Kindle App Gets Biggest iOS Change in Over a Decade

[MacRumors]

Amazon has updated the Kindle app for iOS to include a new "Get Book" button that links users directly to purchase pages on Amazon's website, following a recent court ruling that prohibits Apple from blocking external purchase links or imposing a 27% commission on them (via The Verge).

The change to the Kindle app was made in response to a contempt order issued on April 30, 2025, by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in the ongoing litigation between Epic Games and Apple. According to the court order, Apple is barred from continuing to enforce App Store rules that previously prevented developers from directing users to external payment methods.

For more than a decade, Kindle app users on Apple devices have been unable to purchase e-books directly through the app. Beginning in 2011, Apple began enforcing guidelines that required developers to either use Apple's in-app purchase system (incurring a 30% commission) or remove any links, buttons, or instructions that would guide users to alternative purchasing methods. As a result, the Kindle app became limited to browsing owned titles, downloading samples, or managing a wish list, while actual purchases had to be completed manually through Amazon.com in a browser.

The update released this week introduces a prominent orange "Get Book" button next to book listings inside the Kindle app. When tapped, the button opens the user's default mobile web browser and navigates directly to the corresponding Amazon product page, with the Kindle edition of the book pre-selected. Users can then complete the purchase using Amazon's standard web-based checkout process. After the transaction, the book is automatically synced to the user's Kindle library and becomes available for immediate reading within the app. An Amazon spokesperson confirmed the change in a statement to The Verge:

We regularly make improvements to our apps to help ensure we are providing customers the most convenient experience possible. By selecting "Get Book" within the Kindle for iOS app, customers can now complete their purchase through their mobile web browser.

This is the first time since the enforcement of Apple's in-app purchasing restrictions that Kindle users on iOS have had a direct route from the app to Amazon's store. Previously, the lack of in-app purchasing or even external linking meant users had to manually search for titles in a separate browser session.

While Apple has filed an appeal against the court ruling, it is currently complying with the order. The judge declined to stay the ruling during the appeals process, meaning companies are now able to implement new payment flows unless a higher court reverses the decision. In addition to Amazon, Spotify has announced similar changes, and other developers are expected to follow.

Article Link: Kindle App Gets Biggest iOS Change in Over a Decade

 

[iObama]

As it should be.

 

[FSMBP]

I never understood this...I could buy a hardcopy book in the Amazon app (with no Apple markup). But Apple took a fee if I bought a digital book on Kindle (which is why Amazon didn't offer it).

If Apple was hosting those ebooks on its server, then sure they should be entitled to something. But that isn't the case here.

 

[Aeronauts]

So I still can’t buy Kindle books in the Amazon App, it’s just a link to their website where I can buy the book.

 

[ignatius345]

I'm using a Kobo e-reader instead, which I very much prefer. Their iOS app has never let you buy books, but I expect that will change now...

 

[yetanotherdave]

Maybe the update is still rolling out, but I can't see this in the UK yet :/

 

[mblm85]

Maybe the update is still rolling out, but I can't see this in the UK yet :/

This will be US-only as it's the result of a US court case.

 

[SnowPenguin]

Now that's something that benefits users

 

[WarmWinterHat]

Nice!!

I do most of my reading on a 11 year old Kindle Paperwhite, but usually use my phone to purchase the books. Nice update!

 

[yetanotherdave]

This will be US-only as it's the result of a US court case.

Thanks I was wondering but US based websites tend to miss those sorts of details when something isn't in the US, like the EU App Store stories made it very clear it was EU only and not in the US, these stories say nothing about location

 

[antiprotest]

I never understood this...I could buy a hardcopy book in the Amazon app (with no Apple markup). But Apple took a fee if I bought a digital book on Kindle (which is why Amazon didn't offer it).

If Apple was hosting those ebooks on its server, then sure they should be entitled to something. But that isn't the case here.

I think the rule is if you are selling something that competes with Apple then the fee applies. Since there is Apple Books, it applies. I don't like what that does in apps that I use, but if I understand correctly, that's the explanation.

 

[WB2Colorado]

I remember when the Kindle app got pulled from the App Store for a couple weeks back when the rules first went into effect until Amazon updated it

 

[Veinticinco]

Is Kindle still a thing? Assumed Amazon had moved on, once they'd decimated the independent bookseller industry.

 

[Nuno Lopes]

I never understood this...I could buy a hardcopy book in the Amazon app (with no Apple markup). But Apple took a fee if I bought a digital book on Kindle (which is why Amazon didn't offer it).

If Apple was hosting those ebooks on its server, then sure they should be entitled to something. But that isn't the case here.

From a user perspective don't think anyone ever truly understood.

Nevertheless I would understand the requirement to have In App Apple Pay along with other payment alternatives.

 

[johnnytravels]

Oh that EU always meddling in good old US business...
...wait a minute...
/s

I approve of that change because it was an extremely anticompetitive practice to begin with. Not that I am a fan of Amazon either, but this may well be the start of a new life for reading on iPad/iPhone with people now being able to monetize editorial content on reading and books directly from their apps. Perhaps a renaissance of small book stores in the digital sphere

 

[zinacef]

Is Kindle still a thing? Assumed Amazon had moved on, once they'd decimated the independent bookseller industry.

Yes, Kindle is very much still a thing—and thriving. Far from being abandoned, Amazon continues to release new Kindle models, improve the Kindle app, and invest in features like adjustable warm lighting and enhanced typography. Kindles remain a top choice for dedicated readers, with a user base that spans casual book lovers to voracious consumers of literature.

As for the idea that Amazon "decimated" independent booksellers—it's a more complex story. Independent bookstores have actually seen a resurgence in recent years, in part by offering curated experiences, community events, and personalized recommendations that big-box retailers and e-readers can't match. Many indie stores have embraced online sales and diversified their offerings to compete in a digital landscape.

Rather than being relics of a bygone era or tools of destruction, Kindles have become just one part of a broader, more diverse ecosystem of reading—one that includes independent bookstores, libraries, print books, audiobooks, and digital platforms all coexisting.

 

[ifxf]

Oh that EU always meddling in good old US business...
...wait a minute...
/s

I approve of that change because it was an extremely anticompetitive practice to begin with. Not that I am a fan of Amazon either, but this may well be the start of a new life for reading on iPad/iPhone with people now being able to monetize editorial content on reading and books directly from their apps. Perhaps a renaissance of small book stores in the digital sphere

You should thank Epic not Europe for this one.

 

[robantonelli]

A better experience for the end user.

 

[whitby]

About time. This has long been a thorn in my side. I can understand Apple taking a cut if it is handled through the app using Apple Pay processing, but preventing a link to a place where you can purchase an item outside the app is ridiculous. Many people will still like the convenience of using the app for purchase and continue to do so. However the 30% that Apple want is nonsense, even the CC companies do not take that big a cut. A 5% premium for in app processing seems fair and for that we all get the convenience of purchasing while in the app without Apple ripping off the app publisher. We can only hope.

 

[xander49x]

I stop buying kindle books because I can't go thru apple payment system, until that changes I will keep buying thru apple book store.

 

[coolfactor]

Thanks I was wondering but US based websites tend to miss those sorts of details when something isn't in the US, like the EU App Store stories made it very clear it was EU only and not in the US, these stories say nothing about location

That's a frequent annoyance for me, including mentioning of prices and promotions. Many US-based publications write as if the US is the only country in the world, and they forget the internet, and Apple, is global.

 

[diamond.g]

I think the rule is if you are selling something that competes with Apple then the fee applies. Since there is Apple Books, it applies. I don't like what that does in apps that I use, but if I understand correctly, that's the explanation.

If the content is meant to be consumed on the phone Apple wants a cut.

 

[RALentz]

Wonder if Amazon will ever fix the broken logic that has the Amazon app recommending e-book deals that I then can't purchase when I click-through on the alert... (Just says that I can't purchase it on this device.)

-R

 

[CalMin]

I never understood this...I could buy a hardcopy book in the Amazon app (with no Apple markup). But Apple took a fee if I bought a digital book on Kindle (which is why Amazon didn't offer it).

If Apple was hosting those ebooks on its server, then sure they should be entitled to something. But that isn't the case here.

The question is: if every developer could simply route around Apple by using a third-party link, who ultimately funds the platform’s development and infrastructure?

Apple’s position is that it provides the platform - iOS - on which these e-commerce transactions occur. Since we, as users, don’t pay directly for iOS, Apple expects the businesses that profit from the platform (i.e., app developers) to contribute to its upkeep by paying a commission.

I’m not defending the 30% commission. It’s been too high for too long in too many cases. But it helps to remember the context in which the App Store began. Back then, distributing software meant dealing with physical media or building out your own web store - handling hosting, payment processing, customer service, and more. For users, it often meant trusting some sketchy 3rd-party site with your credit card info and hoping they might still be around if you ever needed to redownload it. Plus manual updates, no recourse if the software is junk etc.

Today, the landscape is very different. And frankly, 30% no longer makes sense. Apple has clung to that number for too long, and it’s now backfiring. Had they adjusted the commission over time, they might have retained developer goodwill - and revenue. Instead, they’re now risking much more.

 

[TTTedP]

Is Kindle still a thing? Assumed Amazon had moved on, once they'd decimated the independent bookseller industry.

yep and I still prefer it over Apple Books