settings > Schedule.
Lock your Kindle
Credit score: Khamosh Pathak
Not everybody must know what’s in your Kindle, proper? If you happen to learn quite a bit in class, or public areas, you possibly can lock down your Kindle utilizing an optionally available setting. Go to Settings > Gadget Choices > Safety and Privateness > Gadget PIN. You possibly can then set a numeric unlock code as much as 12 digits lengthy, but it surely is likely to be simpler to stay to a 4 or six-digit code.
Ship paperwork and books to Kindle wirelessly
Credit score: Khamosh Pathak
Studying in your Kindle doesn’t must be restricted to books you purchase from the Kindle retailer. In reality, you possibly can ship any PDF or DRM-free e-book to your Kindle, and wirelessly. I have previously outlined multiple methods for doing this, starting from utilizing an e-mail deal with, to utilizing the Kindle app. However the one I preserve coming again to is Amazon’s personal Ship to Kindle web site. Open it on any browser, sign up together with your account, drag and drop a doc in a supported format (.DOC, .DOCX, .HTML, .TXT, .PDF and .EPUB), and ship it off. When you sync your Kindle utilizing Wi-Fi, these paperwork might be out there to learn on it, similar to that.
Present your ebook covers as screensavers
Credit score: Amazon
Each time I arrange a brand new Kindle, I’m stunned that this can be a function that I nonetheless have to allow manually. By default, Kindles exhibits a few photographs as screensavers when turned off. That is due to the e-ink show, which lets them present a static picture with out utilizing energy. These default screensavers, although, are boring. You can also make this function rather more fascinating (and helpful) by displaying the quilt of the ebook you have been final studying because the screensaver as an alternative. Go to Settings > Gadget Choices and allow the Show Cowl function.
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Learn lengthy articles on Kindle
Credit score: Khamosh Pathak
Kindle’s built-in browser is fairly barebones and laggy, however you possibly can nonetheless learn lengthy articles on it. For a smoother expertise, although, you possibly can wirelessly ship articles to your Kindle, the place they’ll present up in type of books, devoid of adverts, formatting, and pictures.
The only means to do that is through the use of Amazon’s Send to Kindle Chrome extension. Go to a web page, set off the extension, and ship it off to your e-reader.
If you happen to don’t use Chrome, you may also use a devoted service like Push to Kindle to ship articles to your Kindle. You possibly can ship as much as 10 articles a month free of charge, and a $2.99/month plan unlocks all limits.
Export your highlights and notes
Credit score: Khamosh Pathak
If you happen to’re utilizing your Kindle to analysis or learn non-fiction books for varsity or work, you’ll find yourself with a whole lot of highlights. These highlights, simply sitting in your Kindle, aren’t that helpful. Amazon has a dedicated website that lists all of the highlights from all of the books you’ve bought by way of the Kindle Retailer, but it surely’s not your solely possibility.
Personally, I choose Clippings, which additionally works for content material not purchased from the Kindle Retailer. With it, you possibly can import all of the highlights and notes out of your Kindle books and private paperwork utilizing a browser extension. You possibly can view and set up all of your notes out of your browser, too, however if you wish to export them to a doc, you’ll have to pay for a $1.99/month Skilled plan.
Borrow books to learn out of your native library, free of charge
There are various locations the place you possibly can rent and borrow books to read legally and free of charge. The most well-liked possibility is utilizing the Libby app from Overdrive, which loans you books by way of your library card or pupil ID. Within the Libby app, go to Shelf > Loans > Learn With… > Kindle. Right here, sign up together with your Amazon account and confirm your Kindle system. Then, faucet Get Library E-book. Voila, an e-book out of your native library will immediately present up in your Kindle system.
De-Amazon your Kindle
Lastly, you possibly can take inspiration from my colleague Pranay, who makes use of his Kindle without any Amazon services. You possibly can arrange a Kindle with out an Amazon account and use it as a superbly good e-reader. You should purchase DRM-free books on-line from numerous sources and switch them to your Kindle just by transferring the e-book information to your Kindle storage or utilizing the Ship to Kindle function I talked about above.
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