10 Kindle Secrets That Will Change How You Read

There are 10 Kindle secrets which will change how you read.

I have had a Kindle for years, and I wish someone had told me about these features sooner.

Amazon doesn’t exactly make these features obvious, so I want to talk about these ten settings and tricks, which have transformed my reading experience. Including tip #10, which has doubled the amount I read.

Secret #1: Vocabulary Builder

Whenever you’re reading or come across a word you don’t know, you can tap on it for a definition.

Most people know about this, but every word you tap is also saved onto your Kindle. To access this, when you are in a book on your Kindle, click the three dots in the top right corner, and select “Vocabulary Builder” from the list.

Here you can see all the words you have clicked, including a flashcard feature to test yourself on the definitions of words.

Secret #2: Custom Fonts & Boldness

This is a big one for reading comfort.

Inside a book on your Kindle, tap “Aa” on the top screen, and choose from a range of fonts and boldness.

I tend to keep my Kindle on the bolder side, as I find it reduces eye strain for me. But play around with fonts and boldness that work best for your reading experience.

Secret #3: Page Flip Feature

If you swipe up from the bottom of the screen, you will get a preview window.

You can move back and forth across the book without losing your page. If you jump around, your Kindle will give you the option to jump back to where you started.

This has been a revelation for non-fiction, when you follow footnotes or want to check a reference in a different part of the book.

Secret #4: Send to Kindle

This could be one of my favourite features.

Every Kindle has a unique email address, so you can send yourself any PDF, Word document, or article you find.

You can find this in Settings>Your Account>Send-to-Kindle e-mail

This is incredible for research, reading long articles without having to stare at a bright screen, and for PDFs of books that aren’t available on Amazon.

Secret #5: X-Ray

If you’ve ever had a character show up, disappear, then return hundreds of pages later, and you can’t quite place them, you’re not alone.

Thankfully, the X-Ray feature helps you here. Tap on a character’s name, hit X-Ray, and it shows you every single mention of that character in the book, plus a little description of who they are.

This feature is so handy, and it has been a big help when reading fantasy novels with 50+ characters.

Secret #6: Goodreads Integration

If you use Goodreads to track your reading, you can link your account directly to your Kindle.

I don’t use all of the social features of Goodreads, but this integration means I can update my Goodreads profile on the device.

Goodreads is a great way to get book recommendations and helps keep me motivated to read, so it’s a great addition.

Secret #7: Collections

If you have a lot of books in your Kindle library, you need to be using this.

You can create collections by going to your library, tapping the three dots in the top right, and selecting “Create a Collection”.

I place my books into “Fiction”, “Non-Fiction”, “Read Next”, and “Read”, to help me stay organised.

Secret #8: Adjust Margins & Line Spacing

In the same “Aa” menu where you change fonts, there’s also an option for margins and line spacing.

I personally prefer narrower margins and medium line spacing, because it feels more like reading a physical book. But again, the beauty of the Kindle is that you can customise this to whatever works for you.

My advice? Spend five minutes experimenting with different settings until you find one which fits.

Secret #9: Smart Lookup

When you tap and hold on a word or phrase, you don’t just get a definition, but a full Wikipedia entry, related information, and even translations.

I find this particularly useful for reading non-fiction, where you can gain so much insight into historical events or a person you’re not familiar with.

This feature will make you a better reader, because you no longer have to skip over information you don’t understand.

Secret #10: Whispersync

As promised, this is the tip which has doubled the amount I read, and it’s called Whispersync.

If you have both the Kindle and the Audible audiobook version of the same book, Whispersync will automatically sync your progress across your devices.

That means you can be reading on your Kindle during your lunch break, then swap to the spot you left off on the audiobook during your commute home.

The biggest benefit to me has been listening to audiobooks and reading on my Kindle when I eat. Before, I struggled reading while eating, because I couldn’t fully concentrate on the book, but adding the audiobook in the background means I can read, listen and eat to gain back time for reading.

💭Closing Thoughts

Those are the 10 Kindle secrets which have completely changed how I read.

I genuinely believe that reading is one of the best ways to improve your life, opening new perspectives, learning new skills and making life more interesting. The Kindle has made reading so much more accessible for me. I can carry hundreds of books wherever I go, I can read in any lighting condition, and with these features, the experience just keeps getting better.

I’d love to hear your experiences reading and using e-readers, so please reach out to share your thoughts.

You can check out the video all about this topic on my YouTube channel below:

If you’re passionate about self-improvement, reading or want to discuss the subject of reading, I’d love to hear from you. So please drop me a message.

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