Amazon has updated the Kindle with a new way to navigate through books. While there’s no substitute for the tactile pleasure of physical page-turning buttons, anyone with a Kindle running Amazon software version 5.18.1 will now be able to turn pages by double-tapping the side or back of their e-reader.
“Double-tap to turn pages” can be turned on in the Settings menu under Device Options. Amazon claims that this feature works for more than just page turning. You can also use double taps to scroll through the Home and Library pages. Interestingly, this option doesn’t use the touchscreen at all. Good E-Reader suggests that Amazon relies on the accelerometer inside the Kindles to detect touches.
Along with the update, Amazon is also adding a feature it calls “Book Series Summaries.” These are short summaries “for thousands of English-language bestsellers in Kindle series you’ve purchased or borrowed.” The company already does things like automatically grouping books from the same series to make them easier to find, but this will save you from having to look up the summary of A Dance with Dragons before diving into The Winds of Winter – assuming it’s ever released.
The 5.18.1 update is already available on newer Kindle models such as the Kindle Colorsoft, as well as the 10th generation Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite devices. It will also be available on Amazon’s latest e-reader with physical buttons, the Kindle Oasis. If you don’t see it on your device now, you can manually download the update from the Amazon website and install it yourself.
