2y ago

Amazon issues warning about major change for Kindle users starting next month

In a recent communication, Amazon has alerted Kindle users about significant changes set to take effect from next month. The notification pertains to the phasing out of support for sending MOBI (.mobi, .azw, .prc) files through the “Send to Kindle” feature, starting November 1, 2023. This change, as News18 pointed out, specifically impacts users attempting to send MOBI files via email and Kindle apps on iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac.

96 comments

They're just removing an antiquated file type that you should have moved on from anyway. All my books are in epub format and even if they weren't calibre converts them so I don't think this is a significant change at all.
- Yup. I see no problem with this change. EPub is an open format and one can easily convert existing ebooks.
- Some of us still use devices that only support .mobi
  
  This news wouldn’t really affect you, though, would it?
  Send to Kindle feature is only for Amazon Kindle, and Kindle apps, and those have been able to support more than .mobi since the Kindle 2 (non-touch with a keyboard) which was discontinued nearly 15 years ago.
  
  So just set Calibre to convert the books to mobi before sending it to them
- I remember having to change things I got from... places... from epub to mobi using calibre for my old school kindle to recognise it years ago. I don't even have that device anymore.
  Glad they're accepting what appears to be the standard format tbh.
- What if you bought an ebook in mobi format a long time ago?
  It doesn't make sense.
  
  If you’re technically competent enough to have a mobi locally and send it to a kindle, then you’re technically competent enough to convert it, so it’s not a huge deal. I agree it’s weird though.
  Honest question: what non-piracy reasons are there for having a mobi file locally and not already having it attached to your Amazon account ready to download straight to your kindle? Did anyone but Amazon ever even sell mobi files?
- Wait, does Kindle handle epub now?
  
  No, but you can send one through the email service and it will be automatically converted.
  
  I only ever send in epub format. In the article it clarifies that Amazon recommends the sending of epub.
- I haven't had an e-reader in years but I remember using mobi files a lot, admittedly I'm not up to date, but I thought that this was more important than it appears it is.
  
  it's trivial to mass convert mobi to a widely supported format. I think this is a welcomed change, because Amazon was the only one on the industry still promoting a legacy format like mobi, even if they tried to start moving on with their newer formats.
This is an enormously overblown headline for such a small change.
- I erroneously thought mobi was more important than it apparently is. I haven't had an e-reader in a long time and I remember using mobi files back then.
  
  It's only for very old Kindles, really - Amazon have a new version they use (azw3) and everyone else uses epub.
- "Amazon notifies users that Kindle will no longer support Mobi ebook format"
Calibre + KFX plugin. That's it.
KFX supports hyphenation and many more advanced features - the plugin exploits the official Amazon app for publishers to convert any open format into KFX, giving you all the features of Amazon store bought books for free.
- Calibre has been a life saver for me. Love that program!
- Is this the plugin?
  https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=272407
  
  Yes!
- Sadly, KFX plugin does not work in Linux (it lacks Kindle Preview app)
  
  How about using Bottles ?
- Why are kfx files often larger and sometimes double the size?
  
  Lacks compression?
  Don't know if it really matters, though. 8GB of storage holds a lot of books, even if they're illustrated, and that's what base-model e-readers are coming with.
- I’ll have to try that KfX plugin. I also read somewhere someone was listing a stack he was using with Calibre but I can’t find it anymore…
- Thank you! Looks great.
lacking support for the latest Kindle features
What kind of support are they "lacking"? They do contain the text and basic formatting. What else would they need in a book?
I'd guess that those "lacking" features have something to do with user tracking or DRM.
- Epub doesn't natively have user tracking and DRM either. Mobi files are just ancient and there are better alternatives for them. Like bmp files vs jpg.
  
  Epub is actually pretty good. And it's been supported for a long time now. Hard agree.
The devices themselves still can’t process epub though so they still need conversion to … mobi.
- They can use epubs for several months now. It's been incredibly nice but to have to convert books anymore.
  
  Older devices too? I still have a Kindle Voyage.
  
  Not natively? You mean through the epub to kindle service?
  
  Several months seems like a really short time frame to go from "the format you must use" to "too old for our product."
If anyone knows of a good ebook reader that's as easy on the eyes as a Kindle I'd love to know it. Everything I look at looks like a low spec tablet instead of a proper eink display.
Edit: thanks to a few comments in this thread I went with the Kobo Libra 2. I love this little device. Plenty of storage, a great display that's really easy on the eyes even with the backlight (which is fully dimmable and has color temperature adjustment). Thanks for everyone for the recommendations!
- I use an old Kobo model and its great.
- If you can find an old Kindle Paperwhite that can be jailbroken, you can run KOReader on it and leave the Amazon ecosystem behind while still using the hardware.
- I've used a kobo deluxe for several years and they're great
- I can commend Kobo as well, I have an older model and I see no need to ever change.
- Kobo Libra H2O, has hardware buttons and a cool design.
  
  So I took your advice though I ended up settling on the Kobo Libra 2 and I absolutely love this thing. It has a couple hardware buttons, too. Thanks for the recommendation!
- I've had two readers made by Boox. They've been great. I broke the screen on the first one, but software-wise, I have no complaints.
They've been notifying users for a while now, when sending mobi files.
Samsung Mini Tablet + ReadEra = No more Amazon nonsense.
- Yup. Have one. Is excellent
  
  I would buy a Kobo, a friend of mine has one, but I like reading my comics in colour.
- KOReader here, life is good.
I thought they disabled sending mobi files last August? As in, August 2022? Did they postpone it?
- Yeah I remember running into an issue when I tried updating my library last time. Not sure why this is making headlines now, because I haven’t been able to use mobi files in over a year.
  
  Maybe different devices have different EOL dates?
I have never connected my kindle to the network. Always use calibre.
- I keep hearing people praising Calibre
Huh what ? They prevent people read .mobi because the format is old ? What about plain text ? .txt ?
Ah they're closing the walled garden off. More in shitification. You don't own the hardware, you just rent it from Amazon
- as per linked article, they're phasing out an older, unsupported format. you can still send .epub files.
- ...but pdf and epub still work. Easily the least objectionable thing Amazon has done all year. But don't let that get in the way of your mad.
- There replacing file formats nobody uses with an open format (epub). I remember having to convert epubs before I could load them to my kindle so this is basically the opposite of closing off a walled garden.
  
  But kindle still doesn't support epub files outright? You can't just sideload epub files, you have to use the email service.
- That was true if Kindles from the start, to be fair.
- It's unfortunate that there just aren't a lot of options in the e-reader field.
  
  Kobo devices work out of the box, and they are very hacker friendly, a good middle ground. They run mainline Linux with a custom UI, but you can change that to other systems, e.g. PostmarketOS (an alpine based linux distro) or install more fully featured reader programs like Koreader. With some hacking you can use the devices without a Kobo account. Some devices run from a simple sd card, so you can easily grow storage size, and easily backup the whole system. Most devices have hidden a serial port inside, with some soldering you can connect peripherials!
  I have a clara hd, I use it as a tactical glide computer with xcsoar,, with an external serial gps and barometer
  
  Open book, remarkable, anything calibre supports should be okay
  
  I bought my daughter a Kobo years ago and it has worked great. This was before Walmart bought them and they were much harder to find in the US but Kindle was requiring my daughter to have an Amazon account to check out library books. In order to have an Amazon account you must have a credit card attached. Tech support's solution for me was to just give her a pre paid card. They didn't understand why I wasn't interested in forcing my 7 year old into Amazon in order to check out library books.
  Kobo has Overdrive installed in the device. You can also load PDF files directly onto it. I don't know if they've changed that over the years but her device is now 7 years old and working great.
  
  I've just purchased an Onyx Boox device to replace my old original Kindle Paperwhite. Moves like this make me feel good about choosing to go that route since it is essentially an Android tablet that will support any format as long as there is a reader app for it.
  That said, to anyone thinking of buying one from the website that this article links to, there are lots of negative reviews for them so it might be best to find a different distributor.

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