Kindle's surprise page-turning update is actually really useful
Posted by Oriccabattery01
from the Business category at
27 Mar 2025 08:38:38 am.
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Summary- No more fingerprints on the screen — a double tap setting is available for a selection of Kindle devices.
- Amazon's recent update allows for easy page turning, although some limitations remain.
- The new double-tap feature has to be toggled off manually.
For a lot of diehard e-reader enthusiasts, not only can physical page-turn buttons be a game-changer, but the lack thereof can be a dealbreaker. It's easy to understand why. Who wants fingerprints on their screens? Tapping on a screen to turn pages is an incredibly inelegant solution, and it appears Amazon has finally realized this with a fresh update for Kindle devices. In other words, if you own a recent Kindle, like the new Paperwhite and Colorsoft, there's a Kindle update rolling out that brings a double tap page turn feature, and it works a treat.
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No more fingerprints on the screenAbout time
Double-tap setting is on by default
Amazon hasn't offered a Kindle with physical page-turn buttons since the Oasis, whichnow appears to be dead. Before that wasthe Kindle Voyage(a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic contrast), which didn't even offer physical buttons but PagePress sensors. While competitors like Kobo still offer physical page-turn buttons on some of its e-readers, Amazon has clearly been moving away from them over several generations, and this generationdoesn't offer a single Kindle device with page-turn buttons.
This could be why Amazon has finally addressed the issue with a software update (via Good E-Reader), bringing a double tap function to Kindles that can turn pages by tapping anywhere on the frame or rear. It's assumed this works by sensing the taps through the accelerometer, and having tested the feature on the Colorsoft by sideloading the 5.18.1 update, not only does it work, but it works well, making it very easy to turn a page without touching the screen.
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</figure></figure>Double-tap has to be manually toggled off
Once the update is installed (which you, too,can sideload if you're feeling impatient), double tapping to turn pages is on by default. You'll have to manually toggle it off if you don't wish to use the feature.
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Not everything is perfect
Of course, we are still dealing with Amazon here, so the feature, despite its release, isn't perfect. There is no way to turn to a previous page with the new double tap function; you can only double tap to move forward, and while this works across e-books no matter their page-turn direction (like manga), you'll have to tap the screen to turn pages backward. This can grow anoying if you accidentily turn pages forward before finishing the text on the page, since you can't double tap to go backwards. It would be better to see page turns coincide with what side of the device you double tap, much like how turning pages by tapping the screen works, but this will likely require a dedicated sensor, something Amazon can't add to existing hardware.
So even though Amazon's solution to turn pages without touching the screen isn't perfect, it's still a very welcome update that should drastically cut down how often Kindle users have to tap on their screen. So, if you're one of the many who can't stand adding fingerprints to their screen just to turn pages, the most recent Kindle update brings double-tap to page turn to the brand-new Colorsoft and 12th generation Paperwhite. Enjoy!
Tags: Kindle
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