Starting February 26, 2025, Amazon will discontinue a feature on its website that allows users to download purchased ebooks directly to a computer and subsequently transfer them to a Kindle via USB. While this option might not be widely recognized among Kindle users—since books are typically sent to devices via Wi-Fi—it serves an important role for those looking to back up their purchases or convert them to other formats suitable for non-Kindle e-readers.

Certain Kindle users may find the absence of this feature particularly challenging. For instance, if you lack a reliable Wi-Fi connection, manually downloading titles—albeit one at a time—ensures that you possess offline copies of your library, providing some level of security for your digital content.

Although rare, there have been instances where Amazon has removed titles from its digital store and even deleted books from users’ Kindles. As highlighted by Good e-Reader, this has included notable cases like the 2009 withdrawal of copies of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm, which Amazon claimed had been published in error. More recently, many of Roald Dahl’s classics, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, were updated with edited language, raising concerns about ownership of digital content. Without the capacity to back up eBook copies, users risk losing access to their books if they are unexpectedly removed or banned.

Additionally, the ability to download ebooks allows for conversion into other formats, such as EPUB, which can be utilized on different devices like Kobo e-readers. Amazon delivers downloaded books in the older AZW3 format, which can readily have its DRM removed using various software tools.

Older Kindle models also utilize the AZW3 format, enabling users to extract files by connecting to a computer via USB. However, contemporary Kindles employ the KFX format—introduced in 2015—which enhances font rendering and layout capabilities but is more difficult to bypass due to its DRM restrictions.

This download feature was initially established for Kindle models that lacked Wi-Fi capabilities, ensuring books could still reach users without relying on Amazon’s Whispernet. You can still access this feature through Amazon’s website by logging into your account, navigating to your “Content Library,” selecting the desired book, and choosing the “Download & Transfer via USB” option.

However, a pop-up warning will now inform users that “Starting February 26, 2025, the ‘Download & Transfer via USB’ option will no longer be available. You can still send Kindle books to your Wi-Fi enabled devices by selecting the ‘Deliver or Remove from Device’ option.”

Amazon has confirmed the planned removal of this downloading feature. A spokesperson stated, “Customers can continue reading books previously downloaded on their Kindle device, and access new content through the Kindle app, Kindle for web, as well as directly through Kindle devices with Wi-Fi capability.”

Once this feature is eliminated, users will retain the ability to transfer ebook files and other documents to Kindles via USB using Amazon’s apps or third-party tools like Calibre, though downloading purchased book copies to a computer will no longer be possible.

Update, February 14th: Added statement from an Amazon representative.

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