Starting January 20, 2026, Amazon allowed users to download DRM-free Kindle books in EPUB and PDF formats (but only if the author has enabled this option in Kindle Direct Publishing). To do this, you need to visit the "Manage Your Content and Devices" page on your Amazon account. Only verified buyers will be able to access EPUB/PDF files and this option is not available to Kindle Unlimited subscribers. Previously, even if authors uploaded DRM-free ebooks, Amazon still encrypted them in KFX format, making it impossible to download them to alternative e-readers such as Kobo or Pocketbook.

Comic reader YACReader updated its apps for iOS and Android - now they support image filters and users have complete control over the appearance of your comics. Quick preset mode lets you instantly enhance old scans. Filters sync across devices via YACReaderLibrary: so you can edit them on your iPhone and they'll be updated on your Android phone. Updated iOS app also supports displaying custom comic book covers and folders in the YACReaderLibrary remote browser. And the Android app also got an improved QR code scanner for obtaining server connection information.

The new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft and black and white Kindle Scribe are now available on Amazon. The new Kindle Scribe is eligible for Amazon's trade-in discount, so you can get a 20% discount when you trade in your old Kindle, even if it's broken and not working. Since the new Kindle Scribe is significantly more expensive than the previous generation, this makes the price more reasonable. For example, Kindle Scribe Colorsoft costs $629.99 for the 32GB model. The new black and white Kindle Scribe is priced at $499.99 with 32GB. A cheaper version of Kindle Scribe without a backlit screen is expected to be available soon.

Microsoft will remove the ability to send documents directly from Microsoft Word to Kindle devices after February 9, 2026. This feature was introduced less than three years ago and was heavily advertised by Amazon, but now Microsoft has decided to discontinue it, likely because it is rarely used. Now, Microsoft Word users will have to revert to sending Word documents to Kindle the old way—via the Amazon website, the Send to Kindle app or email.

Harlequin, a publisher specializing in romance literature, is now using artificial intelligence to translate books from English to French and all its in-house translators have been laid off. The company is confident that the average romance reader won't even notice that the books were translated by AI. The publisher doesn't use its own internal AI tool, but has outsourced it to Fluent Planet, a company that develops AI-powered translation tools. As a reminder, Dutch publisher Veen Bosch & Keuning recently began testing AI for translation tasks. And Kindle Direct Publishing expanded its AI translation service at the end of 2025, offering free automated translations for independent authors.

Audiobooks have appeared for the first time in the main Spotify Wrapped section - a report in the Spotify app that is formed at the end of the year. It shows what you've listened to most over the past 12 months. Wrapped features a vibrant and interactive design easy to share with friends. Audiobooks such as Rebecca Yarros's The Fourth Wing and Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses made the overall rankings. Spotify also notes that "The biggest trends were undoubtedly racy romances and romantic fantasies, which continue to dominate book culture. We're also seeing a real surge in music memoirs, as readers love these behind-the-scenes glimpses into creative life. And film adaptations of books continue to be incredibly popular, with hits like Stephen King's The Summer I Was Beautiful and The Long Walk fueling interest in older works."

ReaderWare is discontinuing their product line, including the book collection software. The new product orders are already blocked, while existing users may still order product upgrades. Readerware is a desktop+mobile software with auto-catalog, reports, integrated loan tracker, backup & restore, import/export and more. It enabled to take your databases with you on your iPhone, iPad or Android device and use your mobile device as a barcode scanner. The Client/Server version added support for multiple users, external databases and the loan client is an additional client program for circulation management.

Chinese manufacturer Bigme has unveiled a new Android e-reader with a color E Ink display - Bigme B751C S. It features a 7-inch Kaleido 3 E Ink display with a pixel density of 300 ppi in monochrome and 150 ppi in color. Page-turning buttons are located to the left of the display and a built-in gyroscope allows users to navigate the e-reader in any orientation. The e-reader is compatible with a stylus with 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity, however the stylus must be purchased separately. Also the e-reader includes Bluetooth 5.0, a microphone, a speaker and dual-band Wi-Fi. Unlike the Bigme B7 and Bigme B7 Pro, it does not support LTE and lacks a camera.

Storytel now allows you to purchase audiobooks and ebooks individually in the app or on storytel.com (regardless of whether you have a subscription). These are primarily books from major publishers like Penguin Random House and Hachette. Examples of ebooks and audiobooks available for purchase in the app include Harry's memoir "Spare," Dan Brown's "The Secret of Secrets," James Clear's "Atomic," Habits, Schuyler Bailar's "He/She/They," and Erica Ridley's "My Rogue to Ruin." These books are only available in a few countries, such as Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands.

Amazon has added a new AI-powered feature "Ask This Book" to Kindle app for iOS. It lets you ask questions about the book you're currently reading. To try it out, simply highlight a word or phrase to open the on-screen menu and select "Ask a Question." By default, answers will only be provided up to the point you're reading, so they won't contain spoilers, but you can switch to provide answers for the entire book. You can also view a chat history of all the questions you've asked. It's expected to launch on Kindle e-readers and Kindle app for Android in 2026.