The Kindle Click Is the Accessory Readers Have Been Waiting For.
The Kindle is the most widely used e-reader in the world, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best. Don’t get me wrong: Amazon deserves a significant share of the credit for bringing e-readers to the masses, and over the years, the Kindle has consistently offered a top-notch user experience thanks to both generally good hardware and integration into the retailer’s ecosystem (for better or worse). But the company also rarely innovates in this area, waiting for other players like Barnes & Noble and Boox to test new features (like temperature-adjustable backlighting and color screens, respectively) before implementing them itself. It also has no qualms about dictating what customers can and can’t do with their Kindles, from removing the ability to directly download copies of e-books to limiting support for third-party accessories.
Unfortunately, the Kindle has been missing one such accessory for many years, despite having the necessary technology to support it: a Bluetooth remote control (all Kindle devices released since 2018 support Bluetooth for connecting wireless headphones, but only wireless headphones).
A few years ago, third-party e-reader remotes became incredibly popular on BookTok, prompting competitors like Kobo and Boox to release their own versions of these peripherals. But because the Kindle’s Bluetooth protocol was locked, Kindle owners were largely out of luck; their only option was a third-party accessory that clips to the side of the device and manually taps the display with a button on the remote—less than ideal, as it only allows page turns in one direction and obscures part of the screen. But finally, Amazon saw the light and created its own Bluetooth remote, which it called the Kindle Click . More importantly, it opened up the Bluetooth protocol in the Kindle firmware so it could connect to the accessory—though it will only work on Kindle devices released in 2024 or later . (It pairs well with the new Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition , no pun intended.)
What is the purpose of a remote control for turning pages in an e-book?
If you’ve never used a remote control before, it might seem a little strange why anyone would need a remote for their Kindle—why bother with an extra device when you can just tap the screen or press a button ? But in some situations, it actually makes sense.
In practical terms, the remote control allows you to turn pages in situations where holding an e-reader is inconvenient, such as during a workout: holding a Kindle is difficult when using an elliptical trainer, and the words can bounce around too much when trying to read several chapters of “Yesteryear” simultaneously on a stationary bike. But if you can prop the e-reader on the handlebars of the bike or a nearby surface, you can easily turn pages without missing a beat.
Then there’s the cozy factor: reading under a big blanket in winter is one of the coziest experiences I can imagine, but if you have to keep your hands outside the blanket to turn pages on your Kindle, that’s certainly going to impact your sense of cozyness. (That’s a real problem!) But what if you could position the device comfortably within your line of sight and turn pages without removing your hands from the weighted blanket? Some readers are willing to spend tens of dollars to achieve that level of cozy.
The Kindle Click works as advertised.
How much does it cost in dollars? In the case of the Kindle Click, it’s about $35 (plus tax). While that may seem like a lot for a simple little remote with two basic functions and four buttons, it’s only $5 more than the certainly much nicer Boox Tappy . Incidentally, while the new firmware update will also allow the Kindle to support cheaper third-party alternatives , there’s no guarantee they’ll work as well.
So, how does the Kindle Click work ? It’s pretty simple: you press and hold a button on the remote to put it into pairing mode. Open the Settings menu on your 2024 or later Kindle and select Accessories (you may need a software update if you don’t see this option). Select the Kindle Click from the list that appears to pair it. Once paired, the remote appears to automatically connect to the Kindle if both devices are nearby and both are turned on, as long as the Kindle’s Bluetooth feature remains enabled; you don’t need to pair it manually each time.
That’s basically it: once you open the book, you can turn pages with the press of a button (you can assign which of the large gray buttons will turn pages forward or backward, according to your preference). The volume-like buttons on the side adjust the backlight brightness. You can’t use the remote control to navigate the device or open another book, so choose your reading material carefully before diving into your world.
The Click model is not as versatile as it could be.
While the Click certainly works as advertised, Amazon could have been a little more creative with its functionality. For example, the Boox Tappy can switch between modes, allowing you to use it to fast-forward and rewind between tracks in an audiobook or scroll through pages in a web browser. While the Kindle can’t display websites, it definitely supports audiobooks, but you can’t use the Click to skip between chapters or adjust the volume while listening to an Audible audiobook; these seem like obvious shortcomings to me. And while being able to adjust brightness is nice, why not let the remote also control the temperature settings, either by switching between different modes (like the Tappy) or with a combination of button presses? I’m not an engineer, so I don’t know how difficult it would be to implement, but Amazon has a lot of engineers, and I’m sure they could figure it out.