Kindle Unlimited magazines after 2026/07/22 change

dhdurgee · 07-28-2026, 02:48 PM

I have a Kindle Unlimited subscription in order to read several magazines on my jailbroken PW4 running 5.10.1.3 firmware. This has worked well with a few hiccups on occasion.

Amazon has changed things and as of 2026/07/22 I am supposed to somehow select individual issues to download as opposed to simply having them listed as ready to download in the appropriate folder.

I expected to see my July/August 2026 issues of Analog and Asimov's magazines available, but as of now I still don't see them. I look on Amazon's site and still see the May/June 2026 issues displayed as the current ones. Support tells me they simply are not yet available although Magzter and B&N have them.

Can someone clarify to me how this new Amazon approach to magazines is supposed to work? Is anyone else having problems? If so, how did you resolve them?

Thank you in advance for any assistance you can give me,

Dave

dhdurgee · 07-28-2026, 06:27 PM

I did find one thing out since posting the previous message. It appears I can find my magazines (when they are available) at:

https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/hz.../ku/magazines/

As it turns out one of the issues that had been missing since September, 2025 was finally available. It appears that new magazines are going to be in .kfx format as opposed to the previous .mobi format. The magazine consumed an amazing 103MB compared to the 1.5MB .epub format the publisher provided me when I reported to them that Amazon had failed to make the issue available six months after publication.

Is there a way in Calibre to convert and reduce the bloat of the .kfx formatted magazine?

Dave

j.p.s · 07-28-2026, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dhdurgee

The magazine consumed an amazing 103MB compared to the 1.5MB .epub format the publisher provided me when I reported to them that Amazon had failed to make the issue available six months after publication.

That must be a record for KFX bloat factor.

dhdurgee · 07-28-2026, 11:17 PM

I just took a look at this magazine and perhaps the reason for the bloat is it appears to be page images as opposed to anything else! It isn't even searchable!

I hope this is an exception due to publication problems that made it this late as opposed to what to expect for future issues.

Dave

JSWolf · 07-29-2026, 06:30 AM

Why is Amazon playing more games to piss-off the users?

The more Amazon does to try stop us removing DRM, the more Amazon does wrong.

jhowell · 07-29-2026, 09:57 AM

I took a look at Analog Science Fiction & Fact, May/June 2026 issue. It has only one review: One star, "I can’t read this format on my kindle device. It looks like a poor photo copy of the original. It is not in a e reader format."

I downloaded it to a Kindle. It came in as ~100MB of files in KFX comic format.

It is just a series of very large B/W page images. No table of contents. No ability to select text. Needed to zoom and slide to make it at all readable.

Definitely a huge step backwards on Amazon's part.

dhdurgee · 07-29-2026, 12:36 PM

I downloaded this issue when it was first available and it was provided as a 2MB .mobi file complete with the usual TOC, searchable, etc.

I intend to contact the publisher about this problem. If Amazon is to continue this practice I will be cancelling my Kindle Unlimited subscription and finding another source in an appropriate format.

Dave

JSWolf · 07-29-2026, 02:35 PM

Why is Amazon screwing it's customers like this?

dhdurgee · 07-29-2026, 02:43 PM

I have no idea what their motives are, but should they actually insist on providing magazines in this format I will be cancelling my Kindle Unlimited subscription and possibly keeping my Kindle offline and only purchasing content elsewhere to load via USB. They will effectively lose a customer entirely. And I doubt I will be the only one leaving them.

Dave

JSWolf · 07-29-2026, 03:07 PM

This makes magazines no longer readable on most Kindles.

j.p.s · 07-29-2026, 04:21 PM

Maybe that is their goal.

JSWolf · 07-29-2026, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j.p.s

Maybe that is their goal.

I would hope Amazon's goal isn't to drive away customers.

j.p.s · 07-29-2026, 07:38 PM

Drive magazine publishers from KU.

jhowell · 07-29-2026, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j.p.s

Drive magazine publishers from KU.

Driving them from their service appears to be the goal.

Not long ago you could either subscribe to magazines or purchase individual editions from Amazon in a format specially tailored to reading them. Now they must be borrowed via KU in an unreadable format.

dhdurgee · 07-29-2026, 11:59 PM

If their intent is to drive magazine publishers away they should keep in mind that they are also driving magazine subscribers away. As I noted above, my only reason for a KU subscription IS for my magazines. If they are unavailable or unreadable then I have no reason for KU and very little reason for Amazon at all.

Dave

07-28-2026, 02:48 PM	#1
dhdurgee Guru Posts: 939 Karma: 3000002 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: K3W, PW4	Kindle Unlimited magazines after 2026/07/22 change I have a Kindle Unlimited subscription in order to read several magazines on my jailbroken PW4 running 5.10.1.3 firmware. This has worked well with a few hiccups on occasion. Amazon has changed things and as of 2026/07/22 I am supposed to somehow select individual issues to download as opposed to simply having them listed as ready to download in the appropriate folder. I expected to see my July/August 2026 issues of Analog and Asimov's magazines available, but as of now I still don't see them. I look on Amazon's site and still see the May/June 2026 issues displayed as the current ones. Support tells me they simply are not yet available although Magzter and B&N have them. Can someone clarify to me how this new Amazon approach to magazines is supposed to work? Is anyone else having problems? If so, how did you resolve them? Thank you in advance for any assistance you can give me, Dave

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07-28-2026, 06:27 PM	#2
dhdurgee Guru Posts: 939 Karma: 3000002 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: K3W, PW4	I did find one thing out since posting the previous message. It appears I can find my magazines (when they are available) at: https://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/hz.../ku/magazines/ As it turns out one of the issues that had been missing since September, 2025 was finally available. It appears that new magazines are going to be in .kfx format as opposed to the previous .mobi format. The magazine consumed an amazing 103MB compared to the 1.5MB .epub format the publisher provided me when I reported to them that Amazon had failed to make the issue available six months after publication. Is there a way in Calibre to convert and reduce the bloat of the .kfx formatted magazine? Dave

07-28-2026, 11:17 PM	#4
dhdurgee Guru Posts: 939 Karma: 3000002 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: K3W, PW4	I just took a look at this magazine and perhaps the reason for the bloat is it appears to be page images as opposed to anything else! It isn't even searchable! I hope this is an exception due to publication problems that made it this late as opposed to what to expect for future issues. Dave

07-29-2026, 06:30 AM	#5
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 84,438 Karma: 153744815 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Why is Amazon playing more games to piss-off the users? The more Amazon does to try stop us removing DRM, the more Amazon does wrong.

07-29-2026, 09:57 AM	#6
jhowell Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,398 Karma: 95902893 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Charlottesville, VA Device: Kindles	I took a look at Analog Science Fiction & Fact, May/June 2026 issue. It has only one review: One star, "I can’t read this format on my kindle device. It looks like a poor photo copy of the original. It is not in a e reader format." I downloaded it to a Kindle. It came in as ~100MB of files in KFX comic format. It is just a series of very large B/W page images. No table of contents. No ability to select text. Needed to zoom and slide to make it at all readable. Definitely a huge step backwards on Amazon's part.

07-29-2026, 12:36 PM	#7
dhdurgee Guru Posts: 939 Karma: 3000002 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: K3W, PW4	I downloaded this issue when it was first available and it was provided as a 2MB .mobi file complete with the usual TOC, searchable, etc. I intend to contact the publisher about this problem. If Amazon is to continue this practice I will be cancelling my Kindle Unlimited subscription and finding another source in an appropriate format. Dave

07-29-2026, 02:35 PM	#8
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 84,438 Karma: 153744815 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Why is Amazon screwing it's customers like this?

07-29-2026, 02:43 PM	#9
dhdurgee Guru Posts: 939 Karma: 3000002 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: K3W, PW4	I have no idea what their motives are, but should they actually insist on providing magazines in this format I will be cancelling my Kindle Unlimited subscription and possibly keeping my Kindle offline and only purchasing content elsewhere to load via USB. They will effectively lose a customer entirely. And I doubt I will be the only one leaving them. Dave

07-29-2026, 03:07 PM	#10
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 84,438 Karma: 153744815 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	This makes magazines no longer readable on most Kindles.

07-29-2026, 04:21 PM	#11
j.p.s Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,086 Karma: 107275353 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: pb360	Maybe that is their goal.

07-29-2026, 07:38 PM	#13
j.p.s Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,086 Karma: 107275353 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: pb360	Drive magazine publishers from KU.

07-29-2026, 11:59 PM	#15
dhdurgee Guru Posts: 939 Karma: 3000002 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: K3W, PW4	If their intent is to drive magazine publishers away they should keep in mind that they are also driving magazine subscribers away. As I noted above, my only reason for a KU subscription IS for my magazines. If they are unavailable or unreadable then I have no reason for KU and very little reason for Amazon at all. Dave