Amazon’s Kindle web browser is actually usable now

Amazon’s Kindle devices are meant first and foremost for reading eBooks. But there’s also a web browser. Up until a few years ago, that browser was officially considered “experimental,” and up until the past month or so, it was unofficially considered awful.

But Amazon has quietly begun rolling out an updated version of its web browser that brings much better support for modern websites. It does a better job loading images and other graphics and scores higher in HTML5 performance tests.

For example, when I visited the Liliputing home page with my 11th-gen Kindle Paperwhite using the old browser, I saw a text-only page that couldn’t even display the name of the website.

But after updating the firmware on my Kindle, the same page showed the Liliputing logo, images associated with each article, and the mobile navigation menu. It also did a better job of displaying different font sizes and types for headlines, article content, and metadata.

Don’t get me wrong, you still won’t get all the features available from a modern desktop or smartphone browser. When I visited YouTube I was greeted with a message saying that my device was no longer supported and that I need to update to Android 4.0 or later to use YouTube.

And, of course, Kindle devices have greyscale E Ink displays with slow refresh rates, so videos would probably look awful even if you could play them. And when you launch the new web browser for the first time, you’ll be greeted by a message that explains “This browser has limited memory and is intended for use with simple websites. Sites with animation or other complex features may load poorly or not at all.”

Fortunately, there’s also an “Article Mode” option that you can enable to view a simplified version of most websites, stripping away some of those animations and other features, giving you a more stripped-down view of web pages that may be easier to load and scroll through on an eReader. You’ll still see images in this view, but more resource-heavy content (including most ads) won’t load.

So how do you get the new browser? It seems to be included with Kindle firmware version 5.16.4, but according to reports on reddit, not every device running the latest version of Amazon’s Kindle software has access to the new browser yet. So it’s possible Amazon may be doing a staged rollout, with some users getting access before others.

If your device doesn’t already have the new browser, you can try installing software version 5.16.4 or later on supported devices, including 10th-gen or later Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Oasis, or Kindle Scribe models.

You may be able to do that by forcing your Kindle to install an over-the-air update if one has already been pushed to your device. Here are the steps:

1. Tap the three dots in the upper right corner of your Kindle.
2. Tap the Settings option.
3. On the Settings page, tap the three dots in the upper right corner again.
4. If “Update your Kindle” isn’t grayed out, tap that option and your Kindle should restart and install the update.

But if you still don’t have Kindle firmware version 5.16.4 after doing that, (you can check by opening the Settings menu, tapping the three dots in the upper right corner, and then tapping “Device Info”), or if the Update option is grayed out, then you can download the update to a computer and copy it your Kindle manually:

1. Visit the Amazon Kindle E-Reader Software Updates page on your computer.
2. Click the Download Software Update button for the Kindle that matches your device type (Kindle, Paperwhite, Oasis, or Scribe).
3. Plug your Kindle into your computer with a USB cable and it should show up on your PC as a storage device.
4. Copy the file you downloaded in step 2 to the root directory of your Kindle.
5. Eject your Kindle from your computer.
6. Tap the three dots in the upper right corner of your Kindle.
7. Tap the Settings option.
8. On the Settings page, tap the three dots in the upper right corner again.
9. Tap the “Update your Kindle” option and wait for your device to reboot and install the update.

via The eBook Reader