By Dan Moren
April 16, 2021 7:24 AM PT
Kindles can at last display book covers on their lock screens
Note: This story has not been updated since 2021.
I was frankly flabbergasted to see a post on The Verge this morning, reporting that Amazon has—finally!—added the ability to show the cover of whatever you’re currently reading on your Kindle’s lock screen.
Let me tell you: there was much rejoicing. Users have clamored for this feature for a very long time—even those who didn’t have the Special Offers option that shows ads on the lock screen were stuck with the company’s wallpaper options.
There are, of course, a few caveats to this feature: first, you’ll need to have a supported Kindle device, which includes the Kindle (8th, 10th generation), Kindle Paperwhite (7th, 10th gen), Kindle Oasis (8th, 9th, 10th gen), and Kindle Voyage (7th gen). You’ll also probably need to be on the latest firmware version.
Second, if you do have Special Offers, you’ll need to pay the $20 to remove it from your device.1
Finally, I had to restart my Kindle for the option to show up in Settings > Device Options, and even then it took a couple of lock-unlock cycles for it to show up on the screen. But voila, there it is! It’s almost like a real virtual book now, huh?
- The Verge also says that some people have had luck calling Amazon customer support and asking nicely. I just forked over the $20. ↩
[Dan Moren is the East Coast Bureau Chief of Six Colors. You can find him on Mastodon at @dmoren@zeppelin.flights or reach him by email at dan@sixcolors.com. His latest novel, the supernatural detective story All Souls Lost, is out now.]
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