Kindle Scribe features possibly coming to Kindle apps

jhowell · 05-27-2026, 11:16 AM

As part of my ongoing work to reverse engineer Kindle e-book formats I regularly examine new Kindle firmware and app updates for interesting changes. Lately I have been seeing increasing code related to handwritten annotation and notebook features being added to the Kindle apps.

So far those features have been exclusive to Scribe devices. This may be a sign that Amazon intends to expand those capabilities to apps, many of which run on devices with pen support.

tomsem · 05-28-2026, 07:30 PM

I have long wondered why this expansion of features has not progressed beyond ability to view 'sticky notes' with Apple and Android Kindle apps. Missing are: handwritten annotations to print replica documents, active canvas notes, and now handwritten annotations of images in books with enhanced typography.

Also wondering about underline and outline highlighting style. Nothing precludes this from being on any Kindles still getting updates or the Kindle apps. Ironically outline is on my 2022 Scribe but not Scribe Colorsoft.

tomsem · 06-04-2026, 10:53 AM

(cross posting here from the 5.19.4 thread)

Scribe Colorsoft now (after updating to 5.19.4.0.1) has all three Highlight styles: Highlight, Underline, and Outline. Highlights can be in 5 colors, the other 2 can use any of the 10 colors.

With Pen set to a drawing tool (Pen, Fountain Pen, Marker, Pencil, Shader), underlining generates underline highlight, and encircling a text selection outlines it.

With Pen set to highlight or select/fingertip tool, it uses highlight style when you hold on a word and then drag to select.

Fingertip highlights by default but then you can apply the other styles to the selection by tapping on it, and remove highlight style as before.

The three styles can be applied to the same selection independently.

Sync between my 2 Scribes (the other is 2022 Scribe) is a little slow.

The colors get flattened to grey (for highlight) and black (for outline). And of course other Kindles and the Kindle apps do not show Outline or Underline highlights at all.

05-27-2026, 11:16 AM	#1
jhowell Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,376 Karma: 95902893 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Charlottesville, VA Device: Kindles	Kindle Scribe features possibly coming to Kindle apps As part of my ongoing work to reverse engineer Kindle e-book formats I regularly examine new Kindle firmware and app updates for interesting changes. Lately I have been seeing increasing code related to handwritten annotation and notebook features being added to the Kindle apps. So far those features have been exclusive to Scribe devices. This may be a sign that Amazon intends to expand those capabilities to apps, many of which run on devices with pen support.

06-04-2026, 10:53 AM	#3
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,219 Karma: 28000007 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPad Mini, Kindle Colorsoft, Kindle Scribe Colorsoft	(cross posting here from the 5.19.4 thread) Scribe Colorsoft now (after updating to 5.19.4.0.1) has all three Highlight styles: Highlight, Underline, and Outline. Highlights can be in 5 colors, the other 2 can use any of the 10 colors. With Pen set to a drawing tool (Pen, Fountain Pen, Marker, Pencil, Shader), underlining generates underline highlight, and encircling a text selection outlines it. With Pen set to highlight or select/fingertip tool, it uses highlight style when you hold on a word and then drag to select. Fingertip highlights by default but then you can apply the other styles to the selection by tapping on it, and remove highlight style as before. The three styles can be applied to the same selection independently. Sync between my 2 Scribes (the other is 2022 Scribe) is a little slow. The colors get flattened to grey (for highlight) and black (for outline). And of course other Kindles and the Kindle apps do not show Outline or Underline highlights at all. Last edited by tomsem; 06-04-2026 at 10:57 AM.

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05-28-2026, 07:30 PM	#2
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,219 Karma: 28000007 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPad Mini, Kindle Colorsoft, Kindle Scribe Colorsoft	I have long wondered why this expansion of features has not progressed beyond ability to view 'sticky notes' with Apple and Android Kindle apps. Missing are: handwritten annotations to print replica documents, active canvas notes, and now handwritten annotations of images in books with enhanced typography. Also wondering about underline and outline highlighting style. Nothing precludes this from being on any Kindles still getting updates or the Kindle apps. Ironically outline is on my 2022 Scribe but not Scribe Colorsoft.