TopicsTroubleshooting & User Guides Other Help Areas
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Customize Your Reading on Kindle KeyboardYour Kindle Keyboard lets you customize your reading experience -- from adjusting font size to defining words as you read with the built-in dictionary to sharing your favorite passages on Facebook. Setting Text Size, Screen Rotation, and Words per LineYou can choose from eight different font sizes and several font styles to choose a style you can read comfortably. The text size of menus and other screens is fixed and cannot be modified. Kindle also allows you to change your screen rotation and set your preferred line spacing and words per line. To change your text formatting options:
Using the Built-in DictionaryWhile reading a book or periodical, you can see a brief definition of a word using the built-in dictionary. By default, the built-in dictionary uses The New Oxford American Dictionary. To see the definition of a word in your reading:
Choosing your primary dictionaryYou can choose the dictionary you want to use when you look up words while you are reading. The default is The New Oxford American Dictionary included on your Kindle, but Kindle Keyboard also comes with The Oxford Dictionary of English. You can purchase additional supported dictionaries in the Kindle Store. To change your default dictionary:
Page Locations and Page NumbersAs you read, you'll see your progress displayed at the bottom the screen as a percentage of the Progress Indicator.
Page NumbersKindle's page numbers match the page numbers in print books so you can easily reference and cite passages, and read alongside others in a book club or class. If your Kindle book includes page numbers, you'll see page numbers displayed next to locations when you push the Menu button. Page numbers and locations are only displayed when the Menu button is pushed.
Not all Kindle books include page numbers. Kindle books that include page numbers will list "Page Numbers Source ISBN (the print book identification number)" for the matching print edition under "Product Details" on the detail page at Amazon.com. If the Page Numbers Source ISBN (the print book identification number)" listed under "Product Details" on the product detail page is the same edition as your print book, the Kindle page numbers will match the page numbers in the printed edition.
Because Kindle books allow you to change font size and other features, you may be able to view more than one page on your screen at once. Only the corresponding page number for the text displayed at the top left of the screen will be shown. Page numbers are only displayed on Kindle Keyboard with software version 3.1 or higher. To update your Kindle's software, visit www.amazon.com/kindlesoftwareupdates. LocationsKindle books also mark your progress using locations. Location numbers are specific to each line of text so you can easily find a particular passage, regardless of changes you may make to text size. Press Menu to display the location information at the bottom of the screen above the Progress Indicator. Chapter, Section, and Article BreaksIf the book you are reading shows chapter, section or article breaks, displayed as breaks as small dots within the progress bar, you can jump between these using the 5-way controller.
While reading, move the controller to the left or right to skip ahead to the next chapter or return to the previous chapter. This feature will also allow you to skip from one section to another or one article to another. How to Navigate While ReadingPress the Menu button when reading a book or periodical to display menu options that will help you navigate your Kindle content. You will have slightly different options depending on the type of content you are reading. If you are reading a Kindle book, the menu shows the following options:Turn Wireless Off: turns off wireless. When wireless is off, this option will change to "Turn Wireless On." Shop in Kindle Store: takes you to the Kindle Store. Go to ... : enter a specific location or page number to jump to that part of your book. You'll need to push the SYM key to enter the page number or location, and press SYM again to close the symbols screen. Use the 5-way controller to highlight and select the location button or the page button. If page numbers aren't available in the book you are reading, you won't be able to select the page button. You can also use the 5-way controller to navigate to the cover, beginning, end or contents of the book. Sync to Furthest Page Read: connects to Amazon.com and compares your current reading location with the one saved at Amazon. If you are further along in your book using another device, Kindle gives you the choice to go to the furthest page read. Book Description: connects to the Kindle Store and displays the detail page for the full book. Search This Book: displays the search line at the bottom of the screen. Enter text to begin searching for a particular term or phrase within the book. Add a Bookmark: bookmarks the page you are currently on. After selecting this option, the upper right corner of the book will be dog-eared and this menu option will change to "Delete Bookmark." Add a Note or Highlight: puts you into annotation mode. Additional details on how to create a note or highlight are provided later in this chapter. View Notes & Marks: displays a page containing all of your current item's notes, highlights, bookmarks, and clippings. View Popular Highlights: displays a list of the most Popular Highlights from Kindle users. Jumping to the Next or Previous Chapter: You can use the Kindle 5-way controller to skip to the next or previous chapter within many books. Simply press the 5-way controller to the right to skip forward a chapter or left to skip back a chapter.
If you are reading a periodical or blog, you will see the following different options:
Clip This Article: makes a copy of the entire article and adds it to your "My Clippings" file. Zooming on ImagesIf you'd like to zoom in on an image, Kindle gives you tools to set a custom size. To zoom on an image in a book:
When Kindle increases the image size, your view may change from portrait or landscape if necessary to maximize the use of the display. Annotations: Highlights, Bookmarks, Clippings, NotesInformation about using Kindle is also available in your Kindle User's Guide--you can download a copy on the Kindle Documentation page. Overview of AnnotationsAnnotations (bookmarks, highlights, notes, clippings) you make on a Kindle book are stored in your Kindle Library on Amazon.com when your Kindle is connected to wireless. When you open the title on any registered device, you'll be right where you were the last time you read and your annotations will be included. Adding BookmarksYou can place a bookmark at any location and place multiple bookmarks in whatever you are reading. Select "View Notes & Marks" to return to any bookmarked location. Bookmarked pages have a "dog-ear" icon in the upper right corner. To place a bookmark:
Tip: You can quickly create a bookmark by either holding down the Alt key and pressing the B key, or by moving the 5-way up or down to go into cursor mode and then pressing the 5-way controller twice. To view a bookmarked location:
To remove a bookmark:
Highlighting PassagesYou can highlight text in Kindle like you would use a highlighter pen on paper and view them at any time by pressing the Menu button and selecting "View Notes & Marks." The text you highlight appears with a gray underline. To highlight one or more lines:
To remove a highlight:
Viewing Popular HighlightsAmazon displays Popular Highlights by combining the highlights of all Kindle customers and identifying the passages with the most highlights. The resulting Popular Highlights help readers focus on passages that are meaningful to the greatest number of people. Some books don't have enough highlighting in them to have Popular Highlights. Popular Highlights are marked with a gray dashed underline. The number of people who have highlighted the text appears at the beginning of the marked text. You can see Popular Highlights for all books that have them at https://kindle.amazon.com. To view Popular Highlights:
To turn Popular Highlights on and off:
Managing Popular HighlightsIf you have a Kindle device, you can turn off having your highlights in popular highlights by turning off Annotations Backup in Settings on your device. If you have a Kindle App, we will be adding this capability soon. Annotations BackUp backs up your annotations and last page read and syncs them across devices. You can also remove highlights you made previously from Popular Highlights. To turn off Annotations Backup:
To remove previous highlights from Popular Highlights:
Adding NotesKindle Keyboard allows you to add comments, make notes, and mark up passages just as you might in a printed book. To add a note:
A superscripted number appears where you inserted your note. Notes are numbered in the order they appear in the content and update automatically if you add more. To edit or delete a note:
Making ClippingsYou can "clip" an entire periodical article and save it to the "My Clippings" file. To clip an article:
To view your clippings:
Editing the "My Clippings" FileAll of your bookmarks, highlights, notes, and clippings are stored in the "My Clippings" TXT file on your Kindle. You can transfer and copy the file to share and use your clippings. To transfer the "My Clippings" file and open it on your computer:
If you wish, you can make changes to the file and transfer it back to your Kindle. Changing your "My Clippings" file does not affect any notes, bookmarks, or highlights you've made in the actual content. The next time you read the content, you can still use them for navigation and reference. To remove the "My Clippings" file from your Kindle:
Kindle adds a new "My Clippings" file the next time you add a clipping or annotation to any content. Public NotesPublic Notes allow you to connect with fellow readers by seeing what passages they found meaningful in books you are both reading. You can search for and follow other readers at https://kindle.amazon.com. If someone you follow has highlighted a passage in a book and has turned on Public Notes for the book, you'll see that passage highlighted along with the name of the person who highlighted it. The"@" symbol will be displayed in the text where any notes were made. Public Notes will also appear in a list with your personal annotations if you select "View Notes and Marks" from the menu while reading. By default, Public Notes are displayed in your books but you can turn them off if you don't want to see them. To turn Public Notes on and off:
Turning Public Notes on or off from your device will not make your notes visible. You have to turn on Public Notes for a book through our website before anyone else can see your highlights and notes in that book. Go to https://kindle.amazon.com/your_reading make your highlights and notes visible through Public Notes. Following other readers to see their Public Notes Authors, book club members, thought leaders, passionate readers, professors and all Kindle users can opt-in to sharing their notes with other readers. To follow other readers:
Sharing your Public Notes
You can also make a single note a Public Note and share it with people following you by selecting "save & share." This will also post the highlighted passage and any comment you add to the social media networks you have associated with your Kindle account.
To share a single Public Note:You can make any highlight or note a Public Note, without setting Public Notes for that book online.
Only this single highlight or note will be shared with other readers following you. You have to turn on Public Notes for the entire book to make all your notes and highlights from that book public. If you don't have a Facebook or Twitter account associated with your Kindle account, you'll automatically be prompted to manage your social network registration before your message is posted. If you choose not to link your Kindle account to your social media networks, your highlights and notes will still be saved in the book, as well as at https://kindle.amazon.com. Before You Go: Social Sharing and RecommendationsOn the final page of a book, you can tweet/share that you've finished, rate the book, see recommendations for additional books and more books by this author. ![]() Tweet/share via social mediaSelect "Tweet/share that you've finished this book" to let everyone know you've read it. You can enter or update a message before sharing. A link to the book will also be appended to your message. If you don't have a Facebook or Twitter account associated with your Kindle account, you'll automatically be prompted to manage your social network registration before your message is posted. To manage your social networks:
Note: In order to share passages from your Kindle books through your social media networks, you must set the Country of Origin on the device. Go to Manage Your Kindle, scroll to Your Country and click Edit. Rate This Book Note: You can only rate Kindle books purchased from the Kindle Store. Book RecommendationsWhen you're finished reading a Kindle book, you'll see recommendations for similar books on the last page of the book. Recommendations are based on what other customers who bought this book also purchased. To see these recommendations at any time, press Menu while reading. Select "Go to" and choose "End." Select a recommendation from this page to go directly to the recommended book's detail page in the Kindle Store. Text-to-SpeechYour Kindle can read aloud your books (where allowed by the rights holder), newspapers, magazines, blogs, and personal documents with the Kindle Experimental application, Text-to-Speech. To turn on Text-to-Speech:
By default, content is spoken with a male voice, but you can select a female speaking voice. You can also slow down or increase the rate of speech and pause or turn off Text-to-Speech. While Text-to-Speech is playing, the screen will update to the corresponding page of text. Tip: You can also play or stop Text-to-Speech by holding down the Shift key Using Voice GuideVoice Guide lets you navigate your Kindle Keyboard with spoken menus, selectable items, and descriptions. For example, when you open a book, Kindle Keyboard speaks your current location and how far you've read. To turn Voice Guide on or off, follow these steps:
If your Kindle Keyboard has software version 3.3 or higher you can quickly turn Voice Guide on and off by holding down the Shift key and pressing the Spacebar on your keyboard. If you don't have the latest software version on your Kindle Keyboard yet, download the latest version of Kindle software here. Listening to AudiobooksAudible offers five versions of its audiobook format.
Audible files appear on your Kindle Home screen with the word "audible" next to the title. You can purchase and download audiobooks from Audible.com and then transfer these books over USB or Wi-Fi to your Kindle's "Audible" folder.See Transferring, Downloading, and Sending Files to Kindle for information about transferring audiobooks to your Kindle. To listen to an audiobook:
Here's a list of the options you'll see for listening to your audiobooks: ![]()
Tip: To pause the playing of Audible content, press the space bar on the keyboard and press the spacebar again to resume. Activating Your Kindle with Audible.comIf you use Audible Download Manager or Audible Manager on your PC, your Kindle will automatically be activated. Mac users will be prompted to activate their Kindle with Audible.com the first time they transfer Audible.com audio content to their Kindle. If you have purchased Audible titles via the Kindle Store or linked your Amazon and Audible accounts via the Audible website, you can log in at Audible.com with your Amazon.com e-mail address and password. Otherwise, use your Audible.com username and password. Requirements:
Playing Music While ReadingYou can transfer your favorite MP3 music files to your Kindle Keyboard using the USB connection and then listen to them while reading. You cannot play music when using Text-to-Speech or listening to an audiobook. Transferring MP3s to Your Kindle KeyboardYou can transfer your MP3 files to Kindle by copying them to the "music" folder on your Kindle over USB. For more information on connecting your Kindle Keyboard to your computer via USB, see Transferring Content to Your Kindle Keyboard via USB. Kindle only supports MP3 audio files; AAC, WAV, MP3 with Digital Rights Management (DRM) and other music file formats are not supported. To transfer MP3s to your Kindle, follow these steps:
Tip: While there is no limit to the number of MP3 files and audiobooks that you can transfer to your Kindle, keep in mind that these files are larger, and space may become a consideration. Listening to MusicTo play background audio (MP3 files) that you have transferred to your Kindle, follow the steps below:
The songs are played in order, by the date you added them to your Kindle. You can adjust the volume of the music using the volume controls on the right side of your Kindle. You can continue to listen to the audio while reading content; the background audio continues to play unless you open an audio book, turn on Text-to-Speech, all of the files have been played, or if you stop the playback as indicated below.
Tip: You can also play or stop background audio by holding down the ALT key and pressing the space bar. You can forward to the next track by holding down the ALT key and pressing the F key. Using the Web BrowserYour Kindle comes with an experimental application called Web Browser. It supports JavaScript, SSL and cookies, but does not support media plug-ins (Flash, Shockwave, etc.) or Java applets. Most Amazon.com web pages can be viewed on your Kindle. Using the Basic Web MenuTo view the menu, press the Menu button when the Web Browser is open. Here's a list of options you'll find: ![]()
Entering a URLThe URL text field retains the last URL you entered in case you want to quickly edit the same address and submit it again. If you want to enter a secure site with an "https" address, use the backspace key to delete the automatically entered "://" and type the address you want. ![]() To enter the URL for a website:
The URL text field is embedded in a navigation bar with a few other key shortcuts. To the right of the URL text field there is a button to stop loading or reload the current page. From there, move your 5-way controller to the right, and you can quickly search Google for the text entered in the URL text field. Using Bookmarks and Adding Your OwnBookmarks let you easily access a website without needing to type the address every time. When you open Web Browser from the experimental page for the first time, you will see a list of default bookmarks with links to information such as daily news. While browsing, you can also access the same list of bookmarks by selecting "Bookmarks" from the browser menu (just press the Menu button). To add a website to the Bookmarks page:
To remove a bookmark:
To edit a bookmark: You can change the name of a bookmark by moving the 5-way controller to the right and selecting "edit bookmark." This only allows you to change the name of the bookmark. If you want to edit the URL, delete the bookmark and add a new one. Using Next Page and Previous PageMost web pages have more content than can be displayed on one page. Use the Next Page and Previous Page buttons to move through these pages. This is equivalent to using your mouse on a computer to move up and down through a web page. You can also move the cursor down with the 5-way controller until it reaches the bottom of the page. Zooming in on a Web PageWhile viewing a web page, press the Menu button and choose Zoom In or Zoom Out. If you see a magnifying glass displayed on a web page, you can use it to magnify a specific area of that web page.
![]() You can also choose where to zoom in using the 5-way controller:
Selecting Links, Buttons, and BoxesNavigate to links on a web page using the 5-way controller. Highlight the link you want to go to and press the 5-way controller to open the page. ![]()
Use the 5-way controller like you would use your mouse to navigate the web page. To enter information in an input field in a web page, move the cursor to that input field and begin typing. Using HistoryYou can easily return to websites you recently viewed by pressing the Menu button and selecting "History." You will then see a list of recently visited websites to select from. As noted above, you can also use this list to add a site to your Bookmarks by moving the 5-way to the right. Downloading FilesSome websites may have books or documents you can download and read on your Kindle. When you select these books or documents using Web Browser, you will be asked to confirm if you want to download these to your Kindle Home screen. The types of files you can download include Kindle content (.AZW, .AZW1), unprotected Mobipocket books (.MOBI, .PRC), and text files (.TXT). Web Browser SettingsYou can modify the default browser behaviors and perform simple maintenance procedures using Basic Web Settings. To display the Settings screen, press the Menu button while in the browser and then use the 5-way to select "Settings." ![]()
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