DRM workaround: Kindle for Android

[rand_kindle_user]

Has anyone tried to use this method with Waydroid?

[angel44e]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Note: Please don't PM me with questions! Better to ask in this thread (we'll redirect you to the NoDRM Github if needed).

If you are affected by the changes to Kindle downloads and yet don't have a Kindle device, there's now another solution: Kindle for Android.

You don't need an Android device, thanks to Bluestacks.

As I do not have a Prime account, I've only tested this for purchased books and samples.

Note that reading a book via KU loan pays the author per page, which cannot be tracked if the book is read outside Kindle.

A brief set of instructions. If you need something more step-by-step, this post will help more.

1. Acquire SDK Platform Tools to get adb.exe (Android Debug Bridge) and an APK for an older version of Kindle for Android, 4.17 and below.. I used 4.16.0.75.

If OldVersion.com isn't working, I don't know of the legitimacy of other websites. An APK of version 4.16.0.75 should have an MD5 hash of 1ebe31041db4824c9f83a43d04d74668 (not case-sensitive). If you have nothing to check, this website will do it.

Note that there are reports that the apk won't work for Android 11, and that at least on Android 10 the app may attempt to force the user to upgrade to download books. 32-bit Nougat on Bluestacks is confirmed to work.

If you don't have an Android device and Bluestacks is not available for your system (Linux or M1 Macs), one user reports success using 4.16.0.75 in Android Emulator (part of Android Studio), albeit with severe performance penalties.

2. Follow these instructions to extract your Kindle key and import to DeDRM.

If your adb file is very small (0-1 kb), the backup most likely failed. Try running through the instructions again. One possible error is using newer version of Kindle for Android, which doesn't support backup.

One user reports that using adb backup -all also works, but expect a large file!

(Note that if using Bluestacks, you need to enable the option in its advanced settings, check the port number—most times its 5555—and use adb connect localhost:{portnumber} or 127.0.0.1:{portnumber})

3. After downloading your book, look in /Android/data/com.amazon.kindle/files/ for PRC files inside ASIN-labelled subfolders. Copy it out and DeDRM it.

(Bluestacks has a preinstalled "Media Manager" app that allows you to export the file to the OS.)

Notes:

- There was no attempts from the app to update itself. Still, I would suggest keeping the APK for backup.

- I suspect Amazon may be monitoring MobileRead. If this method gets blocked, I'll know for sure.

- There's been several reports of this method failing on physical devices and the app demanding an upgrade to download. It continues to work on Bluestacks for now, so try that.

- For high-resolution images:

Thanks for quite clear explanation,but I've a problem when follow these instructions and my journey is stopped at 17th point of that step-by-step manual - https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...&postcount=308. That's error I received in calibre when I try to customize DeDRM plugin :

Spoiler:

calibre, version 7.26.0
ERROR: Cannot open file or folder as it is in use: <p>Could not open the file: "C:\Users\ZHIVKO\AppData\Local\Temp\tmp7bqmhij q". It is already opened in the following programs:<div>The main calibre program: C:\Program Files\Calibre2\calibre.exe

calibre 7.26 embedded-python: True
Windows-10-10.0.16299-SP0 Windows ('64bit', 'WindowsPE')
('Windows', '10', '10.0.16299')
Python 3.11.5
Windows: ('10', '10.0.16299', 'SP0', 'Multiprocessor Free')
Interface language: None
EXE path: C:\Program Files\Calibre2\calibre.exe
Successfully initialized third party plugins: Gather KFX-ZIP (from KFX Input) (2, 19, 0) && DeDRM (10, 0, 9) && Package KFX (from KFX Input) (2, 19, 0) && KFX metadata reader (from KFX Input) (2, 19, 0) && From KFX (2, 19, 0) && KFX Input (2, 19, 0)
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Users\ZHIVKO\AppData\Roaming\calibre\plugins\D eDRM.zip\config.py", line 1424, in get_android_file
File "C:\Users\ZHIVKO\AppData\Roaming\calibre\plugins\D eDRM.zip\androidkindlekey.py", line 251, in get_serials
PermissionError: [WinError 32] The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process: 'C:\\Users\\ZHIVKO\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\tmp7bqmh ijq'

Could anyone help me about that error?

[issybird]

Detailed help in regard to DRM removal isn't allowed at MR.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by angel44e

ERROR: Cannot open file or folder as it is in use: <p>Could not open the file: "C:\Users\ZHIVKO\AppData\Local\Temp\tmp7bqmhij q". It is already opened in the following programs:<div>The main calibre program: C:\Program Files\Calibre2\calibre.exe

See post #614 in this thread by lkmiller.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by jhowell

See post #614 in this thread by lkmiller.

URL in that post is no longer valid as it's since changed. So pointing someone to that post is not going to help any longer.

[DNSB]

You can go to NoDRM's Automatic alpha release with latest changes page and download from the Assets area which should be stable or you can download the current autorelease from https://github.com/noDRM/DeDRM_tools_autorelease/releases/download/autorelease_7379b453199ed1ba91bf3a4ce4875d5ed3c309 a9/DeDRM_alpha_7379b453199ed1ba91bf3a4ce4875d5ed3c309 a9.zip.

[odamizu]

Does the Kindle for Android method get you KF8/azw3 or KFX?

[DNSB]

The version of KfA used gets you mobi or KF8/.azw3. And yes, there some some authors still generating .mobi books.

[angel44e]

Originally Posted by jhowell

See post #614 in this thread by lkmiller.

Thank you for that link,jhowell, but it's an error - 'Page not found' from link of that post!

[DNSB]

You've probably already seen it but use the links in message #696 in this thread. Personally, I have bookmarked the first link in that message so I need to click on Assets to get to the actual download.

[jhowell]

Originally Posted by DNSB

The version of KfA used gets you mobi or KF8/.azw3. And yes, there some some authors still generating .mobi books.

Any book published using Amazon’s Kindle Create software, often used by self publishers, is produced in KFX with MOBI generated as a fallback for devices and apps that do not support KFX. That is likely the source of many of those books. It is only a matter of time before they drop the production MOBI, leaving those books only available in KFX.

[odamizu]

Thanks, I updated the calibre post to indicate method 4 gets you KF8/azw3 (for the most part).

[angel44e]

Originally Posted by DNSB

You can go to NoDRM's Automatic alpha release with latest changes page and download from the Assets area which should be stable or you can download the current autorelease from https://github.com/noDRM/DeDRM_tools_autorelease/releases/download/autorelease_7379b453199ed1ba91bf3a4ce4875d5ed3c309 a9/DeDRM_alpha_7379b453199ed1ba91bf3a4ce4875d5ed3c309 a9.zip.

Thank you very much,DNSB! I've created now sucessfully an Android key according to that pdf-manual that I've pointed in my help asking post,but I don't know what to do further - should I save that Android key to .k4a file and then import it and where? And should I proceed further with steps 1 to 8 after 'To actually secure a book through Bluestacks/Kindle App:' when I've finished steps 1 to 17th in manual Master Process Kindle Android.pdf?

[angel44e]

Originally Posted by angel44e

Thank you very much,DNSB! I've created now sucessfully an Android key according to that pdf-manual that I've pointed in my help asking post,but I don't know what to do further - should I save that Android key to .k4a file and then import it and where? And should I proceed further with steps 1 to 8 after 'To actually secure a book through Bluestacks/Kindle App:' when I've finished steps 1 to 17th in manual Master Process Kindle Android.pdf?

I've managed to set up and convert all of my files successfully,thank you once again,DNSB for kindly help

I don't know only how to add you reputation,cause I've not visible such a button!

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by angel44e

I don't know only how to add you reputation,cause I've not visible such a button!

Karma button in the margin under Name, Avatar & blurb.