DRM workaround: Kindle for Android

[NBRuJaDo]

So for now only the Kindle eink device method works right?

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by NBRuJaDo

So for now only the Kindle eink device method works right?

Kindle for PC still works for books published before April 22.

[anil4523]

I had recently setup Nox Player with android OS 12 then rooted this emulator & got root access... I had installed Kindle app for android latest version in emulator.... Login to kindle account.... purchased 2 books.... One is print replica published before 22th April... other one is ePub published after 22th April..... I downloaded both these books in emulator..... When i see this book in Folder, each book is divided in multiple .kfx fragments depending upon size of book.... there is one amazon drm voucher in folder...... when these fragments are imported to calibre... only one kfx fragment is decrypted (cover image of book).... rest imported as KFX-ZIP..... can anyone guide how to furthur proceed ??

[lkmiller]

No point as there isn't a way to get the keys for the later Kindle for Android versions.

[Sats]

This is what I did (as usual, not many details, what worked for me may not work for thee, more hints in the usual place, etc):
I installed rooted WSA from here, since it does not seem to have many ads. Then I installed K4A 8.123.0.100 from google play store, and logged in and downloaded a few books.

Then I installed frida server (have to be careful about architecture, it has to match host, not emulated ARM), and ran it from root shell (KernelSu).

Then i connected instrumentation script and opened book. It was slow, and occasionally crashed, but usually only after it printed out the key for that book (several times, same key). I then put key string into file that was spat out by previous tool (though empty text file would also work, of course), adb pulled book folder, fiddled a bit with deDRM and successfully imported the book.

@lkmiller, yes, that should work on the books with "heavy" encryption, until it is blocked by Amazon again... so for another week or so, if we are lucky? I checked with one book that I have.

[xyzzy_foo]

Originally Posted by lkmiller

No point as there isn't a way to get the keys for the later Kindle for Android versions.

If install K4A 4.17.0.146 on Android 9 or 10, get the key, and then download KFX using a newer K4A version (above 8.52.0.100) that Amazon still supports, will the key obtained from 4.17.0.146 still work?

[xyzzy_foo]

Originally Posted by xyzzy_foo

If install K4A 4.17.0.146 on Android 9 or 10, get the key, and then download KFX using a newer K4A version (above 8.52.0.100) that Amazon still supports, will the key obtained from 4.17.0.146 still work?

In the end, this works.

I enabled root access on my LDPlayer 9 instance, installed K4A 4.17.0.146, copied the map_data_storage.db and imported it into DeDRM, then updated to K4A 8.53.0.100, copied the downloaded KFX files to my PC, and imported them into calibre.
The DRM was removed.

Even Kindle eBooks released after April 22, 2025, work without any issues—that's all.
I don’t understand why nobody else thought of such a simple idea.

I don’t have any Kindle eBooks with the "super-strong" KFX DRM, so I can’t comment to that.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by xyzzy_foo

In the end, this works.

I enabled root access on my LDPlayer 9 instance, installed K4A 4.17.0.146, copied the map_data_storage.db and imported it into DeDRM, then updated to K4A 8.53.0.100, copied the downloaded KFX files to my PC, and imported them into calibre.
The DRM was removed.

Even Kindle eBooks released after April 22, 2025, work without any issues—that's all.
I don’t understand why nobody else thought of such a simple idea.

I don’t have any Kindle eBooks with the "super-strong" KFX DRM, so I can’t comment to that.

Folks did that with K4A 8.51, but that version no longer downloads any ebooks at all. I'm pretty sure 8.53 won't last long either.

[xyzzy_foo]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Folks did that with K4A 8.51, but that version no longer downloads any ebooks at all. I'm pretty sure 8.53 won't last long either.

The reason we stuck with the combination of BlueStacks with 7 Nougat and K4A 8.51.1.0 was because the BlueStacks Nougat image had a favorable bug that rejected KFX.

I'm still hoping someone will figure out the exact conditions of that "bug" and devise a way to keep getting KF8...
If it's possible to obtain KF8, I'd definitely want to purchase eBooks on Kindle.

[Sats]

Originally Posted by xyzzy_foo

The reason we stuck with the combination of BlueStacks with 7 Nougat and K4A 8.51.1.0 was because the BlueStacks Nougat image had a favorable bug that rejected KFX.

I'm still hoping someone will figure out the exact conditions of that "bug" and devise a way to keep getting KF8...
If it's possible to obtain KF8, I'd definitely want to purchase eBooks on Kindle.

Have you considered dumping the traffic between Bluestacks and Amazon servers? Device /capability registration and manifest queries, especially? If you did, PM me, I guess? Thread not really a place for discussion.

That said, pretty sure the moment such method comes out, Amazon will just delete KF8 off its servers and go ""

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sats

Have you considered dumping the traffic between Bluestacks and Amazon servers? Device /capability registration and manifest queries, especially? If you did, PM me, I guess? Thread not really a place for discussion.

That said, pretty sure the moment such method comes out, Amazon will just delete KF8 off its servers and go ""

If Amazon deletes KF8, that means then that all WiFi Kindles that don't do KFX will be stuck with Mobi or nothing. That's not a solution.

[Sats]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

If Amazon deletes KF8, that means then that all WiFi Kindles that don't do KFX will be stuck with Mobi or nothing. That's not a solution.

Not a solution for a sane, reasonable, person, maybe. For amazon? Planned obsolescence, "it is with great regret that we announce a sunset of certain old Kindle models"...
That said, I did try flipping "isKFXSupported" switch in the latest K4A (Turns out they check for GPU capability and blacklist), and.. no luck.
" Received error: errorCode is : NoViableDeliveryOption ". So probably the only reliable way left is to pretend that you are an old Kindle device... Anybody knows what they use for identifications?

[RustyHill]

So it's time to dump my Bluestacks which has served me so well over the years, as my Kindle for Android now says it can't d/l new books.

But the good news is that with a Kindle Paperwhite, KFX input 2.25.0 & DeDRM 10.0.9 I can still make epub backs from new books. [Which is all I want to do - I just don't trust Amazon not to go weird and for me to lose years of books!]

So ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DQXHRTDS from Publication date ‏ : ‎ 10 Jun. 2025 DeDRMs fine. Phew - until the next change.

I must also dig out a very old Kindle of mine - a 3G version - and see if that d/ls something other than KFX.. anyone tried this?

[dcarvil]

Originally Posted by RustyHill

I must also dig out a very old Kindle of mine - a 3G version - and see if that d/ls something other than KFX.. anyone tried this?

Yes, Kindles older than PW1 download azw3 files. Possibly the PW1 does also, I don't have one to try it with.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by RustyHill

I must also dig out a very old Kindle of mine - a 3G version - and see if that d/ls something other than KFX.. anyone tried this?

Does your 3G Kindle still connect? In a few areas, they still connect but those are rare. If they can still connect, you may also find that your Kindle 1st or 2nd generation or Kindle DX will download .mobi since their firmware does not handle KF8/azw3.